Clothes for Backpacking Asia
Ex-Officio Nio Amphi Convertible Pants
Bring or don’t bring?: BRING
Before this trip, I didn’t “get” convertible pants.
They’re ugly, they fit terribly, and the zipper thing to turn them into dorky shorts serves no purpose whatsoever. Or so I THOUGHT!
It was all true, only it was true of every other pair of convertible pants in the entire world. I thought convertible pants were more or less a different thing. Meant for someone else, but not for me. But then I saw these pants.
…Now I’m a believer.
Read the rest of the review of the Ex-Officio Nio Amphi Convertible Pants
Ex-Officio Women’s Give-n-Go Bikini Brief Underwear
Bring or don’t bring?: BRING
If you’re going on a long-term backpacking trip in Asia, you need these. Period.
We did “real” laundry but 4 times in 5 months of sweaty travel in Asia (do the math – mmmm!! It still makes my mom twitch), but with only two pairs of this underwear, my nether regions were always clean, happy, and fresh.
A simple vigorous rinse and then hanging them up to air dry is sufficient to keep them clean between launderings. This underwear is one of the best gear purchases you’ll make for your trip. Believe me.
Read the rest of the review of the Ex-Officio Women’s Give-n-Go Underwear
REI Sahara Tech Long-Sleeve Men’s shirt
Bring or don’t bring?: Don’t bring
I thought you needed a long-sleeved shirt for Asia. And you do. But I thought you had to live in it because of the mosquitoes. You don’t.
So basically I wasted a whole lot of money getting some schmancy fancy long-sleeve tech shirt from REI. Turns out that for backpacking in Asia, a short-sleeve shirt is just fine most of the time.
Oh and what I ended up wearing the times I did need a long-sleeve shirt to cover up from mosquitoes? An old cut up men’s dress shirt.
Read the rest of the review of the REI Sahara Tech Long-Sleeve Shirt
Ex-Officio Men’s Give-n-Go Boxers
Bring or don’t bring?: BRING
Hot and humid’s got nothin on you in these bad boys.
You’ll be rockin like a star from the streets of Delhi to the beaches of Thailand and everything in between without a second thought of laundry day.
Laundry? You did that four weeks ago, and that was good enough.
It’s true. These boxers are like none other. A rinse and wring every day or so, and you’re good to go until the next washing.
Read the rest of the review of the ExOfficio Men’s Give-n-Go Boxers
I also was not a fan of convertible pants until I traveled in Europe for a few weeks. Amazing pants, and glad you have them :)
Hey Jen! ME TOO! Curious what you liked about them for Europe? I still don’t know if I’d find them as useful or necessary there. What did you like so much?
I liked that I only had two pairs pants and could wash them in my sink every night! They would be dry by morning. It cut down on the bulk I was carrying on my back (instead of the normal jeans, which are not fun to wash in a sink… heavy to carry and wear). Also during the summer, being able to go from pants to shorts and vice versa in just two zips was great!