i have read about alot of people not taking any cotton with them, especially the backpackers - because cotton wrinkles and takes too long to dry.
so then is any non cotton fabric okay? i'm thinking of the sports shirts that are moisure wicking . . .
or i dunno, maybe it doesn't matter that much?
There are a variety of fabrics that work very well. Some brand names like Coolmax. Straight nylon does work all that well but is serviceable. The synthetic blends work well and some with a little cotton (less than 20%) work very well. You just have to try it on and see what you like the feel of.
Lisa just make a test run at home. Select the things you have in your wardrobe you were thinking about taking. Wear them for a day, wash them out in the sink and hang them up to dry inside. Two things to check in the morning, are they dry enought to wear and are they too wrinkled.
If they are ok on both counts, you are good to go. If not, then look for something else.
I don't have a dryer, so I hang all my clothes on a rack to dry in my kitchen or bedroom. Depending on the weather, almost everything is dry by the next day, sometimes on the same day. The first things that are dry are thin, cotton blouses, or dress shirts. If you hang them nicely, and if you feel like turning them over halfway thru the day, they dry even faster and are quite smooth. If you have those permanent press shirts, they usually look pretty good. I hardly ever iron anything, only the dressy things.
When I had to hang my clothes in a bathroom that didn't have a window, some of my cotton items (t-shirts, khakis, crew socks) would take multiple DAYS to dry. And I thought I did a good job of wringing them out first, so it was rather frustrating.
On the other hand, my "moisture wicking" synthetic polo shirts took less than a day to dry and were great. And they were inexpensive -- I bought most of them at Target for about $20 each. And once they're dry, you can roll them up tightly to re-pack them without worrying about wrinkles.
i will probably just buy some cheap moisture wicking tshirts - found some at the rei outlet for $10 - $15.
the thing is, probably because i usually only wear cotton, they feel weird against my skin - silky and light weight. these are both good things - its not unpleasant, just different.
My favorite fabrics are washable silk and washable wool. They aren't easy to find or cheap so most of my travel clothes are some variety of polyester - rayon, modal, tencil, bamboo, coconut husk, nylon (technically they may not all be in the same category).
In my experience all polyesters aren't created equal. Some are very comfortable, breathable and wrinkle resistant while others aren't. I like many of the coolmax type products but not all of them. My advice is try everything on so it at least feels good in the store, then wear it for some physical activity (walk, bike ride, etc.) before packing it for travel.
Also check the laundering directions. I only buy travel clothes that are machine washable and dryable. Even though I often hand wash on the road, I ocassionally stop at a laudromat and wash everything; I don't want to worry about items that need special attention.
It also pays to do a hand wash and hang dry at home to see how the fabric performs before you pack it.
Here's an example of what I pack in my carry-on:
I don't think this is a big deal--even when I was a backpacker, I didn't have problems washing out and drying cotton shirts (they dry overnight). I think those wicking t shirts and especially the non-cotton hiking type pants are quite ugly, so I'd rather deal with having to take jeans or other pants to a laundromat or having my hotel wash them then ever wear those non-cotton pants in public (its not like you have to wash pants every time you wear them. And I'm not sure if you've ever worn the synthetic t shirts, but most of them retain odor badly--I'm a hiker, and us hikers are always looking for the least stinky hiking T shirt. Backpacker magazine had a very funny review of these shirts once, rated by how bad they smelled after one wearing.
If you're staying in hotels, it's really a non-issue. You can use the hotel iron if you are that wrinkled. If your trip is more than a week, try to stay at a b and b or hotel that has a laundry so you can do a load at some point. I've never had a problem finding lodging that offered free or coin-op laundry.
A light cotton blouse or shirt will dry way faster than a cotton t-shirt. Especially if you hang it on a hanger, which separates it.
Lisa, If you like the feel of cotton t-shirts, I have been happy with 95% cotton 5% spandex t-shirts. We traveled in Italy last fall and the washed t-shirts dried overnight w/out much wrinkling. (After being rolled up in a travel towel and stepped on to get out most of the moisture.)
thanks for all your feedback. i think i'm just going to pack my cotten tshirts and not worry about it. i was thinking non cotton bc i was planning to wash clothes in the sink but as most hostels have laundry facilities i dont think this will be necessary.
ha - yes but that is the thing - i'm not staying in hotels. i'm staying in hostels. and i've been told they don't do clotheslines inside. they might do a clothesline on the roof but most have laundry facilities. and since i'll probably only wash clothes 2 times while i'm there, i'll probably just do that.
