I have a pretty good idea on what to take with me when travelling to warm or hot climate and maintain carry on status,...... at least for the first few legs of my trips. Just to give you an idea, I ussually travel for a month and my main bag is less than 10kg.
However at this point I have a problem and I can use some advice. I will travel, for a month, to China and some other destination (TBD) in March 2010; Cold weather! Did not have such a good experience last year when traveling with my regular travel clothing during winter in Europe! I have mostly ExOfficio stuff plus Columbia jacket and Merrell footwear. I swear by ExOfficio in hot weather but in the winter not so much.

I am currently testing Icebreaker. Thoughts on this brand?

Any suggestions for TESTED clothing and shoes? I could pack more weight if needed but I would rather not. I will do that, if I have to, but even then some research is critical and I would rather travel light! As someone said on these boards take half the luggage and double the money.
Thanks for your suggestions.
M

Hi M,

No need to pack that much heavier. The trick is to forego bulky winter gear and wear a lot of light and thin, well-insulating layers instead. With a set of baselayer leggings under your ExOffico pants, and then a combination (depending on the weather on any given day) of a wool t-shirt, a thin (100-weight) fleece pullover, a light down jacket (800-fill is great) and a windproof/waterproof jacket (e.g. gore-tex, but skip the ones with heavier fabric on the shoulders and arms unless you plan on spending a lot of time scrambling through the underbrush), you should be prepared for just about anything without adding too many ounces to your pack.

Also, don't forget a warm hat. You'll lose more bodyheat on a cold day via your head than anywhere else on your body. A thin, wool scarf can help a lot too.

As for specific recommendations: I own both Smartwool and Icebreaker stuff and they're both good. I'm also a huge fan of the Patagonia down sweater, especially the new full-zip, hooded one. It weighs next to nothing, packs down very small and is incredibly warm.

Stay toasty!

jones

The cheapest, easiest way is to just take your regular stuff and add

- some thicker socks with high wool content (just find a thickness that works well with your shoes)
- long underwear bottoms
- a down jacket
- a warm hat

as far as TESTED goes..... my wife pretty much uses whatever we've picked up good deals on over the years. It does help that she is XS and we often find kids or closeouts for her. Anyway, her stuff includes:

- some generic silk/wool long underware
- Marmot Driclime windshirt
- REI windproof fleece jacket
- Marmot down jacket
- Marmot waterproof/breathable rain jacket
- generic warm hat (sometimes a GoLite Snow hood / thin balaclava if we plan on trekking)

as far as me, I have a buttload of tech gear but I just take my cheaper, worn-out gear and save my good stuff for the mountains. Anyway, I generally don't get as cold as most so my stuff includes:

- generic wool long underwear bottoms (if its arctic) otherwise cycling leg warmers instead
- Marmot windshirt
- Montbell thermawrap jacket
- generic warm hat (sometimes a GoLite Snow hood if we plan on trekking)
- generic rain jacket

Summer or winter, traveling or in the mountains, the only specific brand/gear that we won't be without is the Marmot Driclime windshirt. It's the most versatile piece of clothing I've ever used since its inception nearly ten years ago. I am onto my fourth one now.

I usually follow halfnine's first suggestion and add some cold-weather clothing. For me it's usually a pair of long underwear, a fleece vest, and a cap. I like the vest because it fits underneath my jacket without immobilizing my arms.

- Mike

Long sleeved thermal T, shirt, a micro fleece, down jacket and a paclite gortex that fits over the top of the down. (Down is useless in the rain)
Legs - thermal LJ's + fleece trousers, plus waterproof legs.
Hat, gloves etc
Thats all I needed in -20c Arctic in Feb - and i was toastie.

Down is very lightweight and packs small - so better than a big fleece jacket when you have to pack it.
The paclite gortex folds into its pocket and is just bigger than your fist. Far better than those big bulky ones for packing small.

I've been wondering about this too as I'm going to the Harbin Ice Festival in January and spending about five weeks in China. I've traveled around St. Petersburg and northern Europe in January without much issue but this seems like a different level of cold. Right now I live in Korea which doesn't really get that cold so I don't have much chance to test things out. Aside from clothing layers, which I'm still trying to get a handle on, are there any particular shoes or boots anyone can recommend?

Thank you all for your advice. Layering is key for sure, in cold weather. Next weekend I will look for some extra stuff, and as I live in Canada pretty soon will have plenty of oportunity to test.

For he record, Icebreaker’s claim that they minimize odors seems very valid. While technically that serves the purpose of cold weather travel, I persoanlly have an issue with wearing something continuously for a long while…. Good news, they did well for the quick dry test, during fall in Canada, and that means in the winter these garments will perform even better. They are also very comfortable.

