Reviews > Personal Hygiene > Towels > Britanne Aquis Adventure Towel > Stephanie Martin > Initial Report

Initial Report: Britanne Aquis Adventure Towel

Product Information:
Manufacturer:	Britanne [http://www.britanne.com]
Year of Manufacture:	2003
Listed Weight:	"under 7 ounces" (200 g)
Weight as Delivered:	6.4 ounces (181 g)
Listed Dimensions:	19 x 39 inches (48.3 x 99.1 cm)
Measured Dimensions:	20 x 40 inches (50.8 x 101.6 cm)
Color:	Plum
Size:	Large
Style of Product:	Super-absorbent microfiber towel

Contents

- Product Arrival

- Product Features and Construction

- Initial Impressions

- Test Strategy

Its Here! The Adventure Towel Arrives!
The Aquis Adventure Towel  arrived nicely packaged inside a 8 x 10 inch (20.3 x 25.4 cm) resealable plastic pouch.  Folded around the towel was a cardboard hangtag with a pleasing image of a mountain in the background and a canoe with its paddles ready to go in the foreground.  Across the middle, is the product name: "Aquis Mocrofiber Towel," its size, and the statements: "Super Absorbent, Ultra-Lightweight, Fast-Drying & Compact." The back of the product tag indicates that this towel is the ideal size for "Body and Hair." It goes on to explain that the Aquis towels are made of Aquitex, which is "a super absorbent material that is woven from ultrafine microfibers." It also states that the towels are ideal for use at home, at the gym and while traveling.
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 Product Features and Construction
The Aquis Adventure Towel is billed as a super absorbent towel that is perfect for quickly wicking away moisture from your hair and body.  While it is supposed to quickly and aggressively absorb moisture, the towel is also to remain soft and supple, retaining its towel-like feel (according to an Britanne/Aquis press release).  The towel itself is made of Aquitex microfiber - a microfiber that was designed specifically to quickly draw and retain moisture. The towel material is finished with the Aquis Lisse finish. This finish is the original Aquis material type and presents the most compact and lightweight weave.  This finish, while it has more of a nubbly appearance rather than a true pile, is remarkably soft and silky to the touch - it feels like a raw silk sweater. Unfortunately for me and my rather dry fingers (due to recent outdoor adventures) the material seems to snag on my roughened skin - very similarly to other fine fabrics.  The edge of the towel is sealed with a flat overlocking stitch (serge, I think) in a matching purple thread.  A convenient snap loop is located on one corner of the towel to facilitate easy hanging.  The loop, when unsnapped, is 1 x 6 inches (2.5 x 15.2 cm).  It is closed with a plastic button snap.  On the outside, it proclaims the product identity: Aquis Adventure Microfiber Towel and the manufacturer's name (Britanne).  On the inside it has care instructions in three languages: English, Spanish and French.  Incidentally, the instructions on the towel don't specify the wash water temperature or drying instructions - a quick visit to the manufacturer's website indicates to wash the towel in warm water and to tumble dry on medium.  Incidentally, both locations are clear to not use chlorinated bleach or fabric softener. It will certainly be a treat to use this towel to dry off in the outdoors - definitely more than just a step up from my usual bandana!  The Adventure towel comes in various "dirt hiding" colors other than the pleasing plum color that I received.  The other colors are: Graphite, Blueberry, Seafoam and Stone.
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Initial Impressions
Based on the website, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  I was able to determine the size of the towel, but color, texture and finish were a mystery to me.  Now that I've seen and felt one for myself, I think the Aquis Adventure Towel will certainly be a luxurious addition to my pack.  I've been hiking with a bandana as my faithful companion to clean and tidy up at during the day.  The Adventure Towel is like a scaled down bath towel, and is nice and soft to the touch.  With its "dirt hiding" color, low profile pile, and neatly finished edges, it looks like it is a quality product that will hold up to the adventures that will be sent its way.  While it is much heavier in comparison to my faithful bandana, I hope to find that it is more versatile in its uses. 
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Testing Strategy
I'll be taking the Aquis Adventure Towel with me on all my adventures in the desert southwest - including trips to the Grand Canyon, Southern Utah and any other trips I happen to avail myself of. Last year I was outdoors half of the weekends of the year - and the trend continues :) I'll also use the super multifunctional towel around home, at the gym and on my business trips.

