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#179089 - 08/12/09 01:26 AM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: celler]
technician Offline
Stranger

Registered: 11/15/05
Posts: 23
Loc: S Central Kansas
Not a towel, but I always carry at least one bandana.

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#179090 - 08/12/09 01:43 AM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: technician]
Art_in_FL Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/01/07
Posts: 2432
Old cotton terry cloth towels that are soft and thirsty are undoubtedly the best. They are at their best just before they start to fray around the edges.

Avoid using fabric softener and drier sheets. It is counter intuitive but softener gets into the fibers and can, over time and many washes, make a towel much less absorbent.

And back off on laundry detergent also. Most people think the more detergent you use the 'cleaner' the clothes but the opposite is the fact. use too much detergent and it doesn't get rinsed out. Which makes clothes stiff and scratchy and uncomfortable. Which causes people to use softener. Which can attract and hold dirt. An endless cycle.

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#179100 - 08/12/09 06:35 AM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: celler]
LED Offline
Veteran

Registered: 09/01/05
Posts: 1474
Bought a big bag of 100% cotton restaurant kitchen towels to use as sweat rags, cleaning the dog, or whatever. They work so well I put some in my kits. Real cheap. If you lose 'em no big deal.

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#179104 - 08/12/09 10:01 AM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: LED]
JBMat Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/03/09
Posts: 745
Loc: NC
Something else. Use white towels for maximum absorbtion. The ones that have been dyed have used up some of that property picking up the color.

No telling where I read that, but it sorta makes sense.

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#179105 - 08/12/09 10:21 AM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: LED]
celler Offline
Addict

Registered: 12/25/03
Posts: 410
Loc: Jupiter, FL
Originally Posted By: LED
Bought a big bag of 100% cotton restaurant kitchen towels to use as sweat rags, cleaning the dog, or whatever. They work so well I put some in my kits. Real cheap. If you lose 'em no big deal.


Very interesting. What are the dimensions of a "kitchen towel" and can you share the source?

Thanks.

Craig.

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#179106 - 08/12/09 10:23 AM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: JBMat]
KG2V Offline

Veteran

Registered: 08/19/03
Posts: 1371
Loc: Queens, New York City
There is a reason that this photo


shows the right hand soldier (or is it a Marine) with a towel around his shoulders
_________________________
73 de KG2V
You are what you do when it counts - The Masso
Homepage: http://www.thegallos.com
Blog: http://kg2v.blogspot.com

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#179108 - 08/12/09 11:48 AM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: KG2V]
Blast Offline
INTERCEPTOR
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 07/15/02
Posts: 3760
Loc: TX
Quote:
shows the right hand soldier (or is it a Marine) with a towel around his shoulders


Pretty much an unbeatable endorsment right there.
-Blast who loves his microfiber backpacker's towel
_________________________
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Medicine Man Plant Co.
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#179146 - 08/12/09 11:07 PM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: celler]
yelp Offline
Member

Registered: 06/04/08
Posts: 172
Loc: Colorado
Originally Posted By: celler
Originally Posted By: LED
Bought a big bag of 100% cotton restaurant kitchen towels to use as sweat rags, cleaning the dog, or whatever. They work so well I put some in my kits. Real cheap. If you lose 'em no big deal.


Very interesting. What are the dimensions of a "kitchen towel" and can you share the source?


I'm fond of bar towels:

"Plain or ribbed bar mop towels. 100% cotton and super absorbent. Machine washable. 16" x 19"; 28 oz. Ribbed."

http://www.restockit.com/Bar-Towels-12-Per-Case--(BT28-12).html

You could also negotiate for a case or two from a local establishment.

Onebag.com, the packing light gurus, extol the virtues of viscose travel towels (not all travel towels are viscose):

Quote:
Packtowl® Original (92% viscose/8% polypropylene, and pictured here) comes in a variety of sizes. It's lightweight and packs small, yet soaks up an astounding nine times its weight in water (the large size will hold a full liter of fluid), even when damp (unlike, say, terrycloth, which becomes effectively useless when wet, and — being cotton - ;Packtowl® Original, by MSRtakes a long time to dry). Further, you can release 90% of that water merely by wringing the towel out. It dries quickly as well (if still damp when you need to depart for your next destination, simply pack it in a Ziploc® bag and hang it out to dry when you arrive). Viscose towels may not look like much, or feel particularly soft (they initially resemble a piece of rather stiff felt, though become softer and more "towel-like" — and more absorbent — after each washing), but they're much more effective than other types of "travel towels".


I have yet to try one, but it seems the absorption qualities would be especially beneficial in potential survival situations.

http://www.onebag.com/packing-list-toiletries.html

Standard disclaimer.


Edited by yelp (08/12/09 11:10 PM)
Edit Reason: deleted html artifacts that piggybacked the cut-and-paste
_________________________
(posting this as someone that has unintentionally done a bunch of stupid stuff in the past and will again...)

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#179153 - 08/13/09 12:05 AM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: celler]
LED Offline
Veteran

Registered: 09/01/05
Posts: 1474
They're about 14" X 14" and come in packs of 20. I bought mine at Smart and Final but any restaurant supply type place should carry them. Target sells them in the automotive section as car wash towels in packs of 10 but they're a little more expensive.

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#179162 - 08/13/09 01:29 AM Re: Towels - The Urban Staple [Re: yelp]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
Viscose is a form of rayon, made from organic cellulose. It doesn't melt like polyester, but it is VERY flammable. Another one you don't want to be wearing if you're holding a torch.

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