Ultra light, bare minimum clothing but in style. Is it possible?

[TheSwede]

Going trekking in the mountains for a longer time around the world but will also visit a lot of cities for some nightlife and fun but don't want to look like a sweaty backpacker at those times, (even though technically I am one).

Let's assume that I'm in the warmer part of the world to avoid the heavier clothing.
The city clothes should be able to endure being handled rough in a backpack, be really light weighted, don't require dry wash and have no need for ironing. I also prefer fabrics that doesn't smell after a day of usage.
I would set the total weight of these extra clothes to maximum 1 kg.
What would you suggest that these "base layers" would be? What is an absolute must to bring? Is it a mission impossible?
Shoes is a problem for example as they weigh a lot.

My usual style is casual, maybe leaning towards the mod style a bit.

 

[J BAILEY]

this sufu thread may be of some assistance (title says "urban" but it covers a wide range of tech-wear):

http://supertalk.superfuture.com/index.php/topic/116740-urban-techwear/page-152

 

[LA Guy]

Some of the Arcteryx Veillance stuff is really light. As is Isaora, but I think that Veillance is a little more durable. For footwear, some sneakers with a air blown sole would probably work best. Something in the style of the Nike Roshes would probably work.

 

[AAJJLLPP]

Check out icebreaker. They have some decent looking shorts, t-shirts, sweaters, and jackets. Its a bit pricy but its all made with merino wool, which means its lightweight and practically never gets smelly, unlike most synthetics.

 

[Exdeath]

Outlier definitely. Even their non-ultralight stuff is worth checking out.

 

[Tsujigiri]

You'll probably want something that wicks away moisture to keep you cool. Wool is pretty good for that and not getting dirty as fast as some other fabrics. In addition to the companies mentioned, Triple Aught Design, Proof NY, and Acronym are known for tech wear. Also, Arcteryx has a few divisions. Veilance is designed to be functional but look approximately like normal clothes, LEAF is designed to be ultra utilitarian, and they also have a main line that is geared towards a wider audience of consumers.

 

[Grove]

You'll probably want something that wicks away moisture to keep you cool. Wool is pretty good for that and not getting dirty as fast as some other fabrics. In addition to the companies mentioned, Triple Aught Design, Proof NY, and Acronym are known for tech wear. Also, Arcteryx has a few divisions. Veilance is designed to be functional but look approximately like normal clothes, LEAF is designed to be ultra utilitarian, and they also have a main line that is geared towards a wider audience of consumers.

Dude said he was travelling, not paintballing or shooting up a high school.

Style is obviously subjective but from "My usual style is casual, maybe leaning towards the mod style a bit." I would suggest it's worth checking out Rohan. Ignore the dodgy website and styling. It's top quality technical clothing and the choice of many a seasoned proffessional traveller. Weight, pack size and drying time are stated for each piece and quality/durability is top notch.

Tech with a cycling mod vibe. Rapha and Vulpine

 

[aeymxq]

what's up, i traveled for like 7 months, hitching around the USA and south america, living entirely out of a backpack. i shall now proceed to ramble at length: feel free to not read this.

i used an hmg southwest pack. http://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/2400-southwest-ultralight-pack.html
waterproof material, super lightweight, optimal size (really you don't need more than 40L worth of crap), the y-strap is extremely useful for keeping a tent or sleeping pad or wtv, and if you empty it out it compresses down real small. highly recommend. if you ask they will make it in black: the only thing the outlier hypercity has on this, is the removable hip belt. ;_;

i wore outlier's slim dungarees, which, imo, are the greatest pants ever made. there are two tiny pricks near the ankle from this dog that attacked me in santa cruz; there is one tiny pale mark on the inner thigh from trying to hop a fence (i think? i actually can't remember where/how this happened). yeah, aside from those unnoticeable marks these pants look like new despite being worn (hard) every day for well over a year.

