We think most travelers love making lists. Whether they’re making one for places that they’d love to stopover or deciding which local watering holes to visit once in a foreign country, it’s true we love lists. But lists are also highly useful when you’re packing for that long-anticipated trip.
Firstly, because they speed up your packing process and improve its efficiency. Secondly, because they literally tell you what to bring – and what you may safely leave behind. After all, not every vacationer is great at packing. Some of them are even kitchen sink kind of packers. Thirdly, you’ll soon realize how much money you save once you are at your destination. A packing list keeps you from making a shopping list later on! Fourthly, the less necessary stuff doesn’t take up space in your suitcase because of lists. So, you can pack in the more important things.
Therefore, we decided we’d help you out with a just-beyond-the-obvious packing list for things to take while vacationing in a hotter place:
Clothes
If you already know what to take when traveling to colder climes, you are halfway through. Packing to hotter places has a few things in common. So, by now, you know that if you intend to spend a substantially long time traveling, you’ll find yourself washing clothes quite often, especially when the weather is hot, and you are sweating most of the time. Sure, that sounds like a chore now. But it also allows you to carry very little bulky clothing. This can be a godsend when you don’t have to lug all that stuff around on treks and hikes etc.
So, it is clear that you may keep things simple when it comes to clothes. Unless you’re taking a cruise, this minimalist list will be good enough:
- For protection from mosquito bites and the sun, a light, long-sleeved button-up shirt
- A pair of long pants
- A short-sleeved t-shirt
- 2 pairs of underwear – we’ll explain below which kind
- A pair of shorts that double as swimsuits
- One belt
- A pair of good socks
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Umbrella to combat heat and rain both
- A baseball sort of cap
Choose items that are constructed from materials that are quick to dry. Also, make sure that your clothes won’t come out of the bag all wrinkled up. Synthetic material is like that. Light-colored clothing usually keeps the mosquitoes away. But you can also soak all your things in insect repellent before you leave.
Now the explanation about breathable underwear as promised. Your groin is possibly the warmest part of your body. During hot weather, you won’t be able to do much with an overheated crotch. That’s where men’s cooling underwear comes in handy. You can avoid heat rash with it.
Shoes
Don’t take ten pairs along because the most you will wear on any trip would be three pairs. We recommend minimalism and buying colorful espadrilles from the road if you need to pretty things up. But whatever you pack, don’t forget shoes with treads for walking tours in the hot sun, hiking, and traveling in the rain.
Laundry and toiletries
Since the weather will be hot and you’ll mostly be doing laundry on the go, the following items need to come along with you on your trip:
Travel clothesline
Surprised to see this on a list, are you? We learned that this super handy tiny little thing makes life so much easier! Find one that you can easily hang up almost anywhere. And it won’t just be useful for laundry purposes. You may also use it to dry your towels or wet bathing suits after a dip or a swim.
Laundry soap
Sure, you aren’t traveling back in time; only to other places. That usually means most hotels you stay in will offer laundry service. But what if they charge for it? Or, what if you’ve run out of clean underwear and the next batch doesn’t go up until the next day?
But don’t worry about special soap for your laundry; even the regular strong castile kind will work well.
Toilet paper roll and hand sanitizer
Okay, even in the civilized world, there are places where you won’t find toilet paper and soap. It is usually a cultural thing. In other parts, you will find them but must pay for them. Therefore, carrying an emergency roll on you will let you go in peace.
About the hand sanitizer, it is so much more easier to keep carrying around than a wet bar of soap.
Shampoo and conditioners
Yes, yes, another weird thing on our list, but remember hot weather calls for more showers. You got us! But these items will save lives – or at least your tresses – if you don’t intend to splurge your money on costly hotels. Hostels and other smaller places for travelers don’t have those little bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Going to the store for it usually means you will come back with something INSANELY expensive.
So, bring your own. We’d recommend the solid shampoo and conditioner bars because of their super travel friendly nature and also because they’re good for the environment. Moreover, you won’t dread the plastic containers spilling all over your stuff.
Everything else …
Taking out time to travel to beautiful and interesting places sounds good. But ending up there without your tech can bum out anyone. There is a possibility that on a severely hot day, you might plan to stay indoors. So don’t forget to include your phone, laptop/tablet, and camera.
And surely you know that all the tech in the world will become useless without their chargers. And the latter won’t function without electronic adapters and converters. So, bring those along – and carry backups for wet weather mishaps and other losses. Other tech-related items, especially for photographers, include a sturdy camera bag, memory cards, backup batteries, and lens cleaner.
Finally, you may think you shouldn’t have to pack the following items. We’d say otherwise. So, don’t forget:
- Electronic tracker
- Decoy wallet
- Duct tape
- Whistle
The stuff on this list will make a vacation too comfortable and fun! We haven’t, of course, mentioned things like your passport and visa. That’s only because this is a list of less-than-obvious stuff. Even so, let us mention that you should carry a copy of both in a place that is easy to reach all the time, such as a backpack. The same goes for a list of medications and prescriptions for them.
We hope you have a fabulous vacation!
ABOUT Alycia Gordan
Alycia Gordan is a freelance writer who loves to read and write articles on healthcare technology, fitness and lifestyle. She is a tech junkie and divides her time between travel and writing. You can find her on Twitter: @meetalycia