Spit on a small sample of dry soil if water is not available. Sandy soil feels gritty and loose. It won't form a ball and falls apart when rubbed between your fingers. Loam soil is smooth, slick, partially gritty and sticky and forms a ball that crumbles easily. It is a combination of sand and clay particles.
Clay soil is smooth, sticky and somewhat plastic feeling.
It forms ribbons when pressed between fingers. Clay soil requires more pressure to form a ball than loam soil. The rate of water percolation is another way to describe the texture of soil. Soils percolate water at different rates. Soil should be watered only as much and as fast as the soil can absorb without runoff.