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Microfiber Bath Towel or something else? (How to get dry)

ridgwayk

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
1st Camino May/June 2023
2nd Camino Sept/Oct 2024
Trying to decide on micro towel or something different. I have a couple of options I'm evaluating...

1. My brother was stationed overseas and gave me a Shemagh (keffiyeh or kufiyya) Tactical Scarf. (hopefully no religious reasons as to not using this?)

2. I also have in my camping gear a "sand-proof" towel / blanket.

Does anyone have first hand experience with either of these alternatives? (And for the sake of the discussion, please assume the weight of the three alternatives is roughly similar.)

Thanks in advance!
 
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In evaluating the options have you considered actually using them to dry yourself after a shower? That would be more use than anyone else’s opinion - but if you would like mine, use a small towel.

(Possession of Shemagh is not now an automatic passport to a CIA black site, the world’s moved on; but it’s not a great towel)
 
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Whatever dries ya! I won’t start my first Camino until August, but have been living as a nomad on wheels for several years and don’t own a single real towel. I rinse and wring the cloth I washed with and “dry” with that first, wringing it out once or twice more in the process. Then I finish with my multi-use pareo, which hardly gets damp by then. I intend to do the same on the camino.
 
I'm testing all 3 and it's gonna come down to weight... Thanks for the pointers and insight!
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
This approach has worked for me over a number of pilgrimages, although not with a pareo. I buy a pack of micro-fibre dish cloths and bring one for washing. I have a slightly thicker micro-fibre face cloth that I use for drying. I am still able to wash and dry my back with this approach, although I think age is catching up with me, and it is getting more difficult as I get less flexible. I might have to consider up-sizing in future!
 
I have an oversized microfibre towel I got at a REÍ type store. It dries me well and dries itself quickly. Because it is a nice size it feels like a comfort item and weighs very little.
 
I used a large pack towel from REI and found it to be too much towel. I'm planning to cut a third off. In the future, I may use the smaller section as a hair towel. It all depends on what I'll be doing when next I pack it.
 
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Have had micro-fiber which I did not like. Then got a length of waffle weave cotton which worked ok. Now I have a muslin baby cloth. It is light & has worked well on 2 Caminos.
 
I did the Primitivo in summer and took a cotton sarong. Bad idea. It took ages to dry after a shower even though it was very light. This time I'm taking a larger microfibre (sea to summit) towel (yes I know microfibre has it's own set of issues). They have a snap-loop on them and I saw some people drying them out snapped onto the outside of their packs. Which will be great when I start the Norte next month as am planning on some dips in the ocean. As an aside, I found it useful to have something that at least wraps around the waist, and as a woman - wraps around the top and bottom. Queues for showers were sometimes long and getting dressed in your shower cubicle just adds time to everyones wait. It was good just to wrap and get out for the next person. Buen Camino.
 
You hit one of my concerns...I'm a big guy, and the micro towel isn't going to cover me particularly well, so I really don't want to be "that guy" who's trying to be modest, but isn't going to succeed.
 
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ridgwayk said:
You hit one of my concerns...I'm a big guy, and the micro towel isn't going to cover me particularly well, so I really don't want to be "that guy" who's trying to be modest, but isn't going to succeed.
Click to expand...
It's for drying yourself not wearing as a sarong mine is smaller than a tea towel!
 
ridgwayk said:
You hit one of my concerns...I'm a big guy, and the micro towel isn't going to cover me particularly well, so I really don't want to be "that guy" who's trying to be modest, but isn't going to succeed.
Click to expand...
I use the Sea to Summit AirLite Towel...I have two Large and XL
Large is 54g and XL is 84g... the XL is about a bath towel size and is great!
As said you can hang on pack and put another plastic rivet on to hang from two corners
 
I do not like the microfiber towels, no matter what size. I prefer the "packtowls" which are a non-woven fabric. They do not feel particularly nice, but you can wring them out(?) and use them again - they become absorbant again immediately. Use the smallest size...
 
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I brought a lightweight quick dry towel and a small facecloth sized towel of the same style. Big towel dries me, small towel dried wet seats when I arrived at a cafe after it had rained or still wet from morning dew.
 
Robo said:
It's for drying yourself not wearing as a sarong mine is smaller than a tea towel!
Click to expand...
My thoughts as well. I normally take the clothes I am going to change into to the shower, and dress in there.

I well recall the pilgrim who came back from the shower wrapped in a towel just dropping it to the ground to put on underwear. There are ways one might do this without standing completely naked or bending over to reach down to the floor to retrieve your underpants. Unless one were particularly prudish, it wasn't offensive, just unusual to see.
 
I use the hand squeegie method first, especially on my hair. Then I use the clothes that I was wearing when I went into the cubicle, then a square of microfiber about the size of a washcloth. Any remaining dampness goes into the clothes I'm putting on and quickly evaporates.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
ridgwayk said:
You hit one of my concerns...I'm a big guy, and the micro towel isn't going to cover me particularly well, so I really don't want to be "that guy" who's trying to be modest, but isn't going to succeed.
Click to expand...
Check out the Packtowl Ultra lite that I linked to above. The beach size is HUGE and only weighs 5 oz/142 gm
 
I used a shemagh on the Camino Frances last fall - dries fast and light weight. Multi use as I wore it daily and used it for ground cover, shade, a sling to elevate feet from the upper bunk - the list goes on.

I used it at home first to check absorbency. Not like a fluffy towel but I got used to it. Weight and multi use factors were important to me. Good luck!
 

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I used a Aldi/ Crane microfibres towel. Dry me well after a shower, has multiple uses scarf, cooling towel, sling, legionnaires hat, mask, pillow case, table cloth, pillow slip, sunny holder. Light and drys quickly.
 
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I had an awesome tip years ago from @Anniesantiago. She suggested using a "baby towel" made of flannel cotton. I bought mine from a charity shop and I love it and have ised it on several caminos. It is very absorbant, lightweight, and dries quickly. It is not huge, so I wouldn't wear it for modesty after a shower.
I do not really like micro-fibre towels nearly as much.
 
I bought Packtowl body size from REI first (on sale $15, now $34), size is 64X137cm, 192g(my measurement) . I tried and pretty good.

Recently I bought another one from Temu, size 80X120cm. only 98g (my measurement). price is only $7.19. I tried and also good.

Outdoor Lightweight Quick Dry Microfiber Towel - Temu

Shop mutao outdoor travel blanket quick dry towel with storage bag for swimming yoga sports at the lowest price at Temu. Check reviews and See what's new of Sports & Outdoors. Explore the latest arrivals.
www.temu.com

The one from Temu is thinner than Packtowl, when use it it will get more wet than packtowl. It works for my needs and it's half of the weight - only 98g. Folding size is also lot smaller, so i decided to bring this one.

price is also very good, only $7.
 

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I carry 3 microfibre towels in my pack , bought in an outdoor shop. Works fine to me.
if not dry , hang it at the outside of the backpack .
Locals neither in Portugal nor in Spain bother about the view of a walking drying rack.
 
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My luxury item is my full sized Turkish Towel. Lightweight yet feels nice on the skin, they are all I use at home.
I'll be bringing it on my next camino

PS My backpack had double duty as a sock/underwear/sprts bra drying rack.
 
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