Wick-er Warmup Towel

How many times have you finished a long race you’ve wanted freshen up and wipe the sweat away from many hours effort, or needed to dry off after washing the crud from your tired body that has congealed with that sweat, only to remember you didn’t bring a towel! I travel to many races and a towel is something I often think twice about because of the added bulk in my minimalist baggage and the inconvenience of carrying the heavy, wet and smelly thing home after wards. But recently I stumbled across something that might resolve this dilemma.

The Wick-er Warmup Towel is made from lightweight synthetic fabric that is claimed to miraculously soak up moisture by spreading it out on the material enabling it to also evaporate very quickly. As I surfed around various web forums I was struck by the number of favorable comments about the product and decided to try it for myself. When I travel I like to go as light as possible, so equipment that can lighten the load is always of interest. Plus, packing smelly running stuff after a race is bad enough, without having to add a heavy damp towel which just seems to enhance the rank smell that wafts from my bag. The Wick-er Warmup towel however, is made from a Polartec material that has silver thread woven in to it that makes it resistant to smelly bacterial growth.

My first impression when the towel arrived in the mail was its small size. I had ordered the medium size that measures 28 x 34 inches, but it does come in both larger (34 x 58) and smaller (28 x 16 or 13 x 10) sizes. The size may seem small, but if you compare that with the chamois style travel towels that are barely bigger than postage stamps, it is more than adequate. The material looks like regular Polartec shirt material, very lightweight and it’s hard to image it would be able to absorb sufficient moisture from a wet body. To test it I used it as my primary bath towel for 5 straight days showering morning and at night.

Put simply, it worked perfectly. OK, so it wasn’t quite the same as being wrapped in a luxurious deep pile cotton towel, but it dries the skin just as well. What is more, after each use it just felt slightly damp and dried in no time without a heated drying source. Not once did I experience having to use it still damp from the previous use and despite the constant damping, it didn’t develop the smell that a cotton one would after similar use. If you are a swimmer, tri-athlete or sports enthusiast who is looking for a lightweight towel that uses little space (before and after use) and won’t stink the place out after it’s been pack away wet or repeatedly used, the Wick-er Warmup towel might be something to consider.

Currently, their availability is limited. REI is said to be about to stock them, otherwise you best bet is to contact the manufacturer direct at: www.discoverytrekking.com