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Initial Report:
MicroNet Advanced Microfiber Towel
Name: Karin Claus
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 6" (167 cm)
Weight: 120 lb (54 kg)
Email address: karinclaus@yahoo.com
Region: Evergreen, CO USA
Date: December 9, 2003
Backpacking background:
I live and play in the Colorado Rockies.
I have section hiked the entire Colorado Trail. I through-hiked the
Appalachian Trail in ’02. I plan
on through-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in ’04. I hiked the Appalachian
Trail solo, but plan on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with my husband. I have
started updating my gear to lighter weight equipment. I have been backpacking for the past twenty years. I have
climbed 38 of Colorado’s highest peaks. I
enjoy getting out in the woods almost every weekend.
Product Information:
Manufactured by: McNett
Manufactured date: 2003
Manufacturer URL: www.mcnett.com
Listed Weight: 3 7/8
ounces (110 grams)
Delivered weight: 3 ½ ounces (109
grams) [Both ounces and grams are on the hangtag]
Color: Burgundy
Size: Medium
Dimensions: 20 inches x 40 inches (51 cm x 102 cm)
Carrying Case Delivered weight 2 ¼ ounces (62 grams)
Suggested Retail: $15.00 US
Product Description:
The MicroNet Advanced Microfiber Towel was delivered in a cardboard box.
Inside the cardboard box were the towel and a company catalog.
The towel came inside a reusable carrying case. There was also a note
“IMPORTANT: Wash before
first use. Separate dark colors”.
The fabric feels like
chamois. There is fine stitching
all around the edges, to keep the fabric from fraying.
The fabric is described in the McNett catalog as “ MicroNet Advanced
Microfiber’s specially engineered, high density knit fabric is a highly
compactable, super absorbent material with absolutely unique water absorption
and cleaning properties. The
ultra-fine .14 denier microfiber weave dries quickly – 90% of water is removed
with hand wringing.”
Carrying Case:
The carrying case is 10 inches x 7 inches (25.5 x 17.5 cm).
The case has two mesh pockets,
separated by a waterproof middle layer. Each
pocket has a zipper with zipper pull. The carrying case
has a mesh handle with a snap. The
case allows you to keep wet items in one pocket, and dry items in another
pocket.
First Washing:
The hangtag on the towel says:
“Wash before use. Machine wash in
cool water with like colors. Do not
bleach. Wash dark colors
separately.
Hang to dry or machine dry with low heat. MADE
IN CHINA”.
It was well below freezing outside – so I decided that an indoor activity,
like washing the towel wouldn’t be a bad thing.
I set the washing machine to hot (which is really “cold” because the
plumbing is backwards). Then I felt
the water, and decided that it was way too cold.
So, I set the washing machine to cold (which is really hot).
I then threw in the towel (I’ve always wanted to say that), and some
detergent. I then decided that it
was a waste of water, to wash just one
wee towel. So I threw in my white
dishcloths. I can now tell you that
white dishcloths do turn pink when washed with a brand new McNett towel.
Also, this is exactly why the tag says, “Wash dark colors
separately”.
I then hung the towel in front of the wood stove to dry.
I checked on it two hours later, and the towel was dry.
First Impressions:
For some reason, I hoped to get a red towel.
However, I looked on the McNett website, and they don’t have a red.
They carry sea foam green, teal green, burgundy, ocean blue, sky blue and
navy blue. The towel I have
is burgundy.
The towel is the size that was advertised.
The towel is as expected from reviewing the McNett web site.
Towel Skirt:
Imagine the towel as a skirt. Compare
this elegant faux-leather towel skirt to a two-bandana skirt.
The towel skirt wins. The
skirt is simply tied at the waist. The
towel skirt is a few inches shorter than a bandana skirt. The towel skirt also is not translucent.
There is a slight problem with size. My
derriere has expanded due to excessive sitting and lack of recent thru hiking.
My derriere, at its widest, is about 3 inches (7.5 cm) less than the
total length of the towel. One
solid month of hiking would take care of this problem. High winds might also
cause some embarrassment for my hiking companions.
An easy solution would be upgrade to the large size towel.
Testing Strategy:
A towel is a very important piece of gear.
Picture a bath in a river with Colorado snow-melt temperature water.
The ice-cream headache hits instantly when you dunk your head underwater.
I generally carry a bandana and a face-sized towel. I use the towel to wipe sweat, blood, and other smelly, gross
things off my body while hiking. It is also used for taking baths, and drying
off after bathing.
I use a bandana with my cook-kit. It
serves as a hot-pad and pot-lifter. I
also use a bandana to strain junk out of the streams before filling my water
bottles.
I am going to see if this towel will replace the bandana and face-sized towel.
I am pleased that the towel comes in many different colors.
I would love to bond with a red towel.
In my younger years, I had a love affair with a pink cotton towel.
I bought the pink towel at Kmart, and used it on a cross-country bicycle
trip. This towel was a luxury item
that got soaked when it rained, and was hard to get dry.
I would like to see if the McNett towel can attach easily to the outside
of my pack. The towel has a loop to
hang it up by. I hope to attach the
towel to my backpack with a metal shower ring.
Will the loop work?
How much water can the towel really absorb?
Can it absorb up to 5 times its weight in water?
How fast will the towel dry? If
I wring it out before going to bed, will it be dry in the morning?
Will the towel stain? The
website says it gently removes oil, dirt and perspiration.
Will the towel color fade? Will the
towel color run, when put in the washing machine?
I would like to see if the towel can be used as a replacement for my
bandana under my hat to keep the sun from burning my neck in the desert.
I would like to see if the towel actually absorbs more after it has been
used for a while.
I would like to use the towel to dry off my tarp after a heavy rain.
Locations proposed for testing:
I would like to start my testing in the comfort of my own bathroom.
Then I will expand to backpacking and stream bathing.
My sweaty body would have loved a towel to wipe the grime and sweat off
of my face today. I could have
taken water out of my water bottle, and given myself a sponge (I mean towel)
bath.
Then I would like to take my towel, and use it while backpacking in Colorado on
a couple of weekend trips. I would
like to then take it to the desert for a week of backpacking.
Can it be used successfully to keep dirt and gravel out of my face during
excessive windstorms?
Will the medium size towel make a good pillow at night?
Can the medium size towel double as a skirt?
Summary:
I look forward to using this towel backpacking.
Likes:
- The look and feel of the towel are very nice.
Dislikes:
- The case seems heavy, and not something that I would normally use. I
would like to see this sold without the carrying case.
- I wish the towel had a snap on the hanging loop, to make it easy to attach
quickly to a backpack.
Thank you for the opportunity to test this towel, and stay tuned for the field
report.
.
Read more reviews of McNett Corporation gear
Read more gear reviews by Karin Claus
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