REI MultiTowel Lite

Anyone’s who’s traveled a bit can tell you that an important but oft overlooked piece of equipment on the road is a good multi-purpose towel. Frankly, you never know when you’re going to get wet or have a chance at a warm shower, so it’s important to bring along something light enough to carry in your pack that’ll dry quickly as you go.

Enter the REI MultiTowel Lite. An off-branch of the popular MultiTowel already offered by the popular outdoor sporting and recreational company, the lighter version takes up next to no space in your pack. It’s small, at only 22 inches by 12 inches and weighs just 1.4 ounces. It’s 85 percent polyester and 15 percent nylon microfiber, which allows it to absorb water quickly but dry almost entirely once wringed out.

If you’d rather let it hang overnight it comes with a quick-attach loop so you can string it from a hook or shower. The towel also comes with a pouch to store it in, just in case it doesn’t dry out fast enough and you need to keep it separated from the rest of your gear.

If the regular size is either too big or small, they offer three other versions to meet your needs. The current colors are grape and green and the towels retail at $12.50 for the medium version and go up or down depending on size from there.