View Full Version : Lightload Towel Quick Review
Has anyone used these towels? And if so what do you think of them, in general as well as compared to using microfiber towels?
I kept coming across them at quite a few estores/outfitters and they seemed to be pretty useful and versatile as well as light and inexpensive. So, I picked up a few for my wife and I to use on our recent Smokies hike. We only used them to wipe sweat from my face and they did fine. However, when we got home and my wife washed them in the sink, well one made it ok, and the other was shreds. The one that was shreds, she simply rubbed it together in the sink and it quickly fell apart, so the other she just squeezed/massaged while in the sink and it turned out good.
I think that I will continue to use microfiber towels mostly, but wouldn't mind getting a few more of the Lightload towels to have on hand, just in case.
So, I was just wondering what everyone elses thoughts concerning them were.
Of course I also posted a write up on the towels on my blog with some pictures. If you are interested, see them here:
Lightload Towel Quick Review (http://sticksblog.com/2011/03/27/lightload-towel-quick-review/)
Northern Lights
03-27-2011, 15:38
Never heard of them, but after seeing your review on your blog, I think I'll stick to my MSR towels :D
To be fair, a more gentle washing wouldn't have shredded the towel so much, which is obvious cause the 2nd towel made it through just fine. Although, she didn't put a lot of effort into washing the first one either, it is just not a good idea to rug it together when washing. They would be good for lining the inside of a cook pot also to keep the stove and other items from scratching up the inside of the cook pot. Like I said, I wouldn't mind getting a few more.
4eyedbuzzard
03-27-2011, 16:09
Those Shamwow things work great, better than most "backpacker towels". Cost about $1 each at most stores.
WingedMonkey
03-27-2011, 16:23
And don't put any of them in the drier.
I have not gotten any of the actual Sham Wows, but I have used a few of the cheaper shammy's to dry my cars with. I have not been to happy with those and have wondered if the real deal Sham Wow would be any better. The cheaper ones I have tried just seemed to be rough, and well, cheap. At least for drying cars. I haven't used one for backpacking.
For now I am happy with my MSR Nano pack towel. It comes packed in a stuff sack, but I removed it and the medium weighs about 0.8 oz. It does great as far as sponging up water and drying fast. Also, it is not rough when used to wipe my face.
I am thinking about getting 2 of the smaller ones which weigh 0.4 oz each so that I can use one for cleaning up with and the other for cleaning cook pots and wiping down tents.
i tried the shammies, but have found that a regular cotton bandana works for me...
Love the Shamwow. I cut washcloth sizes to wet and swab my face and a larger one to absorb and remove any extra moisture in my tent and to wipe dry my rainfly before packing it up in the morning.
Love the Shamwow. I cut washcloth sizes to wet and swab my face and a larger one to absorb and remove any extra moisture in my tent and to wipe dry my rainfly before packing it up in the morning.
I used my MSR Nano Pack Towel to sop all the water off of my Lunar Duo one morning. For 45 minutes I was soping water and wringing the rag. I really don't see the Lightload towel holding up to what I put that towel through, but then again, I didn't try it. I will have to get some more to try them out some more...
I used the light-load towel on about a few 2 to 3 day overnights. While cheap ($5 for a 3-pack) and quite thin, they ring out and dry very well. I dried 90% of my body after going for a swim in a lake with 1 12x23 towel and it dried in like 10 minutes in the warm sun that day. I've also used it many times for wiping up sweat on day hikes, etc.
Same towel since last year, I've brought it home and simply rinsed it out in warm water in the sink with a drop of soap and line dried it. I'm still using the first one out of the 3 pack. While it seems durable, on an extended backpacking trip I cannot say whether it will last in comparison to a msr towel as I have never owned one.
springerfever
03-28-2011, 18:39
Shamwow's are awesome. Usually you ge two different "grades". The orange are great for soaking up spills, wiping your forehead, pot grabber,etc. The blue are a little finer weave and excellent to clean glasses and camera lens (as long as they're clean).
Just be careful with them and hang them with your foodbag at the end of the day. For some reason mices chew them to pieces.....must make the perfect nest material !