Travel shorts and jeans

I wear standard jeans. Mostly from Lees and Wrangler.

If I bring jeans, I bring the lightest weight pair that I own. Even then, I wear them on travel days so that I don't have to carry the weight in my luggage. I don't bring jeans as often as I used to, favoring lightweight travel pants instead. For cooler days, I bring tights to wear underneath.

If you can find Rohan in the US (they're a British company) they make technical travel jeans that are lightweight, tough and suited to travelling. Not the cheapest but I have plenty of Rohan clothing that I put through the paces during walking and they're very well made and durable.

Rugged cotton denim takes a while to dry, if you anticipate washing jeans during your trip. Are you good wearing jeans throughout the trip, washing them once you return home? Or is a clothes dryer in your plans? Other fabrics (like those at REI that joe32F mentions) are easier maintenance, but do the fashions work for you?

Your cheapest option is to shop your closet. Unless it is a goal to reduce weight, there is no absolute need to buy travel clothes.
If you don't pay that sort of money for your day to day clothes then don't spend it for travel clothes. Consider thrift stores or budget clothing stores looking for either 2nd hand good name brands or anything that may be lighter weight for comfort and faster drying time (if planning to do laundry).
Last consideration is quality and longevity. Sometime more expensive clothes last longer and if you will also use these at home, then break it down to cost per wear, not initial output.

MariaF is right. Shop your closet first, then thrift shops or clearance sales. The main point of travel clothes is to be comfortable. Then lightweight, easy-to-clean, and compatibility with the rest of your wardrobe should be factored in. If your clothes (including shoes) aren't comfortable, you are going to be miserable, and that sucks all the fun out of any activity.

I always wear jeans and take them when I travel. I prefer Levi’s and I buy them on sale. Women’s jeans have some stretch and are definitely not as heavy as men’s. I can wear a pair many times between washings, unless I spill something on myself. Sometimes a spot clean works in that situation. We try to stay in apartments with a washer in some of our destinations so we can properly wash clothes. Otherwise we sink wash when necessary. Fortunately we haven’t had to sink wash jeans.

First off when you say jeans I think of the traditional heavy Levi brand. As in pants made from denim or cloth.

If you are looking for durable and fashionable travel jeans look at Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. However, If you want pockets on your jeans these are NOT the jeans to purchase.

If you seek travel jeans which Outlier brands as dungarees then look at such travel pants as the NoNWe Outdoor Cargo pants on Amazon. Pockets, lightweight and maybe $40.

Pfft, lightweights. I wear neither pants nor shorts in Europe.

Another jeans-wearer here, home, travel, everywhere (Vicki; Stewart's in shorts unless it's hailing). I've been happy with Gloria Vanderbilt for years (often good prices at Costco, &, natch, thrift stores), with home- made pocket extensions. Same as upthread - rarely do more than spot wash on trips. Additional good upthread advice to shop your closet - remember travel photos, what do you look at, the scene or your pants? And with a long jacket or shirt or tunic, the pants are only bit players. Be comfortable, & put your money into the travel experience.

PS FastEddie, kilts?!

I don't think there's any cotton at all in may travel wardrobe. These Active Travelers from Royal Robbins have a hidden zipper security pocket under the belt. The shorts and longs are exactly the same cuts and configurations so contents of pickets is always the same whichever I'm wearing. Compact, super easy to wash and dry.

https://www.royalrobbins.com/us/en-us/men?Family=Active+Traveler

I don't have special travel clothes, just bring the more versatile pieces from my usual wardrobe. For jeans I favor a premium brand called Hudson, but also have some by Lucky and Kut from the Kloth that do well on trips--2 pair is all I need, wear 1 for a few days, wash, wear the other, etc--all dry easily overnight in my room.

1. I believe this is a male poster given the name of the jeans referenced.
2. I checked. There are other posts...albeit none have been acknowledged of the replies.

Thanks everyone and I want to avoid Cotton because it takes forever to dry. I don’t know how many days you can wear a pair or Lee Jeans in the summer , I imagine in the winter you can wear them for a whole week before having to wash them.

If not traveling in hot weather, I basically exclusively pack black jeans. I like black because generally it's versatile, can often be dressed up slightly and doesn't show dirt or light grime as much.

I'm aware of the downsides that they are heavy and don't dry fast, but jeans are my everyday, non-home and non-office pants so that's what I want to wear when I'm on vacation. For me personally, I only pack quick-dry type clothing if I'm doing a legit "outdoorsy" trip, like a hiking or kayaking trip.

I do like to alternate jeans on a day-to-day basis though, i.e. I never wear the same pair on two consecutive days. I have no quantitative evidence, but I feel like the quality lasts a little bit longer if I allow them to "rest" on alternate days.

You could also look at Kuhl (https://www.kuhl.com), which has well-designed, durable clothing, including jeans and chinos. I’ve got nylon pants from them that look as good in a European city as in the backcountry, and they come with extra stash pockets and zippered compartments.

