- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances Sept-Oct 2023, Portuguese July-Aug 2024
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Dimensions | M: 29 x 16 inches L: 50 x 25 inches XL: 58 x 39 inches |
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Weight | M: 2.6 ounces L: 7 ounces XL: 11.9 ounces |
Thanks, Don. I always follow advice from the Hitchhiker's Guide. Buen CaminoYou are going to get (probably) loads of informed, un-informed and opinionated responses to this question.
My travel towel is small enough to dry me and large enough to cover my "modesty". Stick with that and you are probably good to go.
According to the "Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy" you should "always know where your towel is" or words to that effect. That goes for Caminos as well.
Don.
I don't take a towel. On first couple Caminos, I had a small REI microfiber towel. One day I forgot to take it into the shower. All I had was my Duluth Buck Naked Boxers, soap and money belt. Not wanting to get my Euros wet, I washed and wrung out the boxers, wiped down, repeated 2 more times. I found that I was actually drier than when using the towel. Since then I have never carried a towel. Also, I just take 2 pairs of boxers: one that I wear and the dry pair in the pack. It is a given that I will wash out the pair I wear each day anyway. Towel=redundent gear best left home. Less volume, less weight, less to worry about.Hello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
And REI has a lot of good equipment - but they don't always have what's best for you.Do what you want, not what everyone says you need to.
One that you can tie around your waist without it falling down as you bowl into the dorm from the shower block...Hello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
Good advice, I plan to test all my gear before leavingWhichever size towel you choose, use it several times before your Camino to be sure it will do.
¡Buen Camino!
Thanks for the link to the earlier conversation. I did search for towels but so many results it was hard to wade through. I will review the link.For years my camino towel was an old-fashioned cotton seersucker dishtowel. Banal but absorbent and lightweight, it also dried quickly after use.
Check out these earlier suggestions
also.
Trecile, thanks, I am also considering thatCheck out the Packtowl Ultralite.
Body size is 25" x 54" and weighs 3.4 ounces.
UltraLite PackTowl - Lightweight Packable Towel | PackTowl®
Lightweight and packable towel for ultralight hiking, travel backpacking and more. Super soft towel is highly absorbent and dries fast.www.packtowl.com
Great idea! I had not thought of that, will try it.I found my larger REI towel was also useful to wring out my laundry, so it dries much faster. Worth the weight? Personal decision, for sure.
That is quite ingenious, and now for the first time in my life, I am jealous of boxer boys, which I am notI don't take a towel. On first couple Caminos, I had a small REI microfiber towel. One day I forgot to take it into the shower. All I had was my Duluth Buck Naked Boxers, soap and money belt. Not wanting to get my Euros wet, I washed and wrung out the boxers, wiped down, repeated 2 more times. I found that I was actually drier than when using the towel. Since then I have never carried a towel. Also, I just take 2 pairs of boxers: one that I wear and the dry pair in the pack. It is a given that I will wash out the pair I wear each day anyway. Towel=redundent gear best left home. Less volume, less weight, less to worry about.
I also know pilgrims who are perfectly happy with their beach sized towels. Do what you want, not what everyone says you need to.
The Duluths come in quite a variety of colors and patterns, and have a button in middle of the fly. They multifunction as shorts around the albergue and on streets of Alicante back and forth to the beach, and as swim trunks on the beaches walking to Finnisterre. I have also tested them at home as a hat, but have not been in such dire straits as to need them as headgear on Camino!That is quite ingenious, and now for the first time in my life, I am jealous of boxer boys, which I am not
After years of experimenting and spending money on many varied sized towels, I happened on the "best" solution for me. I use a yoga towel - without the grippy spots. These are intended to be placed on a foam yoga mat - if you are doing yoga.Hello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
I use the Pack Towl ULTRALIGHT. 54 by 25, weighing just 3.4 ounces. Pricey but towels seem to live forever, if you don't lose them. Bigger than I need to dry except I also have long hair. I also take the Pack Towl washcloth, at 1.5 ounces. REI co op has these. The biggest problem is finding them in stock. Moosejaw also has them.Hello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
Seriously. Its a thing. I hang them out to dry outside after showering and then walk away the next day realizing, shoot, I lost another one.if you don't lose them
Nope. You don't need shampoo or soap either. If you are committed. I still like to have a towel just in case.Do you need a towel if you are staying in hotels on CF?
