How many days can you wear the same thing in cold climates?

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Now that's a title for ya .

So we've never travelled when it's going to be cold cold cold, and more cold. I'm told that because you don't sweat as much in the colder conditions that you can get an extra day or 2 out of tops/jumpers if you air them out for a day or so before wearing them again.

I know jeans can last an extra day or so, how many days do you think you can wear jeans without washing them?

We will also be wearing thermal undergarments when it's necessary. Because these are so close to your skin do they need to be washed each day? and do they dry quickly?

The part I hate the most hands down, about travelling is the handwashing and so I'm not sure what to expect with cooler climates and the clothing. I would like to make clothes last as long as possible but don't want to feel unclean or smelly.

Does anyone have any experience with this or thoughts?

 

[australiankaren]

Backpacked around Japan, France, UK, USA in 2009 ..middle of winter (((brrrrr)))))..so had only one small bag...I wore jumpers/skivvy's twice, but had a tshirt /spencer under them...jeans can last 3-4 days....just take jumpers/jackets/clothes that do ok in dryers, I found katmandu jumpers great..nothing that needs to be hand washed/ or delicate..as most hostel/hotel dryers give them a beating....

hope this helps....

 

[battymum]

If you have thermals underneath, nothing is going to be touching your skin, so I reckon a good few days from outerwear. It may get wet and dirty from snow though.

With four of you your going to have a lot of socks and undies and singlets that you will have to do everyday, I would be looking for a coin laundry , I don't do hand washing!

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Backpacked around Japan, France, UK, USA in 2009 ..middle of winter (((brrrrr)))))..so had only one small bag...I wore jumpers/skivvy's twice, but had a tshirt /spencer under them...jeans can last 3-4 days....just take jumpers/jackets/clothes that do ok in dryers, I found katmandu jumpers great..nothing that needs to be hand washed/ or delicate..as most hostel/hotel dryers give them a beating....

hope this helps....

This sounds like the types of time frames I was thinking Karen. Thanks for the feedback. There won't be washing or drying facilities at many of the places we will be. I've found a wash and fold service in NYC but from then on we are on our own in terms of washing.

If you have thermals underneath, nothing is going to be touching your skin, so I reckon a good few days from outerwear. It may get wet and dirty from snow though.

With four of you your going to have a lot of socks and undies and singlets that you will have to do everyday, I would be looking for a coin laundry , I don't do hand washing!

I hate handwashing too haha. I usually do undies and socks every second day in the bathroom sink though. Coin laundry's scare me a little at times, there are always some interesting characters to meet in there . And I hate sitting around for a couple of hours when I could be relaxing in my room with my handwashing

 

[Andona]

We've done a few trips in cold climates and I usually get 2-3 wears out of tops and 3 out of jeans/pants. I second Karens suggestion of Kathmandu, we also have several tops etc from Snowgum, Columbia, north face and Patagonia. They are lightweight, dry quickly , travel well and are happy to be worn several times without washing.

You can usually rinse them out in the hotel sink, press the water out between towels , hang overnight and they're dry by morning. If you're doing sink washing its great to pack a couple of those super absorbent, fold-to-nothing travel towels to wring the extra water out of your clothes, it means you can save the nice fluffy hotel towels for yourselves

Andona

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

We have Snowgum jackets and Kathmandu thermals but I hadn't thought of getting tops from there. My SIL works for Snowgum head office so perhaps I need to be making a call .

I like the idea of getting some of those travel towels. So you just put them on either side of the clothing and press? and it absorbs the liquid? this sounds like an amazing invention . Tell me more. Where should I get them?

 

[coco392]

this might be a boy thing but jeans can last a trip.


thermals a couple of days

t shirts / shorts couple of days

the cold helps save things

big sale Kathmandu at the moment bought lots of cold weather stuff there just before we went

really important- a beanie and thermal socks.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Coco - I agree about the socks, cold feet would suck. We each have 4 pairs of brand new thermal socks from Snowgum and 2-3 beanies each. And scarves and coats and the list goes on. I have no idea where all of my DH's shopping is going to fit in the cases.

 

[mindy32]

Outerwear definitely 2-3 wears for tops/jumpers and jeans 3-4 days, possibly longer. When we went to Europe for 5.5 weeks I don;t think I washed my coat at all while we were there. When it was cold enough to wear the big coat (maybe 10 times, not always full days though) I had 3 or 4 layers on underneath so it never got smelly or anything!

 

[Andona]

We have Snowgum jackets and Kathmandu thermals but I hadn't thought of getting tops from there. My SIL works for Snowgum head office so perhaps I need to be making a call .

Definitley! Make use of her I say... My DH has several snowgum polo shirts, they travel well and even survived American hotel dryers without a twinge. I've got a fleecy jacket that I wore all over Europe last year - was so warm, but lightweight.

I like the idea of getting some of those travel towels. So you just put them on either side of the clothing and press? and it absorbs the liquid? this sounds like an amazing invention . Tell me more. Where should I get them?

We've bought the Sea to Summit ones from Paddy Pallin and I think we got one from Kathmandu too. They're very absorbent but nowhere near as bulky as a normal towel, so they don't take up much space in the suitcase.

To dry things I wring the clothes out first by hand. Lay one travel towel down flat. Place as many damp items on the towel as will fit in one layer then place the second towel on top. Then I roll the whole thing up in a long sausage and walk on the sausage ( with clean feet!) to squeeze as much water as I can out of the clothes and into the towels. The clothes come out nearly dry, especially if they are made of quick-dry fabric. Hang 'em up and theyre completely dry in a few hours. Works a treat!

