Why You Need a Quick Dry Travel Towel

You surface from a snorkel off a reef somewhere warm, and the second you climb back into the boat, the wind picks up. Salt water clings to your shoulders, and the breeze that felt good in the water now feels sharp against wet skin. You pull a towel out of your bag, wrap it around your shoulders, and thirty seconds later you're dry and warm again, watching the reef slide by instead of shivering through the ride back to shore.

The right towel turns a cold ride back into a comfortable one, and packs small enough that its always there when you need it. The best part? It’ll be dry by the time you’re off the boat, and ready to explore your next port city.

A travel towel is built from a fast-drying material, usually a nanofiber or microfiber blend, instead of cotton. The differences from a regular towel come down to a few specific things:

1. Material. Nanofiber or microfiber instead of cotton terry cloth
2. Absorbency. Wrings out water quickly instead of holding it
3. Dry time. Typically dry to the touch within an hour, compared to several hours or overnight for cotton
4. Packed size. Folds or rolls into a case small enough for a daypack, dive bag, or duffle corner
5. Weight. Often a fraction of the weight of an equivalent cotton towel

Not every trip needs one. Use this as a guiding checklist to determine if you should pack a travel towel:

Skip it if:

• Your accommodation provides towels and towel service
• You're staying in one place with laundry access
• Bag space and weight aren't a concern
• You're not adding any water-based adventures to your trip

Get one if:

• Your stay doesn't provide one
• You need the towel dry again before you pack it the next morning
• Your bag is already packed tight, and a compact towel fits where a bulky cotton one won't

Hostels, multi-day hikes, van trips, and beach days that end in a cramped rental car all fall into the second group. You might hit an unplanned dip, a stream crossing on a hike, a sudden downpour, a spontaneous swim, and want something on hand that dries fast instead of soaking your bag for the rest of the day.

Packing tip: if you're not sure whether you'll need a towel on a given day, a small one costs almost nothing in space. The Ultralight Travel Towel packs down to about the size of a golf ball.

Three things do most of the work: size, material, and case.

Size

• Full-size: covers you the way a bath towel would, best for hostels, gyms, and everyday drying
• Hand-size: enough for hands, face, or a quick wipe-down, takes up almost nothing in a bag
• Beach-size: full lounging coverage for sand and sun

Material

• Nanofiber dries faster and packs smaller than microfiber
• PFAS-free construction avoids the chemical treatments some older quick-dry towels use
• Check packed dimensions and weight before buying. The best packable towels weigh just a few ounces and fold down small enough to disappear into a side pocket

Case

• A rigid silicone case protects the rest of your bag from a damp towel and won't leak through onto nearby items
• A soft pouch or mesh bag stays breathable, letting a nearly-dry towel keep airing out even while packed

Packing tip: pack your travel towel where it's the last thing in, first thing out. A side pocket or the top of your bag keeps a damp towel from touching clothes you haven't worn yet.