What the buff?

[AK Granola]

Everyone seems to love the buff, as in the gear, not as in being without any. I tried one when they first were on the market, found it to be itchy, and got rid of it. Then I ended up acquiring two more that were given to me. They’re all so squeezy tight that I just can’t understand how they are supposed to be used. The thing doesn’t fit comfortably around my head without causing actual pain from being tight, I cannot imagine trying to sleep with that thing on. Used as a neck gaiter it sits up so far it really doesn’t cover enough to prevent sunburn; part of my neck and shoulder area is still bare above my T-shirt. The two I have are slightly different material but neither is absorbent, so cannot really be used in place of a towel, or washcloth. A friend was wearing one the other day for skiing, to cover the neck and earlobes that a beanie doesn’t cover. I could do another post on how most beanies leave your ears exposed…what the heck are they for if your ears get frost bitten? I tried my buff the way she had hers, but it was again weirdly tight against my throat if I pulled it up to cover my ears.

People ooh and aah over these things, but I can’t really understand why. Maybe there are other brands that are better? What am I missing?

[BlackHatGuy]

I don’t think you’re missing anything. I’ve also tried a buff after folks raved about them, found them lacking, and haven’t used one since, except as a pillow covering. They work okay for that purpose.

[Paul Wagner]

My wif3e uses one to keep her neck warm or shaded…sort of a removeable high collar…

[David Thomas]

[Iago Vazquez]

I don’t leave home without them on any outing. In either full length, or more often, half. Particularly the UV (Cocona) lighter versions. Used mostly as neck gaiters. A couple of years ago I realized that I had too much neck covering and zeroed in on my baselayers. Decided to do away with most zip necks in favor of crew. This allows me to better regulate my core temperature. And while I agree that a zipneck is better at covering the neck thank a Buff, crew + Buff just works for me if I need to seal the neck opening on my midlayer or shell.

And yes, like hats vs. hoods, it’s one more item that runs the risk of being dropped, misplaced in your pack, forgotten somewhere, that you have to store and keep track of, etc. But I find that I don’t want attached hoods on baselayers, midlayers or even puffies for most situations. From a temperature comfort standpoint, this just works better for me. Below freezing, the down hood that complements the quilt also complements the puffy. Currently evaluating hoodies in extreme sun/heat for total coverage vs. a large brim hat. My past experience is that the hat is better on land and the hoody for water or sunny snow, but I am willing to reconsider the hoody in sunny summer hikes.

[Axel J]

Using a buff to rein in a full sized Ridgecrest.

[Ken Thompson]

I found the original microfiber ones from Spain were too tight. The merino wool ones fit me better.  Dual use as my pillowcase.  Always with me.

[Renais A]

I also always found the Buff too tight and uncomfortable.  A couple years ago I discovered that BlackStrap https://bsbrand.com makes a vastly superior product to the buff.  The diameter of the tube is a bit larger, so it isn’t tight around my head; the materials are much more comfortable, and there are a wide variety of styles.  They make them with insect shield, as warm pieces, as sun protection, and for light cover.  I highly recommend them as the better buff. There’s a wide variety of styles on Amazon; I bought mine at Gander.

Renais

[Brian W]

I have two, a wool one and an original one. I prefer the wool one. Neither I use that often.

[John S.]

I have an original. Cut off one third and use as headband. Other two thirds for neck or hat on warm night.

[Ben C]

A jack of all trades and a master of none.

[Jenny A]

Wow.  I just got back from skiing this morning and removed the Buff that I nearly always wear if it’s chilly out.  I love the things and have way too many because the colors are so catchy.  Are you guys talking about the Buff (trademarked) brand?  I have seen many wannabees hit the market the past few years, and who knows how they all fit.  Like every single thing out there, fit can vary for different people, but I get a snug yet not too tight fit that works equally well over my head and sealing the neck gasket, as a headband, as a light beanie at night, and to cover backpacking hair.  All of mine are the original microfiber ones, none of the fancy offshoots that have appeared.  I think it is a stupid simple piece of fabric that is just amazing.  Guess they fit me.

[Sean P]

You can get an XL buff which is a little better but I have always found them too uncomfortable for my neck and they provide inadequate coverage for sun with a crew neck under them anyway – so too hot and inadequate coverage for hot weather.

In cold weather a Buff is more practical but  I rarely use them  hiking because they just don’t provide any more benefit than my regular clothing – which have  collars or hoods and are easier to temperature regulate then a buff because they have zips whereas a Buff is  either on or it is off.

So, I don’t see the point of using them around the neck except they look very cool and outdoorsy.

But, I regularly wear one under a bike helmet and I love them for that purpose – I have occasionally used them around the neck when cycling  in freezing weather but they still let cold air down the front as they don’t extend very far – a ‘kerchief’ style would be far more practical.

I still do occasionally use one hiking with a baseball cap as they are great to protect the ears and the back of the neck in windy conditions where a brimmed hat is a PITA.   You do still have apply lots of sunscreen to the sides and front of the neck though, so to be honest a sheet of fabric would be better than a tube for this purpose.

