My sister lives in Manhattan, and her small apartment doesn’t have a washer and dryer. When the coronaviruslockdown took holdthere back in March, a taskthat waseasy to remedy via a laundromatbecame a hugeinconvenience. She called me to describe her attempts to wash clothes in her bathtub and herstrugglesto get anything to dry inside thecramped one-bedroom unit. As a backpacker and traveler who’s used todoing laundryin a stream or a sink, I understood her plight and recommended she get some quick-drying piecesmeant for travel. As a non-outdoorsy person who works in the fashion industry, she didn’t love my suggestion, but decided to hear me out and tested a few of the items mentioned below.Whether you’re without access to a laundromat or planninga road trip, here are my picks for auniform that can go a long time between cleaning, be washed easily in a bathtub, and dry on a line within a few hours.
Prana Brion Pants ($79)
There are plenty of jeans out there that are marketed as quick drying and odor resistant, but many of those still take quite a while to dry in my experience. My go-to travel pant has long been a pair of . Thefabric is a blend of nylon and spandexthat’s lightweight and has a good bit of stretch built in, so they’re comfortable for hikes or long car rides, the DWR coating providesweather resistance, and they dry quickly.Iwashed mine in a sink while backpackingthrough Belgium and never hadany problems with them drying by morning. The featuresthe same qualitiesbut comes in a stylish skinny-leg design.
Saxx Quest Boxer-Briefs ($32)
I usually opt for merino layers if I want to go a while between washes on a bikepacking or backcountry-hut trip, but wool doesn’t dry quickly. I wore a pair of ($45)for 14 days while bikepacking the Colorado Trail last year, and they kept the stink to a minimum, but I wish I’d worn somethingthat breathed a bit better and dried faster. Then I discovered. They’re made from a nylon, polyester, and spandex blend that wicks moisture and is airy. More importantly, they have an anti-odor treatment and dry within a few hours on a line.
Proof Shift Active Tee($48)
Proof, one ofHuckberry’s house brands, makes some of my favorite clothes for travel. I donthe ($42)nearly every time I head out on a road trip, because it’s incredibly comfortable and you can wear it for a few days in a row before it starts to smell. The brand’s also works great. It’s constructedfrom Japanese Primeflex polyester, which makes it very lightweight,exceptionally breathable,helps the shirt hold its shape.It’s easy to wash in a bathtub, dries in tenminutes in the sun, and isodor resistant.
Lululemon T.H.E. Silver Tab Sock($18)
I’m a fan of merino wool socks 99 percentof the time, but they don’tdry as quickly as those made from synthetic fabrics. (as well as Lululemon’sɴdz’s ) consist ofa blend of polyester, Lycra elastane, and X-Static nylon. I usethem while traveling because they fit well, don’t lose their shape after one wear, and incorporate a material called Silverescent, a silver-infused yarn that releases positive ions and attracts bacteria’s negative ions to inhibit bacterial growth.That means you can wear them longer between washes, and once you do finally need to clean them, they dry quickly, thanks to their breathable mesh construction.
REI Co-op Aoraki Travel Dress($35)
My wife’s go-to travel uniform includes this . The four-way-stretch polyester keeps itcomfortable and airy,and it’s designed to dry overnightafter being washed in a sink or a tub. As a bonus, the fabric has a UPF 50 sun-protection rating, and there’sa zippered, hidden security pocket inside the larger right pocket, so it’s easy to store things like a passport or wallet.