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My favorite travel hack: Wool shirts and wool socks. They need washing less often so you pack less clothing. And, showering with hand-sanitizer on arm pits. h

by welder 5y ago

My favorite travel hack: Wool shirts and wool socks. They need washing less often so you pack less clothing. And, showering with hand-sanitizer on arm pits. https://www.woolly.clothing/collections/190-gsm-shirts/products/190-ss-crew https://www.woolly.clothing/collections/190-gsm-shirts/produ... https://unboundmerino.com/collections/socks https://unboundmerino.com/collections/socks https://www.smartertravel.com/unbound-merino-womens-v-neck-review-a-shirt-you-rarely-have-to-wash/ https://www.smartertravel.com/unbound-merino-womens-v-neck-r...

Jtsummers 5y ago
They also dry very quickly when you do wash them. Very convenient for hotel/hostel sink laundry days. My first longer-than-a-weekend trip was 2 weeks and I took cotton undershirts (mistakes were made). Since they tend to pick up odor quickly (at least the way I sweat) I had several days worth and they took a while to dry. Switching to wool shirts, I could pack 3 and do laundry once on the trip and no one would notice, and the faster drying time meant that if I did have a particularly sweaty and malodorous day, I could quickly wash that shirt and it would be dry in a couple hours.
- ncpa-cpl 5y ago
  Sometimes I travel with carry on and other times with checked luggage. The part of travelling with one bag that I don't like is having to do laundry more often. Like, I gain 30 minutes by not waiting for luggage at the airport, but sometimes that offset by the time spent doing laundry.
  - Jtsummers 5y ago
    That's reasonable, but I've found that switching out my cotton (entirely) and synthetics (mostly) for wool (lasts longer without odor than both, dries faster than cotton) lets me pack 2 pairs of pants, 2 shirts, 3 pairs of socks, and enough underwear to last a week if my goal is to do laundry only once a week, and even then I could go longer if I absolutely needed to without doing a wash of everything. Underwear and socks wash easily in a sink and dry quickly, so I can get by with 1-2 pairs of packed socks and 2-4 pairs of packed underwear with only 5-10 minutes of time spent in the evening washing things every 2-3 days, and a bigger wash once a week for shirts and pants. All of that comfortably fits into most backpacks, I only take a larger backpack because I often pack a camera. I would be annoyed if it took me an hour or more at a laundromat every few days, but I haven't experienced that since my clothes dry fast enough, I can just spend 30 minutes or so once a week in the hotel room (morning or evening, I don't normally sleep in when traveling so I have time to kill when I wake up). Admittedly, I don't travel to hot and humid climates, that would change things (especially the way I sweat).
- tomcooks 5y ago
  Wool is known to take longer to dry, while retaining isolation properties even when drenched
ngokevin 5y ago
Or synthetic/wicking shirts. Packs extremely small and dries very quickly.
- R0b0t1 5y ago
  I have to vote synthetics on this one due to price. There are some lower cost mass produced shirts claiming to be >80% wool, but the rest of that is probably synthetic.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    Synthetics are also more durable. I really like merino wool and I keep my eye out for a good sale but I generally won't pay list price.
- welder 5y ago
  Synthetics are the worst on airplane and they smell quickly. Yea they dry fast but you have to wash them daily.
  - ngokevin 5y ago
    Hm, I never had them become smelly. Depends on the fabric and body and climate, I guess.
larrywright 5y ago
They’re also just generally more comfortable. Wool insulates even when it’s wet, so if your feet sweat (or you step in a puddle) you don’t get that awful clammy/moist feeling in your shoes. Wool socks come in varying weights so they won’t be too warm if you choose the right ones. I traveled to India for a week long business trip where the temps were regularly over 100 F and wore thin wool dress socks the whole week. I was never uncomfortable and they never smelled (took several pairs and washed them several times in the hotel sink over the course of the week).
- ngokevin 5y ago
  Darn Tough socks are the way.
ramses0 5y ago
Combo with silk sock liners. Change (and wash) the liners every day. They dry almost instantly in a bit of sun, and you can wash your wool socks less frequently (thicker wool socks take longer to dry). Minimally: https://www.amazon.com/Fruit-Loom-Invisible-Breathable-Liner/dp/B01N02OJVU/ https://www.amazon.com/Fruit-Loom-Invisible-Breathable-Liner... (gets the sweaty bottom of the feet) Taller: https://www.amazon.com/Pairs-Ultra-Dress-Business-Trouser/dp/B07VYR2SKT/ https://www.amazon.com/Pairs-Ultra-Dress-Business-Trouser/dp... (covers calf, etc.)
ghaff 5y ago
With most of my travel being more casual these days, I just carry one Wool and Prince button down collared shirt in addition to a few synthetic and wool pullovers in a couple different weights and, in warmer weather, synthetic polo shirts.
tomcooks 5y ago
Problem is that they're bulkier. Moreover, when you wash them, they take longer to dry.

