Updated April 29, 2021

Where fashion meets function, you’ll find a pashmina. Or something akin to a pashmina. When it’s not adding a splash of colour to a capsule wardrobe, it’s performing one of its many other uses. It’s a lightweight champion, ounce for ounce one of the best travel accessories on the planet. For your next trip, pack a pashmina and you’ll quickly discover its benefits.

A pashmina for men?

If you’re a guy and thinking a pashmina is something that appeals exclusively to women travellers, maybe a shemagh or keffiyeh is more your style. Picture a piece of fabric in a colour and design that’s right for you. If you’d like to avoid colours associated with the military, or the traditional red and black patterns prevalent in the Middle East, there’s a vast array of colours available.

Why pack a pashmina?

Why is the pashmina such a mainstay of the packing light traveller’s toolkit?

This versatile piece of cloth has been described as the Swiss Army knife of travel gear. It crosses the boundaries of tropical and temperate climates, being just as functional in hot weather as it is in cold.

Here are just some of the uses of this multipurpose essential:

• a scarf to accessorize an outfit and change the look when working with a limited wardrobe
• as a headscarf when visiting religious sites, or covering bare shoulders in countries where it’s culturally appropriate to do so

• a towel that’s large enough to dry off and lightweight enough to be quick drying
• protect other clothing by using it as a groundsheet or cushion
• shut out the light by using it as a sleep mask
• it’s large enough to work as a changing room screen when held by another person or attached to a couple of fixed objects 
• when nature calls, it can be used as a privacy screen for taking a bio break outdoors
• it’s large enough (and in some cases colourful enough), to work as a signal flag for getting attention
• tie the ends together to create a makeshift bag
• use it as a packing aid to protect delicate souvenirs
• ball it up to use as a pillow or as a pillowcase 
• while sleeping or in crowded spaces where a crossbody purse or camera needs to be hidden from view, use a pashmina as a cover
• for trips where a dedicated swimsuit cover-up wouldn’t earn its keep in a travel bag, use a pashmina as a substitute 
• it offers protection from sun and dust
• it’s surprising how much warmth a pashmina offers so It’s perfect for using as a blanket to deal with fluctuating temperatures during a flight, cool evenings outdoors, or as a shawl in air-conditioned buildings or buses
• after injuring my shoulder in Jordan, it became a perfect sling
• when staying in hostels, if the bunk doesn’t come with a curtain, I use my pashmina as a privacy curtain

Or buy one there

It’s such a universal item, pashminas and their ubiquitous cousins are available around the globe. If you’d rather not pack a pashmina, pick one up during your travels. It’s a great excuse to explore street markets and interact with local merchants and shoppers. In fact, they’re so packable, and so cheap in many countries, they make a perfect memento or gift.

When choosing a pashmina, ensure it is lightweight, complements your capsule wardrobe, and is capable of being washed in a hostel or hotel sink.

How to wear a pashmina

Conclusion

Of all the multipurpose gear on my packing list, the pashmina is hands down the most versatile and most used.

If you found this post helpful, please share it by selecting one of more social media buttons. Do you pack a pashmina or multipurpose scarf? What other uses have you discovered? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Thank you.

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