Aquis Travel Towel : Stay Dry Anywhere

When I booked accommodations online for my recent trip to Belize, I noticed in the accommodations description a suggestion that guests bring an extra beach towel. Not wanting to pack something so bulky, I brought along the Aquis® extra large micro fiber towel that fits into its own compact, reusable mesh bag.

In the Central American tropics, things generally don’t dry quickly due to the high humidity. Several times I was so glad to have the Aquis towel with me because it dried so much faster than a regular towel. Made of Aquitex®, a super absorbent material woven from ultra fine micro fibers, Aquis towels claim to have five times the drying power of a regular cotton towel. It sure seemed that way to me.

I liked that I could still have a (more than full-size) towel that felt very soft and gentle on my skin but didn't take up space in my bag. During a day-long snorkeling expedition to the Belize Barrier Reef, I was happy to have my soft, lightweight Aquis towel when my boat mates had to contend with heavy, wet cotton towels. I hung it to dry in the breeze in the late afternoon when we returned, and it was dry by the time we got home from dinner.

I’ve owned several quick-drying towels for backpacking and traveling in the past, but the Aquis towel seems to be a whole new step ahead in the evolutionary chain for this type of towel. It retains its shape after use and machine washing and feels like a substantial, super-soft towel, not just a floppy swatch of soft felt fabric.

Bottom Line: Take the Aquis XL towel on your next trip abroad or your next trip down the street to the local pool or gym. I know I will. J. I. (July '05)

Price: $30 (22" x 55")

Manufacturer's Site: www.aquis.com

Buy Online: www.aquis.com, www.nordstrom.com