Outdoors & Fitness · Head-to-head
PackTowl Personal Towel vs Matador Ultralight Travel Towel, Large
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Camp Towels: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Personal wins on disclosure: four sizes, each with a stated weight and dimension, plus published absorbency and drying figures, a combination no other towel here matches. The Matador is the one to take when the towel has to disappear into a pack, at roughly half the weight per unit area.
PackTowl Personal Towel
Buy itFour sizes, each with a published weight and dimension, plus the two performance numbers the category is sold on.
- Four sizes with both figures stated: 0.7 oz at 10 by 14 in, 2.9 oz at 16.5 by 36 in, 6.4 oz at 25 by 54 in, and 9.7 oz for the beach size.
- PackTowl states it absorbs 4 times its weight in water, tied with Nomadix for the highest published multiple in this comparison.
- Also states it dries 70 percent faster than comparable cotton towels, which is the figure that actually matters on a multi-day trip.
- Microfiber polyester and nylon blend, made from 50 percent recycled fabric.
- Heavier per unit area than the ultralight options, at roughly 20 grams per thousand square centimetres in the body size.
- PackTowl is a Cascade Designs brand sold through the same Cascade Designs store as MSR, so shopping MSR and PackTowl is shopping one catalogue.
- No stated packed size, so you cannot tell how much pack volume it takes before it arrives.
Matador Ultralight Travel Towel, Large
Buy itFull towel coverage at a stated 2.7 ounces, packing down to something you can close your hand around.
- A stated 77 grams, or 2.7 ounces, for an unpacked 47 by 24 inches, which is about half the weight per unit area of the PackTowl body size.
- Packed dimensions published at 4.3 by 2.2 by 2.2 inches, which very few towel makers state at all.
- Nanofiber material, and Matador states the towel is PFAS-free.
- A side-release buckle on the towel for hanging it, and machine washable.
- Matador claims absorbency of over twice its own weight, half the multiple PackTowl publishes.
- Being both very light and very thin, it is likely to need wringing more often than a heavier towel.
- Premium price tier for a single size.
Side by side
The 8 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| PackTowl Personal Towel Our pick | Matador Ultralight Travel Towel, Large | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Most campers and travellers, and anyone who wants to pick a size from published numbers rather than guess. | Backpackers, cyclists and one-bag travellers where packed volume decides what comes along. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium |
| Published absorbency | 4 times its weight | Over twice its weight |
| Published drying claim | 70 percent faster than comparable cotton | Quick drying, no figure |
| Stated weight | 0.7 oz, 2.9 oz, 6.4 oz and 9.7 oz by size | 2.7 oz (77 g) |
| Stated unpacked size | 10x14 in, 16.5x36 in, 25x54 in by size | 47x24 in (119x61 cm) |
| Stated packed size | Not published | 4.3x2.2x2.2 in (11x6x6 cm) |
| Material | Microfiber polyester and nylon, 50 percent recycled | Nanofiber, stated PFAS-free |
| Weight per area, calculated | About 21 g per 1000 sq cm in the 25x54 in size | About 11 g per 1000 sq cm |
| Stated use | Camp and travel | Travel and backpacking |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the PackTowl Personal Towel if
most campers and travellers, and anyone who wants to pick a size from published numbers rather than guess.
Know before buying: heavier per unit area than the ultralight options, at roughly 20 grams per thousand square centimetres in the body size.
Pick the Matador Ultralight Travel Towel, Large if
backpackers, cyclists and one-bag travellers where packed volume decides what comes along.
Know before buying: matador claims absorbency of over twice its own weight, half the multiple PackTowl publishes.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the PackTowl Personal Towel - Four sizes, each with a published weight and dimension, plus the two performance numbers the category is sold on. Choose the Matador Ultralight Travel Towel, Large instead if backpackers, cyclists and one-bag travellers where packed volume decides what comes along.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Camp Towels: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).