View Full Version : Town shirt yes or no?
freightliner
09-24-2014, 20:41
I was thinking this time around I would bring a town shirt with me. Something to wear when you're in town maybe with a little cotton in it. I don't know probably get all wrinkly and smelly sitting with my socks and probably won't be worth the weight. Every time I sit around eating pizza and drinking beer I think I wish I had a nice comfy shirt
Town apparel is my trail apparel. It's simpler that way when long distance hiking for me.
I don't take extra shirts/pants and wear my rain pants and rain jacket while my hiking clothes wash.
As a rule, I hit the laundry up as soon as I get setup with lodging when I'm in town. Almost always within 2 hours of getting into town I have my laundry done and am wearing clean clothes. Sometimes I eat first if I'm really hungry and then deal with it.
Point is, laundry doesn't take long and hiking clothes dry very fast. To me it's not worth carrying extras.
Slo-go'en
09-24-2014, 21:00
I wear my "camp" T-shirt, which I also sleep in. Since I don't hike in it, it doesn't get too smelly. I've meet people who carry a short sleeve nylon shirt for town, a Hawaiian print is good :)
rocketsocks
09-24-2014, 23:13
I'd wear the cleanest thing in my pack...usually a sleep T-shirt.
I usually try to change into my sleep shirt (Smartwool microweight) if I'm hitching into town. Then I wear the sleep shirt while doing laundry as well. Since it is SmartWool and since I only sleep in it, it isn't so important to wash it in every town. If I am at a hostel with loaner clothes, then I wash my sleep/town shirt as well.
A town shirt is a necessity, along with the 3-button navy blazer, nantucket-red town pants, silk ascot, smoking jacket, pipe and brown loafers. On chilly nights, the Shaggy Dog sweater might be a good choice too for town.
hikehunter
09-25-2014, 00:19
In most of the trail towns the locals will know that you are thru hiking and they will mostly understand and not care much....if you use some basic personal cleanliness I think that you will be fine..........remember most of the folks you Meet within the first 30 to 90 min. will be ok with your B>O>..
Get cleaned up B-4 you go to a resturant or a nice bar for that much needed brewski....
Trail towns people know what is going on....they understand and if you use some common know how you will be more than fine.:cool:
CarlZ993
09-25-2014, 15:03
It is a personal preference item. You can live without it. I started my thru w/o one. In Hot Springs, I added the cheapest wicking T-shirt I could buy. I also added an extra pair of ultra-light running shorts (my underwear). That was my town clothes. If it was cold and/or wet, I added my rain gear.
During three season hikes:
All clothes are "quick dry", so I just take them into the shower with me. Shampoo does a great job cleaning the bulk of trail grime from shirts, shorts and socks. I wash me, and leave the clothes on the shower floor to soak. After I'm reasonably clean, I turn my attention to the clothes. Lather, rinse, repeat. When done, I wring out the clothes, dry myself, then use the towel to wrap around the clothes and wring again. They come out just damp. Easy to then just put them back on and wear them dry while going to dinner. If a hair dryer is available, I may give them a bit of a head start with that.
Been using this method for years - works great and all the rest of the clothes are available to launder in a more conventional way. I'm clean and don't stink at dinner.
fadedsun
09-25-2014, 15:44
Town clothes are a personal preference. I prefer to have a clean shirt and pack along an extra lightweight shirt. It makes me feel more civilized both in town and other times. But, as you can see from the other responses, tastes vary.
I would recommend taking a shirt along the first couple of weeks and see how you feel. Then mail it ahead or discard it and see how you feel. Then make your decision. Alternatively, start without a "town" shirt and arrange to pick up a shirt a few weeks into your hike. You'll know which you prefer after trying both out.
kayak karl
09-25-2014, 15:51
A town shirt is a necessity, along with the 3-button navy blazer, nantucket-red town pants, silk ascot, smoking jacket, pipe and brown loafers. On chilly nights, the Shaggy Dog sweater might be a good choice too for town.
Seriously?? Brown loafers with blue blazer :rolleyes:
A town shirt is a necessity, along with the 3-button navy blazer, nantucket-red town pants, silk ascot, smoking jacket, pipe and brown loafers. On chilly nights, the Shaggy Dog sweater might be a good choice too for town.
I concur, with the addition of a Fedora of course...
atraildreamer
09-25-2014, 16:52
I was thinking this time around I would bring a town shirt with me. Something to wear when you're in town maybe with a little cotton in it. ...
