Microfibre Towel?

Runjikol
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Microfibre Towel?

Postby Runjikol » Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:32 pm

I'm thinking about purchasing one of these microfibre travel towels and have been asking a few people about them.

Does any of the commuter-people here use such a thing?
How does it perform?

What I'm keen for is a towel that is worth having (ie. it doesn't just move the water around on my skin) and carry without it needing its own backpack/pannier. :P
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Loneranger
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby Loneranger » Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:43 pm

We use them when cycle touring and tried using them at work. At work I have the space for a normal towel so I went back to using one. When they're new it's really coarse to touch and I found that it ripped my hands up but once you've used it a while then it does the job and they dry quick.

If you need to watch your weight or volume then I'd use it but if you have a choice stick with a normal towel.

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Biffidus
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby Biffidus » Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:57 pm

I bought a larger one a few years ago when I went overseas and now I use it for my commute. Much better than lugging a full-size towel around.

rhancock
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby rhancock » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:07 pm

I've been using one for a year or so, bought it from Anaconda for about $25. Its great. Lightweight and not bulky. Dries me well. Best thing is that they don't stay wet, so you can put it in your bag with your cycling clothes. Wouldn't be without it. Just be careful you get a decent one, though - I've seen some 'sports' towels which seemed to be very thin ordinary towels!

banjo
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby banjo » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:57 pm


banjo
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby banjo » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:59 pm

I hit submit to quickly!

They are available at Anaconda, amongst other places.

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simonn
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby simonn » Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:23 pm

We have four or five of them hanging around. They are great for travelling because they dry quickly, but they are not as good as normal towels for getting you dry.

For commuting I just use hand towels.

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provoked
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby provoked » Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:27 pm

Damnit - this forum always produces new ways to spend that imaginary money I have growing in the backyard!

My huge bathroom towels are a pain to carry around.
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Max
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby Max » Tue Sep 29, 2009 5:49 am

banjo wrote:They are available at Anaconda, amongst other places.
+1. I got one of the full sized Tek Towels for CQ09. Because it's sized like a regular towel, I don't have to change the way I dry myself. Plus, it folds up pretty small into the carry bag. There was a time I used it as my regular towel at home (dang, hadn't done the laundry in a while! :oops: ) and it did a fine job. It dries fast too.

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Strawburger
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby Strawburger » Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:53 am

I've got the Tek Towels (bought from a camping store in the CBD). As everyone else says, they dry (but not better than a normal sized towel) and they roll up tight & compact, and best of all they dry quickly. I've got an extra large and it rolls up smaller than my shirt & pants.
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Runjikol
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby Runjikol » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:25 am

I've ordered a "Lifeventure Soft Fibre Extra Large Trek Towel" from Wiggle (with other stuff for the free delivery).

http://www.this link is broken/p/cycle/7/Lifev ... 360028543/

Then I found out Anaconda have 20% off everything... may mean I need a second one. :D
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby m@ » Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:20 pm

I use them a lot bushwalking; great as a towel, for wiping condensation and rain off the tent fly before packing up, keeping feet clean and in place of a tea-towel. Separate towels recommended, particularly for tasks 2 and 3 :lol:

I've actually found that the best one for using as a towel is a microfiber cleaning cloth from a vacuum cleaner shop though - the more 'towelly' for want of a better word ones with a deeper pile aren't very absorbent at all, but the cloth soaks up heaps of water and wrings dry easily. Given the choice, I'd always use a cotton towel though - I just keep a good supply of old ones from home at work, and bring them home in the car every so often for a wash.
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby Runjikol » Mon Oct 19, 2009 8:49 pm

I've been using a Lifeventure Soft Fibre Towel for about 2 weeks now and it's great. It feels a little different, a bit like using a chamois, but works well.
Have to recommend them as a great portable choice for commuters as well as hikers/backpackers, etc.

