Yearly Archives: 2013

Traveling Trousers

In keeping with the recent travel theme, I thought I would mention some of my favorite pants (“trousers” for those of you in Great Britain — You can stop snickering now) for traveling. As I have previously established, light packing and clothes that are designed for such are a particular obsession of mine. Everything mentioned here I have in my current arsenal and have been well road tested.

  • TravelSmith Men’s Anywhere Pants — I actually have a couple of pairs of these and like them a lot. The fabric in the newer model I have is slightly different (and better) than the older model I have so I opt for it more often than not. I have both of these in the khaki color and they look good with both a t-shirt or casual button down. Because of the full elastic waistband I would be less inclined to use these with a shirt you would have to tuck in though. Luckily, I’m rarely in situations, even when traveling, where that is required.

  • Travel Pants from SCOTTEVEST — The link is to the the Convertible Travel Pants but I have the non-convertible model which do not seem to be on offer anymore. In fact, I generally dislike convertible pants because I cant help but get that “hoop around the knee” look. In any case, I have been a big SCOTTEVEST fan for years and own several of their products (more of which I will cover in future travel related posts). These pants are no exception. Perfect for travel where pickpockets are a concern or if you have the need to carry a fair bit of stuff but want your hands free. Mine are in the olive green color.

  • Patagonia Men’s Nomader Pants — These are a new addition to the traveling arsenal and I can already tell they will become a quick favorite. In fact, I’m tempted to wear them around town now and then because I like them so much. These are comfortable, designed for wear and tear, and look great. I have these in grey.

So, there you have it. Three pairs of pants that can take me anywhere. All designed to be durable, functional, and look great. And each one can be washed in the sink at night and be dry and ready to be packed or worn in the morning. And, when folded and stacked, together they take up the same space as a single pair of similarly folded jeans. And, as I explained in my previous post, the goal for me is as much light travel as it is having a iety of colors and options so I don’t look like I’m wearing the same thing every day. With these, I achieve these goals.

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On The Move

This originally appeared on the Pack Light, Go Fast blog. Reposting here for archival purposes.

This is my GORUCK GR1 packed and ready for a week long road trip. This is the only bag I need.

I pack light. Always. I hate the very idea of carrying more than I absolutely need. This is as true in my day-to-day carry as it is on a long road trip. The secret, I have found, is to work to ensure that the things I would pack for myself for a three day journey are the same as I would pack for a thirty day journey.

The secret is to pack things that I can wash and dry quickly (overnight). As well, what you want is not only clothes that can wash and dry fast but also those with complementary colors that you can mix and match. Having, say three shirts, three bottoms, and their corresponding accessories (socks, underwear, etc.) can give you enough combination choices that few will ever notice you are wearing the same small supply.

Now, I’m not going to bore you with brands and links about what I have. Because that does not matter. There are tons of great brands that make this stuff, many of which have been covered here before (Patagonia, Ex Officio, Travelsmith, etc.). What matters is the elements as described above. What I can tell you is the basic outline of what I have packed in here:

  • Three button down shirts.
  • Three t-shirts.
  • Two pairs of shorts and one pair of long pants.
  • Three pairs of socks.
  • Three pairs of underwear.
  • Swim trunks.
  • Self packable wind/rain jacket.
  • Super absorbent pack towel (for hyper drying wet clothes).
  • GR Tac hat.
  • Kit bag.
  • MacBook Air (11 inch).
  • iPad mini.
  • Small bag with misc. electronic cables and dongles.
  • Notebook and pens.

As you can see, there is a lot packed into that bag, but not too much. Only just what I need. Everythng is designed to be light and pack small. And this could keep me for as long as I want. Three days or thirty, no matter.

This is just to say that having the right gear matters and you can get a whole lot of mileage out of very little carry. I do whenever I travel and have long been convinced it is the only way to go.

Raising Good Travelers

My five year old daughter, Beatrix, is an excellent traveller. I knock on wood a bit every time I mention it for fear that it will suddenly change. Yet, every long road trip or flight we take reassures me that it likely will always be the case. This past trip was no exception. In the car and driving all day, there was none of the impatience, squirreliness, or “are we there yet” that I’ve seen so many other parents report.

I thought a lot about it on the drive this time. Reflecting much on what makes her such a good traveller. And, though I’m sure a bit of it is because of just-who-she-is, I believe the main reason is one I can justly take far more pride in: We raised her this way.

Raising a good traveller was an intentional act on our part. As people that love to travel and try to do so as often as we can, having a kid that also understood the value we placed on it was important.

So, how did we do it? How did we raise a kid that is a joy to travel with?

  1. Start |sknra|referrer|akiya
    them traveling young and keep them traveling. By young I mean as soon as you can. Beatrix travelled to Denver, Norway, and Cancun before she even learned to walk. She has been to D.C. and upstate New York. We have taken her on long road trips to Boston, New Orleans, and Asheville, NC (we live in Minnesota). In fact, we have counted at least 18 states that she has visited or passed through. We plan on some more long intercontinental flights soon. Traveling is just a part of life to her. It is something that people do.
  2. Teach them appropriate etiquette (and model it yourself). There is a way one behaves that is situation appropriate. Want your kid to behave well in a theater? Take them to theaters often and show them how to behave. Want them to know how to behave in a restaurant? Take them out to eat (especially nice places) and show them how to behave. Want them to know how to behave on a plane? Well… You get the point. Which all goes back to item number one above. Take your kids places.
  3. Plan plenty of stuff to do along the way. Especially on long trips like road trips. Make the time to frequently stop at rest areas for a few minutes. Stop to read a historical marker or take in a scenic overlook. Do things like jumping jacks or two minute wiggle dance parties before you get back in the car to get the legs stretched, blood flowing, and laughter rolling. Certainly, iPads and the like have made the passing of time easier. But there are plenty of traditional road games (I spy, 20 Questions, Slug Bug, Find Five Things, etc.) that I would argue for many reasons are even better.
  4. Surprise them along the way. Find a nice playground near your lunch stop and let them play for a half hour. Bring a bag of brand new, yet inexpensive, small toys or books (dollar stores are great for this kind of stuff) and dole them out slowly over the course of the trip. It does not have to be a big deal. Just a “Oh yeah, I got this for you in case you were bored” sort of thing.
  5. Involve them. Let them know what to expect next. Tell them the major towns/cities that are between here and there in order that they know the milestones to look for (which answers the “how much further” questions before they are asked). If they are of reading age give them a map too (my little girl LOVES maps — just like her Mother). Give a few options for mealtime and let them choose. Give them a job or responsibility like making sure such-and-such is packed or cleaning the windows at the gas station. Make them an equal partner in the travel experience as much as you can so they will feel ownership of it too.

I could probably come up with more but these are some of the major things that I feel have made long journeys with Beatrix such a pleasure. She really is an excellent travel partner who we are comfortable taking along almost anywhere. I don’t know how many other parents of small children can say that but, hopefully, the above will help.

Bonus Packing Tip: For Beatrix, I pack each individual outfit into a gallon sized ziplock bag. For instance, a top, a bottom, pair of underwear, and some socks. I squeeze out the air and seal it tight. This way, I can lay a few bags out for her in the morning and she can choose one and know everything needed is in there and matches. Previous days worn clothes go into the bag the fresh ones come out of (and I keep the dirty and clean bags separated). This not only keeps things super organized and allows the kid to have a choice, but allows one to pack in half the space needed otherwise thanks to squeezing out all the air.