Comfortable and Conscious Travel Clothes for Women: Paka Apparel Review

I’m always on the lookout for the best travel clothes for women.

I’m a mom of 4 little kids who works as a family travel blogger, which means I’m frequently road tripping, sitting on planes, lugging suitcases and heavy backpacks, baby wearing, toddler wearing, and chasing after little kids. It’s definitely physical work!

So many of the travel clothes I see on the market are either cute but not functional, or extremely functional but also ugly. I also see fast fashion and poorly made clothes that don’t look like they would hold up under the strain of travel with 4 kids.

I like to pack light and live minimally. We’ve got 6 people in our home and 6 people to pack for, so the fewer items we have the better. I want the clothes I bring into my home to be quality pieces that can mix and match.

And honestly? I also want to look cute in my pictures and videos. Can’t a mom be cute and comfortable at the same time?

Enter Paka Apparel. The clothing from PAKA is made from alpaca fiber sourced from the Andes Mountains in Peru, and it’s the most beautiful activewear I’ve ever seen.

If you’re looking for comfortable and wrinkle free travel clothing, or outdoor adventure clothing for women that will still look great in your photos, keep reading! I’m going to share what I love about PAKA!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by PAKA Apparel. This post also contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Tips for Minimalist Packing for Moms

Before I jump into my clothing review, I want to share some quick and easy tips for packing light as a mom with young kids.

I’ve always loved packing light, even as a high school student. I took a week-long trip to Mexico with just a small cross-body bag, and spend almost 3 weeks in Russia living out of a carry-on bag. I love feeling free to move about without too much stuff to worry about.

Of course, once you add kids into the mix, traveling minimally gets a bit more complicated. With practice, though, I’ve learned how to stick to minimalist packing. Here are my top tips:

Make sure everyone brings shoes that can be used in many situations. Wear tennis shoes on the plane and pack lighter multi-purpose sandals in your bag.
Use packing cubes to keep clothes organized by person or by day..
Make sure the clothes you bring can mix and match to make different outfits. I come up with a color scheme made up of 4 colors that all work together. Usually we stick to a palette of blue, green, and white with pops of pink.
Consider renting baby gear upon arrival. We use BabyQuip whenever possible.
Remember: you don’t need as many clothes as you think you do, and the kids don’t need as many toys as you think they do.
Bring clothes that are antimicrobial so you can rewear them multiple times, or do laundry while you’re on the trip.

You can read my full blog post on Minimalist Packing with Kids - How to Avoid Overpacking.

Why PAKA Clothes are the Perfect Travel Clothes for Women

As you can see, I’m incredibly selective about what makes the cut into my closet and even more selective about what makes it into my suitcase.

Here’s why PAKA makes the cut!

Commitment to People and the Earth

PAKA products come from the alpaca native to the Andes Mountains in Peru. The herds of alpacas roam free and are cared for by individual families. Their wool is then sheared , spun into yarn, dyed with only natural dyes, and handmade into sweaters, shirts, pants, socks, and more by Peruvian women.

The clothes are even shipped in biodegradable boxes that you can compost! I love that sustainability was considered in each step of the process, which you can read more about here.

The women who create the PAKA products are valued and compensated well for their work. PAKA teaches the skill of weaving for free to women looking to enter this skilled trade. They help provide childcare, so mothers can provide for their families, and pay the women a fair income. Read more about the Inca women behind the PAKA products here.

High Quality Clothes for Travel

When I was in college I had the opportunity to study abroad in Ecuador for a semester. We got to interact with some of the Quechua people, and I purchased a winter hat made of alpaca wool from one of the markets.

That was back in 2009, and I still own and wear that hat to this day. No matter how many winter hats I buy, the alpaca hat is always the one I reach for. It’s warm and soft, and the designs are so pretty and unique!

I didn’t know it at the time, but I now realize the reason I love that hat so much is thanks to:
1. the properties of alpaca wool, and
2. the high quality craftsmanship of a handmade garment vs. mass-produced items.

The clothes from PAKA have the same qualities that made that hat so special to me.

1. The material is lightweight.

As someone who prides herself in packing light, traveling during the fall and winter can present a unique challenge. Bulkier sweaters and sweatshirts make for heavier bags and suitcases, which all parents know makes travel with young children much more difficult.

