A beach towel in a pack is a mistake you only make once. It soaks up half the water in the tent, takes two days to dry and smells distinctly of pond by Sunday. Microfibre absorbs more than cotton for its weight and then dries in a fraction of the time, which is the whole argument.
At 50 x 100 cm this is a proper body towel rather than the postcard-sized version that forces you to dry one limb at a time. It still packs down small enough to disappear into a corner of a daypack.
The microfibre is a suede-feel weave rather than the slightly plasticky texture cheaper quick-dry towels have, so it is comfortable against skin instead of merely functional. It is very light, which matters if someone is carrying everything on their back.
A snap loop on the corner means it hangs off a tent guy line, a pack strap or a shower hook to dry, rather than sitting in a damp heap. That one detail is the difference between a towel that dries by lunch and one that never quite does.
This is a natural stocking filler or Kris Kringle present, and it suits campers, hikers, surfers, swimmers, gym regulars and travellers living out of a carry-on. It is one of those things people are pleased to be given and never think to buy.
Give it the standard microfibre advice: wash it on its own the first time, particularly in a dark colour, and skip the fabric softener, which coats the fibres and ruins the absorbency that made you buy it in the first place.
✔ Generous 50 x 100 cm body-towel size
✔ Absorbs more than cotton and dries far faster
✔ Soft suede-feel microfibre rather than a plasticky weave
✔ Snap loop for hanging on a line, pack or hook
✔ Packs down small enough for a daypack or carry-on
