PATAGONIA - STRETCH PLANING BOARD SHORTS
Purchase From Patagonia
This Summer I took on something we called the Travel Capsule Wardrobe Project - only wearing 15 items for 30 days while we traveled through Italy, Croatia, France, a short stop in Turkey and then back home to the U.S. We thought it worth the time to give a detailed review of a couple of the pieces and we're starting with these Patagonia Plaining Board Shorts.
First, Patagonia is a go-to for us because of their commitment to ethically producing products that respect the people making them as well as the impact those products have on the world around us.
BONUS: All their new board shorts are now Fair Trade Certified
So, the quick rundown is this - these are the best trunks I've ever owned. They are the board shorts that I wear most often and have held up to heavy use for years now. They are super stretchy and comfortable (long surf sessions with no rash), the material is thin enough to slip a wetsuit over without being uncomfortable (and it feels like your wearing nothing) and they dry super fast (which is great when you're traveling and in-and-out of the water a lot.)
A couple detail shots with specifics:
Like i mentioned, I've had these for years and used them for everything from surfing to pulling lobster traps to cliff jumping in quarries and they've held up great. I've included this detail to show some slight wearing thats showing up on the stitching but here's the thing - no worries - Patagonia will fix them for free if needed. You can send anything back to be repaired or just drop by the store and sometimes they can just fix it for you while you wait. Here's a little video about their repair approach - it's another reason that we love to purchase from them.
Moving on...
Zip pocket! This is a must for keys while surfing or for throwing some cash in my pocket before heading out on the boat or in kayaks. Knowing that things wont be falling out even if i'm going to end up in the ocean for some reason was super helpful on our travels especially once we landed in France and spent most days surfing.
These trunks are made out of a super stretchy recycled polyester that packs down to a tiny little bundle. It's great for packing and dries super quick - also great for traveling when you want to get a surf session in before taking off and you don't want to pack wet clothes in your bag.
Overall, these are a great trunk and perfect for a travel capsule when you want to wear a limited number of items. My next trunks will probably be another pair of theses if I can find one that is made in a plain colorway.