Go with the "L" I use mine to block the lights in the room by tucking it under the mattress above, I value my sleepHello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
I might add that my wife is scathing about my choice of a small face towel for much the same reason. Her choice was a 100 cm x 42 cm travel towel weighing just under 70 gm. I do recall her expressing her opinion on this politely but sufficiently forcefully for me to never want to raise the matter with her again!Bigger than I need to dry except I also have long hair.
Just please leave the hair dryers at home. This very posh Russian peregrina in Viana had one and fired it up in the albergue around 6pm while we were all just trying to relax before dinner. Sounded like a jet turbine!Any female readers of this debate may like to consider bringing a second towel for drying their hair: for me this is an absolute necessity!
Ha Ha! Henrythedog. You must use the pilgrim shell you already have. No extra weight and no extra cost. It can shovel your delectable communal dinner into your mouth with minimal scoops, and it will rinse and dry in the rain and sun while hanging from your pack.Without wishing to prompt a debate as to how removing moisture from your body could possibly be ‘Camino specific’ or how one might function in society generally without being able to figure it out for yourself, I wonder if the same respondents might have an opinion on the best size of spoon to use ‘on Camino’?
I’m torn between a tiny little one which will be lighter, but need more frequent movement to and from my mouth, or a large wooden one with a scallop-shell carving.
Good idea, I never thought of that.A few times after showering at home I've tried a few different types of travel towels and also a cotton t-shirt which actually dried my body better so I'm gonna cut a piece of material from my favourite t-shirt for my upcoming camino. Try it at home!!
Why not just bring the entire T-shirt? Then you would also have an extra shirt with you if you need one in a pinch.A few times after showering at home I've tried a few different types of travel towels and also a cotton t-shirt which actually dried my body better so I'm gonna cut a piece of material from my favourite t-shirt for my upcoming camino. Try it at home!!
You can skip the REI and just order a microfiber dish towel from Amazon. It's just big enough to dry off and it dries faster than the "camp towels". It's more absorbent than the camp towels and wrings out easier. I find it works better and easier to hang off of the backpack because of its size. They are only about $1 each in a six pack.Hello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
You probably don't need to bring a spoon on the Camino Frances. Nearly every albergue has a kitchen with dishes & utensils. The grocery stores generally have individual plastic spoons at the cashier if you buy a yogurt or something. I usually just pack a small teaspoon in my hip belt pocket just in case, but have never needed a full size spoon in my pack.Without wishing to prompt a debate as to how removing moisture from your body could possibly be ‘Camino specific’ or how one might function in society generally without being able to figure it out for yourself, I wonder if the same respondents might have an opinion on the best size of spoon to use ‘on Camino’?
I’m torn between a tiny little one which will be lighter, but need more frequent movement to and from my mouth, or a large wooden one with a scallop-shell carving.
Thanks for the tip. I have plenty of time to order some and test it before I goYou can skip the REI and just order a microfiber dish towel from Amazon. It's just big enough to dry off and it dries faster than the "camp towels". It's more absorbent than the camp towels and wrings out easier. I find it works better and easier to hang off of the backpack because of its size. They are only about $1 each in a six pack.
The hotels generally have towels, but if you end up not getting a hotel room and are forced to stay in an albergue or some other "less than full hotel", you may need some sort of towel, though you could just use a shirt in a pinch. My unsolicited opinion on the hotels: if you only stay in hotels you are missing out on a huge part of the camino...the experience of mixing with the many people you will be walking with. You meet more people in the albergues and get much closer. It's a great experience. I do a hotel once a week so I can clean out my pack, but otherwise just stay in albergues or maybe get a private room in the albergue if I want my own space.Do you need a towel if you are staying in hotels on CF?
@klimmo thanks, I am not familiar with tea towels. Can you provide a link to one you recommend? Many thanksmuch used tea towel does the job perfectly. lightweight, dries super fast, comfortable to skin (I don't like the feel of these microfiber towels) and super cheap. can wrap it around my head to dry my hair too. washes easily and again, dries quickly.
Tea towels are cotton or linen flat weave dish towels.@klimmo thanks, I am not familiar with tea towels. Can you provide a link to one you recommend? Many thanks
Greg, thank you.You probably don't need to bring a spoon on the Camino Frances. Nearly every albergue has a kitchen with dishes & utensils. The grocery stores generally have individual plastic spoons at the cashier if you buy a yogurt or something. I usually just pack a small teaspoon in my hip belt pocket just in case, but have never needed a full size spoon in my pack.
thanks!Tea towels are cotton or linen flat weave dish towels.
