Horsing Around With the Backcountry Bandana

I was a typical horse-crazy girl: I drew horses constantly, I had a mental map of every horse that lived within a 50 mile radius of my hometown of Bennington, Vermont, I galloped everywhere and jumped over lawn chairs set up in a “stadium course”. When my father introduced me he said, “This is my daughter who thinks she’s a horse.”

Despite living in Vermont my whole life and enjoying the distinct seasonal changes, I am not a huge fan of being too cold or too hot.

I’m with Goldilocks on this one: “just right” is the best.

When I ride my horse, Samurai, in temperatures below 40 degrees and above 80 degrees, I choose my gear carefully so I stay comfortable.

The real impact of wind chill factor becomes very personal during a chilly morning gallop!

 

At the opposite end of the spectrum, a hot, humid day can deflate my enthusiasm for long trail rides in a hurry without a way to cool myself. Enter… the Sun Shell Backcountry Bandana.

Riders throughout history have worn neck accessories for protection from dust and sun, used them emergency bandages, tourniquets, slings,and as face coverings for anonymity. Cowboys have bandanas, English riders have four-fold stock ties. Turtle Fur’s Backcountry Bandana is the modern outdoor kin of these.

It’s a big square of technical fabric. It’s pretty, silky, and stretchable.

Cowboys have bandanas, English riders have four-fold stock ties. The Turtle Fur Backcountry Bandana is the modern outdoor kin of these.

 

It transforms into what I need it to be: in cold weather, it fills the spot above my jacket collar where the wind hits my neck, keeping out the cold. In hot weather, I dunk it in cool water and tie it around my neck to take advantage of evaporative cooling. It also pinch-hits as a towel, a picnic cloth, a napkin, a head cover, a head band. Fold it any way you want!

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When I ride my horse, Samurai, in temperatures below 40 degrees and above 80 degrees, I choose my gear carefully so I stay comfortable.	"In hot weather, I dunk it in cold water and tie it around my neck to take advantage of evaporative cooling. "
	My favorite print is Taj. The Taj pattern is a Sun Shell-only one that I would describe as a a contemporary mash-up of traditional block printed Indonesian & Indian fabrics, complete with indigo colorway and paisley motifs. In that way, it speaks to traditional bandana prints while being firmly rooted in the present because it’s moisture-wicking, technical, and easy-care.   Happy riding!