Microfibre towel

[jsalt]

After umpteen years of hiking with a lightweight microfibre towel that is akin to a chamois leather as you have to “pat” yourself dry, this year I threw it away in frustration and instead packed a small good old-fashioned well-worn hand towel. Albergue shower heaven! I mean, how much towel do you actually need to dry yourself with? It’s not as though you have any space to wrap a towel around yourself in those tiny cubicles.

I am well and truly done with microfibre towels.

Just thought I’d share with you this little piece of camino equipment eureka revelation moment .
Jill

 

[SabsP]

After umpteen years of hiking with a lightweight microfibre towel that is akin to a chamois leather as you have to “pat” yourself dry, this year I threw it away in frustration and instead packed a small good old-fashioned well-worn hand towel. Albergue shower heaven! I mean, how much towel do you actually need to dry yourself with? It’s not as though you have any space to wrap a towel around yourself in those tiny cubicles.

I am well and truly done with microfibre towels.

Just thought I’d share with you this little piece of camino equipment eureka revelation moment .
Jill

Ha I hear you...
Was cleaning my windows today and actually the chamois leather used for this has a nicer feel than a microfibre towel

 

[Camino Chrissy]

After umpteen years of hiking with a lightweight microfibre towel that is akin to a chamois leather as you have to “pat” yourself dry, this year I threw it away in frustration and instead packed a small good old-fashioned well-worn hand towel. Albergue shower heaven! I mean, how much towel do you actually need to dry yourself with? It’s not as though you have any space to wrap a towel around yourself in those tiny cubicles.

I am well and truly done with microfibre towels.

Just thought I’d share with you this little piece of camino equipment eureka revelation moment .
Jill

I agree 100%. I dislike (hate) microfiber towels. I use thin flannel "baby towels" that anniesantiago recommended a couple of years ago. I have gotten a few at our local resale (Goodwill) store and love it as it absorbs lots of water and dries in a couple of hours on my bunk!

 

[SYates]

I use a, very thin, sarong to dry myself and also as an emergency skirt. Weights around 100g and is larger, dries me better and dries better overnight than any of that microfiber thingies. Alternatively old fashioned cotton fabric diapers also do the trick, but slightly heavier and take longer to dry. Buen Camino sin microfibre, SY

 

[oldman]

I use what we call a face cloth 250mm square . carried a microfibre towel for two Camino's and only used it on very cold nights as extra cover.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I use what we call a face cloth 250mm square . carried a microfibre towel for two Camino's and only used it on very cold nights as extra cover.

The only problem with a small face towel is that us gals with medium to longer hair need something a little larger to absorb the water from our wet hair after showering.

 

[domigee]

I dry myself with the sarong and use the (very) small 'travel towel' or whatever they're called to wrap my hair in.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I like my shemagh.... being a towel is only one of the things it does well
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0185XWGIW/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[NoQ]

I love my cheap, very light, compact, quick drying, full size microfibre towel and wouldn't part with it.
http://www.decathlon.com.hk/hken/swimming-c122204.html

 

[HedaP]

Microfibre towel first camino. It didn't dry me properly and got smelly fast. I ended up washing it after my shower every day.
Second camino used a $2.80 cotton towel from Daiso. Dried me well including my hair and the towel itself dried quickly. It did not need to be washed every day. Thin terry cotton on one side and muslin on the other. 33 x 68 cm and weighs all of 57 g.
Will always use a cotton towel from now on.

 

[pip2136]

Great idea I am going to do the same I start my Camino on the 29th of June . Thank you . Buen Camino

 

[Waka]

I found the micro was like drying yourself with a piece of cardboard.
Like the idea of a small light weight towel.

 

[onwayhome]

Microfibre is a long way from the pleasure of a fluffy hotel towel, but I still think it's the best for light weight and quick drying time. Also I've noticed some microfibre towel brands are 'smoother' than others, making them more pleasant to use.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I've cut up my microfibre towel and use the squares to wash and dry the car!

2nd generation ones are much better - more like terry towelling and you can rub dry rather than pat.

