Towel - which size?

[Maurice Frank]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

 

[Former member 60103]

You are going to get (probably) loads of informed, un-informed and opinionated responses to this question.
My travel towel is small enough to dry me and large enough to cover my "modesty". Stick with that and you are probably good to go.
According to the "Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy" you should "always know where your towel is" or words to that effect. That goes for Caminos as well.
Don.

 

[Maurice Frank]

You are going to get (probably) loads of informed, un-informed and opinionated responses to this question.
My travel towel is small enough to dry me and large enough to cover my "modesty". Stick with that and you are probably good to go.
According to the "Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy" you should "always know where your towel is" or words to that effect. That goes for Caminos as well.
Don.

Thanks, Don. I always follow advice from the Hitchhiker's Guide. Buen Camino

 

[dougfitz]

I don't think you need a big towel. On my first camino, I learnt to manage with a microfibre face cloth about 28cm x 28 cm and weighs 36 gm. Dry a bit, squeeze it out, repeat. Still have the same towel over a decade and a few pilgrimages later.

 

[roving_rufus]

I normally carry a towel just big enough to dry myself with which is "hand towel" size - I don't worry about it covering me up just that it gets me dried off post shower
But there will be a million answers from a shammy cloth size up to a large bath towel size. Some folks want a full sized towel for modesty, others will go for smaller to save weight. There is no magic one size fits all solution. But its worth trying out at home if you could cope with a smaller towel or not- before buying one.

 

[Suzanne A]

I use à Shamwow 20”x27”

 

[Desert Bruce]

Whichever size towel you choose, use it several times before your Camino to be sure it will do.
¡Buen Camino!

 

[mspath]

For years my camino towel was an old-fashioned cotton seersucker dishtowel. Banal but absorbent and lightweight, it also dried quickly after use.
Check out these earlier suggestions
also.

 

[trecile]

Check out the Packtowl Ultralite.
Body size is 25" x 54" and weighs 3.4 ounces.

UltraLite PackTowl - Lightweight Packable Towel | PackTowl®

Lightweight and packable towel for ultralight hiking, travel backpacking and more. Super soft towel is highly absorbent and dries fast.

www.packtowl.com

 

[maryloufrommadison]

I found my larger REI towel was also useful to wring out my laundry, so it dries much faster. Worth the weight? Personal decision, for sure.

 

[mattythedog]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

I don't take a towel. On first couple Caminos, I had a small REI microfiber towel. One day I forgot to take it into the shower. All I had was my Duluth Buck Naked Boxers, soap and money belt. Not wanting to get my Euros wet, I washed and wrung out the boxers, wiped down, repeated 2 more times. I found that I was actually drier than when using the towel. Since then I have never carried a towel. Also, I just take 2 pairs of boxers: one that I wear and the dry pair in the pack. It is a given that I will wash out the pair I wear each day anyway. Towel=redundent gear best left home. Less volume, less weight, less to worry about.

I also know pilgrims who are perfectly happy with their beach sized towels. Do what you want, not what everyone says you need to.

 

[patriciafross]

I loved using my packtowl ultralite, body size, and will use it again this September on the Camino

 

[trecile]

Do what you want, not what everyone says you need to.

And REI has a lot of good equipment - but they don't always have what's best for you.

 

[MarkyD]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

One that you can tie around your waist without it falling down as you bowl into the dorm from the shower block...

 

[Maurice Frank]

Whichever size towel you choose, use it several times before your Camino to be sure it will do.
¡Buen Camino!

Good advice, I plan to test all my gear before leaving

 

[Maurice Frank]

For years my camino towel was an old-fashioned cotton seersucker dishtowel. Banal but absorbent and lightweight, it also dried quickly after use.
Check out these earlier suggestions
also.

Thanks for the link to the earlier conversation. I did search for towels but so many results it was hard to wade through. I will review the link.

 

[Maurice Frank]

Check out the Packtowl Ultralite.
Body size is 25" x 54" and weighs 3.4 ounces.

UltraLite PackTowl - Lightweight Packable Towel | PackTowl®

Lightweight and packable towel for ultralight hiking, travel backpacking and more. Super soft towel is highly absorbent and dries fast.

www.packtowl.com

Trecile, thanks, I am also considering that

 

[Maurice Frank]

I found my larger REI towel was also useful to wring out my laundry, so it dries much faster. Worth the weight? Personal decision, for sure.

