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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

You get a storage pouch, the Tek towel, and an instruction manual.

Specifications

These are my own measurements, which differ a little from the marketed dimensions:

• Size 47.75 x 23in
• Weight of towel 9.2oz
• Weight of storage pouch 2.05oz
• Packed size 8 x 5 x 3in
• Blend 70% polyester + 30% nylon
• Made in China

Features

• Hanging loop Yes
• Machine washable Yes
• Storage pouch Zippered, soft EVA, with ventilation
• Pouch hanging loop Yes, for a carabiner

The pouch ventilation matters if you ever have to pack the towel up before it has fully dried.

Absorbency

I measured the water in a bucket, soaked the towel in it, then lifted it out and let it drip until it stopped.

• Water absorbed 36.9fl oz
• Absorbency 4.2 times its own weight
• Cotton towel 3.26 timesFor a towel comparison

It’s one of the few camping towels I own that clears 4 times its own weight.

Wringing

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

• Weight after wringing 20oz
• Water left in the towel 10.4fl oz, or 28%
• Cotton towel 46% leftFor a towel comparison

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 1 hour 40 minutes outdoors and 18.5 hours indoors. The cotton towel took 2 hours 15 minutes outdoors and a whopping 27 hours indoors.

Outdoors	Weight	Dry
0 hours	20oz	0%
0.5 hours	15.2oz	45%
1 hour	12.3oz	71%
1 hour 40 mins	9.2oz	100%

Indoors	Weight	Dry
0 hours	20oz	0%
12 hours	12.6oz	69%
18.5 hours	9.2oz	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 9.2oz up to 12.7oz. It dries in 45 minutes outdoors and 7.5 hours indoors, against 40 minutes and 7 hours for the cotton towel. It genuinely dried more slowly than cotton, which surprised me.

Outdoors	Weight	Dry
0 mins	12.7oz	0%
20 mins	10.9oz	51%
45 mins	9.2oz	100%

Indoors	Weight	Dry
0 hours	12.7oz	0%
3 hours	10.9oz	50%
7.5 hours	9.2oz	100%

Odor Resistance

I ran two odor tests. I don’t think the Tek towel is treated chemically in any way, so that explains why the odor resistance isn’t good.

• Soaked in seawater, wrung out, sealed in a bag for 4 days (96 hours) A sour smellUnpleasant, and not quite bearable
• Used after a shower, then sealed in a bag for 4 days A faint musky smellOne of the worst results of all my camping towels

Grass and Dirt Test

I dragged it along some grass and stepped on it. It picked up a lot of grass and dirt.

Shaking it got some of it off, but I had to pull the rest out by hand.

The cotton towel picked up much less, though that dirt would not shake off either. Both towels did badly here, but I still think the cotton towel did better.

Sand Test

I covered it in sand at the beach, the same way I did the grass test. Quite a bit stuck, and some was still on it after shaking.

The cotton towel shook completely clean, so it beat the Tek towel here too.

Portability

• Weight 9.2oz

• Cotton towel 11.9ozA similar-sized non-fluffy one, for a towel comparison
• Packed size 8 x 5 x 3in

• Folding Thirds, half, half again, then roll it into the pouch

The hanging loop sits in the middle of the towel rather than at a corner, so it never drags on the ground off your pack.

Comfort

This might be the softest and least stiff camping towel I own. It didn’t stick to my skin much, so I could wipe instead of patting down, and it has a luxurious feel.

Durability

The quality isn’t as good though. The stitching doesn’t seem tight and it started fraying after a few months.

• After 4 months of light use About 1% of its original weight lost
• Color The lime green bleeds a little in the wash
• Hanging loop Useful and secure
• Storage pouch Good quality with smooth zippers, but not very compressible and a little heavy

So, while the Tek towel is a comfortable towel, the quality might be a little lacking.

Pros and Cons

Would I recommend the Sea to Summit Tek Towel?

One of the few towels over 4x absorbency

It holds 36.9fl oz, which is 4.2 times its own weight.

It wrings out well

Only 28% of the water stays in, against 46% for a cotton towel.

The softest towel I tested

It’s the least stiff one I own, it barely sticks to your skin, and it has a luxurious feel.

My slowest drying camping towel

45 minutes outdoors on my standard test, against 40 minutes for a cotton towel.

It picks up odors

Four days sealed in a bag after a seawater soak left it with a sour smell. It isn’t chemically treated in any way.

It does not shake clean

Grass, dirt and sand all stayed put, and I had to pull the worst of it off by hand.

The material sheds and the seams fray

After 4 months of light use the seams had started fraying and it had lost about 1% of its weight.

It is overpriced

And being one of the more expensive towels I bought, I find it quite overpriced. The Sea to Summit DryLite is the cheaper towel in the same range, at $25.

Bonus – MUST Read!

I measured every number on this page myself.