Advnture Verdict

A lovely-looking, smooth-feeling camping and travel towel, made with recycled materials, which is absolutely ideal for coastal campsites.

Pros

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Light and very packable
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Lovely soft feel
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Made with recycled bottles
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Treated with Polygiene for permanent bacteria/odor control
+
Doesn’t collect sand
+
Features a hang hook that doubles as a wrap-band
+
Comes in lots of colors & funky patterns

Cons

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Doesn’t seem as absorbent as claimed
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No carry bag

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Lifeventure SoftFibre Recycled Towels: first impressions

Straight out of the packet Lifeventure SoftFibre Recycled Towels are impressive, with their stunning prints, compact and clever design and super-soft feel. And then there’s the fact that they are camping towels made mostly from waste products.

Specifications

• List price: £21.c99 (UK) / €24.99 (EU)
• Size (in use): 150m x 90cm / 59in x 35in
• Packed size: 20cm x 10cm x 5cm / 8in x 4in x 2in
• Weight: 203g / 7oz
• Material: Polyester (100%, 66% of which is recycled), treated with Polygiene permanent odor control
• Colors: Wide range of vibrant patterns available

More specifically, each of these beautifully soft camping and travel towels is primarily made from 8.7 recycled plastic bottles, which are rescued from landfill and then woven into the yarn that comprises 66% of the overall Polyester material used.

The tech is good too. Treated with Polygiene, these towels boast permanent bacteria control, which will prevent the build up of bad odors over time and even after extended use (discover more eco-friendly outdoor brands).

Lifeventure SoftFibre Recycled Towel: in the field

Lifeventure SoftFibre Recycled Towels — These towels boast some very funky designs (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)

The patterns creatively splattered across these funky camping and travel towels are as easy on the eye as the microfiber fabric is on your skin, and the dimensions are large enough so they can be worn as a wrap-around sarong when you’re wandering along the beach or chilling in the campsite.

The finish is smooth, which on test meant that these towels proved ideal for laying down on at the beaches and on other terrain, without the annoyance of collecting sand or grit.

Lifeventure state this towel will soak up nine times its own weight in moisture, but on test we didn’t think it was anywhere near as absorbent as claimed. It does dry you off, of course, but not as fast and efficiently as some other micro towels with a more fibrous finish. However, the smooth feel will more than compensate for this for many people.

There is no carry bag, but these towels do feature an elasticated hoop that’s handy for hanging it up to dry, and also wraps around the product to keep it neat and tidy in your backpack or drawer.

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Author of Caving, Canyoning, Coasteering…, a recently released book about all kinds of outdoor adventures around Britain, Pat has spent 20 years pursuing stories involving boots, bikes, boats, beers and bruises. En route he’s canoed Canada’s Yukon River, climbed Mont Blanc and Kilimanjaro, skied and mountain biked through the Norwegian Alps, run an ultra across the roof of Mauritius, and set short-lived records for trail-running Australia’s highest peaks and New Zealand’s Great Walks. He’s authored walking guides to Devon and Dorset, and once wrote a whole book about Toilets for Lonely Planet. Follow Pat’s escapades on Strava here and Instagram here.