Clothing Suggestions

Here's an approximation of what I pack:

http://www.polyvore.com/mens_travel_pack_list/set?id=1440268

Generally I'm always shopping for travel clothes. I find them on sale and wear each piece enough to know I really like it before I commit to packing it.

I never pack anything I can't use in several mix/match combinations, preferably something that works for casual to somewhat dressy

We each carry day back pack (15 X 9 X 10(expanded)) and each use the Rick Steves' 21" Roll Aboard.

4-5 sets clothes.

1 fleece jacket that does not wrinkle and can be stuffed anywhere.

1 open and 1 closed toed shoes for jumping on and off trains.

As you will note, it is not the clothes that adds to the weight...it is all the rest of the "stuff".

It is important to buy only quick dry-wrinkle resitant clothes.

Our favorite is EBTEK by Eddie Bower for wrinkle resistant and quick dry. We also have Columbia, REI and EX Officio in the wrinkle resistant and quick dry.

Whatever you choose to buy, wash then in a sink and after rinsing, carry then to a bath tub and shake off excess water. Do NOT wring as it will cause wrinkles...then hang to dry. We have tried everything to avoid wrinkles and found that method works the best.

For our socks and other items we lay the items on the Rick Steve's travel towel, then roll tightly and press to get the excess water out.

We also carry 2 Rick Steves' travel clothes lines, approximately 8 clothes pins and at least 6 clothes hangers.

Your travel clothes will be acceptable in restaurants and churches. I would not wear shorts or sleeves shirts in churches.

Enjoy your travels!

This is a good idea Stuart.

Right now I am looking at "winter" clothing that might be warm but not overly bulky. I hate travelling in winter because of the extra layers and bulk, but if that's when I can go, I won't say no to Europe :-)

Hubby has an Aigle tri-weather jacket. I think that's what it is called. We bought it after out trip to Europe in December 2008. His jacket was not water/wind proof, and I felt he needed one of these. The one he got worked amazingly well this past brutal winter in Europe!

I am on the lookout now for more Icebreaker tops, Smartwool socks (THEY ARE AMAZING), and non-cotton underwear for the guys. Those cotton underwear are awful for hand washing/drying.

To Eli re winter clothing: I have been quite happy for two trips on London in winter taking a windbloc fleece (hooded zip up jacket) and a gore-tex nicer looking rain jacket. I buy a scarf and mittens over there. The scarf helps the cold air from getting in at the neck. Long underwear, especially bottoms, for the really cold days.

If you want discounted prices for quality clothes (travel jacket, ...) look at the catalogs of Sierra Trading Post. Much of their products (various different brand names, including clothes made in countries in Europe) can be seen on their internet web site, but the color photographs of the clothes are much better in their printed catalogs (for mail order). Sierra Trading Post's warehouse is in the state Wyoming. I enjoyed doing business with them, during many years. Sierra Trading Post catalog is the first place that I look at, if I want to buy clothes for travel, or any kind of jacket or coat or shoes. They have several different kinds of catalogs. Each new edition of a catalog (revised every few weeks) has some different clothing items. Some of the discounted prices are high prices, some of the discounted prices are low prices. Edit : The clothing items in the Sierra Trading Post catalog are not the newest clothing items on the market, but sometimes the styles and colors of items that were new a few years ago are better.

I'm a big fan of North Face water proof jackets. The hoods are great because they stay on in fierce wind, which is important (they are adustable). I wear a North Face fleece jacket underneath when it's cool out. With a sweater or even two long sleeve t-shirts under the fleece, it keeps me quite warm in colder weather.

They are not cheap, but I think they are an excellent investment. I wear mine all the time and they wear very well. I think you have to have something like this for travel unless you're going someplace hot. With the hood you don't need to bring an umbrella, which I consider a big plus. Many other brands have similar jackets at different price points. Just make sure you get water proof and not water resistant.

I don't know if you would consider them to be a decent looking general jacket because they are pretty sporty. I don't go anywhere on vacation that you have to get dressed up, so this works every where I go.

I use the GoreTex jacket from my old golf rainsuit.It is water proof and wind proof.That along with a rainproof hat eliminates the need for a umbrella.

