Tips for using a towel?
 

For some of the hostels will be staying at, I will have to use my own towel. However, I'll be leaving with my entire pack in-hand some days just after I get out of the shower. Therefore, I'll be lugging a wet towel in my pack.

Anybody have any tips for seperating the towel and/or "travel towels" (if there is such a thing)?

You might like to look at the packing cubes discussion. Take a Ziploc bag (or a few) that are big enough to hold the towel. I'd also take some plastic grocery bags and then put it inside one of those. Another thing that might help - consider taking a shower at night, so the towel can dry overnight. I have done this sort of thing, but I much prefer hostels with towels.

Obviously, a plastic bag.

There are travel towels, but they aren't the same material and may not absorb the same as they are synthetic -- but you can find these things made of microfiber in some stores (maybe a camping/outdoors store? I saw one in Linens & Things, but it was kind of small).

I hope you aren't going to be carrying a wet towel around long in there, it will get pretty gross.

Ziplock bag, in grocery stores you will find even 2 gallon bags.

You will need more then 1 towel, or you'll end up using a wet towel all the time.

If possible, you can bring several cheap small towels and toss them as you go.

Is there a hairdryer? It may help to dry a towel fast. Also ironing dries them - if you are not afraid to look crazy to others for ironing your towels :)

I found a large super-absorbing lightweight travel towel at Marshalls a few years ago that would be great for this situation. It's so lightweight that you could just tie it to your pack and, unless it were raining outside, it'd be dry in under 10 minutes. Wish I could give you more details, but it's "at home in France" at the moment.

Those "quick-dry" towels are also carried at Bed Bath & Beyond.

BC

Shower at night. It will dry by morning.

And yes, many Europeans don't shower everyday. And they don't stink either. OK, by the third day, they might.

The Travel Store at www.ricksteves.com carries three sizes of lightweight microfiber travel towels. They come with a mesh carrying pouch.

Hefty actually makes a &quot;zip-lock&quot; bag in the <b>2 1/2 gallon size</b> which might fit your needs even better.

Haha Schuler.... yeah why bother to shower at all, I mean you'll just get dirty again!!!

I would buy a clean towel about every third day (if you're staying THAT many places that don't provide one) - - and &quot;gift it forward&quot; to someone arriving at the hostel as you are leaving.

Your kindness to others will come back to you somehow, somewhere, some day.

Best wishes,

Rex

I have apparently had the misfortune to share the Metro w/several people on their '3rd day between showers' on occasion. Just buy some good cologne/perfume.

1) shower at night instead

2) skip showering on days you need to leave early just wash up in the sink

3) buy 2 quick-dry travel towels, take very very thin old towels, and/or buy a cheap new towel along the way

4) pack them into gallon ziplocks if they are damp and you need to move on

Suze, good, solid Pacific Northwest advice.

Don't forget a powerful deodorant! It will get you through the most intensive moments.

ah shucks, thanks Schuler. we know our &quot;damp&quot; here in PNW

P.S. For Suze: Go Seahawks!

:-)

The late Douglas Adams would have appreciated this thread.

Wrap it around your head like a turban?

Wear it like a Suoerman cape?

Make it into a sarong?