Towels

Reviewed by Kevin David

The Frogg Toggs Cooling Chilly Pad is amazing. It makes any activity during the warm summer weather more enjoyable, keeping you cool and protecting you from overheating.

The Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad is amazing. I’ve taken this canoeing, backpacking, camping, and hiking. Man does this thing work! You just take the towel, dunk it in some water for a few seconds, and then boom it’s ready to go! You can put it inside of your had or rest it on your shoulders, or whatever else you find comfortable. I love this product. While not in use it’s a hard plastic feeling material. But when it’s wet, it’s a floppy rubbery material. It’s really weird but really cool haha.

Read more: Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel review (1)

Reviewed by Barbara Matthews

Amazing absorbent, quick drying, lightweight, and basically exceeded my expectation on every level. It is a permanent part of my backcountry gear.

This pack towel lives up to its promised performance. Incredibly absorbent and wrings out almost dry. It air dries very quickly. When dry it is very lightweight. I found this towel to be great for drying off anything wet or to mop up spills. It is also soft to the skin.  The convenient snap loop is great to hang it off of your pack to dry while hiking. Unfortunately that is the weak point of the towel. 1 of 3 towels that I have had the snap broke almost immediately.  The towel performs best if you do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets.

Read more: PackTowl UltraLite review (1)

Featured review by Trailman1000

Very lightweight, worked fine!

Read more: PackTowl Personal reviews (2)

Featured review by Giovanni

Lightload Towels www.ultralighttowels.com is a one of kind towel. Looking at the package you wonder how can this be a towel because it is so small and compact but once you open it the lightload expands to a 12 by 24 towel. It's a little rough at first opening but getting wet softens it up.I have used it to start fires, clean pots, dry myself, generate insulation, treat cuts, treat blisters, and clean lenses. It is an all and one survival tool. Its great for high altitudes and winter weather because of it's insulation and breathability and it's good in a pinch in spring summer and fall weather.

Read more: Lightload Towels reviews (2)

Reviewed by Dirtwheels

Ultra lightweight towel made of the lightweight polyester fabric like our favorite quick dry tee shirts.

Tale of the Tape The Extreme Ultralite backpacking and travel towel is a polyester towel treated with Polygiene, a silver salt treatment to inhibit the growth of germs and keep the towel smelling fresh longer. It currently comes in the following sizes: Ultralite Mini 19" x 19" Ultralite 34" x 28" Ultralite Large 34" x 58" Whale Tail Large 34" x 58" The sample I tested actually was advertised as 34”x54” and measured 34.75”x55”. It was advertised as weighing 162 grams, but measured 181.5 grams.

Read more: Discovery Trekking Extreme Ultralight Towel review (1)

Reviewed by John Barber

The mini towel is perfect for backpacking. After a heavy rain it's great to wipe water off your tent. The towel holds a lot of water and rings out almost dry. It comes in a small lightweight pouch with a caribiner to attach to your pack. Can be use to clean or dry your body or cook gear. I won't go hiking without it. Just love it!

I used this towel on a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail. I used it as a sweatband and a towel for bathing. It was a lifesaver when it came to absorbing and wiping water off of my tent after a night of rain. The towel dries out fast after you ring it out. The nylon and net pouch is perfect for storage as it is small and compact. The towel weighs almost nothing. The cost of $7.95 was well worth the added value to keep my gear clean and dry. I carried a small pack of tissues, but you could even use this towel to blow your nose or other things. It's made of a durable material and looks new even after all the abuse I put it through. This towel has so many uses and it's my favorite piece of gear. Capt. America

Read more: REI Mini Multitowel review (1)

Reviewed by Bentbrook

An airy 24g/.84 oz to boost personal hygiene or to wipe condensation off your single-wall shelter in the morning. Well-designed mini towel delivers good results despite its minuscule size and weight. Not luxuriously soft, but imminently practical.

Cascade Designs' Nano PackTowl is a light wisp of cloth—85% polyester, 15% nylon—that offers trekkers or other travelers an option to make their backcountry hygiene a tad easier. It packs into its own mesh carrying pouch, unfolding into a 16-inch by 17-inch rectangle of smooth cloth that is intended to serve as a towel (pictured below with .5L water bottle for scale), washcloth, wipe, or whatever clever use one can conceive for it (pre-filtering water, perhaps). Cascade Designs boast of its smooth texture and antimicrobial qualities, claiming that the Nano can absorb twice its weight in water.

Read more: PackTowl Nano review (1)