My mom always said that your towel should always be packed last when travelling so that it’s at the top when you suddenly need it. I never understood how something with only one or two obvious uses can be so important, but I’ve come to realise that a towel has so much more potential than merely to dry stuff with.
If you’re familiar with Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy then you’ll know that the one critical piece of advice Arthur Dent received, was that a towel could be your most important item when traversing the universe. And in celebration of International Towel Day, we put together our own list of (perhaps more realistic) uses for a towel on the road:
1. As a puke-bag for when you’re driving along an endless, shoulderless road and the dog (or fellow human) gets carsick. A towel can easily be washed or discarded whereas a car seat will smell for the duration of the trip.
2. To hide away from the sun. In a car, the afternoon glare can be rather annoying, and although the passengers in the front will have to endure, those on the backseat can hang a towel in front of the window to ward off the rays.
3. As a carry-along air-conditioner. Soak your towel in water and place it on your head. The cooling-sensation is increased when covering the eyes as well, but we realise that it’s not always an option.
4. As a sharong or skirt when the trip continued longer than expected and you ran out of clean clothes, or you thought there would be a place to do laundry and you were unpleasantly surprised.
5. As a pillow when you’re nowhere near your accommodation and in desperate need of a nap. This could be on an airport, in the car, on the beach – anywhere really. (Also handy as a pillow thickness enhancer.)
6. As a blanket when it gets cold unexpectedly and you’re nowhere near your sleeping bag or warm, snuggly duvet. It might not be as warm, but it will definitely make a difference.
7. To stuff your ears with when you’re in close contact with some horrible music, the music is unbearably loud and there is no way of escaping. If this doesn’t help, the tip of the towel can be wet slightly and used to inflict pain upon the player of the music.
8. As a makeshift bag in emergencies. Please note that the correct folding technique should be applied. Safety pins (if available) can be used to strengthen your towel-bag.
9. To hide certain items in the car when crossing the border. Nothing illegal, rather perhaps something legal, like your jerry cans full of petrol when entering Malawi during the petrol crisis and the police wants to throw out the petrol and force you to buy it illegally on the black market.
10. As a turban, to fake your way into the Taj Mahaal as a Maharaj. Once again, please note that the correct folding technique needs to be applied. If not, consequences may be more severe than at point number 7.
If you’re lucky enough not to have needed your towel for any dirt-inducing activities, then you have the benefit of still being able to use it to dry yourself with. If the chances seem unlikely, then you’re advised to take at least two towels on your next trip. Three, is possible.
*Photo courtesy of Kevin Steinhardt. Visit his Flickr page.
