Posts Tagged travel clothing
ExOfficio Nio Amphi Convertible Pants
Yeah, I know, I’ve heard all the reasons why these travel pants that convert to shorts are not for cool people. If you’re part of the fashion police brigade, you can ignore this review of ExOfficio’s version.
For everyone else—and judging by what I see on the road “everyone else” is a whole lot of people—these Nio Amphi ones are the top shelf version of this adventure travel staple. But first, if these convertible pants are so dorky, why are they so popular?
There’s one primary reason: one less item to pack. Here at Practical Travel Gear we believe in packing light and one of the best ways to pull that off is by choosing a lot of double-duty gear. These pants are exhibit A in that strategy. They’re pants when you need pants, but the legs zip off and they’re shorts when you need shorts. Handy on a hike or when you’re a man in a country where men don’t wear shorts (which is, unfortunately, most of the world). Pants by day, shorts by night in the hostel or guesthouse.
The ExOfficio Nio Amphi ones make the packing even easier by being super-light and wrinkle free. They weigh about half what a couple cheaper pairs I have weigh and they feel nicer on the skin as well. Their tag line says they “dry faster than you can say ‘amphibious’” and while that may be stretching it, I’ve repeatedly found them to dry in less than an hour on an outdoor clothesline—impressive.
These travel pants are water resistant and stain resistant and in my experience they still look like new after multiple trips and washings—both in the sink and in a machine. They’re light and wispy, but still pack a 30SPF sun protection.
As with most ExOfficio products, there are a lot of little details that set these apart. There’s a nice built-in woven nylon belt that can be removed, there are flaps covering the zippers on the legs when the bottom parts are removed, and there’s a soft liner around the waist to make them more comfortable. You want pockets? These pants have so many pockets you could stash your money in seven different places if you wanted, including two zippered back pockets, a couple that close with Velcro, and some secret stash pockets for change or bills.
The ExOfficio Nio Amphi pants come in three colors and multiple sizes for men and two colors for women. The list price is $75, but less popular colors and sizes sometimes get discounted to move them out the door.
Free Shipping On Orders Over $50 at ExOfficio.com
See the ExOfficio Nio Amphi Women’s version at Backcountry.com
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on September 1st, 2010
New Products Unveiled at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010
I’m just home after a whirlwind three days at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010 held annually (with a Winter Market in January) in Salt Lake City. More than 1,000 exhibitors show their wares on a massive trade-show floor in some totally tricked-out booths (think ice sculptures, two-level showrooms, lounge-like areas with comfy couches — and plenty of beer at happy hour). The event allows brick-and-mortar, website and catalog retailers to find out what will be on the market in spring 2011, so they can do their planning and merchandise ordering now.
In the coming months I’ll be checking out firsthand some of those products — from apparel to luggage to shoes — that will appear in stores next spring. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come, as well as some items that you can purchase now:
I’m freakishly excited about all the fabulous women’s clothing items that GoLite will roll out next spring. This brand is best known for its base layers, outer layers and performance apparel for hiking, backpacking and trail running, but it’s certainly going to make its mark next year with a collection of versatile dresses, skirts, pants and tops for sightseeing, restaurant meals and walks on the beach. Some sample pieces I saw are made out off cocona fabric, created from recycled coconuts shells. (How cool is that?)
One item in the Adventure Travel line that is available now is the Cayambe Reversible Travel Dress, which is oh-so soft and feminine, and ultra versatile, too: spill some wine on one side of the dress? Flip it around and wear the other color on the outside the next night! It also packs quite small and is made from Dri-Move Lite fabric, with important moisture-wicking qualities — great for humid climes.
We cover ExOfficio a lot here at Practical Travel Gear, for good reason: this is a clothing brand that understands traveler’s needs. The company makes apparel that is not only stylish, but offers a ton of features that are so important on the road, like quick-drying or wrinkle-free qualities.
My colleague Tim shared his admiration for ExOfficio underwear last year, and now the brand has released a slightly sexier version for women: the Lacy Lu bikinis, thongs and briefs, plus tank tops and camisoles — all with the same great qualities as its original undies, just with slightly more feminine appeal. Right now the Lacy Lu line is only available at REI, but will be for sale on the ExOfficio website, other online retailers and brick and mortar stores next year.
Also coming this spring from ExOfficio: clothing from the Sol Cool line, made from fabrics that include xylitol, the ingredient found in sugar-free gum that has natural cooling properties (I felt the fabric, and indeed it is subtly cool to the touch).
Another brand we sure do like here at Practical Travel Gear is Briggs & Riley, which makes incredibly durable and classy luggage for the business and leisure traveler. (My Large Shopping Tote continues to make frequent appearances on my travels.) The latest release from Briggs & Riley: BRX, the line for “adventure travelers.” This product is made with lightweight materials and they are soft-sided, with a nifty docking system. See at left, where the Excursion Backpack is attached to an upright roller, for wheeling ease through the airport. If you wanted, you could attach the backpack to a larger piece (say, the 28-inch Rolling Duffle), and still only be charged one fee for a checked bag — clever, huh? The entire 7-piece BRX collection is available now.
