Originally submitted at REI
Ideal as a face-, hand- or dishtowel, the PackTowl Nano™ towel brings high absorbency and rapid drying to your ultralight backpacking trips.
Excellent Way to Trim Weight
By fastdonut from Syracuse, Utah on 2/24/2012
Pros: Soft, Dries Quickly, Magic, Absorbent, Ultra LightBest Uses: Hand/Face, Backpacking, Discrete needs
Was this a gift?: No
Mountain Safety Research's Packtowl line is impressive. Whether you're an ultralight adventurer or a heavy trekker looking to trim weight, pay attention to this simple detail-- yep, a towel.
For years, I've carried what I thought were lightweight handtowels. When I saw the ridiculous claim of this nano (0.9 ounces) for the 18"x23" Medium, I decided to give it a try. First, I had to take it out of its microscopic pouch to see if it really measured as stated. Next, I weighed it on a scale next to my other "light" towel. My threadbare cotton towel, the same dimensions by the way, weighed in at 5 ounces dry. By replacing the 2 towels I typically bring (one for dishes, one for body) I save a half pound! That's a half pound savings I've overlooked for almost 30 years of backpacking.
Next, I tested absorbency and quick drying. I started by having the family dry hands before dinner. By the end of dinner, the towel was dry. I decided to give it a real test (albeit beyond its claims). I dried my entire body and hair off (and I'm pretty hairy) with this rag. I rung it out 3 times to complete the job. Everytime you ring it out you release 90% of the water. Despite being damp, it still absorbs the water from your skin. Its weird--kind of magic. If you tried this in cold temps, however, Packtowl would be rather chilly. I hung it over a rail for the night and put it away completely dry in the morning, 6 hours later. That means that I will no longer pack a damp towel around with me which can more than double the weight of the dry towel. In essence, I save about a pound and sacrifice no capability or comfort; the towel is soft, not coarse and scratchy.
Next time you have a few spare dollars, invest in this simple wizardry.
For years, I've carried what I thought were lightweight handtowels. When I saw the ridiculous claim of this nano (0.9 ounces) for the 18"x23" Medium, I decided to give it a try. First, I had to take it out of its microscopic pouch to see if it really measured as stated. Next, I weighed it on a scale next to my other "light" towel. My threadbare cotton towel, the same dimensions by the way, weighed in at 5 ounces dry. By replacing the 2 towels I typically bring (one for dishes, one for body) I save a half pound! That's a half pound savings I've overlooked for almost 30 years of backpacking.
Next, I tested absorbency and quick drying. I started by having the family dry hands before dinner. By the end of dinner, the towel was dry. I decided to give it a real test (albeit beyond its claims). I dried my entire body and hair off (and I'm pretty hairy) with this rag. I rung it out 3 times to complete the job. Everytime you ring it out you release 90% of the water. Despite being damp, it still absorbs the water from your skin. Its weird--kind of magic. If you tried this in cold temps, however, Packtowl would be rather chilly. I hung it over a rail for the night and put it away completely dry in the morning, 6 hours later. That means that I will no longer pack a damp towel around with me which can more than double the weight of the dry towel. In essence, I save about a pound and sacrifice no capability or comfort; the towel is soft, not coarse and scratchy.
Next time you have a few spare dollars, invest in this simple wizardry.
(legalese)
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