Let’s be honest, wouldn’t it be great to have a compact towel that morphs into a huge fluffy one when pulled out of your rucksack? Wouldn’t it be awesome to also pull out a small handkerchief that turns into one of those luxurious dressing gowns found in 5 star hotels? Let’s face it, until they are invented (along with the Hoverboard) we, as wanderes and adventurers have to make do with micro towels, aka Trek Towels.

The problem I have experienced with a fair few micro towels, is that when you are trying to dry yourself with one they tend to push the water around the body, rather than absorb it (much like those green paper towels you used to get at school, that were more of a hindrance than help).

Howeber, the benefit of micro towels is just that, they are ‘micro’, and therefore pack down small, ensuring vital room is not taken up in your travel bag. Having taken such towels on various adventures, whether overnight stays in bothies/bunkhouses or long distance trekking expeditions, they are a useful item but can have their cons. Though advised by others that there is a technique to effectively drying yourself with them, the pat-pat method, which is fine when not in a baltic campsite toilet bock or in breezy natural surroundings, where an added icy breeze is not welcome.

I’ve also found that they can take a while to dry, so unless you are in a position to dry them out before packing away you can find yourself popping a damp towel into your rucksack, which isn’t pleasant, ensuring the next time you use it you're greeted by that musty smell – which, let’s be honest is pretty minging.

Having thought about updating my current micro towel, I was recommended to try out the Lifeventure Hydrofibre Ultrlight Trek Towel. I opted for the largest size, XL, as this would be enough to hide my modesty when wrapped around my body, but wouldn’t take up much room in my bag.

For me, there are a few required specifications when it comes to micro/trek towels:

1.)    Lightweight – for use on ultralight expeditions ,where every bit of weight matters

2.)    Effective – actually dries the body

3.)    Quick Drying - So you don’t have to pack away a damp towel  

4.)    Antibacterial Protection – no musty odours (there is nothing worse than drying yourself with a whiffy towel!)

So, with a 2 day expedition planned, involving an overnight stay the Kirstone Pass Inn bunk house (which had been described as a stone tent), it seemed the perfect time to test out the Hydrofibre Towel. I also took it with me on an overnight bivvy in the woods to test it out in a natural habitat/wild camp scenario!

The conclusion on both occasions remained the same. The Lifeventure Hydrofibre Ultralite Trek Towel is the best micro towel I have ever come across.

Ultra lightweight (117g),and easy to pack within its handy compartment (I have struggled getting some towels back in their little bags in the past – there seems to be an art to folding), it doesn’t take up much room at all.

When testing out post-shower (in the bunk house) & post upper body/face wash on the wild camp, it was rather remarkable. Not only is it lovely and soft to touch, it is also extremely absorbent and I was surprised  by how quickly it enabled drying (no pat-pat technique required).

The XL size is perfect for me as I am rather petite. For the taller amongst you, don’t expect a huge towel as the size is 130cm x 75cm, but then it’s not supposed to be a massive towel as it’s all about being ultra-light but effective.  

So what do I think of the Lifeventure Hydrofibre Ultrlite Trek Towel? Quite simply, I love it! It is perfect for a quick dry-off after a bunk house shower, a wild swim, camp wash or to dry your head after rainy day on the hills. Great too for drying off your feet after a paddle in the river on a long walk!

In essence this Trek Towel is ideal for a variety of things including backpacking, sofa surfing, hostel stopping and adventure travel.  Also very good to have in your Gym bag, and fantastic for popping in your bike panniers, before heading out on a wet and windy cycle (to dry your face before going to the pub!).

I can honestly say this effective & compact towel will join me on many an adventure, where lightweight & effective kit is top priority.

Earlier this year I was invited to climb Mt. Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak. The majority of the group had one main thing in common, and that was that we had all climbed Kilimanjaro, though not together. In fact, although we had known each other for a while, we had not actually met in person. As you can imagine I jumped at the chance, and in October we set off for Morocco.

Walking in a mixed group of people you don’t know that well can make the whole ‘going for a wee’ fiasco a bit daunting. At first, the stealthy squat position may seem like the best (most natural) way to go, but let’s be honest, exposing one’s bottom isn't really a subtle approach. 