If you're in the UK or ROI then Mountain Warehouse do their own brand ones:

"Giant" 150x85 cm, 400gm £8.99 or €10.99
"Large" 130x70 cm, 300gm £7.99 or €9.99
"Medium" 120x60 cm, 250gm £5.99 or €7.99

I was in there last week and notice they now have a range of colours; rather than "does not show the dirt charcoal" you can opt for bright orange (useful for signalling rescue helicopters?) or even khaki (for stealth bathing?)

Stay clean and dry out there, people.

 

[Jakke]

After umpteen years of hiking with a lightweight microfibre towel that is akin to a chamois leather as you have to “pat” yourself dry, this year I threw it away in frustration and instead packed a small good old-fashioned well-worn hand towel. Albergue shower heaven! I mean, how much towel do you actually need to dry yourself with? It’s not as though you have any space to wrap a towel around yourself in those tiny cubicles.

I am well and truly done with microfibre towels.

Just thought I’d share with you this little piece of camino equipment eureka revelation moment .
Jill

Even a t-shirt does a better job than microfibre. I found that out after losing my towel. You are absolutely right!

 

[Deleted member 29041]

I use a dirt-cheap microfiber towel, and while it's not the comfort I'm used to at home, it works quite well. Dries very quickly and doesn't really need to be washed, as I usually rinse it after use. I've used the towel for years without any odor problems whatsoever - and I'm blessed/cursed with a very sensitive nose.

The procedure is usually: wipe water off body and head with my hands, dry myself, wring the towel, finish drying myself, wring it out, rinse it in clean water, wring it again, hang it up to dry.

 

[Deleted member 29041]

Been thinking ...

Often odor problems in towels come from inadequate drying - in this case drying it in a room with too little ventilation, or packing a damp towel.

If your towel is still damp in the morning, then fasten it to the (outside of the) pack using safety pins

 

[Terrri]

Both Caminos I took a very old, thread bare, cotton bath towel. It was never one of those thick plush towels but was always soft and dried well. Because of its size it takes a little extra room in my pack but is well worth it.

After my showers I would put my handwashed clothing items in the towel and wrap it up and wring out any extra moisture from the clothes. Sometimes I would tuck it along the bunk and it created a privacy screen for myself or my traveling partner and it was always dry by morning.

I bought a travel towel years ago and could never bring myself to use it. On my last camino I cut a strip off of it and put it in a baggie along with my bar of soap. It worked excellent to absorb the moisture from the soap ensuring it never turned soggy.

My husband has a microfibre towel and loves it.

 

[Priscilla NC]

I took a flour sack dish towel - it's much larger than the usual dish towel, dries me well, and then dries quickly. Plus it weighs nothing.

My dirty little secret is, I liked it so well on the camino that this is now what I use everyday after my shower.

 

[Nanc]

I loved having a light weight sports towel with its absorptive loops- it felt luxurious - patting myself dry felt like using newspaper! Sports towels come in all sizes so you pick the weight you wanted but mine was only 30 gm more than a microfiber-

 

[t2andreo]

Contrary to the prevailing wisdom in this thread, after three Caminos, I found MY idea towel solution. I have used it on my last two Caminos with success.

I use a standard sized microfleece, but terry cloth tufted, YOGA towel. Mine is made by Gaiam. It is a standard (large) towel intended to be used with a padded yoga mat. It does NOT have grippy dots on it.

Over the years, I have tried virtually every fabric and every size of travel, hiking or camping towel offered. They have all since been donated "down stream." Here is why I chose the yoga towel over other towel solutions. BTW, my towel is bright orange with pink piping on the edges...

The yoga towel is:

- Large enough to wrap around my prodigious lower body in a semi-public shower situation. I am shaped like a beer keg with funny legs and have a 105 cm waist...nuff said there... But the towel is long enough to wrap and tuck...

- Large enough that after I dry off from my shower and dress in fresh clothes, I can "roll and stomp' my just hand-washed clothes (shirt, boxer shorts, and two pair of socks). This gets 95 % of the water out of the clothing so they dry very fast.

- Large enough when rolled to serve as a pillow, or prop for my feet if I need to elevate them. I am not fond of albergue pillows.

- Large enough to use as a throw / cover while I am sleeping on a chilly night. This comes with the added benefit of drying from the heat my sleeping body gives off.

- Conversely, on a very hot night, the still damp towel laid over my hot body will cause an evaporative effect, helping to cool me down, while also drying the towel.

