<Advice Needed> Clothes for World Travel.

John, First check out this read for SE Asia clothing;

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=36501

I've been very fortunate and have traveled to all your planned spots but New Zealand. I've hit 52 country's in my life and I've always used the Kelty Redwing 3100 pack. I love this pack!!! I can store it in the overhead of planes and beat the hell out of it on the top of buses. I've only gone through one and am currently on my second.

I bring a very small amount of clothing…you can always wash after the stink really gets bad. Another great site to find out what to wear is at lonelyplanet.com. Go into the 'Thorntree' forum and dig around. That site is specific for travelers.

I wouldn't bring a down jacket with me when traveling, either bring a synthetic fill or fleece. A down jacket will get trashed and not make it. You'll find yourself carrying the jacket on the outside of your pack alot and it'll get beat up.

Here's what I typically bring with me..I know I'll miss some items, but it's a small list. (I actually just went to one of my past replies on Lonely Planet and found my response to the same question.)

This includes what you're wearing: (ex. you'll be wearing one pair of pants and the other will be in your pack)

Backpack
sleeping bag (20 F), used every night…a must!
torch (flashlight)
mossy repellent
mossy net
mossy drugs
first aid stuff
camera
chap stick
sun tan lotion
Sun glasses
watch with alarm
travel book (I liked bradt or Lonely Planet)
2 pants/shorts (you know the kind you zip off the legs)
2 underwear (for dudes)
1 short sleeve shirt (I like cotton. I find those wicking shirts to be too hot)
1 Rail Rider Eco-Shirt
1 merino wool baselayer top
1 merino wool base layer bottom
Fleece jacket (200 weight)
Single ply gortex rain jacket and pants ( or something similar that you can fit in the palm of both hands)
1 pair of socks
Light hiking boots/shoes
Money belt for Passport and cash/checks.
Copy of passport in your backpack and with travel partner.
VISA ATM card
Euro/US cash
Traveler checks

I hope this helps. I can't wait for my next trip. Senegal, Mali, Burkina Fasa and Ghana!

Good Luck, be street smart and travel safely.

John

John,

EDIT: The post above me is probably far more useful to you =P

You will almost definitely need to upgrade your packs from 25L to something more substantial. You can find lightweight insulating clothing very easy, but it all takes up a fair amount of space and 25L probably won't be enough to carry all your gear for the entire trip. If you plan to mail items to yourself as climate changes, then it may be a different story.

I assume you're going to be staying in hostels and such, not camping? If so, you have the luxury of being able to dry and wash clothes which allows you to consider bringing down insulation clothing. Most warmth for the weight. If you are going to be in wet and cold conditions consistently though, you probably want to look into synthetic insulation. Down basically becomes worthless if you get it wet. It takes experience to keep it dry, which you won't have at the start (trust me, after a year and a few cold nights, you'll learn real quick).

Montbell has an excellent selection of lightweight clothes that you can look into. Other companies are Rab and Montane. For down insulation, PHD and Western Mountaineering make some well made gear as well.

I guess the main thing is to learn about layering. These forums have a wealth of information about clothing systems that should help you. As long as you stick to multiple pieces of gear instead of one big warm jacket, you'll have a more versatile system that will keep you warm in many more climates.

Also, let us know what activities you're looking at. Will you be hiking/backpacking on this trip, or mostly sightseeing? The less physical activity you'll be doing, the warmer the clothes you'll need

Finally the trip reports have some great info that you can use. They usually have gear lists at the end.

This has a gear list for the High Annapurnas in the Himalaya
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/lightweight_rematch_high_annapurnas.html

And this one for Aconcagua.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/aconcagua_photo_essay_gear_list.html

Graham,
In a previous life when I lived out of a small duffle bag for a year I carried no cold weather gear and when I arrived in a colder climate I just purchased stuff locally. Clothes in less developed countries are cheap. When I travelled back to hot climates I would often just give away cold weather stuff.

You might want to check these out, the REI Adventure Pants:

http://www.rei.com/product/784059

I have a pair but haven't really worn them, so can't give you a review. However, they're cheap, look good (like normal pants), soft hand, are light and made of nylon so should breath well.

It has a useful cargo pocket that really can't be seen and can fit a passport, money etc quite well.

In the sagebrush color, they really look like nice, regular pants. I'm probably going to get some Atsko reproofer at walmart and give it a DIY DWR coating (might ruin/make the fabric a little stiffer).

I"d just get some lightweight merino leggings/long underwear for the colder climes.

– If you can find them, the Mountain Hardwear Canyon pants (on sale everywhere but only in XL sizes) or Mesa convertibles (same cloth) are nice too.

– Down sweater: Gearzone is having a sale on Montbell (including the ex-light) until Nov. 8. The Montbell stuff looks pretty good too. I"d size up if ordering online.

– Read this weeks review of the Montbell anorak windshirt. At 2.5 oz, in combination with an MB UL inner or ex-light, you should be good.

– I have the Montane Litespeed wind shirt. It is a bit heavier (5-6oz) but it looks really good and is very functional. The chest pocket is wicked, you can't see it and holds maps and heavier items comfortably.

