And Look Good Doing It

Patagonia's Continental Pants (right) and Cloudveil's Cool Shirt.

Merrell's Spring Streak Ventilators (right) and the Jungle Mocks.

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THE ART OF BLENDING IN
When traipsing from the trail into a small hillside town—or just pub-hopping across the Emerald Isle—some high-tech apparel can become more conspicuous than wearing a fanny pack and lugging around a hardcover guidebook. To blend into the crowd without sacrificing your gear-savvy leanings, let Salomon’s STL Jacket ($130, www.salomonsports.com) serve as your stand-by warm-weather outer layer of choice. This svelte, subtly-designed soft shell will keep you dry in anything shy of a downpour and it breathes more easily than patrons in the now-smoke-free Irish pubs. Stretch elements allow for ample flexibility and a bevy of pockets—inside, out, on the sleeve—will let you stow your 1,001 must-have travel electronics.

Underneath, rely on Cloudveil’s Cool Shirt ($65-75, www.cloudveil.com), a nylon garment that feels like cool cotton against your skin. A UVP-45 rating, a high sun-shading collar, and two zippered pockets will appeal to the tech-lover, while short- and long-sleeve options and stain- and wrinkle-resistant features make it an idiot-proof traveling staple. Toss the Cool Shirt on with a pair of the Continental Pants from Patagonia ($78, www.patagonia.com)—another wrinkle-proof item ideal for the train-hopping backpacker in us all—and stylish globe trekking has never been so simple. Water-resistant and quick-dry fabric align with zippered cargo pockets and a stretch-woven poly/nylon blend for a dressy look welcome in any establishment, from a Spanish parador to a Portuguese vineyard.

FROM COBBLESTONE TO DIRT ROAD
Doc Martins and their ilk may be the old-school footwear standby for most Euro and U.S. post-teen travelers, but stomp around in a pair of ten-holes in the dog days of summer, and your dogs will feel like they’re trapped in a furnace. Instead, opt for the cool-footed pleasures of Merrell’s ventilated sneakers. The men’s Sprint Streak Ventilators ($70, www.merrell.com) offer slipstream styling, sticky rubber soles for ample gripping, an air-cushion mid-sole, a wide array of hip color schemes, and—a summer essential—mesh construction for ample breathability. Women, meanwhile, can rely on the Jungle Mock Ventilator ($70), a shoe with enough airy mesh to get you over the river and through the woods to Anytown, America. The slip-on soles make it a breeze to get in and out, and—better still—the shoe’s light weight (one pound, one ounce) and ventilated design will keep you cool and fleet-footed, even in the most sun-baked southernmost towns.