Modal?

Ah, I see it is 50% more water absorbent than cotton. Maybe not then.

Camp towel perhaps? :)

I've had a couple of modal shirts (not for hiking, just general wear). Never again. The least bit of sweat and they stay wet a long time. Plus they pilled badly.

RiverRunner,

The pilling is not universal. A range of fabrics use modal fibers, resulting in a range of qualities. It is cellulose and should be treated as such. I won't yet dismiss it from all possible outdoor uses, however they may be very limited.

Modal is not a performance base-layer. Its hand is pleasant thus easy to sell. Quality in a product suffers when not demanded beyond impression at point-of-sale.