It may seem like an odd concept, but I sew a button hole on my bandanas. A bandana is an amazingly useful piece of outdoor kit. It can act as washcloth, towel, strainer, dust mask, handkerchief, bandage, and even, with care, a holder for hot items.

Image shows a tan backpack in a chair. A yellow bandana is attached to the backpack with a clip through a button hole.
A half-bandana hangs on my pack.

The bandana has a long history (read more about it on the Smithsonian’s website here). Originally from India, the bandhani moved to Europe and then to America. They have a long association with the American Cowboy culture. In World War II, they were popular for women to cover their hair while working in factories.

Bandanas have been used as political advertisements. There are bandanas that have maps on them. In fact, you could get ones of the Appalachian Trail at one time. We own one of Deam Wilderness (that Walt talked about in this post).

A button hole on a bandana lets me clip it to my pack securely. The bandana is then easily accessible if needed. It can also dry (assuming it isn’t raining) while we are hiking. The bandana can also be attached to a tent corner or a clothesline with a clip.

There have been more than one occasion when a bandana was lost because it was not securely attached to a pack and only discovered later. Because I don’t like to leave any waste, I have trekked back a half mile or so to find a lost bandana. I opted to add the button holes to reduce the chance of losing one.

Adding the button hole

It’s fairly simple to add a basic button hole to a bandana. I found that it helps a lot to reinforce the the corner where I am putting the hole. This prevents the fabric from stretching and ripping if it gets snagged or if there is a strong breeze.

I usually use a scrap of fabric from some other project to reinforce the fabric. Since I have lots of scraps, I can usually find something that is relatively close in color. Having a contrasting color is also nice as it makes it quicker to find the button hole. A piece of iron-on interfacing or some fabric glue will secure the two fabrics together.

Since I figure the fabric will get plenty of stress, I then stitch down the edge of the reinforcing patch. I use my machine and zig-zag stitch around the edge. It can be done by hand as well. I then sew the button hole. My machine has an automatic button hole tool. I like this when I am doing several at once.

Once the button hole is stitched, you just clip the middle and you are ready to go.

I usually take 2 or 3 full bandanas on a trip with me, depending on the length of the trip. I also take a few half bandanas with me, but that’s a post for another day.