Why Our Travel Towels Are a Backpacker’s Best Friend

If there’s one item every backpacker needs but often forgets to upgrade, it’s the humble towel.

Most people grab a cheap one from Kmart or a local market and call it a day. But halfway through your first trip – soaked, sandy, and with zero space in your bag – you realise not all towels are created equal.

Whether you're backpacking through Europe, island hopping in Southeast Asia, or sleeping on hostel bunk beds, a travel towel becomes more than just something to dry off with. It’s your beach mat, your pillow, your shower saviour, and sometimes even your privacy curtain.

So let’s break down why a quality travel towel – especially a sand free beach towel like ours – is the ultimate backpacker sidekick.

1. You Pack Light – Your Towel Should Too

Backpackers learn quickly that space is precious. You can’t afford to waste half your pack on a bulky cotton towel that takes forever to dry and weighs a ton when wet.

That’s where a microfibre towel shines:

• Folds down small enough to fit in your daypack

• Weighs almost nothing, even when wet

• Comes with a carry pouch so you’re not stuffing it into plastic bags

• Easy to hang on hostel hooks or backpacks without dragging

→ See how our premium microfibre travel towels fold to the size of a water bottle

2. You Never Know Where You’ll Be Next

Backpackers are always on the move – from beaches and boat rides to sketchy hostel bathrooms and overnight buses. You need a beach towel that’s versatile enough to go wherever you do.

Nomadique towels are:

• Sand free, so you’re not bringing the beach into your hostel bed

• Quick drying, so it’s never damp in your bag

• Multi-use – as a beach mat, picnic rug, sarong, yoga mat, even a makeshift curtain or blanket

When you're living out of a backpack, everything has to earn its place – and a Nomadique towel more than does.

3. You Don’t Want to Smell Like a Wet Dog

Let's be real. Damp towels are gross. They get heavy, they smell, and they never seem to dry properly in humid climates.

That’s why microfibre towels are a must for backpackers:

• They dry in under an hour, even indoors

• They don’t hold onto smells like cotton does

• You can wash and re-use them the same day

This is especially crucial if you’re in Southeast Asia or Europe during peak summer when humidity is high and hostel laundry lines are always full.

4. You Don’t Always Have a Safe Place for Your Stuff

How many times have you gone for a quick swim and had to hide your phone in your shoe, or dig a hole in the sand for your wallet?

That’s why Nomadique’s sand free beach towels come with a hidden zip pocket – the perfect spot to stash:

• Your phone

• Hotel key

• AirPods

• Cash or cards

→ Explore our best-selling travel towel with hidden pocket and peg loops

It’s discreet, secure, and gives you that little peace of mind when you're dipping in and out of the ocean or leaving your towel on a crowded beach.

5. You’re Not Just Hitting the Beach

Yes, it’s called a beach towel, but you’ll end up using it everywhere:

• As a mat on hostel beds with questionable hygiene

• For drying off after waterfall hikes

• As a shawl on cold buses or in air-conditioned airports

• As a pillow during layovers or train rides

• Even to create privacy in dorm rooms by hanging it on bunk rails

Backpackers don’t have the luxury of carrying extras, so every item has to multitask – and your towel is no exception.

6. You’ll Use It Every Single Day

Unlike other gear (packing cubes, GoPro, backup flip-flops), your towel gets used daily. So it has to be:

• Durable – no fraying, no colour fade

• Comfortable – soft on your skin, even after sunburn

• Reliable – always there when you need it

The best part about our microfibre towel? It feels soft and luxe, unlike the scratchy, plastic-feeling ones you’ll find in discount stores.

7. It Helps You Stay Eco-Friendly on the Road

As a backpacker, you’ve likely become more conscious of your footprint – especially when travelling in beautiful but fragile ecosystems.

Nomadique towels are made using:

• High-quality, long-lasting fabric – fewer replacements, less waste

• Eco-conscious packaging – no plastic, all recyclable

• A portion of profits goes to support ocean cleanups and animal welfare

You don’t have to compromise on comfort to do good while you travel.

8. It Actually Looks Good

Let’s be honest – half the reason we travel is for the photos, right?

You don’t want some ugly, fluorescent towel ruining your Bali beach shot or Santorini picnic vibe. Our towels come in designs that are:

• Inspired by real travel destinations

• Gender-neutral but bold

• Stylish enough to double as a beach cover-up or Instagram backdrop

Every pattern is handpicked to reflect the kind of wanderlust Nomadique lives and breathes.

9. It’s Designed By Travellers, For Travellers

You know what makes a travel product better? When it’s built by someone who’s been in your shoes.

At Nomadique, we’ve backpacked through over 100 countries. We’ve slept on beach towels in airport terminals, we’ve lost stuff in the sand, and we’ve been caught in monsoons with nothing but a crusty towel from a hostel rental.

That’s why we designed our sand free beach towels with the stuff we wish we had:

• Peg loops to stop them flying away

• Hidden pockets to protect our valuables

• Compact carry pouches that actually fit

• Quick-dry microfibre towel fabric that feels luxe, not plastic

Every detail solves a real problem backpackers face – and it’s why we stand by our towels as your ultimate travel sidekick.

10. It Lasts Long After the Trip Is Over

Unlike the hostel wristband or the cheap sarong you picked up at a market, your Nomadique travel towel isn’t just for one trip. It becomes your:

• Pool towel

• Gym towel

• Picnic mat

• Road trip essential

• Travel memory

Every time you pull it out, it reminds you of that summer in Croatia or that morning swim in Thailand. It’s more than a towel – it’s a piece of your adventure.

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Why Microfibre Towels Matter

You’ve seen the word microfibre thrown around – but what actually makes a microfibre towel better?

Here’s the deal:

• Microfibre is made from tiny synthetic fibres that absorb more water than cotton

• It dries faster and weighs less

• It’s naturally sand-resistant and non-slip

• It lasts longer and doesn’t shrink in the wash

But not all microfibre is the same.

Cheap towels feel plasticky and rough. Ours is premium – soft, absorbent, and built for real-world use.

If you’re going to rely on your towel every day, this one is worth the upgrade.

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Backpacker-Friendly Features to Look For

If you're comparing beach towels or travel towels, here’s what to look for:

Nomadique hits every one of these.

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Final Thoughts

If you’re planning a backpacking trip – whether it’s your first or your fiftieth – don’t overlook your towel. It might sound boring now, but it will become one of your most-used, most-relied-on items.

You need a towel that:

• Works hard but looks good

• Does more with less

• Fits your lifestyle without slowing you down

Nomadique’s sand free beach towel is built with backpackers in mind – soft, fast-drying, compact, and clever. It’s not a gimmick. It’s the towel we wished we had on every trip. And now, it’s the one you won’t want to travel without.

→ Shop the travel towel made for real-world adventure