MCNETT MICRONET
ADVANCED MICROFIBER TOWEL
Field Report - March 2, 2004
This is my towel. There
are many like it, but this one is mine. - Shane Steinkamp
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| TESTER
INFORMATION |
| Name: |
Shane Steinkamp |
| Age: |
34 |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Height: |
5' 10" (1.8
m) |
| Weight: |
240 lb (108 kg) |
| Body Surface Area: |
25.2 Square Feet (2.34 Square Meters) |
| Email Address: |
shane@theplacewithnoname.com |
| Location: |
New Orleans (Harahan), Louisiana |
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| Background: |
Bit by the wandering bum disease at an early
age, I enjoyed a promising career as a long distance hiker for
several years. Now I don't care to count the miles, or to do
so many of them, and prefer to walk until I don't want to walk
anymore and then stop. I am more interested in the
destination, rather than the journey. I have been hiking,
backpacking, and camping since age seven or eight, which is
about 26 years. I have ranged from the southern tip of Baja to
Barrow, Alaska and from coast to coast - among other places on
the planet - although most of my wandering has been done west
of the Mississippi river, with frequent trips in Florida. I
have experienced all extremes of weather and terrain, with the
exception of Antarctic terrain. I don't fit any particular
backpacking style, although I might be primarily described as
a medium-weight backpacker leaning towards light. I will
adjust my gear based on expected conditions, and on some trips
I would be considered an ultra-lighter. I always carry
too many toys, especially photography equipment, to ever
actually make it to the lightweight stage on a permanent
basis. |
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I have used all kinds of towels, and many things that make do as
towels. Recently I have gone back to my practice of
carrying a medium sized cotton terrycloth towel for hiking
duty. I will be interested to see if the MicroNet towel
outperforms my old friend.
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SPECIFICATIONS
The McNett MicroNet Advanced Microfiber Towel is
manufactured by The McNett Corporation
Web: http:\\www.mcnett.com
Year of Manufacture: 2003
MSRP: Less than $30.00 U.S.
LISTED WEIGHT: 6.75 oz (210 g)
LISTED SIZE:
Large - 30" by 50" (77 cm by 128 cm)
TESTED WEIGHT: 6.5 oz (186 g) See below for more
information.
TESTED SIZE: Large -
30" by 50" (77 cm by 128 cm) See below for more
information.
More details are provided in the Initial
Report.
FIELD TESTING
TEST LOCATIONS
I have used the McNett MicroNet Advanced Microfiber Towel every day
since I received it - indoors and out. It has now been through
seven states, several thousand miles, and through the washing machine
countless times. It still looks and feels brand new.
TECHNICAL TESTING
During the Field Test, I examined all the claims made by McNett.
Notes are provided below. Please be aware that I am testing the
Large size, which is a full size towel, and the measurement figures are
for this size towel only.
| Absorption Qualities |
Super absorbent – holds up to 5 times
its weight in water.
My testing shows that the McNett MicroNet Advanced Microfiber
Towel (Size: Large) holds 22.4 oz (638 g). This is 3.38 times its weight
in water.
As a baseline, my 100% cotton towel holds 5.1 times its weight
in water.
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| Drying Qualities |
Fast and easy drying – hand wringing
removes almost all water and provides fastest dry time.
Hand wringing does prove very effective. After hand
wringing, the towel retains only 5.22 oz (148 g) of water.
77% of absorbed water is removed by wringing.
75% of absorbed water was removed from the 100% cotton towel by
wringing.
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| Care |
No special laundering required.
Machine or hand wash in warm water. Do not bleach. Hand
wring and hang to dry or machine dry at low heat.
I have found that the towel washes well in cold water, and
launders nicely with like colors.
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| Optical Cleaner |
Dust and Lint Free – Advanced
Microfiber weave leaves no dust or lint on eyewear, binoculars,
scopes and optical lenses. Also great for cleaning fine furniture.
I have used the McNett MicroNet Advanced Microfiber Towel to
clean eyeglasses, sunglasses, expensive camera optics, automobile
glass, and edged weapons of several types. I am very pleased
with the towels performance in all these respects.
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| Available Sizes |
Large 30" by 50"
(77 cm by 128 cm) 6.75 oz (210 g) (Tested)
Medium 20" by 40" (51 cm by 102 cm) 3.5
oz (109 g)
Small 10" by 20" (26 cm by 51 cm) 1 oz
(31 g)
I have really enjoyed the large size. Despite its full
size, it packs small and is easy to carry. |
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| No Chemical Treatment |
MicroNet Towels contain no silicone or
other chemical treatments so softness and water absorption
properties cannot be washed out. MicroNet becomes softer and more
absorbent with each washing!
I have evidently not washed the towel enough to notice
this.
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| Removes Oil & Dirt |
Microfiber weave is an aggressive yet
soft cleaner. MicroNet gently removes oil, dirt and perspiration
from hands, face and body.
It does indeed! I have used the towel with my massage
clients, to remove almond and mineral oil from both the clients
and the massage table. The McNett MicroNet Advanced
Microfiber Towel outperforms cotton towels in this context.
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FIELD USE
I thought that I would have much more to say about the McNett
MicroNet Advanced Microfiber
Towel, but in the end it is still just a towel, even if it
is a very nice towel.
