Where can I buy a Wicking Swim Towel?

I just got an unsolicited commercial email ad from the company. Their website says they do not do sales to individuals but they do sell to swim clubs in bulk. www.discoverytrekking.com They targeted their mailing to swim clubs so I wouldn't consider them a spammer, just a bulk emailer.

I looked at the website, and they do sell to individuals, the towels are $20 each. But, they also say to contact them if you want team pricing on bulk orders. I will be getting another one for sure. Thanks!

How about www.devantltd.com/index.php

I Have one of these towels, the wicker ones. It is absoultely awesome. Extremely thirsty, yet a dry towel (as opposed to the wet chamois)soft, takes up very little room. Also can be wrapped comfortably around your waist without the bulk of a regular towel. Well worth the money. Can be purchased at most outdoor type sporting shops and Mountain Equipment Coop (mec.ca). If you want one, come and swim my 10km in July. Comes with your entry fee!! Kiwi

Those small ones look interesting, but they aren't the same as the Wick-er Warmup one I have bought online from Discovery Trekking ( www.discoverytrekking.com ) For one thing, the DTO towel is huge...36 x 60" but is very thin so it packs up quite small. I like the fact that the DTO towel also offers sun protection. The one you are talking about is microfibre, which is a wonderful fabric, I use it for cleaning glass, and even face cloths. But what I have been told about the Wick-er Warmup towel is that the most important feature is that is is made with Silver in the thread, which is a permanent anti-bacterial (anti microbial?) treatment so it never smells even when damp. (and it doesn't stay damp for long.) So, if I'm going to Golf, I'll take your towel. If I'm going to Swim......I'm getting the Wick-er Warmup towel. It's better suited for the sport.

Along this same line of thought, has anyone tried the new speedo that is supposed to stay dry while inthe water? I think it is called XDSkin or somehting like htat. They were inthe Kastaway catalogue. I don't understand the copncept really.

I think it is a triathelte thing.

This is interesting www.fiel.com/.../details_beach_towels.html

Years ago, I got a small camp towel that was made of non-reinforced PVA (Polyvinyl Acetal). It was OK for those times when I really didn't want to deal with a wet towel, but the thing wasn't very durable and wasn't treated with anything to keep fungus from building up, so had to put it in non-chlorine bleach every other month or so. Fast forward a couple of decades, and now for the past year I've been using only these PVA ( 100% with synthetic fiber mesh reinforced) towels to dry off after swimming or after taking showers. Saves energy, too, as there are no wet cotton towels to dry. Perhaps twice a year, I've put the less used PVA towels in non-chlorine bleach as sometimes fungus spots pop up. Here are some I've used and found readily available at many places (at least in the US). All of these come in a reclosable plastic tube, all of them really need to be washed (I used non-chlorine bleach, hand washed) before use the first time as they have a distinct "plastic" odor, IMO. Vroom towel - so far I've only found it in bright orange, has a softer, textured finish on one side and smooth finish on the other side. It's 27"x17" so you can wrap around and dry your back without having super flexible arms and shoulders. Found at Target in US in the Automotive section for under $10 UPDATE: this Vroom towel seems to lose wicking ability within a few months unlike The Absorber, Speedo, Sammy, and other thicker PVA towels. The Absorber - also about 27"x17", but with both sides having slightly textured surface, effectively a larger version of the Speedo swim towel. Available in many colors at Target and other big box stores in the Automotive supplies section, also under $10. Speedo swim towel - smaller, 11"x17" so only those who are really flexible can use it to dry your own back! Guess it encourages teamwork? Go for $12-$15 at various swim stores. Anyone else have comments about these PVA towels vs "microfiber" towels, or the trek towels discussed above, and traditional cotton "beach" towel? My kids don't like the PVA towels with the smooth surfaces only, as they say that it feels clammy to the skin. Unless really hot, these PVA towels always feel cold unless you've put the towel & tube out in the sun or rinsed the towel in warm water before using! Cheers de Mark W4CHL

I just had to check out this forum! I am an owner of the company that makes the Wick-er Warmup towels, and I have had many of my customers say that they read about them, and tried them, because of reading what other swimmers have said...so I wanted to know what information was lurking around this site! (nice site by the way!!) Here are the facts about the Wick-er Warmup Towel. It is made from a very technical stretch fabric that contains Silver ion. As you may know, bacteria doesn't grow on silver (hospitals use it in bandaging burn victims, babies get it put in their eyes when born...) SO>> our towel doesn't grow bacteria and therefore doesn't smell when damp like other towels. It is fairly thin, and quite frankly many of our best customers were skeptical when they saw it....UNTIL they tried it. It really does wick the water off your skin so fast you'll be amazed. But the neat thing is, the towel dries very quickly, so you don't need as many at a meet. But that's not even the best thing. It protects you from the sun, depending on the color, the darker the color the higher the SPF protection...up to 40 for black and Navy. It embroiders beautifully, and it also silkscreens (with a stretch additive) It comes in 3 sizes, the largest can double as a beach coverup, the smallest is normally used for sports like badminton, and for running (goes around the neck nicely)....If you want any more information please just contact me directly. There are a lot of towels on the market, some are very good, but there isn't anything that even compares to this amazing fabric. Leslie Hanes Discovery Trekking Outfitters Ltd. Yes, we're Canadian...but the fabric is made in the good old USA!! (how's that for good neighbors?) www.discoverytrekking.com :)