I was also rather anxious about them seeing me using my Shewee, as I had not yet announced that this was my chosen method of peeing on the trip. I was only just starting to get to know them and didn't really want my first day’s conversation filled with explaining the phenomenon of a female standing up to wee! In hindsight, I shouldn't have need worry, as surely they shouldn't have been looking whilst I went to wee anyway!

The thing about the Atlas Mountains is that the variety of terrain along the trek provides its own challenges when it comes to a loo break. Whether it’s the scorpions and snakes in the lower area (watch where you squat), to the lack of bushes, trees and general things to wee behind in the higher hills, having a Shewee made life a lot easier. When there were toilet facilities available, they were somewhat of a challenge within themselves. For a person who is not used to the ‘squat toilet’ technique, like most Westerners,  it can be frightfully overwhelming – in many respects.  

As time went on, and I felt more comfortable with the group, I decided to expose my weeing method. Thankfully, the chaps understood the benefit of such a device and didn't see it as the ultimate representation of a feminist movement, and a few of the women professed to having used one before! A couple had even brought theirs with them! Once the initial questions of intrigue were answered, the Shewee just became part of trekking life, a bit like the discussion of the group’s bowl movements (or lack of).

Another item I was extremely glad I had with me was another Shewee product, the Peebol. A sturdy plastic bag filled with silica and a zip lock closing, it can hold up to a litre of liquid, quickly turning it into a solidified gel. Ideal when it is not convenient to wee freely, and when combined with the Shewee, it allows you to wee without worrying about a liquid mess!

The key to trekking in general, especially high altitude treks, is to keep hydrated. On this trip we drank enough water & mint tea to flood a small country, so it was no wonder that we frequently needed to urinate, often throughout the night too. Imagine our concern when we discovered our evening’s accommodation involved us all sleeping in the attic of a mountain hut, accessible only by a 12ft ladder!

Having had to get up most nights to pee, it quickly ran through my mind the logistics of getting up to go to the loo in the middle of the night. To be more accurate, it was like getting ‘down’ to go to the loo, leaving your warm sleeping bag, carefully stepping over other people to get to the trap door (yup), opening said trap door (quietly) and going down the ladder without breaking leg, arm, or neck. The drama did not end there though, as the toilet itself was outside. A quick dash out in the freezing temperatures and gale force wind, to make it to the loo just in time…..only to be faced, yet again, with a squat toilet. 

Well, you could only imagine my relief when I realised I had a pack of Peebol with me! No need to do any of that palaver! After a brief warning to the group that, should they hear running water in the room during the night, worry not! It isn't a leaking roof, but me…. taking a leak…into a Peebol.

As the trek continued, so did my use of Shewee, and as we gained more and more altitude I wondered if this is the highest a Shewee has ever been. In similar respect as when Hillary & Norgay became the first people to summit Everest and survive, was this the most extreme height a Shewee had been to date? 

As the summit got ever closer, and the bladder got ever weaker, I noted the final use of my Shewee at the height of 3,898m. 



Not long after we all reached the summit of Jebel Toubkal (4,167m), North Africa’s highest mountain. It seemed only right, and fair, to let the Shewee bask in glory at the summit of Mt Toubkal. It had earned it!

The long walk back to the village of Imlil was dotted with Shewee use here and there, in bush, behind boulder and again in squat toilets. It was only when I arrived back at the hotel in Marrakech, room complete with sit down loo, that I packed away my Shewee. A rather premature action it would seem, as having got so used to using it, it was hard to return to the usual method of going to the loo!


Having taken a Shewee with me on this trip, it made going to the toilet so much easier, convenient and hygienic. My initial fear of the squat toilets soon diminished when I realised it could be approach in an easier manner – standing up! 

As for the attic fiasco, I am forever indebted to Peebol, for I fear if I had ventured out that night, I wouldn’t be sat here writing this. Instead, I would have most likely broken something, shattering my summit dream, or would have been blown away in the night. 

My last sight being the distant, twinkling lights of Marrakech.


Thank you Shewee, for helping me achieve my dream of reaching the summit of Mt Toubkal!