In its primary function as a towel, that is, for drying
my body after bathing, swimming, or sweating, it performs quite
nicely. The texture is pleasant and agreeable. Using it to
dry with does take a little getting used to because it is nearly
impossible to 'wipe' the body with the towel because it tends to cling
to the skin tenaciously. This is difficult to describe in words,
but it might best be described as drying oneself with a chamois or a
piece of buckskin suede. I have found that the best practice is to
bunch the towel up in a loose ball and almost roll it around on my body
to dry myself. I can dry myself just as quickly as with other
towels this way, and I'm actually slightly dryer. Drying with a
cotton towel, and then drying with the McNett Microfiber Towel proves
that extra water is removed by the McNett Microfiber Towel, especially
from the hair and scalp.
It packs well, and rolls down very small for a full size
towel. In the field I take a shower every day, and then I normally
hang the towel over my hammock's ridge line, but under the tarp,
overnight. It is always dry in the morning, no matter how much
humidity is in the air. In fact, under no circumstance have I ever
hung the towel to dry and found it to still be wet in four hours
time. I generally carry it inside my pack on cool days, but on
warm days when I want to have it accessible for wiping my face I attach
it to my pack by running it half way through a carabineer.
I have only used the provided carry case for two or
three trips to the YMCA, but I consider it too heavy for backpacking
use. It is a nice case, and my wife tried to steal it from me at
some point but I couldn't let her have it during the test period.
I was then forced to order her a McNett MicroNet Advance Microfiber
Towel of her own.
I have used the McNett MicroNet Advanced Microfiber
Towel (Size: Large) for many uses besides drying myself. The
list is long and boring, but for the sake of completeness, I have
included the list below in alphabetical order, along with some notes.
| Bandana |
In the traditional role of tied around the
head. There is a little too much material to do this
effectively, but it is doable. My hiking partner told me I
looked really dorky. Even more so than usual. |
| Bottle Opener |
Those twist off caps can be rough on the fingers... |
| Dust Mask |
I did this on a lark, and it works! I don't
normally hike in dusty environments, though. |
| Eyeglass Holder |
Wrapping my sunglasses in the towel keeps them
protected in my pack. |
| Ground Cloth/Beach Towel |
The towel has a very nice texture, and is nice to
lay on. Of course, any moisture on the ground soaks right
through, and it tends to pickup dirt. Wet sand will stick to
it fairly well too, but will shake out. |
| Jar Opener |
A nice grip can be obtained on large round lids with
the Microfiber Towel. |
| Keffiyeh |
A keffiyeh is a Bedouin Arab's headdress
comprising a large square of cloth held in place by an agal.
For the agal, I normally used a bit of paracord. |
| Light blanket |
Very light, and I'm a pretty big guy, so it really
just works as a foot cover or something to tuck around your
shoulders in a sleeping bag, but it does work. Even when
damp, it does have some thermal properties that give a little
warmth. |
| Moon Shade |
I normally hang the towel over my Hennessy Hammock's
ridgeline to dry overnight. On one night the moon was
particularly bright, and I didn't have the rain fly deployed
because I wanted to see the stars. I slid the towel over the
ridgeline to keep the moon out of my eyes. |
| Napkin |
Sucks condiments right off my face. |
| Optical Cleaner |
For glasses and camera lenses I have found it to be
wonderful. |
| Pad cover |
Even when damp, it's better than laying directly on
a blue sleeping pad. |
| Pillowcase |
It makes an EXCELLENT pillowcase. |
| Potty-break Privacy |
Well, not for me, but it worked for my daughter. |
| Pre-filter (Water filter) |
It will strain all the large things, and some of the
smaller grains. Some fine silt does weep through, however. |
| Safety rope |
I have found it useful for giving my daughter
something to hold on to while 'boosting' her up a hill. |
| Scarf |
Even damp, it makes a fine scarf. |
| Seat cover |
In a sauna, steam room, and other naturist
environments where sitting on a towel is considered common
courtesy, I have found the McNett MicroNet Advanced Microfiber
Towel to be a great sitting towel. So much so, that I will
never take a plain cotton towel to the gym ever again. In
the sauna, the McNett Microfiber Towel dried quickly while my
cotton towel baseline stayed soggy. |
| Shawl |
Similar to the Light Blanket use, sometimes a little
something extra over the shoulders is nice. |
| Skirt/Sarong |
Well, it does fit, and is comfortable, but on my
large body I wind up showing a lot of leg. If you are my
wife, this is a good thing. If you are not my wife, this is
probably horrifying. |
| Sun Shade |
In the manner of the Bedouin, draping the towel over
my head and tying one end to a hiking pole (or looping the hang
loop over the handgrip) while I am sitting or reclining on the
ground, makes an excellent sun shade. |
| Tablecloth |
Sometimes you just don't want to eat right off a
picnic table... |
| Tote Bag |
Rolled in a cylinder, it can be used to tote small
items. |
| Towel |
Well, yeah... |
| Turban |
There isn't quite enough material to make a complete
turban, but it is workable. On one chilly night when I
forgot my watch cap, the McNett Microfiber Towel was a passable
substitute. |
I have nothing bad to say about the MicroNet
Towel. I would like to have a snap on the hang loop, but that is
just a personal preference and has no bearing on the performance of the
towel. In its favor, the MicroNet Towel is small, light, easy to
pack, soft and comfortable - and I would go so far as to say luxurious.
I expect to continue to use the towel every day during the
Long-Term Test period.
SUMMARY
THINGS I LIKE
1. Small
2. Light
3. Soft and comfortable
THINGS I DON'T LIKE
1. Greedy me still wants a snap on the hang loop.
Thank you for your time.
Shane Steinkamp
shane@theplacewithnoname.com
www.theplacewithnoname.com/hiking
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