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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 all four sizes, and this review uses the Large. Here is everything in the package:

• The towel
• A storage pouch
• An instruction manual

Specifications

These are my own measurements of the Large size, which came out 4–5% off the marketed dimensions:

• Size 46 x 23in
• Weight of towel 5.3oz
• Weight of storage pouch 0.35oz
• Packed size 6.5 x 6 x 1.5in
• Blend 70% polyester + 30% nylon
• Made in China

Features

• Hanging loop Yes
• Machine washable Yes, but watch the colors running
• Storage pouch Mesh on the front for ventilation, lightweight material on the back

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 15.2fl oz
• Absorbency 3 times its own weight
• Cotton towel 3.26 timesFor a towel comparison

A plain cotton towel still edges it out here.

Wringing

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

• Weight after wringing 10.4oz
• Water left in the towel 32%
• Cotton towel 46% leftFor a towel comparison

This is one of the better wringing results of all my camping towels.

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 40 minutes outdoors and 6 hours indoors. The cotton towel took 2 hours 15 minutes outdoors and a whopping 27 hours indoors.

Outdoors	Weight	Dry
0 mins	10.4oz	0%
15 mins	8.4oz	39%
30 mins	6.6oz	76%
40 mins	5.3oz	100%

Indoors	Weight	Dry
0 hours	10.4oz	0%
1 hour	9.5oz	18%
2 hours	8.5oz	36%
3 hours	7.7oz	52%
4 hours	6.6oz	75%
5 hours	5.9oz	90%
6 hours	5.3oz	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 5.3oz up to 8.9oz. It dries in 29 minutes outdoors and 4 hours 15 minutes indoors, against 40 minutes and 7 hours for the cotton towel.

Outdoors	Weight	Dry
0 mins	8.9oz	0%
10 mins	7.5oz	37%
20 mins	6.3oz	71%
29 mins	5.3oz	100%

Indoors	Weight	Dry
0 hours	8.9oz	0%
1 hour	7.8oz	30%
2 hours	7.0oz	53%
3 hours	6.3oz	73%
4 hours	5.5oz	95%
4 hours 15 mins	5.3oz	100%

Odor Resistance

I ran three odor tests. It has no antibacterial or antimicrobial coating, and it shows.

• Soaked in seawater, then bagged 4 days A musky smellBearable, but not pleasant
• Showered and dried off, then bagged 4 days A faint musky smell
• Used daily for 7 days, hung indoors between uses No smell

So do not pack this one away wet. The cotton towel was worse in every test, smelling like rotten food after the seawater soak.

Grass and Dirt Test

I dragged it along some grass and stepped on it. It picked up one speck of dirt.

That is better than most of the camping towels I tested. The cotton towel picked up more, and still had bits stuck when I got home.

Sand Test

I covered it in sand at the beach to see how much would stick.

It shook off easily and the towel was clean afterwards. The cotton towel did just as well.

Portability

• Weight 5.3oz

• Cotton towel 11.9ozA similar size, for a towel comparison
• Packed size 6.5 x 6 x 1.5in

• Hanging loop On the towel only, and it never drags on the ground

• Storage pouch No hanging loop

Comfort

It is soft and smooth with a suede finish, and it is not stiff. The Large size is a little smaller than a regular bath towel.

It sticks to my skin, so I have to pat down instead of wiping.

Durability

This is where it falls down. The stitching is consistent with no gaps, but it started to fray.

• After 4 months of light use 1.3% of its material lost
• Color Bleeds a lotGray the least, then cobalt blue, and berry the worst

• Hanging loop High quality and secure
• Storage pouch The Velcro started giving way right out of the box

The pouch was the worst of it. The Velcro was defective out of the box, and the tiny hooks kept dropping off.

Pros and Cons

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Sea to Summit DryLite Towel?

One of my most dirt-repellent towels

It picked up one speck of dirt off the grass, and a few shakes took it off.

It wrings out well

Only 32% of the water stayed in, against 46% for cotton.

Compact and light

5.3oz against 11.9oz for a similar-sized cotton towel.

Serious quality issues

The seams frayed and it lost 1.3% of its material in 4 months of light use.

The storage pouch was defective out of the box

The Velcro started giving way immediately and the hooks kept dropping off.

The colors bleed a lot

The berry one stained its own pouch and my other camping towels.

It sticks to your skin

You have to pat down instead of wiping, so it is not that comfortable.

It picks up odors

There is no antimicrobial treatment, so a seawater soak left it musky.

Bonus – MUST Read!

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