Who, What, Wear?

Google any destination and you will find approximately seven million "what to wear in X" blog posts.

This is not one of those posts.

I took a dress on each of my first trips because the internet made it seem like A Thing. I quickly discovered that I don't really care to wear dresses while traveling, just because I want to go and see and do WAY more than I want cute pictures of myself in exotic places 🤷

I'm here to tell you that I do NOT do it for the 'Gram. Quite honestly, I don't much care what I look like when I'm home, much less on vacation. So, what's on my what-to-wear list?

The Patagonia hiking pants I bought on clearance in Hong Kong #extra

Confession: I'm addicted to hiking pants. They're just so awesome! Tough, quick drying, generally loaded with pockets, what's not to love? I may or may not own upwards of six pairs of hiking pants for various climates (I do however draw the line at pants that zip off into shorts, because I have some standards and will not be taking comments at this time). I take at least two pairs of hiking pants on every trip, be it city or country, no exceptions. Did I mention the POCKETS?

I also own a frankly embarrassing number of quick-dry, moisture-wicking, and/or SPF protective shirts. If I'm headed somewhere chilly, I'll take even fewer shirts because they'll be under my jacket for most pictures, so who cares?

My favorite thing? It may be TMI but I've got to admit, it's underwear. I take three pairs (one to wear while traveling, one to wash and wear as needed, and one in case of emergency) of quick drying underpants and wash them in the sink of my hotel/hostel/Airbnb. It saves a surprising amount of room in your luggage, not taking a pair of panties for every day! My favorite are Duluth Trading Company Buck Naked, which never give you swamp crotch, eliminate panty lines, and dry in a snap!

The bare bones of a travel wardrobe

Your mileage may vary.

I usually take a scarf and hat for either summer or winter, because scarves are handy to have around (not just when you need to enter a mosque or church, they're also a great bandage in a pinch or even a shawl in the chill after sunset)! In place of a winter hat I often take a warm Buff for it's similarly multi-purpose usefulness. A packable jacket is a must if you, like me, get cold when the temperature falls below say 70°--plus they compress in to a light pillow in a jiffy!

Honestly, in my opinion dress for comfort first. Accessorize if you want cute pictures, but first make sure you're not in danger of heat stroke or hypothermia.

If visiting Texas or Australia, remember boots because everything wants to kill you!