# What's the stretchy tube/scarf thing called that you pull over your head & goes around your neck? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 10, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497 "2015-01-10T19:56:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/21 "2015-01-11T11:46:43Z")
Tube scarf is what I’d call it. I’ve also heard them called headovers. ETA: Google Image Search **headover** for examples. Gaiters go around your ankles, not your neck. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/22 "2015-01-11T11:55:00Z")
Even though there’s no overwhelming consensus on this, this thread’s a lifesaver - I have one of these and I’ve had no idea what it is called in any language, not even my own first language Finnish. “Tube scarf” translates well, I might just use that one. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/23 "2015-01-11T13:39:14Z")
I love those things, I have about 6 of them. I call them neckwarmers or neck gaiters. Or ‘neckthingie’ as in “Hey, did I leave my neckthingie in the car?” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/24 "2015-01-11T15:52:14Z")
We used to call them a ski tube back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/25 "2015-01-11T16:01:58Z")
I’ e never really known a name for these things, but use them for cold weather motorcycling. I have a couple of varying thicknesses, but find that I like the ones I can get from REI the best. [Buff](http://www.rei.com/b/buff?s_kwcid=slEa7z6cc_dt%7Cpcrid%7C59660982245%7Cpkw%7Crei%20buff%7Cpmt%7Ce%7Cgoogle%7Cmain&gclid=CjwKEAiA28ilBRCy5cXrgtfTxTISJABgX7E2Of-4KMVjJYglZ5xoPLiEM-wrKIO22R9c2hA0DGkXuhoCBYfw_wcB) is the brandname for those. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/26 "2015-01-11T16:03:46Z")
They are know by various names by different manufacturers. [Buff](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSvRm4CHmvE) is available at most any sporting goods store. Smartwool calls them neck gaiter and Turtle Fur calls them tubular headwear. Lot of different types at [http://www.rei.com/search?query=headwear](http://www.rei.com/search?query=headwear) ---
**Author:** ![wombattver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b77776/32.png) [@wombattver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wombattver)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/27 "2015-01-12T03:35:44Z")
We’ve always called then “gaitors” and usually buy them online at [landsend.com](http://landsend.com). ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/28 "2015-01-12T04:45:40Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Snow country here. Neck Gaiter. Regular gaiters are for you boots/shoes. This. As stated in the OP, it’s a neck gaiter. They can be tall (long) or short. A long one can be pulled up into a makeshift hat or hood. Gaiters, unqualified (just plain “gaiter”), are for your lower legs. They help keep snow from getting into the tops of your shoes/boots. Or heavy rain. A dickie /dicky / dickey is the faux turtleneck thing, with extended material down the front and back. It’s what Randy Quaid wore in National Lampoon’s _Christmas Vacation_:[picture](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fKncYRJQRC8/maxresdefault.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/29 "2015-01-12T12:53:07Z")
Agree with the term Neck Gaiter, which is distinct from a Buff. The neck gaiter is roughly 6" long, typically of heavier material, and warmer. A buff is made of thinner and stretchier materiel, and is more like 12" long. The buff can be used in multiple configurations. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/30 "2015-01-12T19:52:44Z")
Heh. Tubular headwear sounds like something you’d say in the '80s. “Tubular headwear, man!” We most commonly called them neckwarmers, but I recognize gaiter too. ---
**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/31 "2015-01-12T22:30:32Z")
[quote=“Whiskey\_Dickens, post:3, topic:709497”] Nitpick, it’s spelled “gaiter.” I knew it didn’t look right when I wrote it. ---
**Author:** ![Finnie\_the\_Pooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@Finnie\_the\_Pooh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finnie_the_Pooh)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/32 "2015-01-14T00:33:00Z")
For some people it’s called a sphincter.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/33 "2015-01-14T20:45:26Z")
