Name:	Thomas Peltier II
Age:	30
Gender:	Male
Height:	6’ 0” (1.8 m)
Weight:	155 lb (70.3 kg)
E-mail Address:	Thomas@Goldenautomotive.com
City, State, Country:	Bakersfield, California, U.S.A.
Date:	12/24/2003

Backpacking Background:

I have been in the outdoors since I was a toddler. My mother introduced me to backpacking when I was in the backpack. I in good turn joined the Boy Scouts to get away from Mom on the weekend hikes. My first backpack trip with the Boy Scouts was down a dirt road to a park and campsite. That was my last trip with the Boy Scouts. Since then I have been backpacking mostly in the Sierra Nevadas.

I have been a professional river guide and kayak instructor for the last 11 years; however, I currently work at a family establishment in Bakersfield, California. Working a “Real Job” keeps me away from the outdoors a bit more than I would like. My summers are busy between city work and river guiding. Much of my packing is done on the river in the summer. This has driven me to long winter trips and short summer trips for the last several years. I took up snowshoeing to help get into winter packing. I have found that less is often more in my backpacking and my summer trips I find myself as happy in a pair of Chacos carrying my pocketknife as I do with a heavy pack and big boots.

Product information:

Manufacturer:	McNett
Year:	2003
URL:	http://www.McNett.com
Listed weight:	3.5 oz (109 g)*
Actual weight:	3.5 oz (100 g )
Listed Size:	20 by 40 in. (51 x 102 cm)
Actual Size:	20 by 40 in. (51 x 102 cm)
MSRP:	not listed

*weights are as posted by McNett

Initial Report:

The McNett medium sized towel is a nice looking towel, consistent in color and texture. It is very thin to appearance yet very soft to the touch. The literature claims that the towel has not been chemically treated but that it is a special fiber that actually picks up dirt. This towel will remove dirt and oil from my skin. This is an exciting and useful feature in a towel. I'm looking forward to testing this towel.

This towel is 20 by 40 in. (51 x 102 cm) dark green in color, consistent in hue and texture. The edges are finished. The towel has a grab loop in one corner that is sewn in. The product tag is sewn in near the same corner. The tag has the company information, washing information and basic product information. The towel is 100% polyester and is machine washable in cool water. My initial thought about this towel is that it is pretty nice. I wiped my face clean after a day at work and my face felt clean. I dried off after showering last night. The Microfiber towel worked very well. It absorbed what I felt was a fair amount of water. I then wrung the towel out and finished drying off. The towel dropped water quite easily when rung out. I found that I could wring the towel out several times and each time it would pick up a considerable amount of water for its size. I look forward to using this towel in the coming months. Staying dry and clean makes winter camping much more enjoyable. This towel by wiping away dirt makes staying cleaner much safer. The Microfiber towel's ability to absorb water is excellent and the towel feels and looks like it is durable enough to withstand a lot of use.

Over the next six months I will be spending many days learning telemark ski techniques and winter safety techniques. I look forward to using this towel regularly on these outings. When the snow melts and the rivers begin to swell I look forward to testing this towel while kayaking. I plan to use this towel during a week long descent of the headwaters of the Kern River. I will also use this towel as my camp towel during several two and three day descents of the Forks of the Kern. I will also be using this towel during any overnight backcountry trips I manage to sneak in during the next six months.

I have just learned that this towel is going to Hawaii. I have been invited to spend the new year 2004 in Hawaii. I look forward to having many opportunities to use this towel both on the beach and while hiking the tropical islands. This should be a good start to my testing program. During my testing I will be looking to see how well the Microfiber towel performs. I want to see if the towel actually gets softer with every use. I want to know if the fabric will stay together after many uses. I will see what effect ocean water has on the towel. I will be using this towel in cold winter conditions. What happens if the towel freezes? What effect, if any, will that have on the Microfiber? The towel has a nice hanging loop. Is the loop sturdy enough to hold up to the many strange places I may find to hang it during my outings?

Read more reviews of McNett Corporation gear
Read more gear reviews by Thomas Peltier II

Initial Report

All material on this site is the exclusive property of BackpackGearTest.org.
BackpackGearTest software copyright David Anderson