ultra light towels

pippic

Trekker
Has anyone got any recommendations.
It's only a weekend thru-hike but we're planning some wild swimming, so I definitely need a towel.
Is there anything lightweight that actually dries you??
Thanks for any help in advance xxx
 

MikeinDorset

Ultralighter
Having tried a few I think the most effective travel towels are Paramo. Not the lightest (about 200g) but they work really well. A small one is big enough for a wild swim. It will dry fast on the outside of your pack. And it doubles up as a pillow when wrapped around some spare clothes.
 

pippic

Trekker
Having tried a few I think the most effective travel towels are Paramo. Not the lightest (about 200g) but they work really well. A small one is big enough for a wild swim. It will dry fast on the outside of your pack. And it doubles up as a pillow when wrapped around some spare clothes.

THANK YOU!! xxx
 

Whiteburn

Thru Hiker
I only swim when it's warm (e.g. Pyrenean lakes) to wash the salt off & get by with a couple of Tesco All Purpose kitchen cloths ~15g, £1 for 3. Another person's, I'll not name, camp towel is her Buff.....now that's minimalist.
 

pippic

Trekker
I only swim when it's warm (e.g. Pyrenean lakes) to wash the salt off & get by with a couple of Tesco All Purpose kitchen cloths ~15g, £1 for 3. Another person's, I'll not name, camp towel is her Buff.....now that's minimalist.
:wideyed::wideyed::wideyed: wow - respect!
 

Teepee

Thru Hiker
Exel microfibre cloths are what I use. Not for swimming, but usually carry a couple on longer trips where I have to wash and they are the best I've used for drying the tent

One wrung out and one dry usually dries me quite well...a lot better than most of the microfibre towels and cloths that seem to be virtually waterproof when dry.
 

MikeinDorset

Ultralighter
If you don't care about modesty, a large Paramo towel cut in two will do two people just fine. (Or I suppose you can take turns sharing one.)
 

Daymoth

Section Hiker
I use the decathlon microfibre ones ( they have different sizes) but I have no clue what the weights are.
 

Patrick

Ultralighter
The key with the microfibre ones is that once they've absorbed as much as they can, they easily wring out to a state where they will again absorb plenty of water. Hence I find even a very small towel is fine after a swim or a shower - it just needs to be wrung out multiple times. I get a pack of four for a pound from Tesco. They're about the size of a large handkerchief and one works just fine.
 

Franky

Section Hiker
:laugh::pompus:;):rolleyes:Am with Mole and Ed
Absolutely not essential to carry a towel
Have not carried a towel in 4 decades of travel wether 3 days or 3 months
Weighs too much
Ages to dry
Takes up space
I cut open a very old silk sleeping bag liner to a size to cover essentials..like a Sarong that wraps around if walking around in public or no privacy
One micro cloth to absorb the initial stuff then the ‘silk piece’ absorbs the remainder
Chuck on your clothes quick
You’ll dry off fast;):rolleyes:
Easy, innit:laugh:
 

pippic

Trekker
okay I'm thinking happy compromise with a small microfibre cloth - small towel and I can use it to wipe off my tent... thank you everyone xxxx
 

Clare

Thru Hiker
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293119397113

If you want something larger but still very light, compressed towels Are okay but have a short life. You have to pat yourself dry rather than rub vigorously as you might with a proper towel or microfibres cloth. But you can get bigger at little weight, for short term use.
 

rob d 2

Ultralighter
How about an ordinary flannel? Works well for many things - you can get yourself pretty well bone dry with one. Used mine for wading the R Avon on Friday. Good for drying tents - and for washing self! When wrung out, they are pretty dry. Just checked: mine, wrung out, weighs exactly 100 gm.
Modesty? I rarely swim where there are others around, and if they are, just turn my back on them :)
 

Heltrekker

Section Hiker
Extreme Ultralight towels from Discovery Trekking (Canadian). 28" x 34" is 79g - it's not microfibre, but behaves like it, packs down nice and small and dries quick.
 

oreocereus

Thru Hiker
I've been an ardent no towel user for hiking or general travel for a few years (since my general travel is by bicycle or hitchhiking, pack volume and weight is still important). Hiking, I'm happy enough to drip dry, use my buff or a fleece. If its warm enough to wash or swim, these things will dry anyway.

For travel, if I'm showering somewhere, it's usually indoors and therefor warm enough to drip dry. I wear lightweight quick drying clothes, so I can put them on when still a bit damp and it's fine.

I might be tempted to start bringing something for colder trips, where it may become necessary to wash, but it might also be uncomfortably cold to drip dry or sponge myself off with a buff or my fleece. And long hair is a bit of a pain without a towel - but to deal with long hair, you need a fairly "significant" towel.

I mostly just take 2 J cloths.

If anticipating a lot of swimming and sun, I take an old very light very thin cotton sarong .
A sarong sounds quite nice for walking in on hot days with a bit of UV protection
 

Enzo

Thru Hiker
I use a 12" square bit of camping towel from I think mountain House? Somewhere cheap. It's amazingly good, fine to dry myself after a shower or take off condensation. Not weighed it but I'd say less than 20g.
 
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