I’ve been using a garment by _HeadGator_ for cold weather commuting on my motorcycle. It claims to be a gaiter/gator + balaclava + hood + ninja mask + a few other configurations. I got it at the sporting goods store at the beginning of a ski season, and I make a point of getting a new one (or two) each autumn because after a few dozen washings they stretch out and don’t shrink back. I even wear the stretched-out one in the summer, at which point it’s letting air flow but keeping sand and other tiny bits that come up off the road from hitting my neck. Plus it’s kept hornets out of my shirt a few times. –G! ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/34 "2015-01-15T00:01:41Z")
Smartwool makes both balaclavas and neck gaiters. I’ve never used their neck gaiters because when I get hot in a balaclava I just pull my whole head through the face hole and use it as a neck gaiter. It’s probably not the most fashionable look but I don’t really care about fashion while I’m working. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/35 "2015-01-15T08:36:28Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#): > > Even though there’s no overwhelming consensus on this, this thread’s a lifesaver - I have one of these and I’ve had no idea what it is called in any language, not even my own first language Finnish. “Tube scarf” translates well, I might just use that one. And what would “tube scarf” be in Finnish? Don’t hold back now! ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/36 "2015-01-15T13:51:00Z")
If you fuss about with the etymology of gaiter, you could make an argument for calling it a wreath, which of course no one does. “Neck goiter? You have a neck goiter?” shouted the fellow who’s head and ears were covered by a baklava. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/37 "2015-01-15T15:24:32Z")
Thank you, dear Dopers, for introducing me to the concept of the stretchy tube/scarf thing that you pull over your head & goes around your neck. I have ordered and received a red Turtle Fur gaiter and I love the thing! LOVE. I wear it in the house, even! I am perpetually cold and frequently employ scarves to keep myself toasty. I always have, even before scarves took over the world in the past couple years. Anyway, I got my Turtle Fur thingie and I could not be happier. They even sent me cute stickers. I now have a very warm, snuggly neck. \* seductive wink \* ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/38 "2015-01-16T17:43:03Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > I’ e never really known a name for these things, but use them for cold weather motorcycling. I have a couple of varying thicknesses, but find that I like the ones I can get from REI the best. [Buff](http://www.rei.com/b/buff?s_kwcid=slEa7z6cc_dt%7Cpcrid%7C59660982245%7Cpkw%7Crei%20buff%7Cpmt%7Ce%7Cgoogle%7Cmain&gclid=CjwKEAiA28ilBRCy5cXrgtfTxTISJABgX7E2Of-4KMVjJYglZ5xoPLiEM-wrKIO22R9c2hA0DGkXuhoCBYfw_wcB) is the brandname for those. > [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > You can cut your own out of a leg of an old pair of sweatpants. For cold weather motorcycle riding I put it over my head covering my face, put the helmet on and strap it, then through the visor tuck the fabric down enough to see. Works pretty good. Have to do Houdini- like breathing at stops to prevent fogging, though. Best thing I ever bought (and I bought it on a whim as a throw in): [http://www.cyclegear.com/FREEZE-OUT-Face-Mask](http://www.cyclegear.com/FREEZE-OUT-Face-Mask) It velcros in the back, so you don’t have to pull it over your head. The face part is neoprene for a little more warmth, plus the neck/chest ‘dickie’ part helps with where your jacket meets your neck and cold air would get in. I found I can pull the nose hole down to my chin to help with breathing/fog/a little less warmth. Invaluable on my MC trip in Alaska. My friends could always tell how cold the day was expected to be based on where I was wearing the mask (all the way over the nose, chin or just the neck!). ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/39 "2015-01-16T22:29:57Z")
Smoke ring if it’s made out of Musk Ox wool by Eskimos(Alaskan Native People of whatever tribe) ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497/40 "2015-01-17T20:05:32Z")
At night, my cat is a neck warmer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-stretchy-tube-scarf-thing-called-that-you-pull-over-your-head-goes-around-your-neck/709497.md?page=3)