The Best Travel Skirt: Stylish and Practical for Any Trip

Post author by Jackie
Estimated reading time 3 mins
Post Date July 30, 2017
Last Modified Updated: September 24, 2024

This post updated in July 2017 after finally finding a trusty new skirt to replace the one that has been discontinued! This post contains affiliate links.

No matter where I travel, one thing I pack without hesitation is my favorite travel skirt. Since I purchased my first running skirt (pictured below) in 2011, I have sworn by its design. They are incredibly versatile, comfortable, and yet still fashionable.

Quite unfortunately, the brilliant Sporthill model that originally inspired this post was discontinued a few years ago. I had trouble finding a decent replacement with which to update this post, until now.

Ladies, the Marmot Pace Skort is the answer, and you can get a great deal on it at Backcountry.com.

Best Travel Skirt
Marmot Pace Skort (Black, Medium).

Why Choose a Running Skirt for Travel

Previous to discovering the running skort/skirt, I hadn’t owned a skort since I was probably twelve years old. I tried one for $30 from REI, which I knew had a great return policy in case I hated it, but it quickly became my most favorite item of clothing for travel, ever.

It’s comfortable, quick-drying, has a secret pocket at the small of the back (big enough for money, keys, credit cards, etc.), it’s black (it doesn’t get dirty!), it looks good dressed up or down, and, it doesn’t matter if the wind is blowing because there are spandex shorts under it. It’s always ready for a hike, run, soccer game, a day at the beach, and more.

Brilliant.

The Product Itself

It’s mostly polyester with a mid-thigh hitting, 4-inch short, 14-inch skirt. The shorts are not so tight that they leave impressions on your legs, so they may ride up slightly while running, depending on the size of your thighs. It has one pocket (non-zipper) in the back for money or keys. It has a 30 UPF rating to block the sun from your thighs.

What is it Good For?

(Umm… what is it NOT good for? I do everything in my skirt.)

Santa Teresa Peru
Hiking Machu Picchu in Peru (see my Peru Packing List).
Ski Skirt
Skiing in Tahoe on the 4th of July (watch the video).
Thai Fish Spa
Sitting in a fish spa in Thailand.
Paddle Boarding Austin
Paddle boarding in Austin.
Sand Boarding Peru
Sandboarding in Peru.
Hiking Nicaragua Volcano
Hiking volcanoes in Nicaragua (three skirts!).
Trail Running Skirt
Trail running in Montana.

I loved and wore that original skirt so much that I completely wore it out. I fixed 3 of 4 places where the seam came apart, and I don’t blame the manufacturer for this, I blame all the things I’ve put it through. Not to mention the times when I’ve worn it for days, and days, in a row…

The Marmot Pace Skort comes with a lifetime manufacturer warranty. #bestnews

Where can you get the best travel skirt?

You may be able to find this in outdoor stores near you that carry Marmot gear, but it is also conveniently available on Backcountry.com, which offers a great return policy.

Don’t wait until this one runs out of stock. Gift yourself a great travel/running/hiking/paddleboarding/sandboarding/kayaking/exploring skirt now! Maybe buy two…

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15 replies on “The Best Travel Skirt: Stylish and Practical for Any Trip”

This one is by Sporthill, but unfortunately, as this post is a couple years old now, this exact model is no longer available. There are several others that are similar, I have a Mountain Hardwear one now that does the job.

I’ve been intrigued about these skirts since hearing you rave about them on the podcast, and now I’m totally getting one with my 20% off now!

That does look interesting, but I worry it might be culturally-inappropriately-short for a lot of countries? I might have to look for where I can get it outside of the US (REI’s shipping outside of the US is ridiculous).

Good point Leah, and yes, you wouldn’t want to wear this in certain places for that very reason. For example, even when I lived in Costa Rica I would try not to wear shorts or short skirts in the city, you just get a lot of unwanted attention. Also I would never wear this anywhere that religious customs play a role, like into a mosque or museum in certain places. But I think you will know when it is and is not appropriate. It’s great for outdoorsy and beach trips!

I had to order this skort from another REI out of town because they ran out FAST once they hit the rack… but the nice thing was that the shipping was free! I LOVE this skort and can’t wait to take it down to Central America with me this fall. Thanks for the suggestion, Jackie. I too, haven’t owned a “skort” since my single digit years but turns out, they still rock.

Thanks for recommending this. I have been thinking about getting one for about three months now. I might just have to fork up the money now that I know another traveller is sold on it.

Do it! I definitely recommend sticking with REI as well, just in case it doesn’t fit you perfectly and you decide to return it for a different one, REI is so great about customer satisfaction that you just can’t go wrong. I hope you love it!

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