For my next trip I'm going to look at Scottevest evolution jacket. It will help me carry all my electronic gadgets in it's two dozen or so pockets. The jacket is getting good reviews.

Carroll, I saw so many people in Europe wearing Northface (sporty), that I would not mind owning one myself!

Do you find them true to size? There isn't a wide selection in my town, so I would have to buy online. Trying to avoid having to pay postage to send anything back.

I wear quite a bit of North Face and find them true to size.

Has anyone traveled with the Ex Officio or Royal Robbin pants? They seem to look decent and are lightweight for quick drying. Is there anything, maybe not quite so thin, so they could be used for cooler weather travel (spring/fall/Alps/etc.)? How about the Columbia Trail and Travel Pants.. anyone tried those out?

Stuart,

You might have a look at www.tilley.com/home.asp?countryCode=US. I use their "travel friendly" clothing extensively and most of the products are designed for easy care (wash in a hotel room sink or whatever).

Cheers!

I agree with Tilley for pants,coats and hats. I did not like their shirts as much.

I have also tried the Woolrich shirts (No Iron). I found they came out very well with sink washings.

Stuart,
Both my husband and I use Ex Officio shirts and pants when we travel. Very comfortable, and we have found they dry easily overnight. Even if they get wrinkled, the wrinkles disappear fairly quickly by just hanging them up. Look for the dry-fly lite material. (My husband likes the Air Strip lite). They have frequent sales for discontinued colors. There's one on right now. Have fun!

check your local big box store for jackets when in season. we found great softshell jackets for under $30. wind and waterproof, packed small and lite. wore in slovenia/croatia on land and at sea. great for layering. compared with jackets online from $60 to over $100 they are a great value.

I saw that REI is having a Winter Clearance sale, taking 50% off of their already-discounted prices. This includes Ex Officio pants, Smartwool socks, and Columbia and Royal Robbins shirts. So, it may be worth checking out their website. I'm not sure how much longer the sale lasts though..

Ditto on Northface. Definitely true to size and good quality. I swear by my lightweight windproof/water repellent jacket. After 8 weeks in Ireland and England over the course of 3 summers, it still looks like new and the only time it did not stop the rain was one rainy day in outside of Dublin where we experienced a downpour that seemed to go on for hours.

Some suggestions for women: For winter, I've been eye-ing the North Face Insulated Grace jacket. Waterproof, hooded, and good-looking enough for big-city wear. For warmer weather, Athleta and Title Nine Sports have some good travel/quick-dry wear that look pretty good.

Anyone know of any pants that are good for travel (i.e. lightweight, quick-drying, stain/wrinkle resistant) that can also zip off at the legs and convert into shorts and are NOT cargo pants (or have multiple random pockets everywhere)?

I was just keeping an eye out for pants like this that could function well, look decent, and also be used as shorts or as a swimsuit essentially. It would keep the packing down..

ExOfficio

As Michael said: ExOfficio. It took me several trips to Europe to get things fine tuned, and to open my wallet wider, to finally get mostly Exofficio underwear, socks, shirts, and pants. I now take only 3 sets of underwear, including socks, for what amounts to almost a month. I do laundry in the sink every third night for the underwear and whenever the shirts and pants need washing. Always are dry in the AM. We also take lightweight rain jackets (TravelSmith) and since we travel in late Spring or early Fall, we do not take warm clothes. We could always buy something if the need arrises. I still have a few things from REI but don't take them very often. Shoes: Clarks' AirMovers - the older ones made in England - and a pair of light weight sandals. After reading this web site for a LONG time, there are very many different opinions. If shopping online, try to buy things that are returnable in case they do not fit or turn out to be the wrong color. Happy Travels -

Anyone have a suggestion on where to find a suitable travel (quick-drying, wrinkle resistant) polo shirt?

I saw one at Magellans that looked OK, but would just prefer it without the pocket...

Any suggestions on brands or where to find them would be helpful.

Thanks!

For a polo shirt, I'd go with the tech fabric golf shirts. There is a wide enough variety of them to find a style and color you like. They are designed to wick away perspiration and dry quickly. They are also good to wash and wear.

Make sure to feel the fabric before you buy it. Some of them are very comfortable and some feel kind of scratchy. I would also wear it at least once or twice before packing it, just to make sure you're happy with it.