Thanks to the shemagh John Shirley brought me from Afghanistan (and this handy instructional shemagh-tying video from U.S. Cavalry,) my nose stayed toasty warm and un-frostbitten while lugging the trash cans to the curb.
Thank you, John!
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21 comments:
Hah! Now you understand.
And you used to mock my Multigator!
Shootin' Buddy
There's a native version of those things: The woolen scarf
But if you just drape one over your shoulders (preferably the black-and-white model) in some "progressive" circles, it means you are pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel.
Anon,
Yes, but the shemagh has a thousand and one uses, because of its size and cotton fabric.
I had a nice scarf my first winter up here; Shiva only knows where it got off to...
Chas,
This one's sort of a dark blue, gold, and white, and it came from Afghanistan; college radicals wear black and white ones that came from Abercrombie & Fitch. Also, I've never just draped it over my shoulders like a fashion accessory; I usually use it to keep my neck warm.
Tam, you don't have a good balaclava?
I could never figure out what was so "tactical" about putting a flaky pastry on my head. And the honey kept getting all stuck in my hair.
No hoser hat? Take off, eh!
The tactical part: your enemy laughs himself silly. While he's doing so, you throw hot coffee in his face...
Of course, if you want to make sure that you aren't confused with a Palestinian sympathizer, you can order the Israeli version, which features a Star of David pattern instead of the houndstooth pattern usually employed.
Uh, I generally don't wear garments with foreign flags on them, not being foreign and all.
Actually, I pulled my ball cap back on over the shemagh; it has a subdued U.S. flag velcroed to the front. Do I get points for that?
A ball cap on top of a shemagh/kaffiya? That's cultural appropriation! Or something.
Somebody referred to my billed, earflapped, Gore-Tex and fleece number as a "goofy hat" today. Hey, it's four degrees Fahrenheit, there's a breeze, and I can still feel my ears. Here on my side of the hat, I like it just fine.
A guy with a Georgia accent telling how to tie a shemagh?
That ain't natural.
Erik in Colo.
I'm pretty sure you scared/confused the crap outta your neighbors during this evolution...
"Abner! I TOLD you the blonde was up to something!"
Keeps the grit out when it's dusty, too.
And Dad and I got our shemaughs from the same place that you got yours. (Thanks, John! For this and SO much more.)
I really like the idea of those things but I just can't bring myself to make wearing one my own. Every time I try, I get visions of Che t-shirt wearing undergrads in flip flops and designer jeans. Then I beat myself up a little over carrying about crap like that.
Repeat.
Maybe I just need to find one that doesn't have anywhere near a traditional pattern on it...
Thanks for making it clear I'm not the only one with cognitive dissonance over the whole head wear vs dessert thing!
I picked one up in "tactical" sage green and tan, like it much more than the plain tan'n'black (not to be confused with the Black and Tans!).
Maybe if I could get one in red, white and blue?
I've got a picture of son in the cupola of a MRAP, and he looks like he's wearing a stillsuit: no skin showing at all. Between temperature and dust and wind...
Y'all are so very welcome.
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