Adventure Travel Clothing

Fabric Selection: I was on a month long trip in Europe several years ago. On this trip we encountered several days of rain. I had a lot of cotton clothes with me, and due to the rain, they got wet. I placed them in my luggage, where after several days they started to mildew. The smell was terrible, and I ended up tossing those clothes and purchasing new ones. Sometimes you need to make mistakes like that to learn a valuable lesson. Now I take water resistant, and quick drying clothing. One of my favorite fabrics is merino wool. It is lightweight, keeps you cool when it is warm out, warm when it is cool out, and naturally resists odor. I can wear the same shirt for several days without it stinking. Merino clothing is great as a layering system. In cooler conditions you can easily layer a merino shirt over another merino shirt. You can purchase merino wool clothing from most outdoor adventure stores and lightweight backpacking shops. For children, there are stores that specialize in kid's outerwear. I have linked to my favorite ones.

Zip-off Pants: Zip-off pants are ideal travel clothing for both men and women. They allow you to take one item that works as both a pant, and a short, and the pant legs can quickly be zipped off or on when the weather changes. I typically take two pair, and alternate between them. Make sure the fabric is breathable, and quick drying.

Footwear: For adventurous travel, you will probably need to have more than one pair of shoes. Unless it is winter, I take at least one pair of lightweight sandals or flip flops. They are great for travel days, where most of the time you are sitting on a plane or bus seat. Having an extra pair of shoes allows my primary walking shoes to dry out/air out. I prefer flip flops because they are lightweight, and don't take up valuable space in my backpack. For my walking shoes, I use a pair of lightweight trail running shoes from Inov-8. These are durable, and have excellent traction.

Headware: Don't forget to pack a hat, you'll need one at some stage to protect you from the sun, rain, or to keep you warm. I use a lightweight hat with a removable neck/ear gard. The hat is made of light fabric that is quick drying and highly breathable. The hat has been treated with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish to give it additional water resistance.

Down Sweater: If you are going to face cold or cooler temperatures then invest in a lightweight down jacket. I purchased a Montbell Ultra Light Down Inner Jacker, and now understand why everyone raves about these. The jacket weighs less than 10 ounces, and is very compressible. I can compress the jacket down to a small ball and put in my pocket. It provides more warmth per ounce than any other solution I have experimented with. A jacket will only help if you happen to have it with you. With this jacket there is no reason for me not have it with me.

Long Sleeved Shirt: In hotter climates, long-sleeved shirts are needed to keep away biting insects and help provide sun protection. Choose an easily-washed, quick drying material.