The Ultimate Camping Dish Towel Guide (From the Team Behind GabaDeals)
G'day! I'm Awais from GabaDeals, and before you think "oh great, another sales pitch," hear me out. This whole business started because I was absolutely fed up with rubbish camping towels during years of exploring Australia with my partner and our crew.
Picture this: Easter weekend at Wilson's Promontory, eight of us, and I'm standing there at 7 AM with a soggy tea towel that's been "drying" since yesterday's dinner cleanup. That's when I decided there had to be a better way , and honestly, that frustration is what led us to create GabaDeals in the first place.
So yes, I'll be talking about our products in this guide, but I'm also going to share everything I've learned about camping towels over the years , including when our stuff isn't the right choice and what alternatives work well. Fair dinkum, the camping community deserves honest advice, not just sales pitches.
Why Most Kitchen Towels Are Hopeless for Camping (The Hard Truth)
Before we started GabaDeals, I went through every possible towel option you can imagine. Those pretty tea towels from your kitchen drawer? Absolute disasters in humid Queensland camping conditions. The fancy microfiber ones from camping stores? Half of them just push grease around your plates without actually cleaning anything.
Here's what I learned the hard way during countless camping trips across Australia:
Regular Cotton Towels: Take forever to dry (especially anywhere coastal), hold onto smells like nobody's business, and after three days of camp cooking, they're usually fit for the bin.
Cheap Microfiber: Falls apart quickly, doesn't absorb oil properly, and feels like cleaning with a plastic bag.
Designer Kitchen Towels: Look lovely hanging in your Melbourne kitchen, completely useless when you're trying to clean a greasy camp frying pan at Lake Eildon.
The Reality of Camp Kitchen Life
When you're camping, your dish towel becomes the Swiss Army knife of cleaning tools:
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Mopping up that inevitable 6 AM coffee disaster
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Handling hot camp oven lids (because who remembers proper oven mitts?)
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Dealing with greasy bacon pans and sticky camp tables
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Managing condensation in camp kitchens
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Emergency spill response for everything from sauce bottles to fuel spills
Your towel needs to work harder than anything in your home kitchen, and most products just aren't designed for that reality.
What Actually Makes a Camping Towel Work
After years of testing (and plenty of failures), here's what separates the champions from the also-rans:
Size Actually Matters This was our biggest discovery. Standard 40x60cm towels might be fine for home, but when you're dealing with camp-sized messes and limited towel supplies, you need serious coverage. That's why we ended up creating our 60x90cm "jumbo" sizes , they're genuinely not available anywhere else in Australia because most suppliers stick to standard home sizes.
The Quick-Dry Paradox Here's the tricky bit: towels need to dry fast in Australian conditions (from Darwin humidity to unpredictable Victorian weather), but they also need to actually absorb spills when they happen. Many "quick-dry" options are so water-repellent they're useless for cleaning.
Real Absorbency vs Marketing Claims I've tested towels that claimed "super absorbent" but couldn't handle a decent coffee spill. The material and weave matter more than the marketing copy.
Our Product Range (And Why We Created Each One)
Since I'm being upfront about this being our business, let me walk you through our range and why each exists:
Blue Jumbo Tea Towels 60x90cm - The Game Changer
Price: From $29.99 AUD
This was our first product, born from that Wilson's Prom disaster I mentioned. We wanted something genuinely large enough to handle camp kitchen cleanup without constantly wringing out a tiny cloth.
Why we chose this size: At 60x90cm, it's actually big enough to tackle a full camp kitchen cleanup. Think of it as the ute of towels , built for serious work.
Why blue: Practical choice , hides most camp stains but still shows when it needs washing. We learned from experience that white towels look grotty after day one of bush camping.
Real-world testing: These have been through everything from week-long Kakadu trips to coastal camping in the wet season. The cotton construction means they actually absorb spills (unlike some microfiber that just pushes water around), but they dry surprisingly well for natural fiber.
When it's not right for you: If you're ultralight backpacking or only doing overnight trips, it's probably overkill.
Multicolor Rich Cotton Dish Wash Set - The Practical Choice
Price: From $24.99 AUD
We created this after feedback from camping families who wanted a budget-friendly option that still performed properly.