The one I bought was: http://www.this link is broken/p/cycle/7/Lifev ... 360028543/
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby kukamunga » Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:42 pm

I have only been disappointed with 'microfibre' type towels in the past. I purchased a Speedo Chamois Sports Towel nearly ten years ago, and have never looked back. I can fit it into a zip-lock sandwich bag, and it absorbs water like a peat bog..... :roll:

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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby hartleymartin » Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:49 pm

I have one. I used it when commuting. It isn't quite as good as a regular towel, but it does the job nicely.
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby kiso » Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:42 pm

kukamunga wrote:I have only been disappointed with 'microfibre' type towels in the past. I purchased a Speedo Chamois Sports Towel nearly ten years ago, and have never looked back. I can fit it into a zip-lock sandwich bag, and it absorbs water like a peat bog..... :roll:
That's exactly what I've been using for the last year, and it's great.
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qiao
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby qiao » Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:28 am

I used KAIERSI BOTE microfibre towel which I bought on ebay for a few months, and I love it. It's so soft and not coarse at all. Glad that I bought it, I use it for exercisting and after-shower. I saw some from K-mart, I think they are more suitable for car wash not for our bodies :(

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Hamster
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby Hamster » Wed Jun 19, 2013 3:19 pm

I bought several bath-sheet sized ones several years ago off eBay. I cannot remember the price, but they were cheap and they work a treat. :D :D
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Bob_TAS
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby Bob_TAS » Wed Jun 19, 2013 3:27 pm

+1 for the Sea to Summit 'Tek Towel'. I've been using the same one for three years. Even after all of the washes it's still in great condition. Couldn't recommend them more highly.

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A_P
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby A_P » Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:26 pm

Bob_TAS wrote:+1 for the Sea to Summit 'Tek Towel'. I've been using the same one for three years. Even after all of the washes it's still in great condition. Couldn't recommend them more highly.
5 years+ for mine, wouldn't hesitate if i had to buy another one.

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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby Nevene » Fri Jul 27, 2018 4:59 pm

I sorry for bump an old topic I just have a few interesting observations from personal experience, maybe someone will need this information in the future.
I use recycled bath towels from the house that are cut in thirds. It's really all you need. All cotton towels because a camp shower or sponge bath does not get you as squeaky clean as you make like. A good scrub down with a dry towel seems to finish the job the best. Hand or kitchen towels don't seem the same thickness and is why I cut down a bulky bath towel. Synthetic just don't grab and scrub Your skin dry. The best soap is fragrance free dish washing liquid. It cuts the grime and grease in one pass. It rinses fast and if some is left on you the cotton towel takes it right off. It sure is nice not dying for a shower or dreading taking one. When it's cold I do my head first and separate with a hand shower then jump in the warm van to sponge bath the rest. Forget first thing in the morning or at night. Mid warmest part of the day is hard to plan around but later you will be glad you did. And I also agree with peoples that colors for the Innova towels...not the best. They did make a more dark baby blue at one point, but the last few tourneys I haven't seen that color, just the newer ones. The DGA towel I do like, but I play a lot on the weekends sometimes as early as 8 am I/We are teeing off. When there is a lot of dew on the ground I tuck the DGA towel into my waistline on my shorts and use that to dry off my hands before I tee. I keep the microfiber attached to my bag to use only to keep my discs dry. But I don't use the DGA towel on my bag at all....it is too long for that.
The only reason I do have a LOT of the Innova towels is that when you cash out at tourneys, and the disc selection SUCKS at some you have to use the $ somewhere, so towels it is. I usually just change out every round.
Last edited by Nevene on Thu Jan 24, 2019 2:39 am, edited 1 time in total.

tez001
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby tez001 » Fri Jul 27, 2018 7:11 pm

Kmart ones are ok. They do the job for when I need to take a towel in, however in our new office, the supplied towels are fantastic

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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby mikesbytes » Fri Jul 27, 2018 8:13 pm

I've been using them for 15 years (they use to be really expensive then) and I've used all sorts of brands and there's no real difference between them. Go to Kmart and buy there's, its the right size and its cheap.

BTW the advantage isn't just in the carry size, they also dry much quicker providing your have material single, ie not folded over like throwing the towel over a line so use pegs or some other method to keep it open
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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby zebee » Mon Aug 13, 2018 8:00 pm

I have them and use them for camping and as an emergency but I find them as nice to use as a normal towel.

The ones I have been using which are the smooth ones like massive great lens cleaning cloths rather than the ones like usual towels do a good job of removing the water from my skin but don't have the scrape feel on the skin so don't liven me up as much.

If I couldn't keep a towel at work or didn't have a suitable place to dry a standard towel (we have hanging lines and a drying cabinet) then I'd use one because it does the job and dries quickly.

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Re: Microfibre Towel?

Postby mmgoy » Fri Oct 26, 2018 1:50 pm

I use one everyday, got it from Kmart for $6 or $9 from memory. It serves it's purpose and folds up to nothing, I now keep one everywhere for emergencies

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