Desert Survival, why do Arabs wear so many clothes?

fixer27

fixer27

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Nov 17, 2004
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After 5 years of seeing media shots of Arabs/Desert Dwellers, why do they wear layered robes and head gear and why are they dark colored?

Is there some sort of evaporative cooling to be found wearing all of those clothes, or are they more designed to act as insulation from the Sun, keeping their bodies temperature constant?
 
It's ironic, but it works like an igloo:

Those clothes are not tight on the skin, so there is an air layer that works as insulation.
 
If I ever make good on my threat to move to Tucson, I swear I'm going to learn how to dress like an Arab. Besides, that'll make it easier to CCW. :D
 
Taking it down to the basics, skin gets hotter and stays warmer for a greater length of time then most fabrics (especially cotton, the fabric of life). Hehehe and if you get sun burnt its even worse :P.
 
The loose clothing also helps to reduce sweating, which in turn helps to conserve the amount of water one has to drink in order to stay alive. At least that's the idea--I've never worn this rig myself so I have no real experience.

It's interesting to note that many of those native to the Sahara have adopted this mode of dress, while those living in Africa's Kalahari Desert have adapted by wearing very little.
 
I use the same basic idea to stay cool in the summer. Baggy short-sleeve cotton shirts over t-shirts. I rarely sweat, only when there is high humidity. I am comfortable while others sweat like pigs in just a t-shirt and complain about the heat.
 
I read once where they prefer black, as it makes for a constant airflow under the fabric.....

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I read that it protects the skin from sunburn and the loose flowing layers help trap air providing insulation.
 
I heard a great expalination of this recently. The outside air temp is very hot. The layer of air near the skin has been cooled by evaporation of sweat and is thus cooler. The loose fitting clothes trap this cool air layer so that the temp inside the clothes is cooler (at near body temp) than the outside air (120 degrees). The black robes have always been a mystery to me but light loose fitting clothes make sense in extremely hot, dry air temps with blazing sun. This technique certainly does not work well in areas of high humidity, they would just become saturated and cling. You won't see this in jungles, but for deserts it makes alot of sense. Mac
 
When you look at those people who are involved in roofing work in the southwest, you'll probably not see anybody with a tank top. Long shirts offer some degree of protection from the ultraviolet rays of the solar furnace above, and may preclude a severe sunburn from sapping strength.

In a survival scenario, you could possibly perish as a result of burning from the sun, so it would be a good idea to cover up. Even a basic long sleeved shirt could make the difference between life and death. Wool may be one of the best materials in this regard even though profuse sweating is indicated. The head needs to be covered in an effort to ward off heat stroke.
 
I always wondered if some of this garb is also worn for protection in the fierce sand storms, a phenemon which for some reason I don't associate with Africa.
 
annr, it is. One of the functions of the long cape at the back is to cover their face and to get more protection from the sun. Kinda like a mini tent :)
 
There is also a racial difference between the Arabs and desert dwellers further south.

The Arabs are Semitic Whites, while the desert dweller in the Sudan, Kalahari, etc, are Black. Many 'Arabs' look Black because in some areas, like in southern Egypt, there is a lot of racial intermarrying. Anwar Sadat, for example, was 1/2 Arab and 1/2 Sudanese.

So, essentially, people like the Bushmen of the Kalahari are dark skinned Blacks who can get away with wearing almost no clothing in that environment, while the Arabs, like the people in Iraq, are Whites who need the extra protection.
 
not only is it great for beating the sun and heat, the ideas surrounding the clothing styles of that area of the world were designed with modesty in mind. and not just for woman. basically the only part of your body that might be seen uncovered are hands, feet, and head. it shows such a deep conviction to their faith, one in which i think many western cultures could learn a great deal from
 
Regarding the use of dark colors:

Dark colors radiate (lose) heat faster than lighter colors. They also absorb more light.

Therefore, you'll find dark colors in hot environments where individuals are either indoors, in relative shade, or in the evening or early morning hours.

In other words, in the shade, black will get you cooler faster than lighter colors.

This all flips if you're actually in direct sunlight: if you're working in direct sunlight, lighter colors reflect more light and therefore tend to absorb less heat.

Not surprisingly, many people who live and work in these areas tend to stay out of direct sunlight, and therefore find darker colors cooler (notice this isn't solely the Arabs: many native Americans of the Southwest wear darker colors, and the multi-national residents of the Gobi will as well).

Remember: white reflects light... black radiates heat.
 
There is also something to be said for "Home Court Advantage." I grew up in Saudi Arabia, on the coast of the Red Sea. It was VERY hot and VERY humid pretty much year round. In town, normal male dress for the locals was a white thobe and either a white or red-checked shemaa (sp?). A lot of the bedouin living outside of town wore dark colors and heavier fabrics. I always attributed that to the town folk having access to modern laundry facilities to keep their whites nice and clean, while the desert folk needed sturdier fabric that would stand up to rough use and hand washing.

The locals had adapted to the heat so that they could operate normally in temperatures above 100°F without a lot of sweat. When the temp actually dipped to around 70°F, we would see the Saudi guards outside the embassy wearing wool coats and shivering!

We adapted as well, after being there for a while. That is normal, but it is NOT permenant. I lived in Los Angeles for years and did just fine in the heat. Now when I visist, the first few days are really tough.

During the winter here in Seattle, we keep the thermostat set at 66°F at night and I usually sleep under just a sheet. Last night, I saw that the inside temperature was 77°F and it felt chilly!

-- FLIX
 
lose robes are also important in the desert at night. to retain body heat as nights are cold in the desert.
 
m_calingo said:
The loose clothing also helps to reduce sweating, which in turn helps to conserve the amount of water one has to drink in order to stay alive. At least that's the idea--I've never worn this rig myself so I have no real experience.

It's interesting to note that many of those native to the Sahara have adopted this mode of dress, while those living in Africa's Kalahari Desert have adapted by wearing very little.
Click to expand...

Yep, clothing reduces evaporative water loss.

I'm sure there are multiple explanations for the differences between desert arabs and people of the Kalahari but one factor might be that arabs were on the big trade routes and/or close to regions that supplied textiles so they used them while people in the Kalahari really didn't have reliable access to significant amounts of textiles until their society and culture was well defined. Once things like dress are established they are really hard to change. Consider that people still wear suits and ties in Miami in the middle of August or cotton jeans in Buffalo in the middle of February.
 
bulgron said:
If I ever make good on my threat to move to Tucson, I swear I'm going to learn how to dress like an Arab. Besides, that'll make it easier to CCW. :D
Click to expand...

Won't you draw a lot of attention in AZ like that?:D

arab-saddle1L.jpg
 
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