Suggestions for Men's pants when you want to do carryon only

AMann Thanks for that links. It is funny that Carol and I posted almost the exact question at the same minute on this forum.

I travel in Europe for 3 weeks with just the following a pair of shorts, regular pant and a one convertible pant. This gives me two pairs of pants and two pairs of shorts while only taking three items, and I usually wear the convertible pants on the flight overseas so I only pack the other two. I buy these from Clothing Arts (clothingarts.com) because they are made out of a special nylon material that feels and looks like cotton, easy to sink wash and they dry in 4-5 hours, The added feature is they are designed to be pick pocket proof (look on the website to see what I mean). I've been using these pants for the last 5 years and they are perfect for carry-on only travelers.

*Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Clothing Arts in any way, but I do like their products.

We do carry on only and our longest trip was 3 weeks. My husband packs his Levi's 505's that come in all different colors, he will usually take a blue, khaki and beige, a couple pair of Volcom Shorts (Black and blue) and a pair of cargo shorts. Then a mix of collard polos, tee's and a few button downs and he is set. Probably 12-15 pieces of clothing total. With that being said, we do not wash Jeans when traveling (I know gasp!) Jeans just do not need to be washed. We will spot clean them if necessary. We also stay in Apartments and do laundry on day 1 of that stay because we know there will be no dryer and things take about 2 days to dry on the rack. I am grateful my husband is on the trip, has agreed to carry on only so the last thing I am going to do is tell him how to dress (within reason, we are always honest with each other if something is immodest, offensive or just looks bad.).

I swear by Kuhl. Not the cheapest brand around but they wear well, dry quickly, repel stains. If you are near an REI they usually have an assortment. If not you can order online here https://www.kuhl.com/. Surprise him with a pair!

I go by feel. There are a number of "Khaki" style, some made by Dockers, advertised or called "Golf Pant" or have a name associated with golf. These tend to be much lighter weight. wrinkle free (resistant at least), and look between casual and dressy. I also have a few pairs of "travel pants" they are lighter weight, stretch fabric, Clothing Arts is one source, but Eddie Bauer, REI, and many other places carry something. Basically very light weight, wear well, few wrinkles, wash and dry easily.

I travel with two pairs, besides the one I am wearing. I shoot for mostly neutral colors, something that matches with any shirts I bring. They are comfortable and casual enough for walking around, but nice enough for dinner. I do stay away from any pants that look too "outdoorsy", too many zippered packets, and their matching shirts, it can be easy to wind up looking like you are on safari in the streets of Rome or Paris, not the look I am going for.

Duluth Trading Company has many lightweight, comfortable pants. I am wearing the ‘dry on the fly’ right now. The flexpedition are very comfotable.

We've tried the Clothing Arts Adventure pants for about 6 years. Pros: lightweight, synthetic material that mimics a cotton look and feel, and many secure zippered pockets. To me closing the zippers on the pockets downwards seems wrong as items tend to fall out as you open zippers upwards. I lost my wedding ring on a plane when I inadvertently forgot to pull the zipper down (moral of the story: put your ring back on after washing hands). They do wash well in the hotel sink and dry nicely. I can easily carry 5 pairs in a carry on.

For some reason the pants have an odd fit for me. They fit fine around the waist but get saggy when the pockets get loaded but we probably shouldn't be pack mules I suppose. The legs seem strangely too big for me which makes the pants seem constantly wrinkled. I've ironed them several times and they were ironed once at the cleaners but the fabric just doesn't seem to have any body to it...perhaps it's too thin for me. I feel like a hobo at times in them.

It's strange though that they fit my husband perfectly but he's taller and perhaps has a bit more meat on his legs. They never seem to wrinkle on him and they are exactly the same fabric.

I think they may not work as well for slender people. They need to add different fit options. I've thought of having a tailor slim them up but it may not be the answer. I think their price may be too high in relation to the quality. I haven't found the perfect pants yet!

My husband bought a few pairs of pants from Eddie Bauer for our upcoming trip to Italy. They are lightweight and packable. Plus they were on sale! I think this is the style he got: https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/10307889/men%27s-horizon-guide-chino-pants?sp=1&color=Black

Haggar Cool 18 slacks, I’ve worn them for years, both at home and when traveling. Comfortable and attractive, lightweight, modestly priced. Various colors, many waist sizes and lengths, choice of flat front or pleated. Easy to wash, no need to iron. Sometimes when necessary while traveling, I have washed in the sink at night, they were usually dry in the morning. I found the “Heather Brown” (?) color very versatile. I have bought mine at Kohl’s for years, but they are also on Amazon.com and no doubt elsewhere. You have time, try a pair!

@Donald- Thank you for the Clothing Arts recommendation. I have never heard of that brand before.
@Letizia My husband loves his Levi 501's so your Levi 505 recommendation is great. They are on a 40% sale this weekend so I will pick up a few pairs for him. Your husband's packing list sounds perfect for my husband.
@Alan, I have never heard of Kuhl before and they look like a great option so thank you for that suggestion.
@Paul-I agree, how the fabric feels is important. For my trip i bought tunics from Chico which I really ejoy for my trip because the fabric felt great. I will look for the "golf pant" version of Dockers. My husband doesn't like a lot of zippers and cargo pants.
@Silas Marner- thank you for sharing your experience. I hope you find the "perfect pants" soon!
@dt.meyer- The sale was tempting so I ordered two pairs. I am crossing my fingers my husband likes them. Thank you for including the Eddie Bauer link.
@Larry- I would not have though about Hanger pants. I checked them out and they look great. I am going to try to find some in my city so I can have my husband try them on.

Thank you all for your suggestions. It is what I love about the forums on Rick Steves, you all gave me great options and brands and options I had not thought of.

P.S. the drying sheets from Amazon and the heated towel bars were game changers for my new carryon self. I used laudromats when possible, but washing in my hotel sinks wasn't bad with those two discoveries. Having a packing list, compression and packing cubes and great clothing options, made carryon so easy and a life-saver on my trip (if you read my plane journey posts).

P.S. the drying sheets from Amazon and the heated towel bars were game changers for my new carryon self. I used laudromats when possible, but washing in my hotel sinks wasn't bad with those two discoveries. Having a packing list, compression and packing cubes and great clothing options, made carryon so easy and a life-saver on my trip (if you read my plane journey posts).

Welcome to the carryon-only cult. Agile and adaptive, surely.

Personally I’m convinced no one makes a better overall pant than Lululemon.

Before you start thinking all they make are yoga pants etc. they have an extensive lineup of pants from dress pants to jean replacements in tonnes of different Color’s.

Imo they have one of, If not the best fabrics in the business. Their materials take days and days before they ever smell, are incredibly comfortable and versatile and are super easy to clean.

I swear by their t shirts, albeit expensive. ($45 per shirt) however comparable products from under armour and MEC (or REI for Americans) are not even close. The “dry fit” type shirts I’ve purchased from MEC STINK after 1 wear. I can wear a Lululemon shirt for 4-6 days before it smells.

I like Craghopper pants. They have some zippered pockets and are pretty lightweight, and a more reasonable price. Travelsmith carries them and on Amazon as well

I just bought these at Costco CAD$23.99

https://www.costco.ca/sierra-designs-men's-tech-pant.product.100941623.html

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I bought some of the options and the winner is the Eddie Bauer pants suggested by @dt.meyer!!

My frugal hubby especially loved the sales price. He is slowly starting to be receptive to carry-on only once he saw how packable the Eddie Bauer pants were. He really liked the fit. Much appreciation to everyone for giving me your suggestions. Now the hard part-waiting until May 2023 to go on our next Europe adventure.