As far as shoes are concerned, Merrell seem pretty good and they have shoes for a wide range of weather patterns. Ecco is another brand I wear quite a bit.

I am just going to make one comment on the layering it approach. It works great if you are going to be outside all day especially if you are moving about or the temperature tends to vary throughout the day. It's certainly why people layer when they hike. However, if your travel involves most of the time inside heated places with the quick jaunt in the cold to another heated place, layering is not a good solution. What you need is a base of clothes that you need to be warm inside followed by one thick coat/parka.

Traveler_2007 wrote:For he record, Icebreaker’s claim that they minimize odors seems very valid.

I used to work at a shop that sold Icebreaker and during one of their product knowledge indoctrination sessions, they gave us a smokin' deal on a medium weight merino short sleeve shirt and challenged us to wear the thing for 30 consecutive days to see if it smelled.

I wore it next to my skin for virtually every day of the 30 (I may have skipped one or two), and other than picking up a bit of deodorant, it never took on the smell of dirty clothing or body odor.

I have a few pieces now, and I wear them religiously while skiing in the front and backcountry.

Just one word of warning with the Icebreaker lightweight tops, especially if you like to wear them a little on the snug side for layering: they're fantastic, but I've ripped a hole in two of them now while wrestling myself out of them at the end of the day. They're about as durable as silk, which is no indictment on their quality - in both cases, it was my own fault for rushing too fast to free myself from their sweaty embrace and not being more careful...

As I was saying above, I started testing Icebreaker gear for travel in cold weather. Specifically I have tested their underwear, the long sleeve undergarment, short sleeve T shirt, a sort of sweater, quite elegant actually, socks and long johns. Truth being told, the LJs did not really get a fair trial, over the two weeks test period, as it was not that cold in my test routine. Nevertheless, I would say I have a good feel for their capability.

All products were the 200 category from Icebreaker. By luck, I also came across a Smartwool long sleeve undergarment. Smartwool and Icebreaker are very similar.
During the test period the temperature ranged from -3C to +10C while outdoors and around +20C for the most part while indoors. As I go through my day, I take one, two or three showers a day, depending on schedule, travel, and how many times I go to the gym.

Executive Summary: both brands are outstanding!

Why?

Pros

Let’s go back to purpose: Long term travel in cold weather, 1 – 3 stars hotel accommodation (higher is OK…. no worries ….), requiring you to wash and dry your clothing; Also try to travel carry on, for a lllllllllllong while.

That being said all the garments tested were very light, so they fit the carry on criterion. One thing I am not very proud of, but was required for testing and will likely happen while in some destinations, was to wear the products without washing them for a while. In my case, I did not wash them for 8 days and wore them for many many hours, each day during the test. There was some sweating during the day, but nothing out of the ordinary; I work in an office, drive, shop, travel….….

At no point, any of the garments came anywhere close to stinking (not even close). Now, that is good because Icebreaker advertises “No stink” as one of the characteristics of their products. Their product delivers on this promise! All of the items tested!

Both brands were extremely comfortable, and as temperature changed during the day offered very good temperature control.

The T shirt, long sleeve undergarment and definitely the “sweater” or whatever is called, looked very good on their own. While that may not be a big concern for some, it does make a difference as when travelling for a long time with limited luggage, there is nothing wrong in looking sharp, at least once in a while, if at all possible.


Cons

Cost; This stuff is expensive, and by the way, I am not faulting any of the brands. If I am crazy enough to shell that kind of cash for a T shirt, pair of underwear or socks….good for them. However! I picked up some of this stuff at TJ MAXX, Nordstrom Rack and a sale at an online retailer (no is not EBAY…a specialty store with a web site)

Dry time; Like you would expect with wool, it will take a while to dry. If you really want to wash the stuff, better think of drying them out!!!! In humid or cold destination, or when you do not stop for long enough, that can become a huge issue! Especially if you will not likely have the ability to spin the wet garments after washing, as you do when at home. Let’s not forget, this is wool and if not dried properly it will stink!!

The other thing that could happen, if not washed with cold water or dried incorrectly, it will shrink… That is a big problem if that is one of your only two items you carry for a few months!

Shaving: If you shave on a regular basis, and try to keep both brands look great, you will have to shave every day! This is wool, after all, and your beard, unless is long or absent will mess the neck sections of T shirts or shirts, as you go through your day. Unless of course, that is not a concern.

Looks; if looks are important to you and you shop by looking at websites, both brands have done a great job in presenting their products. However if you are not exactly fit, these products will not help…. Word of advise hit the gym first,…….. for a few months if necessary, before returning any of this gear…

In summary, Icebreaker and Smartwool are great brands and they perform unbelievably well. They also fit very well, feel amazing and serve the purpose of carry on travel.

Good company, a nice destination, layering, good footwear and other gear still required to complete a perfect trip


Happy travels