These Tea Towels Have a Five-Star Rating on Amazon Because They Are "Hands-Down the Best"
There are so many ways to use 'em!www.goodhousekeeping.com
These have disappeared where I live, and the plastic cutlery is now completely replaced by wooden items across the board. I find it easy to have a set of knife, fork and spoon in my bag 'just in case'. The less disposable plastic I use, the happier I am.The grocery stores generally have individual plastic spoons at the cashier if you buy a yogurt or something.
I have an extra large one, I wanted it to wrap around my body and use it to hang from bed if I want to sleep.Hello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
Many people take a huge but lightweight scarf to use for modesty (involving showering and getting dressed etc) and can be attached to your bunk for some privacy during sleeping. You can also make a sling from it at the end of your bunk if you would like to elevate your feet at the end of a long day. Then you can bring just a small towel JanetI have an extra large one, I wanted it to wrap around my body and use it to hang from bed if I want to sleep.
What about - Bamboo Blend Hair Turban – White $4.50 Kmart??Any female readers of this debate may like to consider bringing a second towel for drying their hair: for me this is an absolute necessity!
About my size - I opt for MHello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
Nope. You don't need shampoo or soap either. If you are committed. I still like to have a towel just in case.
Heck, you don't even need a sleeping bag... but i carry one, just in case.
I just did 10 days in hotels and I will pack very differently next time…I took many things I didn’t use…like sleeping bag and puffy coat (even in March). What I DID use was my Rumpl one person blanket (3 times) and my towel and the conditioner I brought. Did not need soap or shampoo, and I will take a few bandaids/ hydrocolloid dressings and blister shield but just enough to get by to the next Farmacia. I did use all my ibuprofen and advil pm that I took and ended up buying more. Wore the same outfit most days but needed a backup for days they don’t dry. Washed every third or so. Another comfy outfit for eve(with Merrill crocs that doubled as shower shoes). And rain gear! I took jacket and pants and next time will leave umbrella at home….did not use it. I will take half of what I took. I warm up so much with walking that not any day did I need more than t-shirt, long sleeve 3/4 zip and fleece, and took the fleece off by late am.Thanks Damien.
Darn ! I was going to mention the Hitch hikers GuideYou are going to get (probably) loads of informed, un-informed and opinionated responses to this question.
My travel towel is small enough to dry me and large enough to cover my "modesty". Stick with that and you are probably good to go.
According to the "Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy" you should "always know where your towel is" or words to that effect. That goes for Caminos as well.
Don.
Hi @Maurice Frank, which ever towel you choose, if you want to see if you will be happy with it, use it at home before you go. Use it for 2 weeks, don’t wash it, hang it up over night on the end of your bed or on a clothes rack, each morning you have to roll it up and put it into its carry bag. It’s an interesting challenge.Hello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
@Sidknee, thanks, that is good advice, and I do plan on testing everything I will take with me.Hi @Maurice Frank, which ever towel you choose, if you want to see if you will be happy with it, use it at home before you go. Use it for 2 weeks, don’t wash it, hang it up over night on the end of your bed or on a clothes rack, each morning you have to roll it up and put it into its carry bag. It’s an interesting challenge.
I found that I just didn’t like the feel of micro-fibres, eventually settling on a well worn cotton towel.
Regardless, if you don’t like what you’ve landed on after a few days walking, you can always toss it and buy something else on the path/trail. Plenty of shops to choose from.
Buen Camino
Yes! Mine (REI medium) bled color until I'd washed it a few times in the machine. Glad it didn't color everyone's wash in a communal load!Whichever size towel you choose, use it several times before your Camino to be sure it will do.
¡Buen Camino!
Consider a secondary purpose of a towel as a privacy screen hanging from the top bunk. Go bigger!Hello,
I will walk my first Camino on the Frances starting in mid-September.
Thanks to many posts on this excellent forum, I know to bring a lightweight absorbent microfiber towel. I'm considering two options from REI, both have the same size choices (see below). These are the specs for the deluxe. The regular has the same sizes but slightly lower weights (M2.3, L6.5. XL10.4, respectively). Which size is suitable for the Camino? I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds, so not too big. Yes, I know this is a personal decision. I'm a newbie looking for advice. Thank you.
Dimensions M: 29 x 16 inches
L: 50 x 25 inches
XL: 58 x 39 inchesWeight M: 2.6 ounces
L: 7 ounces
XL: 11.9 ounces
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