No more soggy doggy
Barge Beagle – sniffing out good finds for crews with canines
EVERY dog needs a good towel, particularly with all the recent inclement weather we have been experiencing. While most love to be dried with a thick, fluffy cotton towel, these can be impractical for a number of reasons; they can be big, bulky and heavy, unsuitable for small storage spaces or travel purposes, puppies and smaller breeds may find the weight uncomfortable and they can take a long time to dry. With this in mind, Barge Beagle has been seeking out an alternative.
Available from a number of suppliers, such as Hoolaroo and TeddyT’s (via Amazon), is the luxuriously soft and super absorbent microfibre towel. These are lightweight, do not take up as much room as a bulky traditional towel – ideal for compact boat cabins – and when venturing out on a hike can be easily rolled up and slipped into a knapsack without weighing you down.
Barge Beagle can be a mucky pup; he loves to paddle in puddles and snuffle through muddy woodlands, resulting in the microfibre towel receiving a full workout. It stood up to the job extremely well, in fact surprisingly well, given just how light it feels in your hands.
As you would expect, the drying time is also reduced compared with that of a more traditional towel, which is amazing when you consider that microfibre can hold up to seven times its own weight in water. It is not difficult to hang up and dry – for example, the lightness will allow the towel to be hung on a laundry peg hanger, another plus point for small boat cabins and for those with limited outside space.
The towels come in a wide range of colours, feature an embroidered paw print and can be personalised with your own dog’s name, or perhaps your boat name if so desired. This makes the towel a great gift idea too and, being lightweight, can easily be packed into a jiffy bag and popped into the post.
The downside to microfibre which is synthetic, made up of polyesters, polyamides and polypropylene, is in the washing as minute plastics can be released into the environment via the water system. However, it wins in other areas such as using less water to produce, less dye to colour it and lasting longer than cotton comparisons.
Barge Beagle loves his microfibre towel but recommends thoroughly researching the pros and cons prior to purchase to ensure your own personal green and sustainability ethos is met.
A 100cm x 60cm size microfibre dog towel weighing about 400g will cost in the region of £15.99 plus post and packaging.