Sea to Summit DryLite Towel Review

Overview

The Sea to Summit DryLite Towel is a thin microfibre towel with a suede-like face, built for hikers who want to wipe off sweat, dry their hands and face, or clean up a camp kitchen without carrying a damp rag. At 37 g in the 11.8 x 23.6 in size, it weighs about as much as a few AAA batteries. The trade-off is the usual one for microfibre: it saves weight and dries quickly, but it feels less like a towel than a very absorbent cloth.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	37 g
Dimensions	11.8 x 23.6 in (30 x 60 cm)
Material	80% recycled polyester, 20% nylon microfibre
Finish	Ultra-suede face
Extras	Hang loop with press stud, mesh-faced storage pouch
Care	Machine washable

Performance

Drying speed is the DryLite’s main selling point, and testers back it up. A hands-on test by Camping Guidance on the Large size found it dry in about 40 minutes outdoors after a full soak and hard wring. A cotton towel in the same test needed more than two hours. Indoors, where trail towels usually spend the night, the DryLite took about six hours against 27 for cotton. A reviewer at Hiking Insights reported similar results after a year of desert, jungle and high-altitude use: 30 to 60 minutes in sun and wind, and nearly dry within an hour under cloudy jungle skies.

Absorbency is good, not class-leading. Camping Guidance measured the Large holding about three times its own weight in water, just behind the 3.26 times of a plain cotton towel. The DryLite makes up for that when wrung out, since it kept only about 32 percent of its absorbed water against 46 percent for cotton. At 37 g, the size reviewed here is not meant for a full-body dry-off. It suits faces, hands, dishes and the condensation inside a tent.

Feel divides owners. The suede-like face is soft and doesn’t have the stiff, rubbery hand of cheaper chamois-style travel towels. It also clings to damp skin, so users end up patting rather than wiping. Hiking Insights said plainly that it will never feel like a towel at home. Another reviewer called the thinness both the towel’s strength and its weakness: it’s that thin because it’s that light.

Odor and dirt handling is solid with caveats. The towel sheds sand and grass well, and testers reported no smell after a week of daily use when it was hung to dry between uses. A towel bagged damp is another matter. Camping Guidance’s seawater-soaked sample came out musky after four days in a bag, and the towel has no antimicrobial treatment. The mesh-faced pouch helps with airing, and the press-stud hang loop lets the towel dry off the outside of a pack.

Durability is the weak spot in the record. Hiking Insights washed theirs a dozen times without fraying or any drop in absorbency. Camping Guidance, though, reported quality problems after four months of light use. Treat it as a light-duty item, not an heirloom.

Versatility is where the smallest size pays off. A thru-hiker on r/AppalachianTrail used an extra-small as a sweatband on hot days, a pre-filter for muddy water, and a towel. It is small enough to go in a pocket or hip-belt pouch.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 37 g, light enough to carry without a second thought
• Dries in well under an hour outdoors in testing, and overnight indoors
• Wrings out far better than cotton
• Sheds sand and dirt
• Hang loop and mesh pouch are useful additions
• Machine washable; made with recycled polyester

Cons

• Thin and clingy on wet skin; patting works better than wiping
• No antimicrobial treatment, so a damp towel stuffed in a bag will go musky
• Absorbs slightly less than cotton by weight
• One tester reported wear problems after four months
• Costs more than a bandana or a cut-down piece of generic microfibre

Who Should Buy This

Ultralight backpackers and thru-hikers who want a small, dedicated cloth for face, hands, dishes and tent condensation will get the most from this size. It also suits hot, dusty routes where the towel gets used often and dries on the back of a pack. Hikers who want to dry their whole body after a swim or shower should look at the larger DryLite sizes, which weigh several times as much, or at a heavier plush microfibre. Anyone who dislikes the feel of thin microfibre on skin won’t be converted by the suede finish.

Verdict

The DryLite does what a trail towel should: it weighs almost nothing, dries fast and handles grit. It is not plush, it needs airing out to stay fresh, and its durability record is mixed. For ultralight hikers who accept that, it is an easy, inexpensive piece of gear to carry.