Towels to use when touring/camping?
 

Greetings,

My wife and I are going on our first multi-day tour which involves staying in campgrounds. We've been on multi-day tours before - but stayed in B&Bs (who provided towels and wash cloths). I'd like to do this again - so I want her to be in her comfort zone on this trip. This involves a shower at least once a day. All of the campgrounds that we'll be staying at have showers.

What are good towels/washcloths to use daily - but that dry quickly enough to pack up for riding each day. I believe that items like this are available from backpacking sources - but thought it best to ask this group for recommendations.

Are there any tips for packing damp shower items? I would think that if it is warm and sunny they could be packed in a mesh pocket type area - where the wind and sun would dry them. What if it is overcast and damp?

Any experience, tips, etc. will be appreciated.

Thanks,
SteveA

Get some of those microfiber loop-weave cloths that are made for polishing automobiles. They are large enough to use as washcloths, soft and absorbent, cheap, and made of microfiber polyester that dries very quickly when wrung out. Sears sells them in the automotive area and I think Target does too.

I recommend you search for a larger version of the same for use as a towel.

Get some Packtowls (http://www.msrgear.com/packtowl/) you can find them at any place that sells backpacking gear, you can find them online at moosejaw.com. They're a synthetic towel that drys really quickly. They're all soft, but I prefer the packtowl personals, they are the softest and they take up the least amount of room. Best backpacking/camping towel you'll ever find.

I've wondered about his also and found these microfiber towels:

http://www.sportsbasement.com/jump.j...CT&itemID=2858

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...cat=REI_SEARCH

WalMart has some in the automotive section 8 for $4. Testing out for personal use -- you can wash with one cloth, and then dry your whole body with another -- they're that absorbent.

I use chamois cloth... just stand in th shower stall after you're done and wipe, wring, wipe, wring. You can get 95% dry that way. I then put on swim baggies and let the air do the rest.

Second the packtowl. They work great.

Pack towel works great and packs small. Works even when wet!:D

"I use chamois cloth... "

And get no water spots, either . . . . ;)

heh.... um, but seriously, ever see olympic divers with their little Ibex leather chamois cloths? They hold a ridiculous amount of moisture, wring out almost completly dry, and aren't harsh on the skin. I love mine:D

If you're going to go the microfiber route, don't buy them at a camping supply outfit.
They can be found at Dollar Stores for a buck a piece.

I carry a small one with my all times on the bike, so I can wipe off the pouring sweat before heading into stores.

Definitely go with a car shammy over a "camping" towel. Save yourself some money and get essentially the same product.

The micro-fibre towels are good. I also use the disposable baby wipes for quick clean ups on the road or when showers are not available.

I buy the bulk replacement packs that are not in a plastic box and place them in a couple of re-sealable bags. I put a little rubbing alcohol in one of them. They are also useful for sanitary purposes, but don't use the alcohol ones.

Get the smooth Microfibre rather than the more towel like loop microfibre. They pack down much smaller.

On the other hand, you can get a larger smooth towel that takes up the same space as a small loop towel. This lets you get to the bathroom quickly, but with modesty when staying in campgrounds/hostels with shared facilities. (If you have ever stayed at a busy hostel, the best way to get a shower is to rush it, as soon as you hear the latch open!)

I now have several microfibre towels in various sizes depending on the type of travel I am doing. The smallest does double duty in my commuter bag.

I use a very thin towel of normal size, almost threadbare. This dries out easily, yet is large enough to wrap around the waist for those times when it matters (when the rest of your clothes are in the laundry?). Also useful when trying to keep warm at night.

When my daughter and I did a tour last summer, she introduced me to 'cleansing cloths'. These are dry microfiber cloths that have soap on them. When you wet them, they get a good lather going and work well to remove grease, grim and road gunk. The best thing about them is that they are dry and are easily stored in a plastic bag. They are also way better than bar soap because bar soap invariably gets all soft and messy after use and bouncing around in a bag all day. It usually took about 3 of them per shower for me. There are several brands (your wife will know which ones are best;) ) but here is one example. You'll want to make sure whichever brand you choose it's the 'dry' cleansing cloths, not the moist towelettes.

By the way, I use the Packtowel. It comes in many sizes and is easily laundered. I have a very large bath towel size and a smaller hand towel size which I use for drying dishes.

They work great on guns too! Never go hunting on a rainy day without one.

I'll second this. Those things are just fabulous. Dry, pre-soaped, disposable wash cloths. Genious.

They work well in cold water too:eek: .

Just make sure it's brown to begin with . . . a white towel gets grungy real quick hanging off the back of your panniers to dry.