A scarf is a scarf is a scarf. That is my general mentality when it comes to scarves, but I found this one to be vastly different. The unique features of the BioScarf make it an ideal choice for preppers.
It is very lightweight, warm, comfortable and versatile. The material was also very durable in stretch tests that I performed. The reason I thought of a stretch test was because I have had other scarves that were not nearly as durable. These same attributes should be a part of any scarf, however I found the length and shape of the BioScarf to be very helpful. The outer shell is made of a fleece material that helps to retain heat around the neck and face.
What the manufacturer claims makes this scarf unique is the ability to filter out allergens and airborne particulates. On the BioScarf website, you can see the independent results from the testing that was conducted. What I was interested in was a physical test that I could do myself to test the viability of that claim. The question was how to do that without literally spraying the cold or flu vaccine in my face?
In the literature from the company it states that the scarf will filter out cigarette smoke. I assumed this would be the same for woodsmoke also. So other than biological agents, this could be used for situations where a forest fire or campfire smoke was present. A possible situation you may find yourself in living remotely or in an area where wildfires are prevalent. The amount of smoke in the air in recent years in Idaho, Montana and Washington has been dangerous and a health risk. This scarf would help lower that risk and make it easier to breathe for you.
I put the BioScarf on after starting a fire and then caused the fire to smoke heavily. I then allowed my head to be completely doused in the smoke. I was honestly amazed how well it was filtered out by the scarf. During my first attempt I did smell a tiny amount of smoke, but when I tightened the scarf slightly the smell went away almost immediately.
The size of the smoke microns, .30 microns, is very comparable in size to pneumonia and flu. That means that this scarf should indeed be able to filter out those pathogens that would cause us to be ill.
This scarf would definitely be a great tool to not only use as a warm piece of clothing but as a preventative aid for:
- Traveling
- Doctors’ visits
- Hospital visits
- Visits to elderly or infirm loved one
The BioScarf was very comfortable to wear and did not seem to be distracting in the least. As you can see from a prior photo, the one I wore was a camouflage patterned one. The company also offers a plain black or white one. While camouflage pattern is common here in the northwest, it did not seem to cause any undue notice. If you prefer a color more suited to any occasion I recommend the black or white scarves.
After wearing and using the scarf for a week, I was also thinking of other survival related ways the garment could be used. While it does not filter out extremely small particles, such as giardia bacteria, the scarf could be used as a basic water filter. It could be used to filter out larger particles you might find in water.
It would work better as a filter than just normal cotton or fleece clothing. If you use the scarf as a filter, you still need to purify the water. This scarf would work better to filter out sand and dirt particles than a regular piece of cloth would.
A great piece of equipment is not only durable and versatile but helpful when you need it. This is one piece of clothing that is all of the above.
