How to World Travel With a Carry-On: Part 2 - Clothing

Clothing is one of the trickier parts of traveling with a small pack for sure. You have to be really clear on your priorities and destinations. This time around, I really prioritized a minimal pack because over time I found myself really desiring the freedom and clarity that a small pack provides. It's just a lot easier to move around and easily account for my belongings. So far, I really have loved it, even though I only carry 5 t-shirts, 1 jacket, 3 pants, 2 shorts, 2 shoes, 5 boxers, and 5 pairs of socks. Although, I did recently upgrade to 3 shorts - wild, I know. Anyhow, this minimal pack means I’m not well-prepared for colder climates, but I’m totally fine with that trade-off. For my goals, clothing needs to be light, comfortable, and durable. Also, I do care about Vegan materials and ethical production, so that influences my product choices too. As always, if I mention a specific brand, it’s because I think it’s worth mentioning. If not, then I’ll just give a general description. I’ve put a lot of thought into the items I’ve chosen and I hope you’ll find my suggestions helpful. Note: a few of the items below have affiliate links, using those will help support me in this whole thing I’m doing.

T-Shirts

By far, my favorite T-shirts, and the only ones I currently pack, are the Capilene® Cool Trail Shirts by Patagonia. Patagonia has come out with a newer version recently, which appears to have good reviews, but I have not yet tested it. The original t-shirt, in particular, is very durable, extremely light, dries fast, and is comfortable. It also doesn’t have that sporty synthetic look. It just looks and feels like a regular t-shirt. I've had one of these T-shirts for the past two years and have probably washed it 150+ times. It’s held up like new. Although there has been very minimal pilling on some colors, like blue, but even that is not much at all. That being said, the original cool trail is getting more and more difficult to find, so if that’s not within reach, it might be worth trying out the newer version (though pictures alone tell me the material has changed).

Jacket

Next up is a jacket. This is also a Patagonia product. I’m not sponsored, though I would love to be. The Nano Puff® Jacket is probably one of the best travel jackets out there. I love this thing; it’s incredibly well-built. I’ve had it for around four or five years. I did have one of the seams on an arm open up a bit recently. I believe Patagonia has warrantied repairs, but I just got it repaired while traveling. This thing is incredibly packable, incredibly light, and for someone who generally avoids cold weather, this is just good to have. I even summited Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, with just this jacket and a long sleeve. I highly recommend it.

The Long Sleeve

This long sleeve is an REI Product and is just a light protective long sleeve that manages to keep you warm or cool when needed. It’s good sun protection, but I really only have it as a just in case I happen to land somewhere very cold. I haven’t used it much on this trip, except as an occasional last piece of clean laundry. Not necessary for warmer climates, but I do find some comfort in knowing it’s there if I happen to need it.

Shorts

I don’t really have a specific brand to name for you here. I just have two pairs of simple black light synthetic shorts. I was never a big shorts person, but when traveling, they're just super helpful. The shorts I have are of a thin material that can easily be washed and dries very quickly. One of them actually has really nice zip pockets. Zip pockets are really useful for securely storing essentials. Shorts are just very versatile. You can use them to work out or get around. However, they’re not always appropriate in every culture or climate, so having suitable pants is a must.

Pants

I travel with three pairs of pants. The first is a Patagonia extremely light kind. It’s made of a synthetic material that makes it extremely fast to wash and dry and it’s very comfortable. It’s a more casual kind, but great for travel and light enough that you could wear it as an underlayer to any other pants.

The second pair are general travel pants. They're one of those travel pants with extra pockets that’s fairly light. I’ll share mine, but I would suggest trying out a few and see which fits you best. These pants work nicely as a second pair and are a little more formal than my Patagonia ones.

Lastly, jeans. Jeans are just versatile and good to have. Although they’re bulky, they can be worth the extra weight and space. They're durable, comfortable, warm, and a little more dressy. They’ve definitely been a necessity when I’ve happened to be in colder climates and they’re also nice to have for a night out.

Underwear

I know this doesn’t seem necessary to cover, but it is. The ExOfficio Men's Give-N-Go Boxers are simply the best men’s underwear out there (to my knowledge). They’re lightweight, quick-drying, and durable, making them ideal for travel, but they’re also just incredibly comfortable. They aren’t cheap, but I’d say the durability and comfort alone make them well worth the investment. They’ve recently come out with a 2.0 iteration. I haven’t tried these yet, but reviews show they’re likely as good as the original.

Socks

I’ll share my current favorite, but really just look for something that’s light, quick-drying, and durable. My current ones are fairly durable but will wear down after a year of use or less. That being said, I also don’t wear socks very often, which brings us to shoes.

Shoes

I have two barefoot type shoes. Now, I was already interested in barefoot shoes before I began traveling. Some of the proposed advantages were interesting to me, but the main travel benefit of these shoes is that they don’t take up a lot of space and are easy to pack. My first pair, which I wear 99% of the time in ideal climates, are the Earth Runners. These things are incredible sandals. Sandals don’t sound comfortable for long distances, but somehow, they just are. I highly recommend them. They also have this copper thing on the bottom that allows for grounding. There are some proposed benefits to that. But the main thing I like about them is that I can walk around in them for a long time without issue. But it is worth noting that because of the lack of cushion, it definitely takes some getting used to. I wouldn’t just buy one of these and hit the road. You'll be asking for some pain if you do that. My suggestion for anyone new to barefoot shoes would be to slowly incorporate them into your life until they become more and more comfortable. They are also incredibly durable and will likely last you a very, very long time. My preferred model is the elemental one, which is unfortunately discontinued. But pro-tip, they have a second website where they still sell these refurbished models at a bargain.

My second pair of barefoot shoes are by Vivo Barefoot, the Primus Lite shoes. These are closed-toe shoes. I mostly only wear these if I’m in a place where it's less appropriate to be wearing sandals, if I want to dress up a little bit, or if it’s really cold. So, they are useful things to have in those particular situations. They still have a bit of a sporty look to them and they're not fully waterproof, but they are fairly resistant.

And that is it for clothes.

Digital Nomad Tech is up next!

Until then. Take care,

✌️