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

Long Term 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)* *The towel seems to have shrunk during washing to match the listed dimensions: 19 x 39 inches (48.3 x 99.1 cm)
Color:	Plum
Size:	Large
Style of Product:	Super-absorbent microfiber towel

Details in this Field Report are intended to be taken in addition to findings as listed in my Initial Report and Field Report.

Contents

- Long Term Usage

- Summary

Field and Test Information:
Location(s) of test:	Here, there and everywhere...including at home, at the gym, in the car and out in the desert wilds.
Terrain:	The Britanne Aquis Adventure Towel has become a handy companion, accompanying me to the gym, on road trips and on my adventures in the desert southwest.
Weather Conditions:	Outside daytime temperatures have been as high as the low 100's Fahrenheit (high 30's - low 40's Celsius), with night time lows down to the 30's Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) at night, inside temps vary depending on central air settings

Long Term Usage
I've continued using my handy Britanne Aquis Adventure Towel on all my various excursions and I'm pleased to say that it has stood up well to daily use and weekly machine washings, and it still looks good as new - with no frayed edges, staining or excessive fading.  The towel has stabilized in size and has shown no further shrinkage.  Based on my use during the six month test period, I can attest to the fact that the Adventure towel is well suited for use at home, the gym and while traveling.

I've continued washing the towel in my washing machine, with detergent, and even accidentally washed it contrary to the manufacturers instructions by throwing it in a load that I had added fabric softener to, with no ill effects.  The towel continues to perform as it did when brand new, sucking up moisture quickly, and deftly cleaning smudges off my eyeglasses with nary a smear remaining.  I am happy to report that in the arid and blazing sun of the desert southwest, the towel air dries in about an hour or so, and remains supple and soft to the touch.  Unfortunately, I can't comment on indoor air-drying times as every time I tried that experiment, I got distracted and plain forgot to check on the soggy towel and its progress until it was completely dry, and I had to restart the experiment...and inevitably, I'd forget again and round and round I went until I had to "throw in the towel" so to speak.  I will state I never got the entire towel wet while testing (except when it went in the wash, but in those cases, it also went in the drier) - as the large size Adventure towel is more than large enough to dry myself off with several times over.  I found when cleaning dirt off myself post hiking, I only had to wet a small portion of the towel to get the job done.  The plum color of the towel was very successful in masking any dirt stains, as none were noted, and the towel remains stain-free.
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Summary
I've always eyed these towels at the various stores wondering what on earth I'd do with such a specialized towel - well, now I know!  I've been very pleased with the workmanship and functionality of my Britanne Aquis Adventure Towel throughout the testing period and I am looking forward to its continued use.  I no longer have to fear for feeling clammy and damp in the field with my Adventure Towel in hand. 

Some uses for the Adventure towel:
- Works well in it's intended purpose: as a towel for absorbing moisture
- Works well as a turban after washing hair, though those with long tresses may find that their hair sticks out from the towel - after cutting my hair short, I no longer have this problem.  This application resulted in drier hair when compared with my terrycloth towel.
- Works very well to clean eyeglasses, leaving them streak, lint and scratch-free!
- Works very well as a hanky for those who suffer drippy nose syndrome, as I do (I'm allergy prone! And, it's gentle and non-abrasive too!)
- Works well as a car blanket
- Works well as a scarf
- Works well as a lumbar support, when rolled
- Works well as a bug deterrent, by waving it around to deter persistent pests
- Works well to sweep out a shelter after tracking in sand and dirt

- Doesn't work so well as a sarong, as it results in some amount of indecent exposure since there isn't much overlap once I have it wrapped around my body.
- Doesn't work so well as a pillow or neck bolster, though it makes a fine pillowcase when wrapped around a stuffsack full of spare clothes

With that said, here are my likes and dislikes:

Woo Hoos (likes):
- Love that snap tab, it's in a nice location and lets me keep my towel close to hand while exercising
- Dirt-hiding color - I've noticed no stains on the Aquis Adventure Towel in spite of being subject to dirt and grime of the trail
- I really like the fact that the towel dries nice and supple after being air dried
- Super absorbent!  The towel has been excellent for drying me off quickly - and while being gentle on my skin!
- I also really appreciate being able to wipe my glasses clean with this towel without leaving the lenses smudged, streaked or covered in lint

General Comment:
- My towel seems to have faded ever so slightly with repeated washings.  The fading has been even across the entire towel and does not affect its aesthetics or performance in my opinion.

Boo Hoos (areas for improvement):
- I have no areas for improvement noted at this 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 > Long Term Report