Great multi-purpose item...packtowels.

hiwa

hiwa

Joined
Jun 7, 2009
Messages
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I like to bring a large, viscose towel(s) with me in the bush, like the Packtowl.( made by the thermarest guys). I have also found other brands with the same fabric. They dry quickly, take up no more room than a shirt, and have multi-purposes as well. For example : pillow, ground/seat pad , blister cover ( cut a square off) , kettle cosie , head wrap/scarf , emergency bum-wipe , temp. wound cover , pot-holder , etc, etc.
Just like Douglas Adams' says in " The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy " , "The most useful thing in the universe." I at least have found them to be extremely versatile in the bush. But...leave the cotton ones at home. They take forever to dry , get very filthy , and don't hold their shape. I bet a lot of you fellas use them as well;am I right? :)

Pete
 
Has anyone tried the ShamWow they advertise on television? It looks like it might actually be useful.
 
hiwa said:
To shine up my blade with Ren-wax for signalling maybe :p
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No, I'm serious, hiwa. Those things look like they absorb a lot of moisture, and might be useful. I haven't run across any here locally, or I would have given them a try myself. I can't stand the punk who advertises them, but he does show them off pretty well.
 
(Tongue-in-cheek:D) I actually thought of using those when they came out (and I still may) The size is a little small, but yeah , I bet they may be pretty useful. A chamois is definately absorbent as heck , and might be good for drying oneself off,and a good carry in the boat.
 
dawsonbob said:
Has anyone tried the ShamWow they advertise on television? It looks like it might actually be useful.
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I would bet that the shamwow is but a variant of the viscose rayon, like what a pack-towel is made of. So, I think they would work well.

Best,
Marion
 
I carry a mini MSR pack towell. It's just the trick to dry yourself off with if you were to get submerged. Or to collect morning dew for drinking water. It's basically a high quality shamwow. In fact that and a space blanket is how my buddy treated a girl in Moab for hypothermia after submersion. Very useful piece of gear.

msr_ptowl_ultra.jpg
 
Marion David Poff said:
Yes, though I would be interested to see which is cheaper the shamwow or a viscose rayon towel by Coghlan's.

Best,
Marion
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I don't know if they're the same thing or not, Marion, but if they are, I'd go with the cheapest one, too. On a tip from KuRUpTD, I'm going to check Walgreens tomorrow to see if they have any.
 
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I use a divers towel, by Speedo. Like the ones you see them using in the olympics. Is is a SUPER absorbant shammie.

I told Rick about this once while we were camping - he came out with HIS Speedo product on...


I am still trying to poke out my minds eye from that one.

TF
 
I have a SeaToSummit Tek Towel which is also a microfiber material (30% polymide, 70% polyester). I picked the small size. It is 16"x32" and came in a zippered mesh pouch which is handy (4 1/2x5", 5oz.). MSRP was about $15 but I caught it on sale at a local outdoor store for $12. That offset the sales tax anyway. I don't know yet how durable it will be, but I'll find out. The extra large is 30x60" and weighs nearly a pound.

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We used the Sham-wow last year on a few different trips. It does absorb moisture very well. I didn't care for it as it left a lot of orange fuzz on everything I dried with it. Not a bad semi-disposable option.
 
I use a shamwow and it's very similar to the MSR camp towel. The key to remember is to get it wet and wring it out before using or at least make sure there's some moisture in it. If it's bone dry it will repel water.
 
I've started wearing a small towel on my belt while camping like the golfers wear. It seems like I'm constantly wiping my hands on my pants while outdoor cooking and doing various camp chores, so it seemed like a logical idea. Most of my friends laughed at first, but I think most have come to see the value in it. It has reduced my dependence on paper towel.

BB
 
A pack-towel has been a permanent part of my extended trip (1 week+) bush kit for many years. It's a great piece of gear with a multitude of uses. I actually bring two. A little one no bigger than a hankerchief that I keep in my toiletry kit and one of the bigger ones for use as a "real" towel.
 
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