HARDCORE OUTDOOR-GEAR REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HUNTING, HIKING, SEARCH AND RESCUE, MILITARY: Camovat - Camouflage Cravat

HARDCORE OUTDOOR-GEAR REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HUNTING, HIKING, SEARCH AND RESCUE, MILITARY

HARDCORE OUTDOOR-GEAR REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HUNTING, HIKING, SEARCH AND RESCUE, MILITARY: Camovat - Camouflage Cravat - Bandana

Camovat - Camouflage Cravat - Bandana

McNett handed me a new product called CamoVat while I was walking through their booth at the Summer Outdoor Retailer Show. I've been looking for an oversized bandana for some time because they are multipurpose accessories that every outdoorsman should carry. Note the difference in dimensions. 37x37x52 inches compared to 40x40x56.

Any outdoorsman worth his salt can attest to the value of a few simple items. A good pocket knife, zip ties, duct tape, bailing wire and a bandana are among my favorites and I carry most of these with me whenever I am in the field. The bandana is of particular interest because I have been looking for a better version for some time.

Check out some old photos of authentic cowboys out on the range and you can see that their bandanas are significantly larger than the ones common today. They had to be bigger because they were used for all kinds of things including as arm slings and bandage cravats. The 19x20 inch square bandanas that I carry now are not big enough so I also carry purpose built triangular bandages made of muslin cotton like the one pictured above on the right. They work for first aid but are not well suited for other uses like a dust mask or pre water filter.

So, that means I carry two inferior pieces of gear where one well designed one would do the job better and for an old lighter is righter, freeze at nighter Mountain Rescue Tech like me, that is an itch that has to be scratched until satisfied.

Laying one piece of material on top of the other shows that there really isn't much difference in these two products, at least in terms of size, despite the stated measurements. The CamoVat is big enough to do the jobs I want it to do and I like the fabric better.

I was pretty fired up when I got this new CamoVat (terrible name though) from the good folks at McNett until I got home and compared it to my trusty old triangular bandages. The CamoVat is smaller than the standard triangular bandage by several inches all the way around, according to the numbers on the package, which is why I didn't even open it up for more than a month. I just assumed that it wasn't big enough for my purposes.

Ah, but I was wrong. Measurements are what they are but when you put one on top of the other the difference is negligible. It is certainly close enough in size to do the job. Better still, the CamoVat is made out of a better, more substantial and consistent material. After using it for a couple of weeks now, I am sold on it and suggest that you give one a try.

McNett needs to do two things though. Add more colors including white, orange or red, coyote, and sage green. That will conflict with the name but so what. Second, run a finished seam around the edges to keep them from fraying.

Thanks.

Wade Nelson
Editor

Sorting through the fads and fashion of the outdoor equipment industry to identify and promote the very best wilderness gear for high end recreational users, backcountry professionals and government agencies.

We can be educated and persuaded but not bought, bullied or bs'd. Hardcore Outdoor is dedicated to those who can't or won't turn back.