Rick's towels

I didn't use Rick's towels in aprticular, but I bought similar ones from TK max, only $4 each. They might work as a blanket in airports, but they are too thin for picknic.
They take much less room than a regular towel and they are high absorbent.

I don't think you would want to go with the RS towel. It is made out micro-fiber I kind of odd texture which is grea for "wick"ing off moisture but not so cozy to curl up under, or eating on for a picnic.

I take something called a "quillow" it is a small lap quilt that tucks itself up into a pillow. It is very versitile as a pillow, warmth thingy and picnic or bench sitter-on. Because it is cloth it compresses well, and I usually travel fairly light so it is an extra I don't mind.

I am also lucky to have a mom who is a fabulous quilter, as such I have a conversation piece for meeting people.

In the past I have also used rain ponchos, the kind that un-snap to lay flat, or snap together for a rain coat.

Something that might work better, at least for the picnic use aspect, are those "disposable" blankets called Neat Sheets (see here). They sell them at major chain stores like Target. The small one is 4.5 feet x 6.5 feet. If that was too big, you could always cut one in half.

Eli, that's exactly how we use ours! On planes and trains as a blanket, as an impromtu "tablecloth" for in-room "picnics", as a beach towel for sitting on, etc. Also, it wicks water so well that I gently wring out items I've washed out in the sink in the towel and they dry faster. I seldom use as a post-shower towel, since the places I stay usually provide towels, but once in a while when the hotel towels are like cardboard, they serve that purpose well. My husband bought these as a present, and I admit I didn't think we needed them, but they've been surprisingly useful.

Great ideas, and thanks for your feedback JER.

We won't need to hand wash clothes either (two places will have washer/dryer) so this is mainly as a blanket/picnic item, whichever I get.

We do the same as JER. This year our daughters and I will take the largest to use for a couple of days for beach towels but we usually just take the medium-size for wicking out hand washables or as an extra bath towel.
We like Rick's best and use the first travel towels we purchased for car washing--they weren't Rick's and aren't as soft.

How about this blanket? What I need is really a blanket more than a towel, but then the towel has that added use of being a towel as well! Decisions, decisions. I miss the good old days when we hauled two large suitcases with whatever we wanted in them. But that was not a better way to travel :-)

http://www.travelessentials.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=5656

Eagle Creek Comfort Travel Blanket

I got the "terry" style travel absorbant towel from REI (rei.com) - I think its their own brand and it is more like a regular towel - than a chamios style- and a few oz more - but still super absorbant. comes in handy for laundry if they only give you one towel in the B&B/Hotel. Also - get the L or XL size since we americans are used to BIG towels and they are light (yet still not nearly as big as home towels tho).

Check out the pashmina thread that is going. This may be the answer to your dilemma.

Thank you Tom. I remember the first time we stayed at a B&B in London. First of all, they did not provide soap, and secondly the towel was the size of what we call a hand/face towel. When I asked the gentleman for a bath towel, he told me that I was already holding one! When I asked for soap, he said it was not provided but reluctantly handed me a sample sized bar in the end. I was pregnant and looked like I would burst into tears. He was not from England, but was living there so maybe that's the way they did things in his country.

I used the Anne McAlpin towel together w/Eagle Creek fleece inflatable pillow and earplugs for on the plane. In hotel rooms, I have used all these items again if I have a cold room or strange bumpy pillow or loud neighbors. I have used the towel to wick wet washed clothes, wear as impromtu windbreaker, and for picnics. Also to take swimming, as hotels don't like their towels to leave building. Lightweight, invaluable. Larger the size, more uses possible. Fleece blanket too bulky and not good for moisture wicking for me. Happy travels.