5 Ways to Use Tubular Bandanas for Hiking

What’s a tool for family hiking that you’ve found is both versatile and fashionable? What outdoor accessory has been especially useful for you on your hikes? For us, it’s tubular bandanas!

Now that we’re back in Washington state, we’re itching to spend as much time outdoors as we can. The home where we are staying right now is located next to a small nature reserve, so we often spend the afternoons exploring the area. Or we will do weekend hikes while we’re enjoying the best camping in Washington.

But summer hiking can get pretty hot. And since some of us sweat quite a bit (mostly my husband!), we need something that will keep the sweat off our face and eyes while we’re enjoying the outdoors. That’s where tubular bandanas come in handy! 

Hoo-Rag recently sent my family and me some tubular bandanas to try out. I have to say, we’ve been enjoying using them during our outdoor exploration in Washington state!


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Our family at the Spokane River (June 2020)

What we like about tubular bandanas

We see tubular bandanas all over the world. We saw them for sale at national parks in the United States, at outdoor stores in Indonesia, and even at the convenience stores in small town America! 

But it was only recently that we decided to give them a try. Honestly, I wish we had done it sooner. They are lightweight and pack easily in our bags. And they’re machine washable, so it’s easy to keep them clean.

One of the big things we like about these bandanas are just how versatile they are. We can use them for hiking, of course. But we can also use them to shield our faces from car exhaust in big cities. These would have been super helpful to have as face coverings when we were doing our scooter rental in Bali!

Taking a break at the Spokane River during our hike (June 2020)

Cool tubular bandanas from Hoo-Rag

Hoo-Rag is a company that specializes in tubular bandanas. I just love their vast selection of designs!

They really focus on creating fun designs that match your personality. I like that they have a selection of bandanas specifically for kids. The kid bandanas are designed a bit smaller to fit kids’ heads better.

They also have a wide range of styles for adults. I like their paisley-themed designs, as well as their colorful patterns. I also like some of the bolder and more outrageous designs too. To commemorate our time in Mexico, we got one with a sugar skull design on it!

Hoo-Rag bandanas range from $9-$16 each. You can order online, and then have them deliver the bandanas to your home!

Here are some of our favorite patterns that you can buy for your family:

Hoo-Rag - Multi-Functional Face & Neck Mask- Paisley

Hoo-Rag - Multi-Functional Face Mask & Neck Cover - Tie Dye

Tubular bandanas from Hoo-Rag
Bandana designs from Hoo-Rag (June 2020)

5 ways to wear tubular bandanas for hiking

As I mentioned, one of the things I enjoy about tubular bandanas are that you can wear them in a variety of ways. For someone who travels minimally, having accessories that are versatile is a must! Here are some ways that you can wear tubular bandanas for your next hiking excursion.

Hiking at Finch Arboretum in Spokane (June 2020)

1. Masks for social distancing on your hikes

These days, making sure we’re properly social distancing, even on our hikes, is so important for our health. On trails where there may be a lot of hikers, having a mask that you can quickly pull on and off is helpful. You can wear tubular bandanas around your neck when you’re hiking, and then pull it up over your nose and mouth if you need to.

Child wearing tubular bandanas for outdoor playing at the park
Playing with his mask on (June 2020)

2. Sweat rags for your head

My husband sweats when he hikes. He sweats A LOT! The tubular bandanas are great to use as sweat rags for sweaty hikers like my husband. And since the material is stretchy, they don’t slide off your head! 

Man wear tubular bandanas as a sweat rag
Wearing a bandana as a sweat rag (June 2020)

3. Using tubular bandanas for headbands

My daughter is arguably the fashionista of our family. She loves wearing her tubular bandanas like a headband. Even I admit that they’re nice to wear as headbands, especially on long hikes, to keep my hair from falling onto my face.

Staying fashionable with our headbands (June 2020)

4. Multi-purpose scarf

When you’re not hiking, tubular bandanas can still come in handy as a scarf. I like wearing scarves when I fly on planes. And on cold days, a lightweight scarf around your neck can help keep you warm.

Wearing my bandana as a scarf (June 2020)

5. Full face coverage with tubular bandanas

If you’re looking for full face coverage, you can wear your tubular bandanas over your nose, mouth, and the top of your head! I would probably wear my bandana this way if it was absolutely cold outside and I needed something to keep my ears warm. To be honest, I felt a bit silly wearing my bandana this way, but it certainly did keep everything all warm and bundled up. And it’s a fun way to wear your bandana!

Full face coverage with my Hoo-Rag (June 2020)

Adding tubular bandanas to your outdoor supply list

It was a lot of fun trying out the different ways to wear our tubular bandanas. We like clothes that are multi-purpose and functional, so these bandanas fit us well. Personally for me, I enjoy wearing them as a scarf. But I know I’ll keep looking for other ways to wear these accessories during our hiking adventures and travels in the future.

As we find ways to safely enjoy the outdoors while still being careful during the pandemic, having an accessory that we can use as a mask is great to have. Hoo-Rags are a simple, yet helpful, accessory to add to your outdoor supply list. They’re small and lightweight, and can make an easy-to-wear mask whenever you need them.

Have you used Hoo-Rags or other brands of tubular bandanas on your hikes. What did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Disclosure: I receive free tubular bandanas from Hoo-Rag in exchange for promoting them on my blog. However, the thoughts expressed in this blog post are completely my own.

5 Ways To Use Tubular Bandanas For Hiking | The Wandering Daughter

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