This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the products I saw and touched at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. I’ve got loads more to share about new Eureka! tents and sleeping pads, Wallaroo hats, GoLite and Ecco shoes, Timbuk2 and Eagle Creek luggage, Polarmax base layers and many more pieces of fabulous travel apparel and gear. Stay tuned!
Posted by Kara in General Gear, Travel Light on August 6th, 2010
Sombriolet Sun Hat from Outdoor Research
There are some travel clothing items that are going to brand you as a tourist, like convertible pants and yes, big wide-brimmed sun hats. But you can look cool and have a peeling face a week later or you can look not so cool and be protected.
This Sombriolet Sun Hat from Outdoor Research puts you in the latter camp, but it’s a fine travel hat if you really want to protect your face and neck from the sun. You get UPF 50+ protection from the sun’s rays, so you can pretty much wear this all day long and be fine unless you’re albino. It’s super-light, however, weighing in at only 3.1 ounces (86 grams), plus it stays wrinkle-free when you cram it into your pack between layers of clothing.
You stay cool with this on, however, because the Sombriolet has mesh vents placed around the top that will let some fresh air in—or allow the heat to escape. There’s the requisite dorky string to keep it from blowing off your head when riding a boat or hiking on a windy day, but the string comes with clips that enable you to remove it quickly if you don’t want it hanging around. And if it does fly off your head, the brim floats!
Made of ripstop nylon, I’ve found this travel hat to be somewhat water repellent, it won’t shrink when you wash it, and it dries quickly. It’s going to last for the long haul too: like other Outdoor Research products I’ve tested, it comes with an “infinite guarantee.”
The hat comes in three colors and three sizes and usually sells for around $35. Get the Outdoor Research Sombriolet Sun Hat at RockCreek.com
See other travel hat reviews.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on August 4th, 2010
Hard to Say, Easy to Wear: Shorts from Fjällräven
They wear shorts in Sweden? That’s what two people asked me when I told them that’s where these cool trekking shorts were from. In Scandinavia, Fjällräven is a well-known brand, with a long history of putting out quality backpacks and other gear for trekking, camping, and being outdoors. The company was founded in the small town of Örnsköldsvik in northern Sweden, so double points if you can pronounce both those words.
Summer is something to be savored up there, so these are quality shorts meant to last a lifetime and hold up in multiple weather conditions, not just worn for a year or two and discarded. This Sarek G-1000 model I’ve been trying out is comfy and durable, looking well-made and flicking off water like it’s a mere annoyance. The shorts “can be waxed and ironed for a water-tight seal, or washed clean on hot days for more breatheability.”
Yes, they are waxed shorts, which means they repel water naturally—see the pic here of how water beads up. It seems a bit odd that you would heat up your clothing with an iron or hairdryer before a hike, but apparently it works—the company has been making jackets and pants out of this fabric for decades.
The Sarek shorts are tough and have comfortable stretch Cordura. I especially dig all the pockets that manage to store lots of items without looking bulky. There’s a “map pocket,” small leg pocket with a zipper, two hand pockets and two back pockets with snaps. The Karl version is pretty much the same, but has one less pocket and is slightly lighter.
Fjällräven recently opened it’s first US store in New York City at 262 Mott street. Otherwise, get the scoop at the straight-Roman-script site www.fjallraven.us
There are few shorts I’ve bought that I can imagine still having a decade from now. These are a different story. They’re expensive at $65, but they’ll be around for the long haul.
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear on July 29th, 2010
Columbia Silver Ridge Stretch Travel Shirt
Want a quick-dry, lightweight, multi-functional shirt that moves with you when you’re on the move? This long-sleeve stretch version of the popular Silver Ridge shirt from Columbia works a lot of features into its $55 list price.
It’s got tabs with buttons so you can roll up the sleeves as you get hotter and keep them there. There’s a fabric hook on both the inside and outside to hang it up. Each pocket has a zipper and there’s also a pocket where you can stick in a pen or small knife, with a buttonhole to allow it to poke up through the pocket flap if the object is too long. It’s made of wicking, quick-dry nylon, but the additional 4% elastane fabric provides more give than similar shirts so you have a wider range of motion.
Naturally it dries quickly when you sink wash it and in my experience it only took five minutes for sweat to dry if I moved from a hot place to a cooler one. There are vents to let out some of that body heat too, which helps a lot, and a mesh liner along the top third of the shirt.
The fabric is wispy-light, a good thing unless you routinely rely on your shirt for sun protection—the SPF rating is only 15. Not for the Danes perhaps.
The Silver Ridge Stretch long-sleeve shirt from Columbia Sportswear comes in five sizes and four colors. There’s a women’s version too, with significantly trimmer styling and no pockets on the front. It has a list price that’s $5 less, has an SPF rating of 30, and comes in six colors.
The links above go to the specific shirt pages on Columbia.com. It’s also available at these retailers:
Columbia Silver Ridge Stretch Shirt – Men’s at Backcountry.com
Posted by Tim in Adventure Gear, Travel Light on July 22nd, 2010
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