February 12, 2001


What's a pair of traveling pants I can wash in a sink?

I am having trouble finding pants that aren't completely technical looking that I can wash in a sink. I am going to be traveling in Europe for about four weeks and only need two pairs I found some RailRiders that look all right but I want some combo pants that don't need to be machine-washed. Also, I need sink-washable underwear and T-shirts.

— Scott Vandigriff, Georgetown, Texas

Quite a few things like that are on the market these days, although I'm not 100 percent sure what you mean by "not completely technical." Patagonia, for instance, makes a pair of pants called the Transport ($84). They're made of a stretchy woven nylon, so they're very durable and easy to maintain. They come in either dirt-hiding black or tan. For a bit more of a natural fabric, you might look into Sportif's Bombay pants ($70). These combine cotton and polyester, and are highly wrinkle-resistant. It's also easy to store stuff in the Bombays, as each pair has eight pockets. And for a bit less money, REI's Nomad pants are durable and easy to care for.

For your underwear and T-shirts, look for most anything that's synthetic. Coolmax is a great material for briefs and Ts; Duofold makes boxers ($14), briefs ($11) and a T-shirt ($17) in Coolmax. Patagonia also makes a good, comfortable, easy-care T-shirt out of lightweight Capilene for $24. Cotton, of course, is widely available and only about $15 for most T-shirts. The trouble with cotton is that it takes forever to dry, so once you wash it you need to find a sunny spot. Coolmax and other synthetics, on the other hand, dry in minutes.

For a nice-looking, all-purpose jacket, add a Microfleece Jacket from Travelsmith ($69). Warm, comfortable, reasonably stylish and extremely packable.