They are great for securing my inflatable pillow to my mat though, are a great sunglasses/skigoggles protector and are great redundancy for loss of a hat so i will probably continue to carry one just for those purposes.

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[Kevin R]

I generally agree.  In many positions, they can be constricting and hold too much warmth in warm weather.  I successfully used one for sun protection in the desert for a week this past summer by pairing it with a ball cap and polo shirt with popped collar.  Not sure how I feel about that look, but it helped bridge the gap at the base of the neck.  I suppose it looked decently alright until I had to pull it up over my chin- prickly beards and buffs aren’t the most stylish combination.

[SIMULACRA]

Any time I found myself needing a buff I was in the cold. I would also then be wearing a fleece beanie and fleece non hooded jacket. Then I got the R1, which is a buff, beanie and fleece jacket all in one. No more need for the buff. I use a lightweight hooded wind jacket for sun cover. When I did use the buff, it was the merino wool from Buff. Never tight. fit loose but stayed in place. Feels very nice next to the skin. I do second it for a pillow cover though

[Rob]

If it weren’t for the TV show “Survivor”, Buff would probably not have made it to it’s current popularity.

[bjc]

I use a wool buff pretty much all year. Because of its extra length when twisted and doubled over it’s long enough to cover my ears when wearing over my ball cap when hiking in the cold and I use it as a beanie to sleep in when camping even in the summer (no hair and I sleep cold!) It works for me because I don’t like hoods, especially when walking.

[Elliott Wolin]

Now in my mid-60s I find myself getting much colder than I used to, so I tried using a buff, and it worked great.  The extra insulation around my neck made a real difference, even with a hat and hooded parka.

So I’m a true believer now.  Note that when I was young I was a heat-generating machine.  The stuff I wear now (say) X-C skiing would roast me to death back in the day.  Even so, I still am down to shorts and a t-shirt hiking in mild weather, as compared to everyone else on the trail (except my wife) wearing long pants and warm jackets.  So there’s still a bit of the old blast furnace left in me!

[Andre W]

1. I dont like using sunscreen lotion on my face so I use a buff and a ball cap. No need to carry lip balm either. At night i wear the buff again, sleeping in my hooded puffy and hoodless bag, keep my face warm. I also use it as a cozy (fold it up square, over the mug lid, strap with rubber band).

[Brad W]

Wouldn’t hike without one. The single best use for me is sun protection. Much easier than sunscreen on my neck, ears, etc. I use the Buff XL UV+.

[Dena Kelley]

I use Buffs (or similar knock-offs) almost exclusively as headwear either in the pirate or safari style. I rarely use it around a neck or on my face, although I have either to cool me down (wet around the neck) or to protect my airway from dust (wet, over the face). And I once wore it nearly completely over my face/neck/ears on a trip where the boat died and we were paddling for hours in full sun and I was burning. But I like them much better than bandanas. And they’re lighter than hats. I do have an actual Buff brand hat that I must admit I’m not fond of- it is too tight and too itchy, a problem I’ve never really had with the original Buff. But as with anything, YMMV.

 

[Kurt D]

My lightweight merino Buff (they also make an expedition weight and a synthetic polar buff) is one of my all time favorite pieces of Winter gear. It’s so versatile. I use it mainly as a face shield while hiking in sub-freezing temps when my body is more than warmed up but the blowing cold wind and snow are just terrorizing my face. Keeps my skin from freezing and is easy to breathe through. At camp, I pull it down around my neck. I sometimes use it as an impromptu beanie.  I have probably 5 other synthetic ones made by other brands but almost never use them.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Yup, I have an 18″ neck and wear an XL hat. Buffs are made for the bell curve. If a Buff doesn’t work, a good old fashioned wool scarf can do all sorts of tricks.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I found a wool buff once. I pretty much would always forget to bring it anywhere. Recently I got a haircut and now I can wear a buff on my head and it looks okay. Before it didn’t work with my hair at all. So now I like it.

I think one nice thing about a buff is that they’re usually pretty long so you can fashion a sort of balaclava with it. They are also pretty thin making them useful under a helmet if you wear it in a way that it’s not too bunched up. By now, my motorcycle helmet needs a pretty thick balclava to fit my head the foam padding is so compacted, but when it’s new, a thinner one works great.

Professional buffs have no seams which is maybe one reason why people like them.

I tend to have a lot of extra clothing in my pack that are basically tubes. Leg warmers, leg gaiters, arm warmers, a buff, a hair band. Any of these are essentially tubes. Mix and match modular tubes to apply to whatever is cold. And I’m just a walking tube anyway. Insert food in the front end.

I have made buffs out of old t-shirts. You end up with a seam or two but who cares. An easy sewing project.

[jscott]

“I dont like using sunscreen lotion on my face so I use a buff and a ball cap. No need to carry lip balm either.”

and the buff protects your lips (and cheeks and nose etc.) how?

and no, a baseball cap doesn’t shade one’s lips and face well at all.

[Author]

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