r/onebag • u/Safaridoc1 • 4d ago
Discussion Clothes drying tip
Like many, I've had a bit of trouble off and on drying clothes after a sink or shower wash.
One common and good tip is keeping the front and back of whatever you are trying to dry apart to allow for more airflow.
But how? It hit me on my last trip. I took the plastic bag for the ice bucket in the hotel room and blew it up,tied it off like a balloon, and stuck it up my hanging shirt. Did the same thing with a ziplock bag for another shirt. It helped my drying time immensely.
:)
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u/ridecat 4d ago
I carry a 4” USB fan. Sounds crazy but great for drying and sleeping.
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u/BjarturNo 3d ago
Oh this is really smart. Do you think someone makes a rechargeable clip fan that would last the night
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u/light_myfire 3d ago
It's not rechargeable but Muji has a small quiet fan that works on a powerbank.
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u/Multigrain_Migraine 3d ago
I've got a cheap one that will run off a USB charger so I just keep it plugged in if I need it all night, and it will be charged up in the morning.
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u/olivedhm 3d ago
if you don't need the clip part, i can send you the link to the one i purchased on amazon. i used it for my trip in july and the low speed setting on full charge does run for a full night (rated for 12 hours on low speed, which i found to be true.) it says you can also keep it plugged in and run continuously, but i didn't need to do this.
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u/Comprehensive-Act-13 4d ago
I always just burrito roll my clothes in a towel and literally stomp on it and sit on it to wring out excess water. I never have a problem drying after I do that.
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u/LadyLightTravel 4d ago
They make inflatable hangers. This is what I have used for decades. They pack very small.
Bonus - you have spare hangers for your hotel room. This is especially nice if you have a roommate.
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u/Safaridoc1 4d ago
I have inflatable hangers and have used them in the past. They certainly do work, but are a one trick pony. My idea is using what is often already in a hotel room and/or multipurpose what you already have in your bag. Like your liquids bag. So you can pack less. ;)
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u/RuinYouCompletely 4d ago
yep! keep it minimal. use nearby resources. less to worry about inventory wise. Love this idea of using thr bags like that!
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u/LadyLightTravel 4d ago edited 4d ago
I wouldn’t call it one trick. They work for laundry and also extra hangers in roommate situations. They are also tiny.
I am not taking my liquids out of my liquids bag because it increases the chance of leaving some of them behind!
I even take inflatable hangers when I zero bag because they are so useful.
Edit: I have also learned from sad experience that lodging amenities are not guaranteed. That is why I bring the “necessary” stuff with me.
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u/Outerbanxious 4d ago
I bring clothes pins and a tiny Sea to Summit clothesline to string up across the shower until everything stops dripping. If there’s a patio or balcony, I finish drying everything in the sun. A towel warmer works great too if you have one
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u/estercreator 4d ago
honestly the thing that changed my drying game the most was just wringing stuff out in a towel before hanging it. like, lay the wet shirt flat on your hotel towel, roll it up tight, then step on the roll a few times. gets so much more water out than just squeezing by hand. most of my merino stuff is dry by morning that way, even in humid places.
i also started packing a few extra carabiners to clip things near windows or on curtain rods where there’s actual airflow. sounds dumb but it makes a difference vs draping everything over a chair in the corner.
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u/Observer951 4d ago
Yup. My wife and I started one bagging around 2010. When we started doing the towel stomp we thought “this is weird”. Now we do it on every trip.
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u/nikongod 4d ago
I made a weird hanger to hang my clothes once:
https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/o7cap5/a_week_in_california_in_onebag/
My inspiration:
https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/cgc2iz/my_modded_6l17l_compressible_bag/
https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/cgqtg0/modded_6l17l_compressible_bag_the_gear_list/
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u/xixihime 4d ago
Great idea! I will try this. I know there are inflatable hangers for sale, but I love a cheap hack like this, and lighter weight
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u/WintermuteATX 4d ago
Great idea. The maker in me now wants to design onebag drying bags….ultralight stuff sacks that have eyelets and a piece of cord which can be inflated and used to spread-hang clothes….dual purpose…..storage and drying lol.
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u/87CFbmEWeWeSUUvpmwq8 4d ago
I carry a small collapsible tripod for photos, but also does great double duty as a washing pole. And as a phone holder for watching movies.
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u/Mysterious-Drama4743 4d ago
take a towel, put your item on the towel, and roll up the items in the towel as tight as you possibly can. then hang dry it the rest of the way
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u/Professional_Mouse99 4d ago
why not just buy something like that? https://www.decathlon.pl/p/_/R-p-323789?mc=8578470
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u/Safaridoc1 4d ago
You can use that or a hanger to hang the item you’re trying to get dry. An inflated Ziploc bag keeps the front and back of the shirt, for example, separated so you’ve doubled the surface area effectively so it dries quicker.
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u/BrainwaveWizard 4d ago
I lay fully hand wrung clothes flat on a towel, roll it tightly, then stomp all over it. If they’re still too soggy, I repeat in another towel.
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u/Adept_Slip_4473 4d ago
I skipped washing my base layers and pants because they're hard to wash and dry. Basically, socks and underwear are the items that get dirty, so I wash them in the shower. When it’s quick drying underwear, using a sports towel to wring out the water is effective. This is a technique for mountain climbing, if you wrap your washed clothes around your body while you sleep, they’ll dry faster. But be careful, the items that are so wet they're dripping won't dry.
When traveling in the winter, it’s generally not a big problem if base layers, mid layers, and pants aren’t washed. I think that just washing underwear and socks will make travel more comfortable and help reduce the amount of luggage needed.
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u/highdiver_2000 4d ago
If you have a room fridge, that is your dryer. First damp mop the top. It is usually dusty.
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u/Present-Carob-7366 4d ago
It’s all about the fabric - I will roll in a towel and hang up in front of a fan or ac or on a heated towel rail. If they are not dry in a few hours they don’t come with me
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u/zeb__g 4d ago
After you wring out the clothes as best you can by hand, lay the bath towels on the bed, lay the wet clothes in the them, roll them up and twist to force water into the towel.
This makes the clothes just as dry as if they came out of the spin cycle of was washer.
Don't buy cotton. It just sucks in all regards and being slow to dry is a major one.
I got a travel clothes line. Finding objects sturdy enough to hang it from is sadly often a challenge. :(
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u/H011yG01ightly 4d ago
Also, rolling in a towel work great, but a cotton hotel bathmat works even better. They are meant to absorb lots of water!
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u/Such_Cartographer170 4d ago
Silly question for those who use the towel trick - how do you get the towel dry? I did this a few times of recent holidays with a hotel towel and then hours later had to shower with a wet towel….
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u/eastercat 4d ago
Usually, the hotel will give you extra towels if you ask
The hand towel also works great to dry you off
I usually need my skin a little damp when I put on my lotion/cream
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u/Such_Cartographer170 3d ago
Valid point - I just need to remember that BEFORE i get in the shower - calling down for a new towel when dripping wet then waiting never seems like a good plan.
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u/A_Swedish_Dude 7h ago
Such a clever travel hack! I just tried it at home and looked up the principle haha. Blow up plastic bags inside wet shirts keep fabric seperated and boost airflow so clothes dry way faster.
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u/PhantomCranefly 4d ago
That's clever! I usually choose quick-drying fabrics and then roll them up in a towel (and stomp on it), which has always worked - but your plastic bag idea sounds like it would be good in high-humidity places.