As we’ve been planning for our trip, we have had to think about what clothes we want to bring that can stand up to a year of travel. We’ve read all about getting fabrics that are durable, quick drying, odor resistant, etc. The easy way to do this would be to go to REI and have ourselves a shopping spree…

but that’s not really our style!

We’ve been shopping for our travel clothes at… surprise, surprise… the THRIFT SHOP!

Why the Thrift Store?

We’ve always shopped at the thrift store for a cheap source of everyday clothes. As part of keeping our trip affordable, we figured we would take the same approach when searching for travel clothes. You can find quality clothing for reasonable prices. Despite Macklemore’s song, it’s not all multi-generational hand-me-downs or quirky, outlandish things. Brand names are not that hard to find.

How to Search

It does require a little bit of extra effort to find items appropriate for travel. It’s not like there is a special travel section like you might find at a “new goods” store. First, we did our research on the kinds of things that we were looking for. Most people tout clothing made out of synthetic fabrics like polyester because it dries quickly. Other people say merino wool is even better for temperature control and odor resistance. Most thrift stores organize all of their clothes by size (though some by color). We have gotten pretty good at gauging fabric as we’re flipping through hanger after hanger of shirts or pants. We have also mastered the art of finding the tag that lists fabric type and care in almost no time at all.

What We’ve Found

Eric’s Haul

Della’s Haul

We were excited to find some of the brand names that we would probably have searched for if we were looking for new clothes such as Go Lite, REI, and Columbia.

What’s Left?

We aren’t only shopping at the thrift store. Certain items, like underwear and shoes, we think are better to buy new. Also, we have received some excellent gifts of other new items. We have also utilized Ebay and Sierra Trading Post (which has been great with coupons and an easy return policy).

We definitely recommend making the thrift store part of your travel shopping plan!