An alpaca sweater from PAKA weights less than 10 oz. Easy to pack or throw in a bag for cool evenings.

2. It’s odor-resistant.

Alpaca wool has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, meaning you can go longer in between washes without your clothes smelling bad.

This is great news for parents who have ever tried to hike with a baby or toddler strapped to them while also carrying bags full of snacks, cameras, water bottles, and sunscreen. No matter how cool the weather is, you will still find yourself sweating underneath all of those packs.

With PAKA products you can still wear that sweater or shirt over and over on the trip even if you don’t have access to a washing machine.

3. It’s super soft.

Throughout my life I’ve always been sensitive to touch, and sensitive to how clothes feel on my skin. Unfortunately, I live in a climate where it gets very cold in winter, and it can be tough to find sweaters that don’t itch or feel coarse on my skin.

Alpaca is hypoallergenic and as soft as cashmere. Who knew?

4. It’s thermoregulating.

Alpacas live in a climate that gets very cold at night, and warm during the day. Their hair is made to regulate their body’s temperature during both extremes.

Similarly, clothes made out of alpaca wool will do the same for your body! I’ve been on so many trips where I need clothes to keep me warm during the morning and evening, and clothes for warm weather during the day. PAKA can do both!

5. It’s durable and moisture-wicking.

Alpaca wool will hold up in the harshest circumstances, AND is water-repellant.

Some of My Favorite Travel Pieces to Wear

PAKA sent me a few products from their new BREATHE line of activewear to test out. The BREATHE line uses alpaca for the exterior and 100% pima cotton for the interior.

BREATHE Women’s Hoodie

This is by far my favorite product. I chose the color ivory, but the hoodie also comes in black, lavender, and Tierra (a forest green color).

A few things I loved about it:

It’s incredibly soft on both the exterior and the pima cotton interior.
There’s a smaller pocket on the inside of the kangaroo pocket which is the perfect spot to store keys or stash your phone.
The smaller pocket is lined with a hand-woven Inca ID from the woman who made the hoodie.
There are no strings hanging down from the hoodie. It’s actually a closed loop thread to tighten or loosen the hood.
There are thumb holes! Here in Wisconsin it gets so cold during November-April, and it’s nice to be able to go for a walk without gloves sometimes. The thermoregulating alpaca material will help keep my hands warm!

BREATHE Women’s Joggers

Ok, every mom needs a perfect pair of travel pants that will work for the airport, hiking, lounging around the hotel, or whatever else you decide to do on your trip!

These joggers are IT! I ordered the black, but you can also choose between ivory and lavender. The material on these pants is 85% Royal Alpaca, 15% Bamboo on the exterior, and Organic Pima cotton lining

I was really impressed by the fit of these joggers. They are not baggy at all, but they still give you more room to breathe than a pair of leggings.

It’s still 80 degrees in Wisconsin, but I already know these are going to be my go-to pants for winter, not to mention for airport days!

Women’s Racer Tank

I also got to try the women’s racer tank, which is not part of the BREATHE line. I love traveling to tropical destinations or going for hikes in the desert (like on our recent trip to Las Vegas and Death Valley), and I can see this being my go-to tank top.

I grabbed the Mineral Blue color, but I might go back and order the black, too! It’s super comfortable with no back tags, and like all of the other products it’s super soft.

Socks

It seems weird to be so excited about a pair of socks, but hear me out.

All of the warmest socks I own are SUPER thick. They are nice for snuggling up on the couch with hot cocoa and a movie, but not super practical for wearing on walks or out in public.

The PAKA socks are some of the warmest socks I’ve tried (which is a blessing - I ALWAYS have cold feet), AND they are also some of the lightest socks! No more fidgeting and shoving your foot into your hiking shoe or boot.

Now on the website it says zero odor, but I haven’t had a chance to test that out yet. I will for sure come back and update this post when I’ve had a chance to wear them all day to see if they’re still odor free! (And if they work I’m definitely stocking up on several pairs for my husband).

Imagine only having to bring a few pairs of socks on your trip that you can wear over and over! A light packer’s dream.