My sister lives in Manhattan, and her small apartment doesn鈥檛 have a washer and dryer. When the coronavirus听lockdown took hold听there back in March, a task听that was听easy to remedy via a laundromat听became a huge听inconvenience. She called me to describe her attempts to wash clothes in her bathtub and her听struggles听to get anything to dry inside the听cramped one-bedroom unit. As a backpacker and traveler who鈥檚 used to听doing laundry听in a stream or a sink, I understood her plight and recommended she get some quick-drying pieces听meant for travel. As a non-outdoorsy person who works in the fashion industry, she didn鈥檛 love my suggestion, but decided to hear me out and tested a few of the items mentioned below.听Whether you鈥檙e without access to a laundromat or planning听a road trip, here are my picks for a听uniform that can go a long time between cleaning, be washed easily in a bathtub, and dry on a line within a few hours.听
Prana Brion Pants ($79)
There are plenty of jeans out there that are marketed as quick drying and odor resistant, but many of those still take quite a while to dry in my experience. My go-to travel pant has long been a pair of . The听fabric is a blend of nylon and spandex听that鈥檚 lightweight and has a good bit of stretch built in, so they鈥檙e comfortable for hikes or long car rides, the DWR coating provides听weather resistance, and they dry quickly.听I听washed mine in a sink while backpacking听through Belgium and never had听any problems with them drying by morning. The 听features听the same qualities听but comes in a stylish skinny-leg design.听
Saxx Quest Boxer-Briefs ($32)听
I usually opt for merino layers if I want to go a while between washes on a bikepacking or backcountry-hut trip, but wool doesn鈥檛 dry quickly. I wore a pair of 听($45)听for 14 days while bikepacking the Colorado Trail last year, and they kept the stink to a minimum, but I wish I鈥檇 worn something听that breathed a bit better and dried faster. Then I discovered听. They鈥檙e made from a nylon, polyester, and spandex blend that wicks moisture and is airy. More importantly, they have an anti-odor treatment and dry within a few hours on a line.听
Proof Shift Active Tee听($48)
Proof, one of听Huckberry鈥檚 house brands, makes some of my favorite clothes for travel. I don听the听 ($42)听nearly every time I head out on a road trip, because it鈥檚 incredibly comfortable and you can wear it for a few days in a row before it starts to smell. The brand鈥檚听 also works great. It鈥檚 constructed听from Japanese Primeflex polyester, which makes it very lightweight,听exceptionally breathable,听helps the shirt hold its shape.听It鈥檚 easy to wash in a bathtub, dries in ten听minutes in the sun, and is听odor resistant.
Lululemon T.H.E. Silver Tab Sock听($18)
I鈥檓 a fan of merino wool socks 99 percent听of the time, but they don鈥檛听dry as quickly as those made from synthetic fabrics. 听(as well as Lululemon鈥檚听飞辞尘别苍鈥檚 ) consist of听a blend of polyester, Lycra elastane, and X-Static nylon. I use听them while traveling because they fit well, don鈥檛 lose their shape after one wear, and incorporate a material called Silverescent, a silver-infused yarn that releases positive ions and attracts bacteria鈥檚 negative ions to inhibit bacterial growth.听That means you can wear them longer between washes, and once you do finally need to clean them, they dry quickly, thanks to their breathable mesh construction.听
REI Co-op Aoraki Travel Dress听($35)
My wife鈥檚 go-to travel uniform includes this . The four-way-stretch polyester keeps it听comfortable and airy,听and it鈥檚 designed to dry overnight听after being washed in a sink or a tub. As a bonus, the fabric has a UPF 50 sun-protection rating, and there鈥檚听a zippered, hidden security pocket inside the larger right pocket, so it鈥檚 easy to store things like a passport or wallet.听