You’ve done your research. You’ve applied for your visa. You’ve booked your flight. Now’s the time to consider what you’re going to pack for your dream vacation. Often it’s as easy as checking out your trusty friend Google, seeing that it’s thirty degrees on average every day for the month that you are there and packing all of your favourite summer skirts, light blouses, t-shirts and shorts. However, if you’ve chosen one of those destinations where the weather is temperamental to say the least, it can be ridiculously tricky to decide what to pack. It’s known to rain but it can be mild or the days are balmy but the evenings have a distinct chill in the air. You have to hedge your bets. Take a look at how you can ensure that you pack the ideal wardrobe for the more unpredictable holiday destinations.
Clothing
The most important facet of any luggage is the attire that you’ve chosen to pack. For any destination that has random hot and cold days sandwiched together, you may think that you need to double up on your packing. You don’t. There’s no need to pack your gigantic duffel coat and thermals alongside your denim shorts. You simply need to pack smart. The best place to start is to think about layers. If you’re venturing off somewhere and the place is renowned for its microclimates or short bursts of humidity, you’ll want the option of shedding layers rather than changing your entire outfit.
At the very least you should have thin t-shirts, body tops, a zip-up fleece and a light windproof and waterproof jacket. By layering these up, you can easily control the amount you wear and vary this according to the climate. You can buy gorgeous sundresses that take up minimal space in your bag alongside a couple of pairs of skinny jeans, sandals, walking boots and a sweater. If you roll instead of fold, you’ll be surprised just how much you can squeeze into your luggage whether you’ve opted for a front-loading backpack or a more traditional wheeled suitcase. Remember, you don’t need to be taking a huge duvet like coat anywhere unless you’re venturing to the Arctic.
Safety First
Temperamental weather could mean extreme weather. If you’re travelling somewhere in monsoon season or that has hurricanes forecast or might be at risk of flooding, you need to consider your safety above everything else. You need to ensure that your smartphone is charged at all times. The best way to do this is to take a power pack on vacation with you. You can slip this into your day bag on your trips, and should the worst happen and you become stranded anywhere for a little while, at least you won’t be left without GPS or the ability to call the emergency services.
Stay Healthy
Hot-footing it to places with extreme humidity, heat and unpredictable temperature shifts can result in the dreaded mosquito. While in most countries these little critters are harmless albeit causing itchy and unsightly red bumps across your skin, in other places mosquitoes can carry some deadly diseases. It’s vital that you check out the destination that you are heading to and obtain the relevant vaccinations and tablets that you might need to protect yourself against dengue and malaria. Even if the mosquitos that you might encounter don’t carry anything deadly, you still need to cover yourself in Deet and sleep under a net if you don’t want a bite-ridden complexion for all of your holiday snaps.
Water supplies can become contaminated in extreme weather especially outside of the Western world and where there is flooding. It’s pretty much common sense but always drink bottled water and check that any water you buy from a shop or bar doesn’t have the seal broken. Decline the offer of ice in your drinks when out and about as this could come from a contaminated source.
Heading off the beaten track for your vacation to a place where fewer people go, where the weather can be extreme and where you need to have your wits about you can be one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of your life. Pack smart and always have your safety and health as your number one priorities. With the right preparation and research, you will have the best vacation ever.
This has been a collaborative post by Matthew-Jay Bond.
