After a swim, a camp shower or a wash in a bucket, you need somewhere to hang things. The Sea to Summit Clothesline is about as small as a clothesline gets: a 3.5 m cord that packs into a pouch the size of your palm, and holds your washing without pegs.
We’ve strung it between trees at camp and off the side of the rooftop tent, with towels, socks and shorts on it.
What’s in the box
A 3.5 m cord with small beads along it, a plastic hook at one end and a soft grey pouch at the other. The pouch has a snap closure and a cord lock, and it’s sewn onto the line, so you can’t lose it. The whole thing weighed 26 g on our scale.
What we like
- Only 26 g
- No pegs: beaded cord
- Pouch is sewn on, can’t be lost
- Cord lock sets the length
- Reflective cord
What we don’t
- Short at 3.5 m
- Not for heavy towels
- Cord lock fiddly at first
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Sea to Summit |
| Material | Nylon cordRubber beads |
| Weight | 26 g |
| Length | Up to 3.5 m |
| Included | HookCord lockAttached pouch |
Hanging it up
Clip the hook around a branch, a tent pole or an awning arm, walk the cord to a second point, take it around and back through the cord lock on the pouch. Pull it tight and the lock holds it. Because the pouch end does the adjusting, you can shorten the line to fit any gap up to 3.5 m.
It’s up in under a minute. The only fiddly bit is the first time, working out which way the cord goes through the lock. The cord is reflective, so you can find it with a head torch after dark instead of walking into it.
No pegs needed
Instead of pegs, the cord is made of two strands with small beads along it. You push a corner of a sock or a towel in between the strands, and the beads stop it sliding along the line. It holds socks, shorts and a small towel fine, even in a breeze. A heavy wet beach towel is pushing it on a thin 3.5 m cord, though; for a family’s washing you’d want something longer and stronger.
Size and weight
At 26 g it’s one of the lightest things in our camping kit. Packed, the pouch fits in the palm of your hand, so it lives in the toiletry bag or a pack lid and comes on every trip, from an overnight hike to a week in the car.
How it compares with the Hikeman clotheslineClothesline comparison
We also use the Hikeman Portable Camping Clothes Line. It’s twice as long and has 16 clips on the line, so it suits bigger loads like towels for two. The Sea to Summit is a third of the weight and packs much smaller, which makes it the one for hiking and travel.
This one Sea to Summit Line | Longest Hikeman Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Up to 3.5 m | Up to 7 m |
| Grip | Beaded cord, no pegs | 16 sliding clips |
| Set-up | Hook & cord lock | Hooks & carabiner |
| Bag | Attached pouch | Separate bag |
| Weight | 26 g | 82 g |
| Price | $20 | $35 |
| Our score | 9.0 | 9.1 |
Conclusion: Sea to Summit Lite Line ClotheslineConclusion
The Sea to Summit Clothesline is tiny, clever and well made. It weighs 26 g, packs into a pouch you can’t lose, holds your washing without pegs and the reflective cord shows up at night. At 3.5 m it’s short, and it’s for socks, shirts and small towels rather than a full load. For a hike, a trip away or a spot in the toiletry bag, it’s an easy one to carry.
The smallest clothesline we’ve used, and it works.
26 g, no pegs, and a pouch that’s sewn on so it can’t go missing. At 3.5 m it’s for socks, shirts and small towels.
- Hikers
- Travellers
- Ultralight
Yes. For $20 you get a 26 g line that needs no pegs and can’t lose its pouch. It’s short at 3.5 m, so take something bigger for a family’s washing.
