Looking for a few useful tips for staying cool on a sun-soaked trip abroad? You’ve reached the right place. After a long, chilly winter cooped up indoors, the first idea on many jet-setters’ minds is a scorching hot vacation – the hotter, the better. You want to lounge in the white heat of a tropical beach, sipping a zippy cocktail and watching the waves slowly lap against your feet.
No one is denying you that beautiful, sun-soaked vacation. However, it’s wise to pair your hot trip abroad with a few tips for staying cool, comfortable and sun-safe. A little heat can be therapeutic and relaxing – but too much heat can leave you feeling sweaty, sticky, restless, and sunburnt.
Explore these four cooling tips to ensure that your sun-soaked summer trip stays comfortable.
Pack Merino Wool Clothing
Much of your comfort will boil down to what clothes you pack. Polyester leaves you feeling awkwardly damp and sticky, as it’s neither breathable nor sweat-wicking. And cotton doesn’t fare much better, holding onto moisture, weighing you down with sweat.
The best material for warm weather destinations is – believe it or not – a wool product. But it’s no ordinary wool; merino wool is an ultrafine-fibred fabric popular with hikers, joggers, and world travellers. It’s incredibly breathable and wicks away sweat to keep you cool and dry. Best of all, merino wool is antibacterial, warding off odor-causing microbes to keep you smelling good too.
Skip past the merino wool products marketed to joggers and hikers and look for fashionable merino wool clothing that you can dress for several occasions – fancy dinners and lazy days on the beach.
Alt= “A man in a white merino wool shirt packs his suitcase for a beach vacation.”
Book Accommodations with AC and a Fridge
Most people know to book their warm-weather accommodations around air-conditioning. In some parts of the world, air-con is a luxury rather than the standard, so it pays to clarify with your hotel or guesthouse whether the rooms are centrally cooled.
Another pro-tip is to ensure that you book a room with a fridge. A refrigerator is your best friend in hot weather. Roll up your pillowcases and put them in the mini-fridge for a comfortable sleep. Chill a bottle of electrolyte drink to stay hydrated throughout the day. And you can even create a makeshift cooling pad by freezing a wet hotel face towel.
Map Your Local Cool Zones
You’ve heard of mapping the local “hotspots,” but what about staking out the local cool spots? If you plan to venture far beyond your hotel during the daytime, designate cool zones on your phone’s map app. These can be air-conditioned malls, temperature-regulated museums, splash pads, cafes or any other safe haven from the intense outdoor heat.
Make Early Morning and Late Afternoon Plans
Finally, plan your outdoor time for the early morning and late afternoon, when the sun isn’t quite as punishing.
Between roughly 10 am and 2 pm, the sun is typically at its most intense; consequently, this time window carries the highest risk for sunburns and other adverse effects of sun exposure. You can still get plenty of sunny beach time in the afternoon. But by avoiding the apex hours of daily heat, you help sidestep the possibility of sunstroke or heat exhaustion – which can be a real vacation bummer!
Next time you travel to a hot destination, pack merino wool clothing, book a room with a fridge, map out your safe havens and avoid sun exposure during the hottest hours of the day. Follow these tips for a cool, comfortable, stylish summer vacation.
Finally, here are some more summer vacation safety tips:
