Traveling Trousers

Traveling trousers, Batman!  It’s an idea for a weekly post.

In a brief conversation with someone who doesn’t travel much, we were talking about traveling light. He said to me, “So I assume it will suffice to just bring a couple pairs of jeans?” That prompted this post. Bring light weight, wrinkle-resisitent, loose fitting trousers when you travel. Bring something that would be comfortable after a 4-hour train ride. (I like my trousers loose enough so that my money bag doesn’t show up as a bulge.) Bring something fast drying. You want something that won’t bog you down when you are walking and get caught in the rain where your luggage won’t be reachable for another 3 hours. Even in the winter, you want light material that dries quickly. For an added layer of warmth, consider bringing long underwear which easily rolls up into a small, lightweight package; it is also comfortable sleepwear if the nights are cooler than expected. A second pair of trousers is always good so after you fall into the mud, you will have something to wear while waiting to find a spot to wash and dry the first pair. So many places in the world seem to disapprove of shorts so that a pair of long trousers that zip off at the knee are probably better than a pair of shorts if you are looking to pack light. Pockets are helpful; some hidden pockets are good.  I recommend leaving the jeans at home. 

“Never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.”—Henrik Ibsen

“I’m best when I’m feral, when I don’t wash or shave or change my trousers for a couple of weeks.”—Greg Wise

TATTOO—Journeys on My Mind by Tina Marie L. Lamb is available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com and Apple’s iBooks.