I cleaned out my wardrobe a little the other day (read: threw out one t-shirt) and marveled at what clothes I appreciate the most. When it comes to travel, I’ve found that investing in Ex-Officio clothing has really improved my ability to pack light. You can find this gear and all my favorite travel stuff on my family travel gear page.
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We try to travel as light as possible, and while it’s difficult with kids, I still remember a time when my wife and I never had to check a bag. One thing that really helped us cut down on the amount of stuff we needed to pack was the Ex-Officio brand of clothing.
While the clothes aren’t cheap, they’re great for travel. Simple concept: wash your Ex-Officio clothing at night in the sink. Hang to dry. It will be dry by morning and ready to wear. Rinse and repeat (pun intended).
I thought about Ex-Officio this morning because I’ve stopped only using the clothing for travel, they’ve become some of my most reliable boxers and t-shirts. I’m also very lazy about my wardrobe.
So to me, best practice is to bring a small amount of detergent, possibly in a GoToob or something like that. Buy some Ex-officio clothing, like underwear, shirts, etc. Bring less clothes than you normally would to save space. Do laundry every other night and you’re good to go!
Do people have other recommendations for good brands for packing lighter? I’d love to hear them in the comments, let me know.
I can second the vote for Gotoob. Of all the “meets TSA requirements” tubes I’ve gotten for travel, they are the only ones that won’t leak, no matter what. As for cleaning, I always bring my own shampoo, so find that hotel shampoo works well for washing out underwear and socks.
all credit to my wife for discovering those. real life savers for kids lotion and junk
I am rotating out of Ex-Oficio to the Uniqlo Airism line. Cheaper, arguably more comfortable, and holding up well. (I noticed recently Ex-O gear pilling more frequently.) I also go with disposable Woolite packets. Haven’t checked a bag in 12+ years… 🙂
Nobody likes a braggart, K 🙂 Interesting! Gonna need to check this out thanks for the tip. Also information that would have been useful to me yesterday
For men’s underwear I like Under Armour and Nike compression shorts with 9″ inseams. The moisture wicking means they dry in a couple hours time, the compression relieves some of the soreness from walking all day up and down hills and stairs, and maybe prevents blood clots from spending 13.5 hours in a metal tube flying at 535 mph.
I like the same brands for daily wear t-shirts and golf shorts/pants: again the wicking will keep you drier and more comfy than anything else.
I just wish I could find socks that dried as fast. But at least you can find the compression socks for diabetics with nanotech silver, that will keep your legs fresher and improve your circulation and won’t stink as much,
I use cycling socks for travel. They’re generally designed to be light, low bulk, and fast drying. (I like a brand called DeFeet.) Unfortunately, they are expensive. But they seem to hold up well.
Wool socks tend to be less stinky (multiple wears before washing even for my sweaty-footed husband!) and can dry fairly quickly, though tbh I haven’t tried hand washing them. We like Darn Tough brand for everyday wear and bring some pairs on trips too.
For doing washing, I totally love the SCRUBBA. (You can google it up) It folds nice and packs well and works for me much better than washing in a sink or tub. ExOfficio is good and I just might try the other brands mentioned here.