Why the multicolor approach: More practical than pretty. Different colors for different jobs (blue for dishes, green for surfaces, etc.) helps avoid that gross cross-contamination situation when you're washing up after a big camp breakfast.
What makes it special: The high absorbance is specifically designed for dish washing , meaning it actually tackles greasy camp cookware instead of just spreading mess around.
Real customer feedback: "Finally, towels that don't cost a fortune but actually work" , that's from Michelle, who bought a set for her family's caravan trips.
When to choose this: Perfect for weekend warriors, families on a budget, or anyone who wants reliable performance without premium pricing.
Other Color Options for Every Camping Style
Beyond our main recommendations, we've expanded the range based on camper feedback:
Gray Jumbo Tea Towels 60x90cm ($29.99): The professional choice. Hides dirt almost as well as black but shows when it needs washing. Popular with caravan travelers who want something that looks neat in photos.
Red Jumbo Tea Towels 60x90cm ($29.99): Bold and practical. Easy to spot in your camp setup, and the color hides most stains except for obvious spills. Great if you like your camp gear to have personality.
Peach Jumbo Tea Towels 60x90cm ($29.99): Softer aesthetic that many female campers prefer. Still practical for hiding light stains while maintaining a more elegant camp kitchen appearance.
Checked/Standard Jumbo Tea Towels 60x90cm ($29.99): Classic design with the traditional checked pattern. Timeless look that works with any camp setup style.
Yellow Tea Towels 50x70cm ($24.99): Bright and cheerful option in our standard range. Shows dirt easily but some campers love the sunny camp kitchen vibe.
All these options have the same commercial-grade cotton construction and absorbency properties as our main recommendations , it's really about personal preference and camp aesthetic.
See Our Full Kitchen Collection →
Premium Black Jumbo Tea Towels 60x90cm - The Stealth Option
Price: From $29.99 AUD
Honestly, this one came about because my partner got sick of me complaining about how grotty light-colored towels looked after extended bush camping trips.
The black advantage: Coffee stains? Invisible. Grease marks? Can't see them. That mysterious stuff from cleaning the camp oven? What stuff? I'm not saying you shouldn't wash them, but when you're five days into remote camping, these still look presentable.
Why ultra-absorbent matters: They handle the big spills that happen when you're cooking for a group around a campfire. One towel does what normally takes two or three standard ones.
Honest assessment: They're brilliant for extended trips where appearance matters, but if you prefer seeing when something needs washing, go with lighter colors.
How We Compare to the Competition (Honestly)
Since we're being transparent here, let me give you the real story on alternatives:
Microfiber from camping stores ($15-25): Excellent for quick drying and compact packing. Brilliant for cleaning surfaces. But most are hopeless with oil and grease , they just push it around. I still carry microfiber for final drying, but cotton does the heavy lifting.
Premium outdoor brands ($35-50): Often well-made but you're paying for brand name. Similar performance to ours but at significantly higher prices.
Cheap cotton towels from discount stores ($5-10): You get what you pay for. They might work for one trip, but fall apart quickly and don't have the absorbency for serious camp use.
Turkish terry towels from homewares stores ($20-30): Good quality, but usually only available in standard home sizes. Fine if size isn't an issue for you. We also stock Turkish terry towels if you prefer that texture.
The Cotton vs Microfiber Debate (From Someone Who Uses Both)
Right, let's settle this properly:
Cotton (like ours) actually absorbs everything , oil, grease, coffee, the works. It feels substantial, deals with hot cookware safely, and gets genuinely clean in the wash. The trade-off is slower drying and more pack weight.
Quality Microfiber dries incredibly quickly, packs small, and is brilliant for final surface cleaning. But most microfiber struggles with greasy or oily messes.
My honest recommendation: Use both. Cotton for the heavy lifting (dish washing, spill cleanup), microfiber for quick-dry situations and surface cleaning. That's what I pack for serious camping trips.
Sizing Guide: What Actually Works for Different Camping Styles
Solo/Couple Camping: Our multicolor set gives you options without excessive bulk. Pack at least two towels , one gets gross, guaranteed.