- During the day, the orange towel can be folded and hung on the outside of my rucksack as a bright signal panel to alert motorists or cyclists approaching from behind me. It also dries further when carried on the outside of my rucksack.

- In an emergency, the orange towel can be used as a marking or signaling device to get attention or to mark one's position.

- In a cold weather emergency, the towel can be used as a shawl, blanket, or scarf, as needed...

My standing rule-of-thumb is that anything I carry on Camino MUST have at least two distinct and reasonable uses. The larger yoga towel more than qualifies.

The SOLE 'con' IMHO to using this towel is the dry weight. The towel weighs 259 grams (9.1 ounces). The volume does not worry me as the towel can be carried anywhere in or one the rucksack. I can justify carrying it because of the many and varied uses. But the weight might be an issue for some.

Your qualifications and experience may vary.

I hope this helps.

 

[GreatDane]

I found the micro was like drying yourself with a piece of cardboard.

I have the Ultralite PackTowl (their very light weight version that I think is no longer made). About 6 months before my first camino I saw somewhere to put it in the wash every load. It became buttery soft and dries me extra excellent.

 

[Karen Cap]

I like my shemagh.... being a towel is only one of the things it does well
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0185XWGIW/?tag=casaivar02-20

Thanks for the link. I think I'll get one.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I use a dirt-cheap microfiber towel, and while it's not the comfort I'm used to at home, it works quite well. Dries very quickly and doesn't really need to be washed, as I usually rinse it after use. I've used the towel for years without any odor problems whatsoever - and I'm blessed/cursed with a very sensitive nose.

The procedure is usually: wipe water off body and head with my hands, dry myself, wring the towel, finish drying myself, wring it out, rinse it in clean water, wring it again, hang it up to dry.

That sounds like extra work to me. I'm happy with my thin cotton flannel Carters baby towel. Weighs next to nothing, dries quickly, folds up tiny and never smells. I never washed it in 40 days!...and I'm a "clean freak".

 

[Anniesantiago]

I am well and truly done with microfibre towels.

As am I.
My old favorite these days is about 1/3 of an old terrycloth worn out towel that I tore off and didn't even bother to hem.
Soaks up the water like a champ and very unlikely to be stolen.

 

[tomnorth]

I got my ultra light microfiber towel at REI. I love it! It dries me surprisingly well and has never stunk. It dries quickly. I have one of the same type wash clothes too. I always travel with it.

 

[MichaelSG]

I use what we call a face cloth 250mm square . carried a microfibre towel for two Camino's and only used it on very cold nights as extra cover.

The only problem with a small face towel is that us gals with medium to longer hair need something a little larger to absorb the water from our wet hair after showering.

I am another fan the face cloth although we call it a washcloth. After soaping it up to wash myself, I rinse it, wring it out and then use it to dry off. I have to wring it out two or three times before I am completely dry but it works. After that, it hands from my bedpost or clothesline and is usually dry by morning. If not, it hangs from the outside of my backpack while I walk. Incidentally, I never have had problems drying my hair with it.

 

[Deleted member 29041]

That sounds like extra work to me.

Nah, not really. The wiping is something I always do, the extra quick wring is the price I pay for low weight and volume (45 gram and the size of a goose egg), and the rinsing is just a matter of good hygiene.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Nah, not really. The wiping is something I always do, the extra quick wring is the price I pay for low weight and volume (45 gram and the size of a goose egg), and the rinsing is just a matter of good hygiene.

Good point on the hygiene. I may rethink my technique.

 

[Tay and I]

After umpteen years of hiking with a lightweight microfibre towel that is akin to a chamois leather as you have to “pat” yourself dry, this year I threw it away in frustration and instead packed a small good old-fashioned well-worn hand towel. Albergue shower heaven! I mean, how much towel do you actually need to dry yourself with? It’s not as though you have any space to wrap a towel around yourself in those tiny cubicles.

I am well and truly done with microfibre towels.

Just thought I’d share with you this little piece of camino equipment eureka revelation moment .
Jill

 

[Tay and I]

Agree . I dislike them enormously

 

[Former member 99816]

I tested out an Ozark Trail (Walmart) microfiber towel this week. It sucks up the water quickly and yes, you have to pat yourself dry. What this means is a large towel, like the one I got, really works no better than a small one would.