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See the 13 tests

1. In the Box
2. Specifications
3. Features
4. Absorbency
5. Wringing
6. Drying Test 1 (After Wringing)
7. Drying Test 2 (100mL/3.4 fl oz)
8. Odor Resistance
9. Grass and Dirt Test
10. Sand Test
11. Portability
12. Comfort
13. Durability

In the Box

I bought mine in the Body size, and here is everything that came in the package:

• The towel
• A storage pouch
• Instructions, printed on the packaging itself

Specifications

These are my own measurements, for the Body size:

• Size 53.75 x 25.25in
• Weight of towel 6.53oz
• Weight of storage pouch 0.32oz
• Packed size 7.5 x 6 x 1.5in
• Blend 85% polyester + 15% nylon
• Made in Korea

Features

• Hanging loop Yes

• Machine washable Yes
• Tumble dry Yes
• Storage pouch Lightweight, with its own hanging loop for a carabiner

Absorbency

I measured the water in a bucket, soaked the towel in it, then lifted it out and let it drip until it stopped. Whatever was missing from the bucket is what it held.

• Water absorbed 20.6fl oz
• Absorbency 3.3 times its own weight
• Cotton towel 3.26 timesFor a towel comparison

So it beats a similar-sized cotton towel, but only by a very narrow margin.

Wringing

After soaking it, I wrung out as much water as I could and weighed it again.

• Weight after wringing 14.5oz
• Water left in the towel 37%
• Cotton towel 46% leftFor a towel comparison

It wrings out quite a bit better than the cotton towel does.

Drying Test 1 (After Wringing)

This test measures how long it takes to dry after a full soak and a hard wring, which is what happens when you wash it at camp.

It dries in 50 minutes outdoors and 7 hours indoors. The cotton towel took 2 hours 15 minutes outdoors and a whopping 27 hours indoors.

Outdoors	Weight	Dry
0 mins	14.5oz	0%
15 mins	11.8oz	34%
30 mins	9.3oz	65%
45 mins	7.0oz	94%
50 mins	6.5oz	100%

Indoors	Weight	Dry
0 hours	14.5oz	0%
1 hour	13.3oz	15%
2 hours	12.4oz	27%
3 hours	11.1oz	42%
4 hours	10.0oz	56%
5 hours	8.6oz	74%
6 hours	7.5oz	88%
7 hours	6.5oz	100%

Drying Test 2 (100mL/3.4 fl oz)

For a fair comparison I add the same 100mL/3.4 fl oz of water to every towel I test. It also recreates drying off after a shower at camp.

That takes it from 6.5oz up to 10.1oz. It dries in 24 minutes outdoors and 3 hours indoors, against 40 minutes and 7 hours for the cotton towel.

Outdoors	Weight	Dry
0 mins	10.1oz	0%
10 mins	8.5oz	44%
20 mins	7.0oz	86%
24 mins	6.5oz	100%

Indoors	Weight	Dry
0 hours	10.1oz	0%
1 hour	8.6oz	42%
2 hours	7.4oz	74%
3 hours	6.5oz	100%

Odor Resistance

I ran three separate odor tests. The Personal is treated with Polygiene odor control, and it showed.

• Soaked in seawater, wrung out, sealed in a bag for 4 days (96 hours) No smell
• Used after a shower, then sealed in a bag for 4 days No smell
• Used every day for 7 days without washing No smell

The cotton towel smelled like rotten food after the seawater test, musky after the shower test, and musky again after a week of continuous use.

I am sure I could have gone weeks without washing the Personal, but I stopped at seven days for hygiene.

Grass and Dirt Test

I dragged it along some grass and stepped on it. It picked up just 2 specks of dirt.

One shake and both fell straight off, leaving it clean.

The cotton towel picked up more, and that dirt would not shake off — pieces were still stuck when I got home.

Sand Test

I covered it in sand at the beach, the same way I did the grass test.

It shook off easily and the towel came up clean. The cotton towel did just as well here.

Portability

• Weight 6.5oz

• Cotton towel 11.9ozA similar size, for a towel comparison
• Packed size 7.5 x 6 x 1.5in
• Folding Keep halving it until it fits, or just stuff it in

Both the towel and the pouch have hanging loops. I am not tall, so the towel drags on the ground when I hang it off my pack.

Comfort

It is soft and smooth to the touch, not stiff at all, and true to size. The Body size is the perfect size for a shower towel.

It sticks to my skin a little, but less than other camping towels do. Most importantly, it does not leave my skin feeling damp after I dry off.

It is thinner than a cotton towel and feels different, but the light green against the charcoal is a nice touch.

Durability

Over 4 months I machine washed mine repeatedly and even scrubbed it with an abrasive brush.

• After 4 months No weight lost, so no material has come off
• Stitching Consistent with no gaps, and every corner is still intact
• Hanging loop Still works, and the catch is not stiff
• Storage pouch Lightweight and strong, and the zippers do not snag

The one real flaw is that the color bleeds quite a bit over the first 2–3 washes, so wash it a few times before you take it anywhere.

Mine also had white specks on it out of the box, but they came off easily.

Pros and Cons

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the PackTowl Personal?

Outstanding odor resistance

Polygiene odor control means it did not smell at all, even sealed in a bag for 4 days after a seawater soak.

My second-fastest drying camping towel

It dries in 24 minutes outdoors, against 40 minutes for a cotton towel.

Great dirt and sand repellence

It picked up only 2 specks of dirt off the grass, and everything shook straight off.

The quality has held up

After 4 months of hard use and machine washing, the stitching, the material and the hanging loop are all still intact.

Comfortable, at a great shower-towel size

It is softer than the average camping towel and it does not leave your skin damp.

Light and compact

At 6.5oz it is barely half the weight of a similar cotton towel, and it packs down to 7.5 x 6 x 1.5in.

The color bleeds at first

It bled quite a bit over the first 2–3 washes, so wash it before you take it anywhere.

A little pricier than average

It is not expensive, but it does cost a bit more than the average camping towel.

Bonus – MUST Read!

Every figure above is from my own testing — measured by hand, bought with my own money.