And because the towels are also made of special fabric they dry really fast too. I even took a small travel towel into the Disney parks - handy for drying seats on wet rides , or drying off people after wet rides

Andona

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I have to get some of these. Going to look in Kathmandu over the weekend. Thanks Andona, you're a gem.

 

[Beee]

I swear by merino in winter, lightweight so you can layer depending on conditions - important when you are going from the cold outside into heated indoors. It is also quick to dry which you'll want when drying things in a hotel room. Things like jeans I'll wear 3-4 times, tops worn over a singlet 2 times, coats and jackets as needed (couple of times a season - just make sure they are hung up to air/dry as soon as you are done with them), its the underwear and socks (I tend to wear 2 pairs at a time when its really cold) that is going to be the bulk of your washing

 

[Marlea98]

DH reckons you can get 5-6 days out of jeans in winter but I argue no more than 2 days. In Montana I had 4 jeans and wore a different pair each day so effectively could have washed after a week but as we were staying with family I could wash twice a week. We wore thermals in the snow when skiing (or having a 'yard sale' down the slopes in my case) and they got aired out nightly, but things like undies and socks I only wore once between washes of course. I had a couple of singlets and long sleeve tshirts that I wore under jumpers for layers as we were often in and out of heated buildings. I did buy a great down jacket from JC Penny and it folds up into a little roll and it was the best thing I bought. I didn't wash it until we got home. Public laundromats were a highlight for us, too. We met so many lovely people in them who gave us heaps of great info and hints and tips and stuff so don't discount using them.

 

[Marlea98]

Andona, I like the tip of using the little towels, I will have to get one now to take with us. Thanks for that

 

[battymum]

I'm with marleas DH, 5 or six days from jeans, if they are not touching the skin! You can be a little slack while travelling, no-one is going to know!

 

[WAMUMOF4]

I really need DH to read this thread there is no way i could get him to wear his jeans for more than 2 days without washing even with other clothes underneath and not touching his skin he changes underwear a couple of times a day summer or winter
I should add that even now he washes for himself whilst he is at work everything is double washed once with detergent once without you cant leave any soap suds behind

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I swear by merino in winter, lightweight so you can layer depending on conditions - important when you are going from the cold outside into heated indoors. It is also quick to dry which you'll want when drying things in a hotel room. Things like jeans I'll wear 3-4 times, tops worn over a singlet 2 times, coats and jackets as needed (couple of times a season - just make sure they are hung up to air/dry as soon as you are done with them), its the underwear and socks (I tend to wear 2 pairs at a time when its really cold) that is going to be the bulk of your washing

I'm hoping the socks we've bought will be warm enough to negate needing to wear 2 pairs at a time. I hate wearing shoes full stop, this might tip me over the edge .

DH reckons you can get 5-6 days out of jeans in winter but I argue no more than 2 days. In Montana I had 4 jeans and wore a different pair each day so effectively could have washed after a week but as we were staying with family I could wash twice a week. We wore thermals in the snow when skiing (or having a 'yard sale' down the slopes in my case) and they got aired out nightly, but things like undies and socks I only wore once between washes of course. I had a couple of singlets and long sleeve tshirts that I wore under jumpers for layers as we were often in and out of heated buildings. I did buy a great down jacket from JC Penny and it folds up into a little roll and it was the best thing I bought. I didn't wash it until we got home. Public laundromats were a highlight for us, too. We met so many lovely people in them who gave us heaps of great info and hints and tips and stuff so don't discount using them.

Yeah 5-6 days might be pushing it but I'll never say never. We shall see how we go.

Sounds like layering is the key.

I'm with marleas DH, 5 or six days from jeans, if they are not touching the skin! You can be a little slack while travelling, no-one is going to know!

Yes slackness might need to become my middle name .

I really need DH to read this thread there is no way i could get him to wear his jeans for more than 2 days without washing even with other clothes underneath and not touching his skin he changes underwear a couple of times a day summer or winter
I should add that even now he washes for himself whilst he is at work everything is double washed once with detergent once without you cant leave any soap suds behind

Your husband sounds very very particular about his washing .

My husband is like that with ironing. He is an anal fool.

 

[shushh]

Ok I sound like a total grot...but here goes!

Jeans - in very cold winters definitely 5-6 days.
Tops - 3-4 days if something underneath
Thermals - 2 days usually
Jumpers, coats and jackets - I don't wash until I get home!

We've found that when you have proper footwear for the harsh American or European winter, you don't need the second pair of socks if you are active. It actually gets really hot! The shoes/boots we have are insulated and waterproof so feet stay warm and dry.

Whenever we travel, I always make sure that I don't go for longer than around 1 week without some sort of self service laundry where I can do laundry. Not doing handwashing for 5 people! The purex 3 in 1 laundry sheets that we bought in the US are great. No mess and very portable.

For our upcoming 7 trip to Europe, I am only bringing 2 pairs of jeans, and 1 yoga type pants for warmer weather in southern Italy and Greece.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

It's funny, the more I've read about how long people will leave jeans, the more I'm thinking that barring a spill, I could perhaps handle dragging them out for 5-6 days.

I love those Purex sheets Shushh . I'm disappointed though because we bought them on the Garden Grocer website and they aren't on it this time. Hopefully I can stumbled across them somewhere on our trip.

As far as shoes go, we bought hiking shoes with Gortex so they should be good to keep our feet dry and warm. Well that's what we hope

 

[shushh]

Ms Shuttergirl, you sound all set! The gortex shoes sound like tough stuff. With the clothes you can always see how you go. If it feels ok, keep wearing it, if it feels grotty, wash it! Although washing jeans are a pain.

I think we bought some purex sheets at Walmart last time? I bought enough to last me 2 years of travelling!