Lightweight Wicking Towel by Discovery Trekking

Back in April of this year Discovery Trekking sent me one of their lightweight “ultralite” towels to try out. After a few months of use and sharing around with friends I figured it was time to sit down and give my thoughts on this packable, quick drying, lightweight towel that shows you don’t need to sacrifice size or weight to have a towel on the trail.

Discovery Trekking is a Canadian company that produces North American sourced and made products. Their focus is wicking – Wicking wear, wicking bedding and acessories like wicking towels. The biggest draw for me as a backpacker is their towels.

Discovery Trekking has a line of “ultralite” towels meant to be portable and quick drying. They come in a variety of sizes from 19” x 19” (and 1.3 oz) to a comfortable full sized towel that is a whopping 34” x 58”.

The Polyester used in these synthetic towels drys out very quickly. After soaking the towel and wringing out the water I let it hand on a dry summer morning with very little breeze. In dried out in just an hour. Being made of Polyester It also means they don’t don’t absorb water quite as quickly as a standard cotton towel when using it do dry yourself off. It does a fine job as a towel, and it’s comfortable too. Just remember, you’re backpacking or camping, not staying at the Ritz. You want something light and packable that dries out quickly.

Discovery sent me the Large 34×50 towel and I was surprised at how small it compresses down to (a 7” x 3.25” roll). The same towel weighs in at only 9.85 oz.

I’ve been using it on and off for several months and lending it to other people to try out to get their opinions. By far, the biggest thing that takes getting used to is the fact that it’s synthetic. Advice from girls is to “pat” yourself dry, it just does a better job when used like that.

My sister-in-law loved the fact that it was so large. They took a trip out to the salt flats of Uyuni in Bolivia where there were hot springs… but nowhere to change. The 34” x 58” towel was great to provide some discression and even protection from the colds winds.

For the guys, and the less bashful you could get by with a lot smaller towel, like their 24”x24” square or even their 19”x19” super ultralight version and save even more space and weight.

Models:

Ultralite 34″ x 28″: $19.95 USD

Ultralite Mini 19″ x 19″: $14.95 USD

Ultralite 24″ x 24″ : $11.00 USD

Ultralite Large 34″ x 58″: $29.95 USD

The biggest draws for these towels for me is that they’re lightweight and packable. For those times when you’re not staying at the hilton and don’t want to stuff a typical cotton towel into your bag or backpack these things are great.  They dry you off and are comfortable as well. You will need to get used to the fact that it isn’t cotton, but youĺl love the weight and packability.

While I would go for something much smaller for myself, my wife says this size is perfect for her.

Do you pack a towel on the trail? Are you a hiker that fancies a quick dip on the trail? Leave your response down below and tell us about your adventures, how you get dry or how you deal with stink on the trail.