How Do You Dress for Flights Between Hot and Cold Climates?
The best problem is flying from a very cold place to a very hot one. (Travel back … to a lesser extent.) But it also has some logistical problems.
What can you wear so as not to freeze and not feel uncomfortable at one end of the path? Is there a way to strategically pack so that boots, coats, and other cold weather accessories you only need once don’t take up too much space in your carry-on when you’re done with them? Do you change into new clothes that suit the climate of your destination, or stick with uniforms for one day of travel and just agree that part of your trip will be wildly uncomfortable?
On our Hack the World trip to Costa Rica earlier this month, Joel, Beth and I were driving from the East Coast, where a few inches of fresh, slushy snow had just fallen, to Liberia, where daytime temperatures hovered around the 90s.
No one had a particularly brilliant hack, but everyone used some kind of strategy. Joel and I were both in oversized clothes on the plane, changed at the airport, and stuffed our big winter jackets into our suitcases. (I also swapped out my tights and boots for sandals, which I strategically placed on top of my suitcase for easy access.)
Beth was a little more on top. “I had a down coat that folded very little,” she says. “When I entered the Pittsburgh airport, I put this in the bottom of my suitcase. On the plane, I was wearing a T-shirt, a hoodie, light jeans and sneakers. As soon as I landed, I went to the bathroom and changed into shorts and sandals. I took off my sweatshirt and put on sunscreen. “
An important additional detail from Beth’s strategy: “I put my shorts and sandals at the top of my suitcase for easy access.”
Aside from owning (or buying) a lightweight puffer jacket – to better tuck it into a small ball in your suitcase – the key here seems to be to pack your change of clothes on top of everything else so you can change clothes quickly and easily. whenever possible when you get to your destination. But are there really smarter ways to approach this problem?
Tell us: How do you pack in the event of extreme weather changes, and what tricks have you found to minimize the hassle of changing (and repacking your bag) in an airport bathroom?