Group Camping: The jumbo sizes (60x90cm) are genuinely game-changers. One large towel handles what normally takes multiple standard ones.
Backpacking: Honestly, our products might be overkill. Consider one of our 50x70cm options plus a compact microfiber.
Caravan/RV Life: Space isn't an issue, so prioritize performance. Mix of jumbo and standard sizes gives you maximum flexibility.
Extended Bush Camping: Pack for twice as long as you think. Include quick-dry options and have extras for the inevitable disasters.
Australian Camping Reality Check
Camping here presents unique challenges I've learned to plan for:
Humidity (coastal and tropical): Towels dry slowly. Our cotton-based ones handle this better than pure terry, but in extreme humidity, nothing dries quickly.
Red Dirt: Gets into everything. Dark colors hide dust better , that's partly why the black ones exist.
Water Restrictions: Many sites have usage limits. Super-absorbent towels mean less water for rinsing and wringing.
No Facilities: Everything dries on camp furniture or improvised lines. Our towels have proper corner construction for hanging.
What We Got Wrong (And What We Learned)
Early Sizing Mistakes: Our first batch was too small. Learned quickly that Australian campers wanted proper coverage, not European-sized portions.
Color Choices: Originally focused on pretty colors. Discovered quickly that practical colors (blues, grays, blacks) work better for real camping.
Pricing Assumptions: Tried to compete on pure price initially. Learned that campers will pay fair prices for products that actually work, but won't pay premium prices for standard performance.
Packaging: First versions packed poorly for camping kits. Now everything's designed to pack efficiently in camp storage.
Caring for Camping Towels (So They Last)
Here's what I've learned about keeping camp towels functional:
During Trips:
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Ring out properly (obvious but important)
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Hang with airflow on all sides
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Quick rinse in camp detergent for funky smells
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Keep dirty separate from clean
Post-Trip:
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Wash separately first time back
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Hot water for grease and smell removal
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Avoid fabric softener (reduces absorbency)
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Sun dry when possible
When Our Products Aren't Right for You
Being honest, our towels aren't the best choice if you:
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Only do overnight camping trips (overkill)
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Prioritize ultralight packing above everything
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Prefer synthetic materials exclusively
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Need towels primarily for personal use rather than camp kitchen
For those situations, consider lightweight microfiber options from camping specialty stores.
Not sure what size you need? Browse our full range →
Where This All Leads
Look, we started GabaDeals because we were frustrated campers who couldn't find products that actually worked for Australian camping conditions. The business grew because other campers shared that frustration.
Our approach is simple: create products we'd actually want to use on our own trips, price them fairly, and be honest about what they're good for (and what they're not).
The 60x90cm sizing genuinely isn't available elsewhere in Australia because most suppliers import standard international sizes. We saw a gap and filled it.
Are our towels perfect for everyone? Absolutely not. But for campers who've dealt with inadequate, soggy, or ineffective camp towels, they solve real problems.
Final Thoughts: Why This Matters
Here's the thing , camping should be about enjoying the outdoors, not fighting with inadequate gear. Good towels are one of those small upgrades that make every trip more pleasant.
After years of camping across Australia and now running this business, I've learned that the right gear doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. It just needs to work when you need it to work.
Whether you choose our blue jumbo towels for their proven camp performance, the black ones for extended trips, the multicolor sets for budget-friendly reliability, or any of our other color options to match your camp aesthetic, the key is being honest about what you actually need versus what marketing tells you to want.
Don't settle for soggy, inadequate camp towels just because "that's camping." Life's too short for preventable camping frustrations.
Shop Our Complete Camping Towel Range →
Quick Shopping Guide
For Serious Campers: Blue Jumbo 60x90cm - $29.99 For Extended Trips: Black Jumbo 60x90cm - $29.99
For Budget-Conscious Families: Multicolor Cotton Set - $24.99 For Color Variety: Browse All Jumbo Options - From $29.99
Ready to upgrade your camp kitchen game? Check out our full range at GabaDeals.com.au. And if you've got questions about what works best for your camping style, drop us a line , we're campers too, and happy to help you find the right solution.