all that **** those merino companies say about how dope merino is, is accurate imo. as a traveler, it is my goal to have no cotton whatsoever in my backpack. the top i wore the most was this brown long sleeved merino v-neck i copped for $12 second hand in toronto: SO versatile. i was able to wear it sorta comfortably in the jungle, to protect my skin from bugs. it was very useful in places like california, where it is hot in the sun and sorta chilly in the shade. i wore it alone, or with a shirt underneath for the purposes of looking not homeless. i spent the winter in oregon, and it was great as a baselayer. i highly advise you to get some sort of long sleeve merino, and would suggest it have a slight v-neck so u can wear w/ a shirt.

i didn't have a merino t-shirt, but you always need a t-shirt and merino is ******* awesome so get one of those. there are like a million companies that work with merino, like smartwool and icebreaker. outlier gets my business because they don't have logos. haven't tried their t but i have one inbound.

exofficio makes some kind of synthetic underwear that dries super quick, and i have heard a lot of people around here talk about them. plan on copping some soon.

outlier's socks are the most comfortable socks i have ever worn. i have also worn smartwool socks: both are great at resisting stink, but smartwool have stupid patterns covered with logos IIRC. keep your toenails short!

some sort of short sleeve shirt is in order. i have an outlier mojave and it is super dope, highly recommend. extremely comfortable in the heat, and dries real quick.

some sort of long sleeve shirt is also probably in order. wool&prince make one, but you have to order in advance and the patterns look like **** imo. BUT HEY, outlier also has a merino-cotton blend shirt! i will cop one of these, and probably be content with 4 shirts. maybe one more t-shirt made out of a material similar to the mojave.

when i started out, i had a pair of doc marten's oxfords. don't get these, they are ****. in san francisco i copped a pair of wolverine 1ks on craigslist for $115. the life of a traveling hobo dandy is a lonely one: none of the other traveling hobos want to talk to you because you are a dandy; none of the other dandies want to talk to you because you are a hobo. sometimes i think of my boots and my backpack as my only friends. ;_;

in these boots, i ran in the rocks alongside a train track; i did a 2 day hike through the andes, and when i was waiting for the boat in this tiny jungle village in peru, i went for walks in the amazon: there is a stab wound from a machete to prove it. the most epic thing about them though - oh man, i am so happy that this story is mine: so i was traveling alone from peru -> ecuador with almost no spanish. after a week of solid traveling, i ended up at the border town, which is more accurately described as something like "hamlet" or "village." another hour's drive through the mud in some guy's truck and - oh **** - what's that ahead - is that - a bunch of people standing around the bridge, completely destroyed? deep in the andes, with no spanish to figure out wtf is going on, a stranger drops me off in the drizzle. all i had to go on were some footprints in the mud, which i followed for about ten minutes, uphill, through ankle deep mud. eventually i came on the other end of the road and it was nbd. later i was able to scrape off the half-inch thick crust on my boots, and they looked no different. <3

at this point, the left toe plate has collapsed after a punk show in sacramento. i've replaced the tope twice and the right heel is kinda loose. i will likely cop some other pair of boots, probably something custom made from white's, and probably something less dressy looking than the 1ks. but yeah, anyway, you want a pair of quality boots like the red wing beckman's.

having only 1 pair of footwear sucked though. i will likely cop some of these sandals: http://xeroshoes.com/

there is no way that i am going to carry around a pair of sneakers, and yet, i hate flip flops (though i acknowledge their usefulness) and wearing boots all the time can be annoying. last night i had a vision of a product: a slipper, something like this or any of the thousands of similar products: http://www.feitdirect.com/products/hand-sewn-slipper-marine
but with a sole as thin and light as those xero sandals, and some kind of canvas or nylon upper that can be easily compressed down. maybe something like this? http://www.toms.ca/mens/shoes/classics/black-canvas-classics-shoes/s not sure if i even like this look. another vision i had, is the same thing, but a zipper in place of laces, and an upper that goes to the ankle, unlike these slippers. if anyone knows of anything like this, plz let me know.

ok i am down now. i wonder when this thread was posted, lol.

 

[aeymxq]

oh man i didn't even talk about jackets or non-backpack bags. i had this other vision recently of a bag made out of cuben, with a roll top and lots of d-rings so it can transform into tote, backpack and messenger.