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Best Travel Towels 2026: Microfiber Towels That Dry Fast and Pack Small
By GearHound
A regular bath towel is useless for camping. It is heavy when wet, takes forever to dry, and fills half your pack. The first time I carried a full-size cotton towel on a backpacking trip, it was still damp in my pack two days later. That was the last time.
A travel towel — also called a pack towel — is made from microfiber or similar synthetic material that absorbs water fast, dries quickly, and packs to a fraction of the size of a cotton towel. Here is how to choose one.
Why Not Just Use a Cotton Towel?
Cotton absorbs water but holds onto it. A wet cotton towel weighs a pound or more, takes 6-12 hours to air dry, and if you pack it damp, it starts to smell within a day. In humid climates, it may never fully dry during a trip.
Microfiber travel towels absorb 3-5 times their weight in water but release most of it when you wring them out. They air-dry in 1-3 hours, and even packed slightly damp, they do not develop the mildew smell that cotton does. For any trip where you are carrying your gear, this matters.
What to Look For
- Absorbency: Look for towels that absorb at least 3x their weight in water. Microfiber does this naturally — the question is whether the weave is dense enough to feel like a real towel or so thin it feels like a tissue.
- Drying speed: The best travel towels dry in under 2 hours. Cheaper microfiber can take 4+ hours. If you are moving camp daily, drying speed matters.
- Packed size: A large travel towel should pack to the size of a fist or smaller. Compare packed dimensions, not just unfolded size.
- Softness: Budget microfiber feels like a car-washing cloth. Nicer microfiber (like PackTowl Luxe) has a terry-loop weave that feels close to cotton. If you hate the feel of cheap microfiber, spend more.
- Size: For body drying, 60 x 30 inches is the minimum. For backpacking, 48 x 24 inches works. For a face/hand towel, 24 x 12 inches is enough.
- Loop or clip: A hanging loop lets you attach the towel to your pack to dry while hiking. Some come with a small carabiner clip.
The Best Travel Towel Overall
PackTowl Personal Microfiber Towel
The PackTowl Personal is the towel I have carried for years. It absorbs 4x its weight in water, dries in about 2 hours, and packs to roughly the size of a softball (for the large size). The microfiber is soft enough that it does not feel like wiping yourself with a synthetic chamois, and the fabric has a slight texture that actually grips water instead of just smearing it around.
It comes with a hanging loop and a mesh stuff sack. The sack has a small loop too, so you can clip it to the outside of your backpack to dry while you hike. The towel is treated with an antimicrobial finish that keeps it from smelling on multi-day trips.
Available in multiple sizes — I use the large (50 x 30 inches) for body drying and the small (24 x 12 inches) as a camp sink / dish towel.
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The Best Budget Travel Towel
HEETA 3-Pack Microfiber Towels
If you want towels for the whole family or want to try microfiber without spending $30 on a single towel, this 3-pack is the best budget option. You get three sizes — 60 x 30, 48 x 24, and 24 x 12 inches — for less than the price of one PackTowl.
The microfiber is not as soft or as absorbent as the PackTowl. It feels more like a standard microfiber cleaning cloth. But it dries fast, packs small, and comes with a mesh carrying bag for each towel. For car camping, gym use, or a first backpacking trip, these are perfectly fine. For serious backpacking where every ounce and every minute of drying time counts, step up to the PackTowl.
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The Best Ultralight Towel
Sea to Summit Pocket Towel
The Sea to Summit Pocket Towel is for people who count ounces. The small size (32 x 16 inches) weighs under 2 ounces and packs to the size of a deck of cards. It is made from a very fine microfiber that absorbs 3x its weight and dries incredibly fast — under an hour in good conditions.
This is not a body towel. It is a face towel, a hand towel, or a quick wipe-down towel. If you are backpacking and want the absolute lightest option for a post-swim or post-hike wipe, this is it. For full body drying, you will want the larger Sea to Summit Drylite.
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The Best Soft Travel Towel
PackTowl Luxe Microfiber Towel
If you hate the feel of microfiber, the PackTowl Luxe is the answer. It has a looped terry-knit weave that feels like a cotton terry cloth towel — soft, plush, and comfortable against skin. It absorbs 5x its weight in water, which is more than any other towel in this guide.
The trade-off: it is heavier and slower-drying than the standard PackTowl Personal. The terry loops hold more water, which means it takes longer to dry (4-6 hours). For car camping or hostel travel where weight and drying speed are less critical, the Luxe is worth it. For backpacking, stick with the Personal.
The Best All-Around Camping Towel
Sea to Summit Drylite Towel
The Drylite sits between the Pocket Towel and the PackTowl Personal. It is made from a soft microfiber that feels nicer than budget towels but is still lightweight and fast-drying. The large size (60 x 30 inches) weighs about 5 ounces and dries in 2-3 hours.
It comes with a mesh stuff sack and a hanging loop. The fabric has a slight stretch to it, which makes it feel more like fabric and less like paper. For a do-everything camping towel that balances softness, weight, and drying speed, the Drylite is a solid choice.
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How to Care for a Travel Towel
Microfiber towels are low-maintenance, but a few things extend their life:
- Rinse before first use. New microfiber has a slight coating that reduces absorbency. Rinse it in warm water before the first trip.
- Do not use fabric softener. Fabric softener coats the fibers and destroys absorbency. Wash with regular detergent only.
- Air dry when possible. Microfiber dries fast on its own. Tumble dry on low if you must use a dryer — high heat can melt the fibers.
- Wash separately from cotton. Cotton lint sticks to microfiber and reduces its effectiveness over time.
What I Recommend
For most campers: the PackTowl Personal. It is the best balance of absorbency, drying speed, softness, and durability. For ultralight backpackers: the Sea to Summit Pocket Towel. On a budget: the HEETA 3-pack — three towels for the price of one.
A good travel towel is one of those small upgrades that makes camping more comfortable without adding weight. Once you switch from cotton, you do not go back.
For more camp gear, see our guides to camp soap, camp tables, and emergency blankets.
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