Hot Weather Travel Essentials To Keep You Sane In The Sun

My No. 1 must-have for hot destinations is my portable handheld fan. I swear, this fan saves my sanity on hot trips. When my body overheats, I become super overstimulated and irritable. But, when I turn on my handheld fan, I immediately feel a wave of relief rush over me. It’s like I’m a totally different person when my fan is blowing on me.

There are a variety of portable handheld fans that you can buy on Amazon. In particular, I prefer fans like this one that I have that come with a lanyard to wear around my neck and that can fold to stand upright on a tabletop. I also like when the fans are rechargeable so that I can plug them into my power bank when the battery is low to keep the fan running all day.

The next hot weather travel essential that complete changes my mood for the better is a chafing stick. Much to my dismay, high chafing is pretty inevitable for me in hot, humid weather. In fact, I’ve literally bled several times from my thighs rubbing while walking in the heat. It came to the point where I quite literally wore jeans in Disney World one year. That’s desperation right there.

That was before I tested this chafing stick, and I’ve never turned back. I was hesitant that a chafing stick would actually work for me. However, now I can literally walk through central Florida in the summertime all day long without getting a rash. I carry the stick with me throughout the day just in case even though I rarely need to reapply. It feels a little sticky at first until it dries, then it’s a lifesaver.

Unfortunately, in many hot places, hot weather also brings bugs — namely mosquitos and ticks. Even though I love hiking, SUV camping and the outdoors, I hate bugs. I can’t stand bugs. So, my husband bought us both this bug repellent hoodie for our outdoor trips a few years ago. At first, I was skeptical, but it actually works really well! I never go on an outdoor trip without it anymore. I especially love that it has a hood to keep mosquitos away from my face.

Similarly, I love these bug repellent socks too. Just like the hoodie, the bug repellent socks work surprisingly well to keep pests away. In particular, I bring these socks on every hiking trip where there is a high tick risk. I have multiple family members who have Lyme disease, so taking anti-tick precautions is super important to me.

Furthermore, when traveling to hot places, you probably want to pack sandals. However, when traveling, you’re also probably going to be walking a lot. That’s why a good, comfortable pair of walking sandals is one of the best travel essentials for hot weather. Personally, I love my Teva Verra sandals for hot destinations because they are waterproof (perfect for the beach and the muddy outdoors), have great arch support, and have bonus ankle straps to support my ankles after walking 10,000+ steps.

Ladies… Always, always, always, pack extra ponytail holders when traveling to hot destinations. Putting your hair up to add a breeze to your neck can make the world of a difference, especially if you have long, thick hair. I usually pack at least 3-4 ponytails per trip. Pro tip: I wrap them around my hairbrush handle so they don’t get lost in my toiletry bag. Plus, I’ll keep two in my purse or day bag for days out.

Next, when packing for your hot destination, you’ll want to pack either loose fitting, airy clothing and/or thin moisture wicking clothing depending on your trip type. If you’re going on a beach vacation, I recommend bringing breathable clothing materials like linen and cotton to stay cool. Clothing that doesn’t block breezes is essential. There are some good outfit examples in this Maui outfit ideas blog post. Additionally, if you’re going on a hot hiking trip, you’ll probably want to bring moisture wicking athletic wear to keep you dry and cool. Check out all of my cute hiking outfit ideas here.

Lastly, I couldn’t complete this list of hot weather travel essentials without mentioning sun protection. Not only is it imperative to protect your skin from sun damage with sunscreen (this is my favorite facial sunscreen), but hats and sunglasses are also important to protect your eyes. I love the sunglasses from Zenni because they’re cute, affordable prescription sunglasses. Because Zenni sunglasses are relatively cheap, it’s not the end of the world if they get lost, stolen or broken on a trip. You can get $15 off your Zenni purchase here. Baseball caps and wide brim hats are also super helpful, preventing squinting-related headaches for me while keeping my face out of the sun.