– If they fit, Innov-8 295 or 310. The 295s are black and very low profile. They're nice looking shoes that many on here find very comfortable. I ordered a pair of 295s, but a tad too narrow for risking on long distance hikes.

In the end, I figure you want clothes that are technical (without looking too technical) and good for the city (pubs etc). The above gear will be good for that… think hipster… just kidding, we all hate hipsters.

– For rain gear, the lightest and cheapest (2.5 oz) would likely be seam sealed tyvek pants from USPlastics, or the cheap dri-ducks ultralight suit. There are other rain options but I'd just get the cheapest and lightest as you'll likely not need it, but for 5-7 oz, may be worth it to you.

Just a caveat, this is what I would do (and have pretty much) but I don't have a lot of experience with the abive gear. I have travelled a lot.

As for baselayers etc.. I prefer lightweight merino wool (have used often). I use icebreaker stuff, but smartwool is good too. I haven't had any problems with the 150 gm stuff.

It regulates temperature well and more importantly doesn't stink and can be worn for a long time without feeling gross and grimy. That way, you really only need two pair of underwear and one shirt etc. Combine with light down and windshirt, and you're good to go.

The lightweight merino is not too warm, IMO, even for the tropical countries.

With packs, if you don't plan on carrying food or water most of the time, a laptop, or any shopping. I think you can get away with a smaller frameless pack. Make sure whichever one you get has the large mesh pocket in the back.

Look at the offerings by Mountain Laurel Designs (Prophet/Exodus, or it'd be really cool if you could do the trip in a Burn), custom made one from ZPacks (if you like cuben), ULA, SMD Swift 10, Golite Jam 2 etc etc.

Whichever one you choose, I'd say find one that is tall and narrow. This makes it way easier to walk around in crowded cities, getting on and off buses etc. Smaller the better.

I think you can get away with a small 25L pack.

Hope this helps.

Ben just left for five months in Asia.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=37934

https://spreadsheets4.google.com/ccc?key=tX5SIphalJ19dR09L1rOOZQ&authkey=CPGj1sUE#gid=0

– Joh

My own experience, mostly in Europe and Turkey:

1 change of clothing (tops, slacks) is plenty. For a woman, possibly one skirt and one pair of slacks, although I took 2 pr. of slacks (skirt hard to handle in wind and on stairs with luggage, and looks a bit strange with walking shoes). I took 2 changes of underwear and socks. Now that I use Ex-Officio underwear, I would just take 1 change because it dries so fast.

Layered outer clothing: rain jacket plus insulating layer, warm cap and gloves. Two thin insulating layers are far more versatile than one thick one, and easier to wash if needed.

For hostels, lightweight but opaque pajamas. For winter conditions, a base layer rather than pajamas for sleeping, which can also add a layer for warmth in the daytime.

I pair of very comfortable shoes. Nice looking if possible, but comfort is by far the most important. You'll be doing LOTS of walking, mostly on stairs, sidewalks or hard floors.

ALL clothing must be hand-washable and fast drying. That means lightweight, breathable synthetics (that means no down!). It should be nice-looking enough that you can pass for halfway civilized when going to a restaurant or a concert.

I used a convertible backpack (with hipbelt and stays) for two reasons: First, it had to stand up to luggage handlers when I couldn't carry it on; second, I could zip away the straps so it looked like a real suitcase should I want or need to stay in a hotel instead of a hostel. It is small enough to fit in overhead compartments except on commuter planes. Yes, it was heavier than a lightweight backpack, but after 20 years and lots of travel and being thrown all over by luggage handlers, it still looks like new.

Toiletries–you can buy these as you go, and half the fun is going through the store and trying to translate the languages! The main problem is finding small containers. You can also get small items (like a headscarf if you're going to visit a mosque) in the country.

I'd skip the travelers checks, which are ancient technology. Not only are they expensive to cash (big commission, have to stand in line and wait for banks or exchanges to open), but, once I was back home with several hundred dollars in unspent TCs, I had to take them back to the bank because none of the local stores in my area would honor them. Better to have a second ATM card (I had two, with two checking accounts at two different banks) and a second credit card. Just be sure to anticipate your cash needs before the weekend (which counts as one business day). All the cards were stored in my money belt, but the second debit and credit card were never removed, but kept as emergency backup in case the first was lost or stolen. Having the two debit cards also helped if I needed to get more than the daily allowance of cash.

If you have some time, you might want to check out the No Baggage Challenge. It may be a bit extreme for what you want to do, but it at least gives you some perspective on traveling through multiple climates within a single trip, some interesting clothing options, and how little you may really need.

http://www.rtwblog.com/

Also, check out:

"One Bag, One World" Blog: http://www.1bag1world.com

"One Bag" blog: http://www.onebag.com

Both have good advice and reviews

"Me and my girlfriend set off in Feb 2010 on a six month round the world trip."

This doesn't make any sense at all. Apparently you left in February 2010 on a six month trip, so apparently you returned in August 2010. Why don't you report what happened instead of asking for advice for the future?

–B.G.–