21 Uses for a Pashmina Scarf While Camping

Four years after spending £3 on a humble pashmina scarf from a street seller in my local town, I have come to realise that they were 3 of the most sensible pounds I have ever spent. In those years I have found the pashmina to be the most invaluable camping multi-tool; and I have learnt to never, ever consider throwing it away, even when it’s cold, wet and smelly.

Allow me to expand my argument for this essential piece of equipment with just a few examples of its many uses.

21 Uses for a Pashmina Scarf While Camping

Firstly, (and most obviously) – it acts as a great scarf! Its thin and lightweight material can be wrapped around your neck many times, creating lots of warming layers; or it can be used in the opposite conditions as a shade, to be wrapped loosely over head and neck.  While on a camping/hiking trip in Morocco I soaked mine in water and draped it over my head, neck and arms; this was a perfect antidote to 40C conditions! You can even use the tassels at the ends to keep flies away from your face.

While on excursions away from the campsite, I have used it as a replacement rucksack strap, a bandage, a dress, towel, skirt, even as a sock for a blistered foot! And, once or twice, I have dared venture to use it for its intended purpose and have worn it as a fashion accessory.

Meanwhile, its versatility increases back at basecamp. One of my favourite weird and wonderful uses for my beloved pashmina has been to drain vegetables. It is also great fun to spin around a campsite with a scarf full of carrots. Similarly, when camping in the wild, it can be put to use to filter unsafe water and remove debris before making potable with purifying tablets.

This queen of unlikely tools has also been transformed into a pillow, a shawl for chilly evenings, a blindfold for children playing “blind-man’s buff”, and a sling to carry babies. It has been screwed and tied up into a volleyball, laid out as a picnic blanket or tablecloth, strung up inside a tent to create a hammock shelf for valuables, used as a tea-towel……

And so on. The list is endless!

A pashmina scarf. Very simple, very small, but something I recommend and, personally, will never camp without!

Author: Phoebe Ruxton

Edited by: CampTrip.com

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