Great idea! I had not thought of that, will try it.

 

[Maurice Frank]

I don't take a towel. On first couple Caminos, I had a small REI microfiber towel. One day I forgot to take it into the shower. All I had was my Duluth Buck Naked Boxers, soap and money belt. Not wanting to get my Euros wet, I washed and wrung out the boxers, wiped down, repeated 2 more times. I found that I was actually drier than when using the towel. Since then I have never carried a towel. Also, I just take 2 pairs of boxers: one that I wear and the dry pair in the pack. It is a given that I will wash out the pair I wear each day anyway. Towel=redundent gear best left home. Less volume, less weight, less to worry about.

I also know pilgrims who are perfectly happy with their beach sized towels. Do what you want, not what everyone says you need to.

That is quite ingenious, and now for the first time in my life, I am jealous of boxer boys, which I am not

 

[Former member 92300]

This is very personal. On the Camino - I prefer one just big enough to wrap around my body as a towel at home would. But - if I were struggling to save weight in other ways - I would go with the smallest.

I should add - I have often used my towel as an extra blanket, and as a curtain to shield me from light in the room or in the hall.

 

[MesaWalker]

I took a mid-sized towel on our CF pilgrimage. Not worth the weight. Next Camino I'll be using a small one. If you don't have wildly long hair, I don't see much benefit in anything but the smallest (the "M" size at REI). One person mentioned to have one large enough to wrap around your waist for modesty, but that's personal choice. I just put on undies & shorts in the shower area.

 

[mattythedog]

That is quite ingenious, and now for the first time in my life, I am jealous of boxer boys, which I am not

The Duluths come in quite a variety of colors and patterns, and have a button in middle of the fly. They multifunction as shorts around the albergue and on streets of Alicante back and forth to the beach, and as swim trunks on the beaches walking to Finnisterre. I have also tested them at home as a hat, but have not been in such dire straits as to need them as headgear on Camino!

 

[t2andreo]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

After years of experimenting and spending money on many varied sized towels, I happened on the "best" solution for me. I use a yoga towel - without the grippy spots. These are intended to be placed on a foam yoga mat - if you are doing yoga.

However, they are typically long enough to cover my manly girth, and still fasten around my prodigious waist and tummy. When not used as a towel, it can be an extra layer over me while sleeping, for warmth. This also helps the towel dry out.

Lastly, as I intentionally bought the brightest orange I could find, the towel performs a third function as an emergency signaling device - should the need occur.

I try to have everything I carry do at least two distinct and clearly needed things. This solution racks up at least three.

As a fourth function, the towel can be clothes-pinned between nearby bunks in an albergue to provide line-of-sight privacy when albergues are crowded.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[hikentravel1234]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

I use the Pack Towl ULTRALIGHT. 54 by 25, weighing just 3.4 ounces. Pricey but towels seem to live forever, if you don't lose them. Bigger than I need to dry except I also have long hair. I also take the Pack Towl washcloth, at 1.5 ounces. REI co op has these. The biggest problem is finding them in stock. Moosejaw also has them.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

So like I remember back in the day i walked with this woman and she carried a full sized regular towel. I was totally jealous with my ultra light weight smallish piece of blue. My reco would be the biggest towel you can manage. These days I carry a lightweight biggish towel.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

if you don't lose them

Seriously. Its a thing. I hang them out to dry outside after showering and then walk away the next day realizing, shoot, I lost another one.

 

[RJM]

Honestly that's a question only you can answer.
What size towel do you prefer to use? Compare the dimensions to the towel you use at home and make your own decision.

 

[Jenwalking]

Do you need a towel if you are staying in hotels on CF?

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Do you need a towel if you are staying in hotels on CF?

Nope. You don't need shampoo or soap either. If you are committed. I still like to have a towel just in case.

Heck, you don't even need a sleeping bag... but i carry one, just in case.

 

[Jenwalking]

Thanks Damien.

 

[williamlittig]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

Go with the "L" I use mine to block the lights in the room by tucking it under the mattress above, I value my sleep

 

[dougfitz]

Bigger than I need to dry except I also have long hair.

