What size towel do you take when you go touring?

[Crankarm]

As per the thread title. Answers on a flannel please.

I take a full bath sheet made up of the finest Egyptian cotton to wrap myself in after a long hot shower after a hard day's riding.

 

[Arch]

I've got what was probably the height of camping towel technology, 11 years ago. It's a sort of faux chamios leather/felt thing, smaller than a teatowel.

It's quite good for drying, absorbs well, and wrings out well, and dries quickly, but it's not much good for modesty. I have a tiny washkit in a bag that I think was meant to be a small make up purse, and the towel wraps round it, and the whole lot goes in a small Lakeland bag.

A better modern microfibre camping towel is on my list.

 

[willem]

I take a small size Rubitec towel. It feels pretty horrible, but you do get dry. It weighs 75 grams, compared to the 450 grams of the typical mid size cotton towel that I weighed for comparison. It also is far more compact and dries much faster.
Willem

 

[dragon72]

It's all so much easier in hot weather: On my last two August trips to France and Spain, I did take a towel but didn't ever use it. I would shower, swipe off the excess water with my hands and then put on a pair of swimming shorts and let the warm air and breeze dry the rest. I was usually bone dry and nice and cool after about 5 minutes, without the nuisance of a towel that takes much longer to dry and starts to smell after a bit.

 

[Kirstie]

I've got one of those microfibre camping towels, and its OK, well, kind of. First of all you have to modify your drying technique to a pat rather than a rub, so to speak - it absorbs the moisture better that way. And second, no matter how long you air it on the top of your rack, it always goes a bit minging after a week or so. If I happen upon a launderette, I always like to wash mine through.

But in terms of size, it's probably about a metre square, and rolled up, hardly takes any space at all.

 

[snorri]

But in terms of size, it's probably about a metre square, and rolled up, hardly takes any space at all.

Mine's like that, made of Pertex,I believe, and it's blue, and there is ample space in my pannier for two of them for longer tours.

 

[MockCyclist]

I also have the fancy microfibre towel but I'd struggle to make it last a week (!) but last trip I also took one of those chamois thingys, you can repeatedly dry yourself and wring it out and then finish off with dabs of the towel.

 

[Trumpettom001]

Is it sad that when I go, I take a 2ft by 4ft normal cotton towel for me, and an identical one for the bike? I keep the bike in the tent with me, so it really does need drying if I've been going in the rain...

 

[hubbike]

I don't carry a towel now.

I had one of those blue things that is like wiping yourself down with plastic. but I lost it.

generally, if I am somewhere with a shower I ask for a towel. if I'm not, I don't shower.

 

[HelenD123]

I don't have a towel. I use a thin cotton dress to dry myself as per my top touring tip . Maybe a sarong or shirt could serve the same person for guys.

 

[Norm]

I use a flannel when travelling. It gets rid of the excess water and I air-dry for the rest.

Best thing is that they cost pennies, if one does get rancid, it's easy to replace rather than to wash.

 

[skudupnorth]

Microfibre thingy from Decatholon,had no problems with drying my bit's and bob's with it !

 

[Danny]

I've got one of those microfibre camping towels, and its OK, well, kind of. First of all you have to modify your drying technique to a pat rather than a rub, so to speak - it absorbs the moisture better that way. And second, no matter how long you air it on the top of your rack, it always goes a bit minging after a week or so. If I happen upon a launderette, I always like to wash mine through.

But in terms of size, it's probably about a metre square, and rolled up, hardly takes any space at all.

I've got one as well, though I have to say that despite trying a variety of drying techniques - including patting - I still end up feeling a bit damp.

 

[snorri]

I've got one as well, though I have to say that despite trying a variety of drying techniques - including patting - I still end up feeling a bit damp.

The pertex gets saturated before I have got half my body dried, so I dry myself as much as possible with a face-cloth first, then finish off with the pertex.

 

[Kirstie]

I've got one as well, though I have to say that despite trying a variety of drying techniques - including patting - I still end up feeling a bit damp.

Yeah me too. You never feel properly dry no matter how long you try to dry yourself.