It’s often a practical question on whether to pack a hat on your next trip abroad. They are difficult to store, you might have to put them on your head during transit and do you even need one? I only started traveling with a hat halfway through my last travels through South East Asia and Australia and was so happy to have it. So yes, I’m a big advocate of taking a hat with you and here is why.
Why you should pack a hat on your next travels
1. This is the big one everyone, it protects you from the sun! The sun is the main reason why hats are a massive plus on trip to hot countries. When you feel like the sun is boiling you alive, a hat is such a big help. It offers you some nice shade and makes sure your face is not constantly exposed to UV rays.
Honestly, I don’t know how I survived my farm work in rural Australia without my vintage Akubra
hat (please only buy them secondhand as they are made from rabbit fur). During my most recent travels through Italy and France, a hat was the one piece I was missing badly. All I wanted was a boater hat
in pale straw or a nice Panama hat. During periods of unforgiving sun, a hat is your savior! Especially straw hats are good because they let the wind in.
2. Wearing a hat works wonders for your Insta game. Have you ever seen a bad photo of someone wearing a hat? I don’t think so. I have no idea why, but wearing something on your head makes almost every photo look cool. And the best part is, you don’t even have to wear it. Playing around with it in your hands will avoid any awkward hand poses as well. Follow me on Instagram to see my hat-wearing days pass by.
3. No more bad hair days! When you’re road-tripping or traveling by plane, your hair is often not in the best state. Why do you think no airport outfit is complete without it? Especially on road trips, you might not have the time to wash every day. A hat will not only make you look like a normal human being in the photos, it will allow go to go into a city without greasy hair shame.
4. Wearing a hat on an airplane or a beach allows you to hide. We’ve all been there, you’re tired and you want to get some rest. Tilt the hat forward a little bit and nobody will bother you, mission accomplished! If only for this reason, I’ll always pack a hat.
5. A hat protects you from the other elements. I was in the midst of a hike through the rainforest in Tropical North Queensland when it’s started pouring massively. Tropical climates, hey! I had my camera around my neck and no rain jacket to protect any of my gear. The felt on my Akubra had all the rain going down my back instead of my front which allowed me to protect my gear and get everything out of there unharmed. Yeay for hats!
6. Ok this is a weird one and one for the real road-trippers: a hat doubles as an on-the-go shelf. Whether you’re road-tripping or even city tripping, the inside of your hat is perfect to dump everything in that you will need in the morning. Turn it upside down and it’s the perfect spot for your keys, phone, sunglasses and hotel card. Gotta think out of the box right?!
How to pack your hat?
When it comes to actually packing your beloved hat, I usually choose to wear it. When I wasn’t wearing mine, I put it in a plastic bag which I hung on one of my backpack straps. I did try to roll and pack my straw panama hat, but it ended up breaking so I’m not too sure I would do that again. If you do want to pack it in with your carry on, make sure you mold the rest of your clothing around the hat like Geneva from A Pair and A Spare does in this post. And for all those over-packers out there, one hat is more than enough! What do you think, will you pack a hat on your next trip?
Shop the perfect hat for your next trip
1. Grey Wool Felt Boater by Hat Attack
2. Straw Sunhat “Bon Voyage” by Hat Attack
3. Beige Felt Hat by Only
5. Brixton Moss Green fedora, similar to this wide brim fedora
First & third photo by Yannick De Pauw, editing by me Flower illustrations used in product collage by Favete on Vectorstock
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