Stinky Synthetic Materials
Posted on 26 January 2009 by Justin
Problematically, what the budget travel experts failed to mention is that there is a downside to many synthetic materials (read: polypropylene and polyester). Rather soon after use, they begin to smell. Really Really Bad. (As a disclaimer, I have an excellent grasp of personal hygiene and do not have a tradition of being a smelly person. Except when I am playing soccer.)
The Socks
I have two pairs of polypropylene socks which have kept my feet really warm in cold places (think cold, windy, rainy Irish days.) What I like about my polypropylene socks is that my feet stay dry, even when they start to sweet. What really sucks is that after wearing my shoes and socks for an hour, my feet start to smell like the inside of a high school football team’s locker room. During August Two A Day conditioning. Even on cold days this is an inevitable reality. So my feet smell, my socks smell, and my shoes smell. None of this is a good thing when taking a long haul flight from London to New Zealand. Thinking that I was the problem, I tried the following remedies. All of them were ineffective.
- Wash socks every night.
- Soak socks every night before washing.
- Scrub socks every night both before and after soaking
- Apply natural deodorizer (read: rose petals) to shoes (this got my shoes smelling much better, but as soon as I put my socks back into the shoes, all progress was quickly reversed.
Solution: I am going to throw away my socks. I believe that the synthetic material moves the sweat away from the skin and, in doing so, absorbs all of the odor kept in the sweat. There is no hope for these socks. I am going to try Merino wool socks which claim to naturally stay dry while not absorbing odor.
The Shirt
I also purchased a polyester shirt from North Face that is designed with a “Vapor Wick” system. This is a fancy way of saying it stays dry while you sweat. I have found this claim to be true and I enjoy hiking in this shirt on hot days. It is 
relatively breathable and it keeps me dry even when the rest of me is covered with sweat. Problematically, after washing this shirt in a sink for a month, the material started to become extremely “pilly”. At this point, the shirt looks like I have been wearing it for the better part of a year instead of 4 months. To add insult to injury, no matter how much deodorant I apply, this shirt starts to smell about half way through the day. I am not talking about a little smell either. If I put my arms above my head, this smell will jump up and attack you. You may wake up several hours latter in a dumpster without your wallet. I mean, this smell is vicious. Needless to say, a smelly shirt on the trail is not really a problem, but it can be awkward in the local coffee shop. On the up side, my North Face shirt will dry in about 1.5 hours if I put it in the sun after washing.
Almost as an after thought, I also brought with me a cheap $10 black t-shirt from H&M. This 100% cotton shirt dries quickly (overnight or 2-2.5 hours in the sun), is not pilly, and I can wear it around town for 2 days before washing it. Even then, the shirt smells better than my high tech synthetic North Face Shirt.
Solution: Forget about the synthetic fiber, quick dry, vapor wick shirts, and buy light weight cotton shirts instead. They are cheaper, hold up better, and your seat mate on your next long haul flight will stop giving you strange looks.
The Verdict
I am not totally against synthetic materials. My two pairs of North face nylon travel pants dry quickly, breath well, and do not smell. Removing stains is easy and they are comfortable. My Marmot polyester thermal shell is also a winner. It keeps me warm and dries quickly. Also, it takes a much longer time to become smelly. I tend to wear an additional shirt underneath my Marmot top and I believe the thermal fabric not being right against my skin is a large part of the avoid the stench-factor.
Nomadic Buying Advise: If the clothing item will be right next to your skin, find a natural alternative to synthetic materials. They may take a bit more time to dry, but they are more effective over the long haul.
View Image Gallery | Subscribe to RSS Feed |Nomads in Your Email
© nomadbackpackers.com - All rights reserved 2009
Justin is not exaggerating on the awful smell that his t-shirt holds, or his socks for that matter. One time he left his socks in the car…we had to air it out for a half hour before we could drive anywhere.
Hope the Merino wool socks hold up better to our travel. I might get a pair too! Especially since one of my socks has been missing for a while. It’s a serious problem for this nomad, to only have 3 socks (1.5 pairs). Even though Justin’s socks are smelly, he has all 4 and none of his are missing. But we could just smell our way to the missing smelly socks.
Thanks for the advice. We are just getting our packing list together and so are trolling all the travel gear stores. We will look closer at more natural fibres. I do have a tip though – I have a running shirt that became quite smelly even though I wash it after every run – I was loathe to throw it away so I tried soaking it in a hot water and baking soda bath for a number of hours. It worked – the shirt is completely tolerable again.
Can I ask you again about your backpacks? I was sure I had decided (and funnily enough had decided on the Osprey Kestrel 48) but have recently read more about ‘travel packs’ that unzip totally in the front rather than a toploader. How do you find using the toploaders after all this time?
Thanks again for any ‘on the road’ advice!
Cheers,
Gillian
This is one reason I don’t listen to travel bloggers or writers who are teaching how to travel.
I agree, I always buy natural fiber, wool socks, cotton t-shirts, and my ultra light down feather jacket is the best.
Everyone has their own interest, taste and uniqueness when buying clothes and gear. In this respect I find the travel writers and bloggers who continually teach are over rated and are not explaining the reality.
Maybe synthetic fibers worked for one person, but it does not mean that it will work for the next person.
This also applies to buying a backpack. Try different packs and buy what fits your individual uniqueness not what other people are buying.
I am glad things are going well for you two. I stayed on an organic farm for 5 weeks in Israel, now I am in Jerusalem for 3 weeks renting a room in a flat.
@Gillian – I have used a front-loader non-traditional backpack which the daypack unzips from the main pack. I do prefer a pack that opens from the front next to top-loaders.
I suggest try several different backpacks from places that have a good return policy.
@Gillian – Great advice! I will have to give that I try in the next couple of days.
In regards to out top loading backpacks, here are the basic pros and cons.
Pros:
1. Built to be carried long distances. (Sits well on my back in such a way that make going up and down stairs and hopping on crowded subways a breeze.
2. Is tall and thin instead of wide and thick.
3. There are many different ways to pack a top loading back which creates additional flexibility as your needs change.
CONS:
1. Very difficult to secure. There is really no way, outside of locking it in a locker, to keep people from breaking into it if they want to. Travel bags will allow you to lock the zipers together and lock the bag to a pole. Very secure.
2. It sucks when you need to pull everything out of your bag to get that one thing you put in the wrong place.
3. So many straps. Sometimes you need to check your bag at the airport. I am always nervous that one of my straps will catch in part of the machinery. I could buy a bag to put my bag in but that just seems irritating.
That is basically it. Some days, I wish I had a travel bag that would open very easily into a wide space for me to store stuff. Other days I would not trade my pack for anything.
@Shawn – Enjoy your flat in Jerusalem. I imagine this is a great time to be there. Your advice, both about synthetic materials and backpacks, is right on.
Right now in Jerusalem it can be cold, but I don’t mind the weather.
Wars in Israel are like Fires in California.
So, no big deal, although the war in Gaza is over for now.
I’ve found the same problem with synthetics and smelliness. One great alternative I found for pants was a pair of Carhartt pants that I found at an Army/Navy store. They actually sell different weights of cotton pants with a sort of linen-like weave to them, and I chose the lighter-weight model. They’re very light (great for hot weather), comfortable (no scratchy synthetics), nonsmelly, durable, and quick-drying (for cotton, that is).
That is an excellent suggestion. Most people look online and visit REI and a few sporting goods stores, while forgetting to check their local Army Supply Store!
Thanks for the advice on the light-weight pants, that won’t be as smelly as synthetics!