I'll be honest - they take a bit of getting used to. Travel towels are ultra-thin, light and highly absorbent, and make you feel a little bit like a car (think: the chamois leather you used as a kid to clean your Dad's Volvo in exchange for a few coins to spend down the sweet shop). But get over the odd drying sensation (running them through the wash a few times helps) and reap the benefits of this nifty little gadget over a bulky, stinking old-fashioned towel festering in your pack - in addition to their compactness, travel towels dry in no time at all. I couldn't travel without one.