pack towel substitute?

Please, if you must laugh at this, try to be kind in your reply:
I am outfitting my son and I for a large trip (for us) and the trip itself, with airfare and fees has completely tapped my bank account. I am trying to update some of my 30+ year old gear and save some weight at the same time. I was drooling over the catalogs the other night when my eye fell on pack towels, and I thought "WOW, what a neat way to save some space AND some weight", but the price is too much for a luxury item. Then I was in a bargin store yesterday and I saw these 2' x 3' shammies they use for cars. These weren't leather, but some sort of man made material that looked a lot like the cheaper pack towels. I grabbed one for a buck and brought it home and played with it. Except for a little odor from the mill, it seems to do the trick. I'm gonna run it through the wash and see if it softens up and losses the odor.
My question, does anyone know if this is the same material that they use for pack towels? Has anyone ever tried this? Am I nuts for thinking about this? (OK, that last question is rhetorical.)
I've been shopping very hard, and have found almost everything we need at a good price, with the exception of good quality socks for around $7.00/pair, anybody have any sources? I'm also looking for lightweight rain jackets that are less than $30.00 and will hold up for a 12 day trek. Any ideas? I've checked all the routine places, and REI clearance has been the best source for everything else we need.
Happy Hiking,
Tom

There was a thread several months back about using tyvek as emergency raingear.

It is cheap & waterproof.

Your chamois idea sounds good to me!!!!

Gee Tom... you're pushing it for rain jackets for under $30! Try this at Campmor for 50, it's a bit more but it is still cheap. I also found this at Nashbar, but I can't attest to it's quality. For socks, try the usual, REI, Sierra, Campmor. For a towel, I usually use a thin cotton kitchen towel. It's enough to dry off with after a quick swim or to wash with, and because it's thin it drys quick. Good luck!

Tom, I am not sure where you are going, but I just had a thought. I am going to show my age here, but when I first started hiking there was no such thing as waterproof breathable stuff. The choices were PVC rain suits which turned you into a sauna, 60/40 parkas which leaked and coated ponchos. The ponchos worked well unless you were scrambling up rock. They whipped around in the wind a bit but they kept you and your gear dry. Just a thought, but I checked both Campmor and REI and they have them for under $30.

Pack towel

I've used the cheap stuff you're talking about. I found it didn't really work too well, because it is not at all absorbant. It seems to just kind of push the water around.

That said, I haven't used a real pack towel, so I don't know if they're much better.

Try it at home. Take a shower and try drying yourself with it. Try drying dishes with it. See how long it takes to dry after. (BTW, I still use the cheap thing)

Pete,
You must have the realy cheap stuff. This thing that I got picks up water BETTER than a sponge, it is amazing. I bet it holds 2 lbs. of water, but wrings out nearly dry.
I did use it at home to dry myself, and it worked fine, but a bit course for my tender, soft skin.
I think I'm gonna give it a shot.
Happy Hiking,
Tom

New Balance outlets sell their "Adventure socks" for $5.99. A good deal on a good sock.

Tom, my son is a big guy and calls himself a "professional" sweater. For a few years he has used the "blue sham" that we always stop at the local car wash to procure just as we leave for the mountains. It is both durable and absorbent.

A few years back, Smartwool socks won Backpacker Magazine's product of the year. After trying my first pair after seeing the review, I now own many.
They are phenomenal. Wool that can we washed and machine dried. Stretchy. So soft I don't need liner socks.
This is a product that is worth spending extra on. For multidays in the same sock, you can shake them out to get rid of pine needles and debris and put them back on again. Wash 1 pair and hang them on the outside of your pack while wearing another.

Tom, I think those towels used for cars would be fine, they are also made to hold a lot of water and can be packed small too.

Smartwool is awesome, I wear those socks everyday when I bike to work and I have a small stash in my sock drawer.
I wear them year round too in the hottest of summer and the coldest of winter.

Jay

Half the fun is the thrill of the hunt. I enjoy trying out and looking for new equipment. I also just have a cheap towel, I think one might even be a golf towel. A little small to dry the entire body, but for quick 2-3 day trips, it works good for those quick smell removing wash-ups.

Shop rags

I have been using shop towels, those small red towels mechanics use. They are real cheap and can be bought at Home Depot.

I do like your idea with the blue car wash towels, I'm holding one right now and loving it. I wonder how it holds up to a day in the mountains?

TESTING TESTING TESTING

I bought a pack towel at Wal-mart. As I recall it was 25% the price of what EMS was selling. I don't know if its the same or not, but I can tell you the EMS is not significantly different.

I also buy Remington socks there; they stock them in the fall. They actually sell an expedition weight sock and liner combo for $6. Again, Im not in the sock testing business, but I have not had a problem with them.

I was dissapointed to see Walmart drop their dehydrated food rack.

Im still looking for cheap polished metal plate mirror/signaling device.

sham chamois

I use one of the cheap "shammies" in my canoe for what I can't get with the bailer, & think it works as well as my more expensive pack towel. Breatheable rain jacket under $30 sounds unlikely. SOme decent coated nylon ones can be had for $60 to 70. I think Gore-tex is overpriced and over-rated. Poncho suggestion is a good one, if you're not bushwhacking or scrambling on rock. Wear it with a pair of rain chaps, probably about $12 from Campmor. Sportsmansguide.com usually has inexpensive wool socks, occasionally good deals on other stuff suitable for backpacking, and a lot of stuff that really isn't suitable.

Gore -Tex worth the price for wet winter conditions

I ice climbed a frozen waterfall with the temps in the mid -30's and cold water pouring down on me for over an hour. I was warm and dry -even my hands - since I was totally encased in Gore-Tex. It was worth every penny in my opinion!!!

KZ

Follow-up report

I ran the shammy through the wash and it came out like a soft new baby towel! I then went right back to the clearance place and bought 3 more. I figure I can cut one up into smaller pieces for camp chores, etc. The other two can go in my son's pack.
It's amazing what you can find when you are looking for it!
I also found some nice merino wool socks at REI clearance. Still working on the rain gear, but got lucky with a pair of rain pants on ebay that was poorly described, then turned out to be just what I want and only 6 onces. ($10.00) Sometimes, you get lucky.
Happy hiking,
Tom