RIDGE MOUNTAIN GEAR Waffle towel

Spec

Material: 60% cotton, 40% linen
Size: about 35cm x 75cm
Weight: about 73g
Country of Origin: Japan Producer: Kobo Oriza, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture

Introduction

A face towel made of 60% cotton and 40% linen.
Many towels are made of 100% cotton, but the addition of linen makes them more durable and quick-drying.
If you increase the blending ratio of linen, the durability and quick-drying properties will be improved, but the water absorbency will be impaired, the texture will be crisper and harder, and the "stickiness" will increase when absorbing water.
Considering the balance of water absorption, durability, and quick drying, we settled on a blend of 60% cotton and 40% linen.
The waffle weave, which is also the product name, has excellent water absorption, does not easily lose threads, and dries easily.
Not only can it be used for hiking, but it can also be used in hot springs, public baths, and saunas after descending the mountain.
Please use it not only for everyday use, but also for traveling.

At the beginning of use, there is a crisp feeling peculiar to hemp, but the more you use it, the more supple it becomes.
Please enjoy the secular change.

A loop-shaped woven label is attached to the center of the back side, so it is possible to hook it to a backpack with a carabiner.

The package of "Waffle Towel" uses high-density polyethylene as the material and is thick enough to withstand a certain amount of use. The opening of the bag is also zipped, so you can use it as an accessory case even after removing the towel.

Story

I used to use synthetic microfiber towels for hiking.Microfiber towels are highly absorbent and quick-drying, and are lightweight, so they are very useful when you want to lighten your luggage. However, after using it a few times, my skin felt itchy.
When using it, I sometimes felt a “feeling of being caught” on my skin.

Microfiber is made up of very fine fibers. This means that each fiber is thin and sharp. Therefore, it is not recommended for babies' delicate skin. Some adults have sensitive skin. I have been like that for a long time.
When I wore innerwear using microfiber, my arms were always itchy and red because there was a lot of friction with my skin.
While I was thinking about what kind of towel I would want to use myself, I wanted to make such a towel. The material used is natural fiber, not synthetic fiber. It should be as light, durable, and absorbent as possible, and above all, you will want to use it every day. It was such a towel.

Imabari is synonymous with towels.
I contacted several towel manufacturers in Imabari and asked about their production requirements, but all of them far exceeded the number of lots that a small manufacturer like us could ask for.
I wondered if we should leave it until we grew up a little more, and we were about to give up, but one of them had a towel manufacturer that produced in small lots. I was introduced to...

And finally we arrived at Kobo Oriza, who was able to make towels with RIDGE MOUNTAIN GEAR this time.

Collaborateur

The sound of a shuttle that has not changed for 100 years echoes through the mountains of Imabari Kihara, Tamagawa Town, in the mountains of Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture.

Kobo Oriza is located in a small village surrounded by rice fields on the banks of the Soja River in Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. In this land rich in nature, while inheriting the history of Imabari cotton textiles, in order to enable new ideas for weaving and shapes, we have remodeled shuttle looms that were built 100 years ago to create textiles that are close to our lives. continues to create

"Special fabric born from a 100-year-old loom"
At Kobo Oriza, we use old looms that are 100 years old. In the era of mass production and mass consumption, Kobo Oriza seems to be going backwards to the source. The reason it feels a little nostalgic may be because it uses old-fashioned machines and a lot of manual labor. Fabrics born from slow looms that produce a texture close to hand-woven are finished with fine handwork. It is washed gently according to the material and weave, and dried naturally in the shade so as not to burden the fibers.

With such a rare and unique loom, the towel is woven gently, slowly and slowly without stressing the thread, resulting in a very soft texture.