A rainy night in Bangkok taught me to always pack a small towel

I got caught in a sudden downpour while walking back to my hostel near Khao San Road. My clothes were soaked, and I realized I only had one dry towel in my shared room. I had to use it to dry off, which meant it was damp for the rest of my trip. The next day, I bought a small, quick-dry travel towel from a market for about 80 baht (around $2.50). It packs down to the size of a soda can and dries in an hour. Now I bring it on every trip. It's perfect for beaches, unexpected rain, or even as a makeshift pillow on long bus rides. Has anyone found other cheap, multi-use items that saved a trip?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy308d ago

My friend learned the towel lesson the hard way in Phuket when a wave soaked his only dry shirt. He spent two days wearing damp clothes that smelled like low tide. I always throw a few large zip lock bags in my backpack now. They weigh nothing and keep phones dry, organize cables, or separate wet swimsuits from everything else. It's the cheapest fix for avoiding that mildew vacation smell.

richard_ramirez8d ago

Always pack a power bank. Phones die at the worst times. Got a tiny one that saved me when my map app quit.