Always Know Where Your Towel Is

The Guide is firm on this. A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. You can wrap it round you for warmth, lie on it, sail on it, wave it in emergencies, and, of course, dry yourself off with it if it still seems clean enough.

But the real reason a towel matters is reputation. Any traveller who can still produce their towel, after everything, is assumed to be a frood who has their act thoroughly together. The towel is a proxy for preparation.

What the towel really means

• It is not the cloth. It is the habit of being ready.
• Pack the boring essentials so you can be spontaneous about everything else.
• And yes, know your limits with the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, which is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.

I try to travel, and work, and live like this. Sort the foundations quietly in advance, then meet the chaos with a clear head and a dry towel. Everything improbable becomes a lot more enjoyable once you know the basics are handled.