I might add that my wife is scathing about my choice of a small face towel for much the same reason. Her choice was a 100 cm x 42 cm travel towel weighing just under 70 gm. I do recall her expressing her opinion on this politely but sufficiently forcefully for me to never want to raise the matter with her again!

 

[Maurice Frank]

Thanks everyone for the informative replies. Much appreciated!

 

[Fred2a]

I bought the basic decathlon microfiber towel, cut a third of it. Now the size is 80 / 40 cm which is far enough for me. Dries quickly, weights next to nothing, is super compact.

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

Any female readers of this debate may like to consider bringing a second towel for drying their hair: for me this is an absolute necessity!

 

[mattythedog]

Any female readers of this debate may like to consider bringing a second towel for drying their hair: for me this is an absolute necessity!

Just please leave the hair dryers at home. This very posh Russian peregrina in Viana had one and fired it up in the albergue around 6pm while we were all just trying to relax before dinner. Sounded like a jet turbine!

 

[henrythedog]

Without wishing to prompt a debate as to how removing moisture from your body could possibly be ‘Camino specific’ or how one might function in society generally without being able to figure it out for yourself, I wonder if the same respondents might have an opinion on the best size of spoon to use ‘on Camino’?

I’m torn between a tiny little one which will be lighter, but need more frequent movement to and from my mouth, or a large wooden one with a scallop-shell carving.

 

[mattythedog]

Without wishing to prompt a debate as to how removing moisture from your body could possibly be ‘Camino specific’ or how one might function in society generally without being able to figure it out for yourself, I wonder if the same respondents might have an opinion on the best size of spoon to use ‘on Camino’?

I’m torn between a tiny little one which will be lighter, but need more frequent movement to and from my mouth, or a large wooden one with a scallop-shell carving.

Ha Ha! Henrythedog. You must use the pilgrim shell you already have. No extra weight and no extra cost. It can shovel your delectable communal dinner into your mouth with minimal scoops, and it will rinse and dry in the rain and sun while hanging from your pack.

 

[Ali@59]

A few times after showering at home I've tried a few different types of travel towels and also a cotton t-shirt which actually dried my body better so I'm gonna cut a piece of material from my favourite t-shirt for my upcoming camino. Try it at home!!

 

[Maurice Frank]

A few times after showering at home I've tried a few different types of travel towels and also a cotton t-shirt which actually dried my body better so I'm gonna cut a piece of material from my favourite t-shirt for my upcoming camino. Try it at home!!

Good idea, I never thought of that.

 

[trecile]

A few times after showering at home I've tried a few different types of travel towels and also a cotton t-shirt which actually dried my body better so I'm gonna cut a piece of material from my favourite t-shirt for my upcoming camino. Try it at home!!

Why not just bring the entire T-shirt? Then you would also have an extra shirt with you if you need one in a pinch.

 

[gregrobinson]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

You can skip the REI and just order a microfiber dish towel from Amazon. It's just big enough to dry off and it dries faster than the "camp towels". It's more absorbent than the camp towels and wrings out easier. I find it works better and easier to hang off of the backpack because of its size. They are only about $1 each in a six pack.

 

[gregrobinson]

Without wishing to prompt a debate as to how removing moisture from your body could possibly be ‘Camino specific’ or how one might function in society generally without being able to figure it out for yourself, I wonder if the same respondents might have an opinion on the best size of spoon to use ‘on Camino’?

I’m torn between a tiny little one which will be lighter, but need more frequent movement to and from my mouth, or a large wooden one with a scallop-shell carving.

You probably don't need to bring a spoon on the Camino Frances. Nearly every albergue has a kitchen with dishes & utensils. The grocery stores generally have individual plastic spoons at the cashier if you buy a yogurt or something. I usually just pack a small teaspoon in my hip belt pocket just in case, but have never needed a full size spoon in my pack.

 

[Maurice Frank]

You can skip the REI and just order a microfiber dish towel from Amazon. It's just big enough to dry off and it dries faster than the "camp towels". It's more absorbent than the camp towels and wrings out easier. I find it works better and easier to hang off of the backpack because of its size. They are only about $1 each in a six pack.

Thanks for the tip. I have plenty of time to order some and test it before I go

 

[gregrobinson]

Do you need a towel if you are staying in hotels on CF?