Re: FastEddie, if not pants or shorts, and if not a kilt, then must either be a toga, monk’s robe, ball gown, or overalls. Or you’re the guy who was hanging out at the beach in Tampa wearing only a trench coat :)

RE:Tom m

Wow 30 hours and even fifteen hours , that’s nearly half my trip lol. So don’t wash jeans during trip.

I also favor black or dark wash jeans at home, I live in AZ so things dry and die here very fast lol.

Seems like travel pants dry quick or the lighter weight jeans dry quick. I will maybe look for some lighter jeans. I do have travel underwear and darn tough socks that dry in a few hours if I wash them in a sink.

Right, black jeans only. In fact, black any-bottoms only. The rare days I break out a skirt with colors, husband gasps.

I think fiber content is the key. Eddie Bauer has jeans for both women and men that are real jeans, but lighter in weight and faster-drying.

I recently bought some EB women's jeans with the "Elysian" name that I'm wearing at home and that I'll probably take one pair of on my next trip. They come in 2 styles and multiple colors. Both dry quickly near Tucson.

Having always loved jeans and having also always had a hard time finding jeans that fit, I was ecstatic when both these styles worked for me. I went from owning no jeans at all to what I fessed up to below.

They are on sale now with limited sizes and colors available, but I expect that more will be coming in the future.

I got these Slim Straight ones in 3 colors: black, dark smoke (gray) and dark thyme (green). The fiber content is 62% cotton/28% viscose/8% polyester/2% spandex.

I got these Slim Straight High Rise ones in black smoke, deep rinse and washed navy. The fiber content is 49% cotton/26% TENCEL™ lyocell/15% viscose/8% polyester/2% Lycra® spandex.

EB also has a jean for men that is specifically designed for travel. It's available in 4 colors. The name is "Voyager Flex 2.0." The fiber content is 73% cotton/25% polyester/2% Lycra spandex. These men's jeans have more travel features than the women's do. Lucky guys.

My husband insists on wearing jeans when traveling. His favorite for fit and comfort are Levi's 511 slims. He also brings a pair of Columbia Silver Ridge cargo style straight pants in charcoal (not convertible- too baggy). Columbia also makes a short in the same lightweight material that will dry in a few hours. I am musing about the length of time jeans take to dry. When visiting Prague in 2019 we had our hotel do our laundry. They promised our laundry (including my husband's jeans) by afternoon. After a day of sightseeing we entered our room and saw his jeans hanging on an open window! Apparently their dryer was on the fritz! lol. We still laugh about it. For myself I'm still searching for a lightweight, comfortable jean.

Lo, I seldom wear jeans any more, but when I did I always wore men's. Women's never fit me right, even when I was fairly slender, and the men's seem longer-lasting, as well.

"Pfft, lightweights. I wear neither pants nor shorts in Europe."

Reminds me of a an older guy we saw once in Couer d'Alene wearing absolutely nothing......nothing.... but a bandanna tied sideways.
No shoes, no anything else.
Saw the back view and the front view. :O

Lo, thank you for posting about the Eddie Bauer Elysian jeans. I love the slim-straight high rise ones I bought in “dark rinse” and have been unable to find that style again. Now they are back, in black, in my very small size, AND they are on sale for $34! I think it is the Tencel content that makes them so good, along with the Lycra.

For those who believe cotton is too slow in drying for travel purposes, note that the Lycra/spandex content substantially decreases drying time. Our dryer has been out of commission since last spring, but I won’t let a repairman (or any one but us) inside the house, so we have been drying everything on the rack. My cotton jeans that have 2% spandex or more dry overnight here in dark and damp Seattle.

Jane, I used to always buy men's jeans, too.
Something about my shape and short rise seemed to make them fit better. Finding the men's EB Voyager jeans made me go, hmmm!?

Lola, I'm glad you were able to get some faves again. I also found that both styles I linked dried very quickly when I tested them here, but I assumed that's due to our warm, dry weather. I'm also glad to hear about your Seattle drying experience with them. That's good to know for my trip to Ireland, whenever it happens.

Sidebar: we had to put our towels over the upstairs landing stair rail in order to have them dry by the next morning at our 1927 farmhouse near Milton. Otherwise, they'd be what we now call "European" dry.

Denim Jeans with Spandex seems to be on trend, which is great for me since I tend to be round. Beware of the stretch jeans for guys...my husband's are always riding down in back. I wear nice cotton Tees and a Khaki Safari jacket with lots of Pockets. Shoes with arch supports and thick soles. Watch out for sandals for being a trip and fall hazard. Ladies if you do want to feel dressed up, bring a skirt that sheds wrinkles. Bring a swimsuit because I didn't and then discovered a pool was included. Bring your yoga clothes, you can use them for layering, A small raincoat is good. Bring a brimmed hat and a knit hat. If you are planning wilderness hiking, you know what to wear. I can hike at home.

Most of the European hotels at which we stay always had the heated towel racks, which can usually dry jeans in a day and a half.
Safe travels!