by welder 5y ago

Jtsummers 5y ago

They also dry very quickly when you do wash them. Very convenient for hotel/hostel sink laundry days. My first longer-than-a-weekend trip was 2 weeks and I took cotton undershirts (mistakes were made). Since they tend to pick up odor quickly (at least the way I sweat) I had several days worth and they took a while to dry. Switching to wool shirts, I could pack 3 and do laundry once on the trip and no one would notice, and the faster drying time meant that if I did have a particularly sweaty and malodorous day, I could quickly wash that shirt and it would be dry in a couple hours.

ncpa-cpl 5y ago
Sometimes I travel with carry on and other times with checked luggage. The part of travelling with one bag that I don't like is having to do laundry more often. Like, I gain 30 minutes by not waiting for luggage at the airport, but sometimes that offset by the time spent doing laundry.
- Jtsummers 5y ago
  That's reasonable, but I've found that switching out my cotton (entirely) and synthetics (mostly) for wool (lasts longer without odor than both, dries faster than cotton) lets me pack 2 pairs of pants, 2 shirts, 3 pairs of socks, and enough underwear to last a week if my goal is to do laundry only once a week, and even then I could go longer if I absolutely needed to without doing a wash of everything. Underwear and socks wash easily in a sink and dry quickly, so I can get by with 1-2 pairs of packed socks and 2-4 pairs of packed underwear with only 5-10 minutes of time spent in the evening washing things every 2-3 days, and a bigger wash once a week for shirts and pants. All of that comfortably fits into most backpacks, I only take a larger backpack because I often pack a camera. I would be annoyed if it took me an hour or more at a laundromat every few days, but I haven't experienced that since my clothes dry fast enough, I can just spend 30 minutes or so once a week in the hotel room (morning or evening, I don't normally sleep in when traveling so I have time to kill when I wake up). Admittedly, I don't travel to hot and humid climates, that would change things (especially the way I sweat).
tomcooks 5y ago
Wool is known to take longer to dry, while retaining isolation properties even when drenched

ngokevin 5y ago

Or synthetic/wicking shirts. Packs extremely small and dries very quickly.

R0b0t1 5y ago
I have to vote synthetics on this one due to price. There are some lower cost mass produced shirts claiming to be >80% wool, but the rest of that is probably synthetic.
- ghaff 5y ago
  Synthetics are also more durable. I really like merino wool and I keep my eye out for a good sale but I generally won't pay list price.
welder 5y ago
Synthetics are the worst on airplane and they smell quickly. Yea they dry fast but you have to wash them daily.
- ngokevin 5y ago
  Hm, I never had them become smelly. Depends on the fabric and body and climate, I guess.

larrywright 5y ago

They’re also just generally more comfortable. Wool insulates even when it’s wet, so if your feet sweat (or you step in a puddle) you don’t get that awful clammy/moist feeling in your shoes. Wool socks come in varying weights so they won’t be too warm if you choose the right ones. I traveled to India for a week long business trip where the temps were regularly over 100 F and wore thin wool dress socks the whole week. I was never uncomfortable and they never smelled (took several pairs and washed them several times in the hotel sink over the course of the week).

ngokevin 5y ago
Darn Tough socks are the way.

ramses0 5y ago

Combo with silk sock liners. Change (and wash) the liners every day. They dry almost instantly in a bit of sun, and you can wash your wool socks less frequently (thicker wool socks take longer to dry). Minimally: https://www.amazon.com/Fruit-Loom-Invisible-Breathable-Liner/dp/B01N02OJVU/ https://www.amazon.com/Fruit-Loom-Invisible-Breathable-Liner... (gets the sweaty bottom of the feet) Taller: https://www.amazon.com/Pairs-Ultra-Dress-Business-Trouser/dp/B07VYR2SKT/ https://www.amazon.com/Pairs-Ultra-Dress-Business-Trouser/dp... (covers calf, etc.)

ghaff 5y ago

With most of my travel being more casual these days, I just carry one Wool and Prince button down collared shirt in addition to a few synthetic and wool pullovers in a couple different weights and, in warmer weather, synthetic polo shirts.

tomcooks 5y ago

Problem is that they're bulkier. Moreover, when you wash them, they take longer to dry.