The hotels generally have towels, but if you end up not getting a hotel room and are forced to stay in an albergue or some other "less than full hotel", you may need some sort of towel, though you could just use a shirt in a pinch. My unsolicited opinion on the hotels: if you only stay in hotels you are missing out on a huge part of the camino...the experience of mixing with the many people you will be walking with. You meet more people in the albergues and get much closer. It's a great experience. I do a hotel once a week so I can clean out my pack, but otherwise just stay in albergues or maybe get a private room in the albergue if I want my own space.

 

[Suzanne A]

That’s what I like about this group- we can talk about pack towels non-stop

 

[André Walker]

Only for the men among us (ladies: just close your eyes for a moment):

Guys, if you get used to taking cold showers, the smallest towel will do.

 

[klimmo]

much used tea towel does the job perfectly. lightweight, dries super fast, comfortable to skin (I don't like the feel of these microfiber towels) and super cheap. can wrap it around my head to dry my hair too. washes easily and again, dries quickly.

 

[Maurice Frank]

much used tea towel does the job perfectly. lightweight, dries super fast, comfortable to skin (I don't like the feel of these microfiber towels) and super cheap. can wrap it around my head to dry my hair too. washes easily and again, dries quickly.

@klimmo thanks, I am not familiar with tea towels. Can you provide a link to one you recommend? Many thanks

 

[trecile]

@klimmo thanks, I am not familiar with tea towels. Can you provide a link to one you recommend? Many thanks

Tea towels are cotton or linen flat weave dish towels.

These Tea Towels Have a Five-Star Rating on Amazon Because They Are "Hands-Down the Best"

There are so many ways to use 'em!

www.goodhousekeeping.com

 

[henrythedog]

You probably don't need to bring a spoon on the Camino Frances. Nearly every albergue has a kitchen with dishes & utensils. The grocery stores generally have individual plastic spoons at the cashier if you buy a yogurt or something. I usually just pack a small teaspoon in my hip belt pocket just in case, but have never needed a full size spoon in my pack.

Greg, thank you.

My spoon-related anxiety is resolved.

 

[Maurice Frank]

Tea towels are cotton or linen flat weave dish towels.

These Tea Towels Have a Five-Star Rating on Amazon Because They Are "Hands-Down the Best"

There are so many ways to use 'em!

www.goodhousekeeping.com

thanks!

 

[dougfitz]

The grocery stores generally have individual plastic spoons at the cashier if you buy a yogurt or something.

These have disappeared where I live, and the plastic cutlery is now completely replaced by wooden items across the board. I find it easy to have a set of knife, fork and spoon in my bag 'just in case'. The less disposable plastic I use, the happier I am.

 

[wabana]

Small

 

[henrythedog]

Is it true, as I have convinced myself, that dark coloured cloth dries faster than light coloured?

If so: small and dark.

Or you could consider a swimmers’ chamois?

 

[Jodean]

Took a micro-fiber towel on my 1st Camino. That feeling of it on my skin. eek. Patting yourself dry is weird.
Next time, I went to the store and bought a length of waffle-weave cotton cloth in bright orange. That actually worked really well. It made it through 2 Caminos. Then I found a muslin cloth at a yard sale, used for babies. Quite large, but very light in weight, covered with little bees. I love this and it made the grade on the last Camino. It is coming with me again. Having long hair, it works on the hair, is big enough to wrap around me, and it can be used as a curtain.

Have tried various scarves and sarongs after a shower and most of them did not make the grade. Wondering if a sponge would work, except for the long hair issue.

 

[wabana]

Will the actuary in the group please do a statistical analysis of all this information on Data presented……

towel ta y’all later. Conversation became too dry for me, whatever happened to the thread on folding toothbrushes and has anyone seen Jack Reacher on the Camino?

 

[C clearly]

Consider just taking the little microfibre lens cloth that comes in a glasses/sunglasses case.

 

[linda piso]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

I have an extra large one, I wanted it to wrap around my body and use it to hang from bed if I want to sleep.

 

[isawtman]

Some people brought bigger towels and were using them as a privacy curtain on their lower bunk beds.

 

[GoJani]

I have an extra large one, I wanted it to wrap around my body and use it to hang from bed if I want to sleep.