I have always had good luck with Prana. Their pants fit, look good, dry fast, and have water resistance built in. I also have Agave and Tommy Bahama and those always work well. For shorts I like Carhartt for the pockets (not the cargo ones).

Thing is, most of the places I stay have laundry service. Drop it off in the morning and pick it up in the evening. It beats wasting time doing the laundry myself when I'm on vacation.

Janis and other women--try the jeans from JJill. Mine are so comfy and have a touch of spandex so dry quickly.

In addition to Levi’s I like the Eddie Bauer Elysian jeans mentioned by Lo and Lola. I bought a different style of EB jeans on sale once online and they were much thicker than the Elysian.

For men: My husband lives in his Prana stretch Zion pants for all purposes, whether travel, hiking, or every-day wear. They don't look like "hiking pants" (no cargo pockets) and the black ones are nice-looking enough for restaurants. The fabric is substantial and denim-like ( not thin or flimsy), comfortable, and dries quickly.

https://www.rei.com/product/146929/prana-stretch-zion-pants-mens

My husband likes the Stretch Zion Straight which is a trimmer cut.

The women's' version is called Halle (and there is also a trimmer Halle Straight):

https://www.rei.com/product/154935/prana-halle-straight-pants-womens

But I do not care for the flaps on the back pockets.

Wear what you're comfortable in. I like jeans and wear them all the time. They are as comfortable to me as regular pants. Having said that, I wouldn't take them to a hot climate, but I can sleep on an airplane comfortably in a pair of well fitting skinny jeans (not too tight). The key is to buy jeans that fit your body, not the body you wish you had. I have expensive jeans and I have cheap jeans-and they're similar to each other. You won't be comfortable wearing something you're not used to wearing, even if you think Europeans wouldn't wear it and you want to fit in. They wear jeans just like we do. Shop your closet!

Re;Lola
I tried a pair of Prana pants on tonight , to be honest I didn’t even feel like I was wearing any pants they were so comfortable.

Thank for mentioning prAna ...just looked at digital catalog and the clothes look great and easy to wear for different figure types. They showed a few curvy gals like me. Prices seem fair for "sustainable" clothing. They don't look too clingy...don't want anything to look stuck on.

I never wear jeans and I rarely wear pants with a button-up waistband (too uncomfortable, plus it takes too long to go to the bathroom!).

But I do have a pair of the prAna Halle pants, which have a button waist. I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love the fabric and how they feel, but I find the height of the waist to be too short for me and I am constantly hitching them up. Maybe a belt would help, but see above.... no belts for me.

I love Kuhl pants; they are well made and comfortable. Another favorite is Duluth Flexpedition pants. I like the pull-on ones, but they make several styles for men and women. It's a great all-purpose, durable, quick-dry fabric, and the women's pull-on pants have actual functional pockets (a rare find in women's pants). Duluth sizes tend to run large, so you may need to size down. They have an easy exchange process if needed.

I love pull-on pants with a wide flat waistband, such as this one by NYDJ:

https://www.amazon.com/NYDJ-Womens-Petite-Alina-Ankle/dp/B06XKH7PM8?ref_=ast_sto_dp

They were $41 in my size in Black on Amazon, so I bought a pair to try. They have no front pockets, but I prefer that. Less bulk and weight to deal with. And the fabric is 20% Lyocell (aka Tencel) which I also favor. With no metal zippers or buttons, they are less likely to cause a problem going through the airport metal detector, and they are very comfortable on the long flight.

Amazon also offered a similar NYDJ pull-on in regular sizes instead of petite, with prices down to $31 depending on the size and color you choose.

And speaking of Kuhl, my favorite hiking/travel pants are the Kuhl Metro ( think that is the name), since the Prana Halle does not fit me. The Kuhl pant is in a slightly textured fabric that breathes well in spite of being 100% synthetic (polyester).

Kuhl, Rohan, Prana you can find all of those brands at your local thrift, if you know your size easy to get at a fraction of the cost or check re-seller sites like Ebay, Poshmark and Mercari. $130 for GOOD pair of jeans is not expensive if they are comfortable and actually fit, they will also be made with a superior stretch material (making them go back to the original shape after use and wash). My husband also travels in Levi 511, more of a lightweight denim and lot's of different colors and we do carry on only.

Cannot recommend Prana enough!

They are more comfortable than any Eddie Bauer, Columbia or Patagonia pants I have owned. Plus the styling is much more neutral than many other brand such as Kuhl. However, they have many different fits and cuts so make sure you can do free return shipping or try them on in person.

The stretch Zion fabric dries in a couple hours over a heated towel rack or in the sun.

I also just bought a pair of DU/ER performance jeans this past fall when they went on sale at REI for $100. Honestly, I would not hesitate to pay full price for any of their pants. They, like some Prana pants, have inseam gussets for an incredible range of motion.

I have tried several types of Bluffworks and did not like the fit (I have massive cyclist’s thighs) or any of the fabrics.