Handkerchiefs, commonly called hanks, have made a resurgence in the outdoor and EDC communities in recent years. These simple pieces of fabric serve a variety of practical purposes in our day to day lives. Hanks primarily act as a reusable rag, but can be used as a simple water filter or face covering in an emergency. While a simple cotton hank is better than nothing, a lot is left to be desired in functionality in an emergency. Fortunately for those of us who want to take our EDC survival kit to the next level, the innovators over at Superesse decided to take the standard hank to the next level with their line of functional Handkerchiefs, including the Filter Bandana we will be looking at today.
Superesse Filter Bandana Materials and Specs
At first glance the Superesse Filter Bandana looks like a simple 10×10 cloth hank, similar to those commonly seen if cool EDC pictures on Instagram. Color options fall into your standard typical outdoor colors including OD Green, Coyote, Woodland Camo, and the safety orange I opted to pick up.
The Superesse Filter Bandana is constructed from a food safe hybrid polyester material. This allows it to resist microbial growth and dry quickly when wet.
That is where the similarity to standard cotton hanks ends! When you pick up the Superesse Filter Bandana, you will find it to be quite a bit thicker than an average hank. This is for a particularly good reason! Between the outer fabric layers there is a porous 1-micron filter that is flexible and foldable. This filter is what makes the Superesse Filter Bandana special and a powerful addition to any EDC survival kit.
Superesse Filter Bandana Functionality
The hybrid fabric combined with the internal 1-micron filter makes the Superesse Filter Bandana a valuable urban and wilderness survival tool that goes well beyond the functionality of a standard hank.
Above: While the Filter Bandana will not seal like a mask, it can act as emergency protection for your airways in a pinch.
Air Filtration
In an emergency you can hold the Superesse Filter Bandana over your mouth and nose to protect your nasal pathways, lungs, and esophagus from harmful contaminants and infectious materials. The porous fabric and filter will not restrict the flow of oxygen, but will prevent dust, smoke, and chemicals in the air from entering your airway.
In addition to particulate contaminants, the Superesse Filter Bandana can filter out several biological threats. The 1-Micron filter will completely block larger environmental contaminants. These include fungal spores and pollen as well as some larger types of bacteria.
While many types of bacteria and all viral particles are smaller than 1-micron the filter can help protect from bacterial and viral particles found in droplet form from infected individuals coughing and sneezing.
Above: The Superesse Filter Bandana is a quick and effect way to filter large particulates, chemicals, and some pathogens from water.
Water Pre-Filtration
The Superesse Filtration Bandana has many of the same benefits and limitations as when filtering water. The filter can remove most particulate and chemical contaminants from water. This is especially helpful when sourcing water near farmland and industrial areas.
The filter will also remove several common waterborne parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. It can also help reduce the amount pathogens like Mycobacteria and Legionella that can sometimes be larger than 1-micron. The filter will not remove smaller bacteria, viral particles, and cytotoxins that certain algae produce.
When possible, it is essential to boil or chemically disinfect water before drinking it. The pre-filtration process will remove particulate and chemical contaminants that boiling and other disinfection methods will not remove.
When on the move during a survival situation it may not always be viable to spend time disinfecting water. The Filter Bandana is a great “better than nothing option” in theses cases.
Above: The Superesse Filter Bandana makes an excellent addition to any EDC Survival Kit.
Final Thoughts
If you plan on carrying a hank, it might as well be very functional! The functionality of the Superesse Filter Bandana makes it an excellent addition to any EDC Survival kit. Having a lightweight air and water filter that is easy to carry is a no brainer.
A protective face covering in a contaminant filled room can be the difference between safe egress and deadly results. The ability to remove chemical, particulate, and some biological threats in from water is also valuable.
While Proper water disinfection is always best, in an emergency the best gear is the gear you have on you!
Check out the Superesse Filter Bandana, along with the full line of functional hanks at superessestraps.com
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