So far, I have been using a bandana and baby wipes or those Olay facial cloths exclusively for cleaning off, but they all leave something to be desired in their cleaning ability. I haven't really investigated pack towels for the simple reason that I have just decided to suffer through with what I have. In addition, most pack towels that I have seen are somewhat neoprene-like in appearance and texture, and do not appear to be made to do a good job for cleaning off dirt (and in worst cases mud) at the end of the day. Not only that, but they are made of synthetic fiber which does not lend itself to cleaning glasses or drying quickly.

With that said, I intend to carry the Aquis Adventure Towel in place of my trusty bandana (which accompanies me on all trips). I currently use my bandana to mop off sweat, blot my allergy prone nose, tie my hair back, clean off at the end of the day, clean my glasses and scrub and dry my pots (different bandanas). The Adventure Towel will be used and evaluated in each of these situations and then some...well, except for tying my hair back - the Adventure Towel is not the right size or shape for that job - though if the towel were cut in half, it might well be perfect! I'll have to save that test for after the final report.

As a towel: I hope to find that the Aquis Adventure Towel will have enough texture to do a good job cleaning, while not abrading my oh so delicate skin. I also expect that it will be capable of drying myself and other surfaces quickly and efficiently. In addition, I hope that the Adventure Towel will dry quickly while remaining nice and supple to the touch (hate it when my towel turns into cardboard, don't you?) I will test the absorbency of the towel, by weight in my kitchen, and by function at home in my kitchen, during my workouts at the local gym during the week, and in the field on the weekends. I hope the Adventure Towl absorbs nice and quick and doesn't take time deciding to become useful (I really hate it when I wind up "pushing" a puddle around while a cloth takes its own sweet time slowly absorbing the mess in question). I do have long hair - almost to the middle of my back - certainly past my shoulder blades by now - and it's thick. I wonder if the Adventure Towel can be successfully used as a towel turban....

As a handkerchief: My poor nose is quite allergy prone and it drips like a faucet if I forget to take my allergy meds. A good handkerchief is expected to be absorbent, dry quick and remain gentle to my poor nose. I hate it when my nose gets chafed because of rough facial tissues (besides, I'd hate to pack in a box of Kleenex only to have to pack it all back out - a hanky is much more eco friendly and economical in my opinion).

As a glasses defogger: Most synthetics don't work well in this aspect because they leave unsightly smears on the glasses that interfere with vision. The Aquis Adventure Towel will be used frequently to clean my glasses (at least once daily when in the field) as my facial profile results in eyelash smudges on my glasses (I'm notoriously difficult to fit for glasses!). The towel should clean the glasses without adding scratches and without leaving smudges or moisture behind.

Alternative Uses: Towel fights...does it make a satisfactory whack and snap? Can it be used to suspend things?  When rolled, does it offer enough bulk to be used as a neck bolster? Can I use it to pad my hipbelt on my packs?  Bug deterrent: I use my bandana to wave off persistent pests...can the towel function the same way?  Broom: Can it be used to successfully sweep out my shelter?

Of course, the towel will be evaluated for aesthetic appeal (I am female, after all), durability, softness, absorbency, dry time, suppleness, clean-ability (how does it do after repeat washings, does it shed stains well?) and dimensional stability - in other words, does it shrink over time?
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My thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Britanne for this testing opportunity.

Reviews > Personal Hygiene > Towels > Britanne Aquis Adventure Towel > Stephanie Martin > Initial Report