How to Dress Comfortably for your Next Road Trip
Long road trips are great ways to travel from state to state. Not only can they be a lot of fun, but you get to see and experience the country in a unique and enjoyable way. These lengthy days in the car can be grueling, though. Here are four tips to dress comfortably for your next road trip.
Comfort First
First and foremost, focus on comfort in every outfit you pick. Road trips are chock full of long hours in somewhat cramped quarters. Part of the trip might have you exposed to the direct sun, while you might also be extra scrunched from an extra stray bag.
Keeping comfort first, plan your outfits with this in mind. Worn-in jeans or jean shorts are a great choice for bottoms, while tank tops and t-shirts work well for tops. Wear underwear that is designed for hot wearher and make sure to have a sweatshirt handy in case the air conditioner gets cranked.
Nothing Expensive
Life on the road can be hard on your clothing. Whether its coffee in the morning, lunch on the go during mid day, or the afternoon snack, there’s a lot of opportunity for things to get spilled and ground into your clothing while on a road trip.
Therefore, focus on cheap clothing that is easily replaced if something happens to it. You don’t want to be worrying throughout the trip about your expensive top or cute skirt getting ruined.
Beyond that, expensive clothing tends to be less comfortable. This isn’t always the case, and we can all picture an exception. But, more often than not, this is how it works out.
Think Loose
Tighter, form-fitting clothes might be in style, but they’re best left behind on road trips. Tighter clothing is tough to wear while you’re sitting in the car for long periods, while looser clothing is a lot more comfortable.
If you can get away with it, consider sweat pants on a chilly day, or gym shorts during the summer. Loose tank tops and sports bras for girls are the ultimate for comfort from loose clothing over summer, while a college sweatshirt makes the perfect winter travel top.
Layer, Layer, Layer
No matter what season of the year you’re taking a road trip, make sure to plan ahead by having layers along. Even during summer, you need to have several layers along.
For starters, depending on where you sit in the car, you might be hot or cold. One side of the car is often in the sun, leaving the people on that side hot. And, the other side is in the shade, leaving that side of the car a lot cooler. More often than not, the air conditioner gets turned on in that situation, which leaves half of the car a little chilly.
Beyond conditions in the car, there are the conditions outside. Road trips inherently cover a lot of miles, and you can traverse a lot of climates in one single day. It isn’t unheard of to hit the road in the desert and spend lunch on a mountain pass.
The temperature typically drops an average of 3.5 degress for every 1,000 feet you climb in elevation This might not sound like much, but it can actually be very extreme. For example, you can start the day in Nebraska in the heat of the summer, and take an afternoon break going over a 10,000 foot mountain pass in Colorado. The elevation alone can cause temperature swings of 40 degrees.
Conclusion
With a little bit of planning, you can ensure that you will be comfortable on your next long road trip. Leave the expensive apparel at home, and focus on dressing in comfortable, loose clothing. Layer up, as you never know what conditions you’ll encounter.