Traveling is a great way to experience new places and catch a break from your daily monotony. National Geographic recently released its collection of travel destinations worldwide that are the most exciting places to visit next year. Europe dominated the list with 13 locations, while six places in North America made it to the list – three of which are in the United States.
Whether you plan to travel to Sierra Leone to experience the newly renovated international airport in Freetown or visit the Khangchendzonga National Park, which covers a quarter of Sikkim, India, you’ll want to make sure you travel in style without compromising your comfort. While seemingly a trivial aspect of travel, investing a little in making yourself look good, confident, and comfortable can go a long way in ensuring a memorable and enjoyable travel experience. Below, we’ll share our brief guide to traveling in style – and comfort:
Backpack
One of the first things on your list of travel must-haves is the right backpack. Today, you can easily find different kinds, brands, and designs of backpacks available. While the size of your backpack will depend on your needs and preferences while traveling, it’s important to ensure you don’t compromise comfort for style.
When choosing your backpack, consider your specific purposes for travel and your planned itinerary. For example, if you’re heading somewhere tropical or will be spending a lot of time outdoors, you may want the boldly orange Jaws Dry Bag from Oakley, which is durable, water-repellent, and easily fits in with most streetwear fashion trends today. Alternatively, if you’d rather go for a more subdued and subtle design, the Transit Everyday backpack boasts convenient portability with lots of pockets and sleeves for organization.
Shoes
Next, a key point of focus for traveling in style is your shoes. While it can be tempting to wear or pack your newest pair of shoes, it’s important to consider how compatible your footwear will be with the terrain and streets of your travel destination. You also want to ensure you’re wearing something you’ve already worn and broken in to avoid nasty chafing and discomfort on your travels.
Most people tend to pack extra shoes for different categories, like walking, hiking, or days out on the beach. For example, you wouldn’t want to bring out your fresh pair of new sneakers if you’re hiking somewhere grassy and muddy, as you may ruin the simple black-and-white design of the new Air Jordan 11 Gratitude. Similarly, you wouldn’t want wet sand clogging and scratching up a new pair of Nike Kobe 6 Reverse Grinches. As such, consider your itinerary and pair your shoes with it accordingly.
Layers
Next, you’ll want to make sure you’re layering your clothing. Of course, certain travel destinations like beach resorts or ski lodges will have a specific outfit requirement to ensure you stay warm or cool enough without harming your physical health. However, for other vague places you may come across in transit – like airports and train stations – layers are your best friend.
Layering your clothes not only adds dimension to your outfit, compared to a plain T-shirt and jeans ensemble, but it also provides a level of flexibility for you to adapt to changing temperatures during your journey. If you’ve ever gotten off a plane from somewhere hot at your cooler winter destination, you may be familiar with the relief that being able to take off your cardigan or coat provides. For layering, you can pack a lightweight jacket or a stylish kimono with a scarf to keep yourself warm while complementing your look.
TSA-approved travel kit
Finally, a travel essential you shouldn’t overlook is your carry-on travel kit – that won’t get you stopped by TSA agents. While this would normally go in your appropriately sized backpack, it’s what is inside your travel kit that matters. Depending on your destination and personal needs, some travel must-haves include lip balm, hand sanitizer, moisturizer, and a comb. This way, you can maintain your fresh and stylish look while in between flights.
Of course, while packing your carry-on travel kit, you should still follow TSA rules and regulations to avoid mishaps. This includes how much (non-flammable) liquid you can bring on board and whether or not your disposable razer is allowed through. The TSA also allows larger amounts of medically necessary liquids, gels, and aerosols – as long as you declare them to the TSA officers at security and won’t mind further inspection.
Images from Cruise by Sami Oliver Nakari & Fabio Bozzetti for DSCENE – See the full story here.