Many people take a huge but lightweight scarf to use for modesty (involving showering and getting dressed etc) and can be attached to your bunk for some privacy during sleeping. You can also make a sling from it at the end of your bunk if you would like to elevate your feet at the end of a long day. Then you can bring just a small towel Janet

 

[goldie from aus]

Any female readers of this debate may like to consider bringing a second towel for drying their hair: for me this is an absolute necessity!

What about - Bamboo Blend Hair Turban – White $4.50 Kmart??

 

[sfisch801]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

About my size - I opt for M
S.

 

[J Willhaus]

I hate the yuck feel of those camp towels and I actually have two now in my possession. Thinking on a plain old cotton sack flour dish towel. They dry things well and then line dry quickly. They are soft and are actually pretty big. In the old days flour, corn meal, seed crops, and animal/chicken feed came in bags made out of that material and my grandparents/great grandparents in the Ozarks would go to town and make sure to pick out matching bags of so they material could be made into a dress or shirt after the bag was empty. Some bags had fancy prints while others were just plain white.

 

[sfisch801]

Nope. You don't need shampoo or soap either. If you are committed. I still like to have a towel just in case.

Heck, you don't even need a sleeping bag... but i carry one, just in case.

 

[sfisch801]

Thanks Damien.

I just did 10 days in hotels and I will pack very differently next time…I took many things I didn’t use…like sleeping bag and puffy coat (even in March). What I DID use was my Rumpl one person blanket (3 times) and my towel and the conditioner I brought. Did not need soap or shampoo, and I will take a few bandaids/ hydrocolloid dressings and blister shield but just enough to get by to the next Farmacia. I did use all my ibuprofen and advil pm that I took and ended up buying more. Wore the same outfit most days but needed a backup for days they don’t dry. Washed every third or so. Another comfy outfit for eve(with Merrill crocs that doubled as shower shoes). And rain gear! I took jacket and pants and next time will leave umbrella at home….did not use it. I will take half of what I took. I warm up so much with walking that not any day did I need more than t-shirt, long sleeve 3/4 zip and fleece, and took the fleece off by late am.

 

[malingerer]

You are going to get (probably) loads of informed, un-informed and opinionated responses to this question.
My travel towel is small enough to dry me and large enough to cover my "modesty". Stick with that and you are probably good to go.
According to the "Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy" you should "always know where your towel is" or words to that effect. That goes for Caminos as well.
Don.

Darn ! I was going to mention the Hitch hikers Guide

Samarkand

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

I forgot the towel on my last camino. I had to do without it for 30 days. So... 0 ounces

 

[Enzed]

I'll be taking a full sized Turkish Towel again.i use them all the time at home, so I like them. They're thin multi purpose, comfy, quite compact when rolled and don't take too long to dry. And come in nice patterns too.

 

[Sidknee]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

Hi @Maurice Frank, which ever towel you choose, if you want to see if you will be happy with it, use it at home before you go. Use it for 2 weeks, don’t wash it, hang it up over night on the end of your bed or on a clothes rack, each morning you have to roll it up and put it into its carry bag. It’s an interesting challenge.

I found that I just didn’t like the feel of micro-fibres, eventually settling on a well worn cotton towel.

Regardless, if you don’t like what you’ve landed on after a few days walking, you can always toss it and buy something else on the path/trail. Plenty of shops to choose from.

Buen Camino

 

[Maurice Frank]

Hi @Maurice Frank, which ever towel you choose, if you want to see if you will be happy with it, use it at home before you go. Use it for 2 weeks, don’t wash it, hang it up over night on the end of your bed or on a clothes rack, each morning you have to roll it up and put it into its carry bag. It’s an interesting challenge.

I found that I just didn’t like the feel of micro-fibres, eventually settling on a well worn cotton towel.

Regardless, if you don’t like what you’ve landed on after a few days walking, you can always toss it and buy something else on the path/trail. Plenty of shops to choose from.

Buen Camino

@Sidknee, thanks, that is good advice, and I do plan on testing everything I will take with me.

 

[Piccata]

Whichever size towel you choose, use it several times before your Camino to be sure it will do.
¡Buen Camino!

Yes! Mine (REI medium) bled color until I'd washed it a few times in the machine. Glad it didn't color everyone's wash in a communal load!

 

[James van Hemert]

Hello,

I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.

Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.

Dimensions	M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches
Weight	M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces

Consider a secondary purpose of a towel as a privacy screen hanging from the top bunk. Go bigger!