You should wear pants, too...or people will talk! :eek: :D :banana
I carried a silk shirt which weighed almost nothing.
silk shirt with buttons -- short sleeve -- just a few ounces.
bigcranky
09-25-2014, 20:41
I carried my ancient Columbia fishing shirt for travel to and from the trail and to wear in towns. Worked very well. I had some nylon zip offs that I wore in camp, and wore them in town too. It made me feel good to wear a collared shirt out for dinner or to a bar, and I didn't mind the weight. YMMV.
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I carried my ancient Columbia fishing shirt for travel to and from the trail and to wear in towns. Worked very well. I had some nylon zip offs that I wore in camp, and wore them in town too. It made me feel good to wear a collared shirt out for dinner or to a bar, and I didn't mind the weight. YMMV.
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You hit the nail on the head Big Cranky. If not staying extensively in the backcountry, after a hot shower and clean-up :), a LW silk (options) collared shirt feels great at dinner. While the normal smokey tee gets washed...
I was thinking this time around I would bring a town shirt with me. Something to wear when you're in town maybe with a little cotton in it. I don't know probably get all wrinkly and smelly sitting with my socks and probably won't be worth the weight. Every time I sit around eating pizza and drinking beer I think I wish I had a nice comfy shirt
I'll probably have a second lightweight shirt that's dual use - sleep and town. I'd be hesitant to bring anything with cotton, though. Those that have responded that they do bring a camp shirt seem to have nylon, wool, or some other quick drying material. You can find something that's still comfortable but lacks cotton, which can take some time to dry.
One thing to think about - - if you're caught in a colder, wetter situation on the trail than you'd anticipated and want to throw on another layer to stay warm, will you want your second shirt to have cotton in it? I'm sure people go this route, but there are a lot of comfy fully synthetic/wool shirts that will be better multi-purpose choices. Just my two cents.
I also love the idea of starting a shower with my clothes on.
Sclark9082
10-11-2014, 17:33
??? what.....undies and a buzz cut don't cut it?
Traveler
10-12-2014, 07:11
I concur, with the addition of a Fedora of course...
For the blazer ensemble a white "skippers" cap with some gold braid on the brim is appropriate.
bigcranky
10-12-2014, 08:41
For the blazer ensemble a white "skippers" cap with some gold braid on the brim is appropriate.
In the summer, a straw boater would look great and provide sun protection.
Never leave home without my smoking jacket um wind/rain jacket.
But you dahling, hmm, look mahvelous. Absolutely mahvelous. - Fernando
rocketsocks
10-14-2014, 06:43
...don't forget the fuzzy slippers.
mdbamabrad
10-15-2014, 12:32
all that is not necessary is lost.
I have heard putting a lightweight change of clothes in a bounce box is a good idea. I plan on trying this for 2015.
I have heard putting a lightweight change of clothes in a bounce box is a good idea. I plan on trying this for 2015.
Along with your extra lights, shoes, food, etc... Might as well throw in a defibrillator - you never know when you might need one of those. :)
(wasn't directed at you Danwood - I'm just having some fun with the "Well I might need this, and I might need that." mentality).
squeezebox
11-01-2014, 17:48
A friend of mine bought a real old style boaters hat, cost $150. ouch!!
squeezebox
11-01-2014, 17:56
My Rayon hawaiian shirt weighs 9 oz.
handlebar
11-01-2014, 17:57
Extra clothes weigh a lot. I have a long sleeved, wool shirt (Icebreaker) that's available if weather turns cold or to beef up my sleeping bag rating. I sometimes wear that in town and if it's not needed, it lives in the clothes bag/pillow. Still, I'm debating whether I really need to carry it for 3-season backpacking.
MuddyWaters
11-01-2014, 21:11
Trail laundry isn't like at home. Yeah, it takes 20 min to wash, but a dryer with only a couple of synthetic items in it has them dry in......7 minutes. Long nylon pants, long underwear, socks, trail shirt.
If you've got 30 min, you've got clean clothes. Wool would be slower.
Nonfiction
11-02-2014, 10:13
2 Shirts for me. One for hiking & one for sleep/town.
rusty bumper
11-02-2014, 10:39
One shirt for me that I wear 24/7. First stop in town is the laundromat and within an hour or so, my shirt and all other clothes are clean. Check into the motel, take a shower and I'm ready for a night in town.
shakey_snake
11-02-2014, 17:49
If I bought a trail shirt I wouldn't have room in my pack for my electric razor.
Mike2012
11-02-2014, 18:24
I wore some ratty ass trail shorts into Gatlinburg but other than that I arrive in town after I have cleaned up a bit in a stream like a real mountain man. You don't even need soap for the mud - just water. I carried a piece of that crystal deoderant and it works great - wear it now even. I sent my hawaiian shirt back at Mountain Crossings along with my leatherman and a few other pounds of crap.