Hi Lisa,
... Ron is right about going on a test trip at home. Using your "packing light" carry-on size suitcase, pack comfortable clothes that need to be washed in the hôtel's sink and string a portable line in your room to dry them (overnight). Wear those clothes to your next test location. Stop for breakfast at a small café. Order hard rolls, butter and jam - plus strong coffee. Say to the waitstaff, "merci beaucoup!" That is to say, have fun pretending you are already THERE! bon voyage! P
My concern is quick dryability more than wrinkling and I have found my favorite fabric for pants is 70% cotton/30% nylon (or thereabouts). It still feels like cotton but it dries pretty fast. It has taken some searching to find that material but I now have a multi-pocket jacket, 3 pairs of pants and a pair of capris. With skirts I don't mind if they are all nylon.
I remember when I hated all polyester clothes. They were sweaty, stinky and uncomfortable. Today's high-tech fabrics can be great, they even have anti-microbial treatment to keep the odors down. Others, including some nice polo shirts, seem to be made out of the old stuff.
Cotton's weaknesses include wrinkling badly, losing shape with wear and don't regain it's shape without a tumble dry, losing all insulation value when it gets wet. I've had great cotton shirt, pants and underwear that permanently lost their shape after a trip of handwashing and hangdrying.
I still wear mostly cotton at home. When I'm traveling or camping I use other fabrics.
Lots of good posts here---I'm still trying to find a good synthetic, wickaway T-shirt for hiking that doesn't cook me in hot, humid weather! I agree with Jo that woven cotton (as in shirts and blouses) dries quicker and is cooler than knit cotton (T-shirts). I have a couple of sleeveless cotton button shirts that helped me survive the 41 degree weather in Budapest last year. They are a type of searsucker material so I don't even have to worry about wrinkles!
If you have an REI store near you they have a large selection of the type of clothes you are looking for.
If not, try some of the websites listed below and click on travel or hiking clothing. Look for the words wicking, breathable, wrinkle resistant, quick drying, etc--words that tell you it will be cool, dry quickly and look good after drip drying.
Some brands I really like are North Face, Columbia, Mountain Hardware, Isis and Lowe Alpine. Mountain Hardware runs a little small but it is my favorite as far as how their tops fit me. I just buy a size larger.
www.REI.com
www.REI-Outlet.com
www.campmor.com
www.sierratradingpost.com
I,too, wear cotton most of the time when I'm home because I like how it feels, but the new synthetics are much better, and I use them a lot for hiking, backpacking and traveling. Just returned from two weeks in Eastern Europe, including hiking in the Alps, and I can't say enough about the T-shirt I brought from ExOfficio, the ExO Dri Pointelle V-neck. First of all, it doesn't look like an "exercise" shirt, it looked great with a skirt or capris in town. The pointells fabric is very light (not see-through) so it packs easily, dried fast and was comfortable when hot. It fits close enough that it layers easily so was a great hiking shirt for the days we spent hiking hut to hut. I loved it. I took other synthetic layers, especially for hiking, and a very lightweight cotton tee and long sleeve shirt. I have found that the thickness of cotton makes a huge difference. A lighter weight dries very quickly, but a thick cotton tee can take forever. Also, if you are washing by hand, think about the weather where you are traveling. If it's hot and dry, clothes will dry in a few hours. If you are having rain or high humidity, things will be damp in the morning, so have a few extra plastic bags with you!
Depending on where and how you are going I think cotton can be a better choice. It breaths better, if you're in warm climates it's not going to hold odor like synthetic materials. If you're backpacking and are worried about wrinkles, then I understand but there are several companies that provide good breathing cotton like materials that don't tend to wrinkle. Being a woman, unless you're doing a lot of back packing, I think cotton dresses are the best! They keep you cool, they breath well and there are so many you can buy that can just be rolled up, easily washed and there's no wrinkle worry. Good luck! :)
Lisa...about clotheslines in hostels...you're right about not stringing up a line in the dorm room but you can do this: wash one or two items, roll out excess moisture in your towel, hang your item(s) on a clothes hanger and suspend the hanger from some place at your bedside. I have never failed to find a way to suspend a wire or inflatable hanger. And since it is right at your bed, there is no objection from your roommates.
