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Reviews > Personal Hygiene > Towels > Packtowl Camp Towels > Owner Review by Dawn Larsen

MSR Packtowl Personal - Bath sized
Date:  30 November 2008

Name: Dawn Larsen
Age: 48
Gender: female
Height: 5' 4" (163 cm)
Weight: 165 lb (74 kg)
Email address: vicioushillbilly AT yahoo DOT com
Florence, South Carolina USA

Backpacking Background:
I used to backpack in college a zillion years ago and in the last year and a half backpacked some private trails twice in Tennessee.  I have been an avid car-camper for over ten years and I have kayak/canoe camped for four years, both mostly in Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas.  I use a lot of the same equipment for both. I hike hilly/rocky trails especially in Tennessee and Missouri.  I moved to South Carolina and am busy checking out the state's wonders with my fifteen year-old son.

 
Manufacturer:   MSR (Mountain Safety Research)
Year of manufacture:  purchased in 2007
URL:  www.msrgear.com

Listed weight: 8.5 oz (240 g)
Weight as delivered: 8.6 oz (244 g)
Listed Dimensions: 25 x 54 in (64 x 137 cm)

Actual Size after washings: 24 x 54 in (61 x 137 cm)
MSRP:  $32.95 US  


manufacturer's image
Manufacturer's Image
 
 
Product Description
The MSR Packtowl Personal, bath sized, comes in its own carry pouch.   The pouch has a hook and loop closure and mesh back and measures flat without the towel at 6.5 x 9.25 x 5.75 x 9.25 in (16.5 x 23.5 x 14.6 x 23.5 cm).  The towel comes in dusty blue and curry. I own the dusty blue one. The fabric content is 85% polyester/15% nylon microfiber blend.  The towel is serged around the edges and has a handy tab with a snap in order to hang it just about anywhere. 
 
pouch full and empty

Field Experience
I have taken this towel on car camping trips, kayak trips, and use it at least three times during the week to shower with at work. I have owned this towel for a year and have really it put it to good use.
 
On camping trips, I like it because it is lightweight and dries overnight in our very humid climate.  Hung in the sun, it will dry completely in about 2 hours.  Hung out overnight in the humidity, it dries completely.  Hung on a corner of my bookshelf in my office, it dries in 3 hours.  I have used this towel in Tennessee on camping trips as well as in South Carolina.  Both states are humid and hot in the summer, with temperatures ranging from 85 to 110 degrees F (29 C - 43 C).  It is humid and cold (although South Carolina is a little less cold) in the winter, with temperatures ranging from 0 to 70 degrees F (-17 C - 21 C).  In South Carolina (less so in Tennessee), I have experienced a temperature change of 30 degrees in one day.  The snap allows me to hang it almost anywhere, tree limbs, clothesline, rearview mirror of my car.  I use it as my bathhouse towel and my beach towel.  I like it because, unlike regular terry towels, it dries from the day's swim and is dry for the night's shower.
 
I like it for kayak trips because it packs down so small and can be stored in my smaller dry bags.  I use it as my main towel and my picnic blanket.  It is very thirsty and drinks up a lot of water. 
 
I ride my bike to work at least 3 days per week.  I shower at work and use this towel for that purpose because I can pack it on my bike. I hang it in my office and it is completely dry in about 3 hours. I have also noticed that it will absorb the water from my shoulder length hair and not be sopping wet in any one spot.  It seems to drink up the water and spread it out over the towel so I don't have a wet spot where it absorbed all the water from my hair, and I can continue to dry the rest of my body.

Summary
I absolutely would recommend this pack towel for all kinds of uses.  It is one of the most versatile pieces of gear that I own.  The greatest thing about it is it machine washes and dries very well and the more I dry it in the dryer, the nicer it feels. For a pack towel, it is very fluffy and soft, not scratchy at all. Of course, it is a pack towel and is not very thick, but it seems to soak up as much water as a regular bath towel does anyway.  There was a little bit of a chemical smell when it was new until I washed it three or so times.  After that, there is only the smell of the dryer sheet.
 
I have not used this towel to backpack with because it is large and I don't need something that big.  

Things I like:
1.    light
2.    packs up small 

3.    machine washes and dries well

Things I don't like:
1.  it is a pack towel, so not very thick

2.  this size is too large to backpack with
 


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Reviews > Personal Hygiene > Towels > Packtowl Camp Towels > Owner Review by Dawn Larsen



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