Taking a dip?
Wild swimming, swimming in the river, taking a dip: whatever you call it there is nothing as invigorating as an outdoor swim in cold water, surrounded by nature. Little wonder that this is an increasingly popular way to keep active.
With summer months ahead there will be plenty of opportunity to cool off in the water. Make sure you’re fully prepared, know the safe places to swim and have the right equipment.
Some people are lovers of the wet suit, which will keep you warm and give you buoyancy. Others think that takes the joy from the cold-water experience! Whichever you favour it’s important that you're able to become warm and dry afterwards.
Here at The Trails Shop we have a fabulous selection of travel towels which provide the perfect alternative to carrying a heavy, water sodden towel. The benefits of travel towels are many, we have 3 superb options to choose from.
- Super compact, light and easy to carry
- Ultra-absorbent: they dry 400% more than a conventional towel
- Ultra-fast drying (dries in 15 minutes) and they don't crease
- Hard wearing
- Repels odours and bacteria
- Eco friendly product: neither PVC or solvents are used in their manufacture and the material is 100% recyclable
Dimensions:
- Large (180 x 95 cm)
- Compact (95 x 54 cm)
Here's an independent review from outdoor adventurer, Abbie Barnes
- are made of extra soft-feel fabric
- absorb 9 times their own weight in water
- dry 8 times faster than a conventional towel.
- are treated with permanent Polygiene® antibacterial formula
- and they won the Family Product award at the 2018 Outdoor Industry Awards.
Made by Lifeventure they come in 5 iconic designs:
- Pennine Way - High Peak, showing the start of the Pennine Way
- Snowdon
- Ben Nevis
- Scafell Pike
- Central London
Dimensions and weight:
- Opened: 150 x 90cm
- Folded: 17 x 10 x 4.5cm
- Weight: 280g dry
- SoftFibre - extra soft-feel fabric
- Lightweight, compact and highly absorbent
- Treated with Polygiene permanent odour control
- Dries 8x faster than a standard beach towel
- Absorbs 9x its own weight in water
Dimensions and weight:
- Weight 203g
- Dimensions (unpacked) 150 x 90cm
If you've never tried a travel towel and wonder what the fuss is about we recommend you give them a go - we're sure you'll be a convert!
For more details on wild swimming and spots to swim, check out this useful guide from the Countryfile website.