Trifter

First things first. Always have extra bags/Ziplocs/plastic bags/etc when you travel. I recommend the bigger Ziploc bags because they don’t take up much room, are reusable and have many purposes. When your clothes get wet and you have to keep moving, drop them in a Ziploc bag inside your backpack. This will prevent the moisture from spreading to your other clothes or worse, your electronics.

If your clothes get wet and it’s stopped raining, put them on top of your bag as you continue trekking, hiking, exploring or whatever you may be doing. Change out of them, wring them out, then get some sun on them. Make sure and rotate your clothing throughout the day or you may only have a partly dried shirt. The idea is to get them off you so you don’t get sick from wearing wet clothes all day.

Most of the time I don’t have my traveling backpack with me, just a day bag. If it looks like rain, I always bring a change of socks and shirt. Depending on the bag or weather conditions I might bring a whole new outfit, but socks and shirt are the most important and will leave you feeling the least wet.

If you accidentally leave clothes out or most of your clothing gets wet, make sure and separate the fabrics. Cotton dries 4 times slower than fabrics like polyester and nylon. Keep the cotton inside its own bag and your faster drying materials together so the cotton doesn’t keep the rest damp. To read more on the drawbacks of cotton and finding replacement materials, this article will help you http://www.trifter.com/Practical-Travel/Tips/Cotton-The-Death-Fabric-of-the-Traveler.424461

Hang up your wet clothing! This may seem simple enough, but many times travelers will throw their wet clothing down just to get it off and forget about it. Even if you’re only resting for 20 minutes, if the clothing is out in the sun it can make a world of difference. I’ve written an article on the 10 most important things to never forget on your trip which details clotheslines and fashioning up a system to dry your clothes, you can read it here http://www.trifter.com/Practical-Travel/Tips/10-Items-to-Never-Forget-When-You-Travel.429313

One method for dealing with wet clothes in the summertime is two fold. If your in a tropic climate with scorching hot sun beating down, you can wear wet clothes to keep you cool. This is a natural form of air conditioning I use many times after I wash some clothes, I’ll wear them wet, while the sun dries them in an hour and I stay cool and comfortable. Don’t try this in the cold though, it seems to have an opposite effect…

Good luck keeping your clothes dry. Much of this is common sense but a quick refresher course always helps even the most experienced traveler.