Boat towels

[CapnK]

Towels for the body, that is...

I've long been using the thinnest possible cotton terry towels I could find, having read somewhere that, sensibly enough, when aboard they'll dry out quicker than a big ol' fluffy towel. But I've also tried looking for alternatives, something that would take up less space both folded and when spread out drying, and which might dry faster, and/or be more resistant to molding.

Of the different things I've tried, using a shammy/chamois, same as what you dry off a car with after washing it, or a microfleece towel designated for the same purpose, did the job, but they weren't all that great - they both left behind just a bit of water on the skin, which is fine during summer, but pretty darn chilly in winter.

Then a couple months ago I ran across something else to try, and can report that it works *great*. It is a foam-cored microfleece-surfaced dish drying mat from WalMart - Link. You can squeeze it nearly dry, and it takes all of the water off your skin, while being about half the size of a normal towel. Pretty cheap too!



Thought someone else might be interested in trying it out. :)

[ralay]

I have a "camp towel" on the boat that dries fast and seems fairly impossible to sour, but they are expensive (mine is from craigslist) and they don't have that satisfying fluffy terry cloth feel.  I know there must be somewhere you can buy that stuff by the yard.  If anyone knows what the material is or where to get it, I'd be interested.

On a side note, I also have some woven nylon washcloths that pretty much never smell.

I've looked at the Walmart dish mats for our dishes, which we currently just set out on a regular hand towel (which gets stinky fast).  How is it on the stink factor? 

[Oldrig]

I have a "camp towel" on the boat that dries fast and seems fairly impossible to sour, but they are expensive (mine is from craigslist) and they don't have that satisfying fluffy terry cloth feel.

I've got the same thing. They are amazing, the way they dry quickly, get your body dry and never stink. But they feel like you're drying off with a piece of cloth. You can also buy cheaper microfiber towels at a place like WalMart (I think that's where I got them). The camp towels are made in Canada, used by the Armed Forces and treated with some kind of silver ion--or so they claim.

Since they are so expensive (I think mine cost about $39 apiece), I asked Santa for them a few years ago.

--Joe

[sailor]

Since they are so expensive (I think mine cost about $39 apiece), I asked Santa for them a few years ago.

Ouch - that is expensive.
For last several years I've been using a "pack towel". It was about $10 at REI quite a while ago.
Mine is about 10x25 inches in size and it's big enough for me to use after a shower
My wife needs one size bigger (I think her towel is about 15x30 inches).
Have a look: http://www.rei.com/search?query=pack+towel.
Kids prefer full size towels, because you can wrap yourself up after swimming.

[Kettlewell]

We have various microfiber towels onboard that are OK for hands and such, but I find the small size unpleasant to use after a shower. Microfiber just doesn't feel good on my body too. Some of them seem to trap odors too. Our solution is lots of big cheap beach towels, which are good for use at the beach too. They dry off in our cockpit or hanging on the mizzen mast. Nothing beats cotton for feel in a towel, and we don't find drying to be a problem as long as you have plenty of them. Buy them cheap when on sale at the end of the summer, etc.

[CharlieJ]

an additional point- dark colors dry faster than white or light colors in the sun.

[Johnnie]

You can bleach Lite colored towels and get rid of any stink when on shore to do laundry

[rorik]

Towels for the body, that is...

.......
Then a couple months ago I ran across something else to try, and can report that it works *great*. It is a foam-cored microfleece-surfaced dish drying mat from WalMart - Link. You can squeeze it nearly dry, and it takes all of the water off your skin, while being about half the size of a normal towel. Pretty cheap too!



Thought someone else might be interested in trying it out. :)

I tried one of those, but I kept falling off the counter....  :(

[Leroy - Gulf 29]

He fell off the ball washer   ;D

[s/v Faith]

Microfiber towels are also easy on the dodger windows when gently wiping after rinsing the salt off....

[rorik]

I actually do have one of these. Works pretty well for the dishes.