travel clothes for hot humid climates

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What to wear in hot and humid climates.

Packing for humidity can be a real challenge. After all, whatever you choose to wear when it’s hot and humid will likely be drenched in sweat within a few hours of you stepping away from the air conditioning. 

But, never fear! This post shares my favourite things to wear in hot and humid countries to keep you cool, comfortable and stylish too. So take a look at the full humidity packing list below, and you’ll be ready to go in no time!

T-Shirts and vests

One of my favourite items of clothing to wear in high humidity is a lightweight t-shirt or vest. By wearing something loose-fitting, you’re giving your skin an opportunity to release sweat to keep your body cool and comfortable. 

My top picks for ladies:

• Craghoppers Aliso Vest Top – This white vest top is specifically designed to keep you cool on the move, even in the highest humidity settings. It’s also super stretchy, so no matter what you get up to, you’ll be comfortable too.
• Vuori Sunset Top – If white vest tops are your style, you’ll love this loose-fitting one from Vuori. It’s sleeveless, breathable and comes complete with a pocket on the chest to store your essentials!
• Atmos Short-Sleeved T-Shirt – T-shirt fans will adore this plain short-sleeved t-shirt from Craghoppers. Featuring short capped sleeves, it’s effortlessly stylish, and the stretchy fabric is partly made from recycled plastic bottles to help reduce landfill waste. 
• Icebreaker Tech Lite Tee – The Icebreaker range of tech lite tees is made from super soft merino wool. But before you panic at the thought of wearing wool in hot and humid climates, hear me out! Merino naturally resists odours, it’s breathable and, best of all, keeps you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s not. This makes it one of the best fabrics when choosing clothing for high humidity.

And for men:

• Craghoppers Belardo Short Sleeved T-Shirt – The Belardo tee for men is made from fabrics engineered to keep your body cool when it’s hot, by effectively removing the moisture when you sweat. It washes and dries really quickly, thanks to the recycled polyester and lightweight design.
• Craghoppers Nosibotanical Sten Short Sleeve T-Shirt – The Nosibotanical range of humid clothing from Craghoppers is specifically designed to guard against biting insects. And as mosquitoes are often synonymous with hot climates, this lightweight tee is also built with cooling properties in mind. 
• Icebreaker Tech Lite Alp Ascension Tee – For something with a bit more flair, the Alp Ascension tee from Icebreaker features a hand-drawn mountain design on the front and a larger design on the back. But what makes it some of the best men’s clothing for high humidity is the fact it is made from merino wool. This naturally wonderful fabric is moisture wicking, temperature regulating and great at controlling odours too. You won’t want to travel anywhere humid without it!
• Patagonia P-6 Label Pocket Responsibili-tee – Nothing beats a classic white tee, and this one is lightweight, breathable and beautifully designed too. But as is evident from the name, the responsibili-tee is Patagonia’s first carbon-neutral t-shirt. It’s made from fabric scraps, recycled cotton and recycled bottles to make it a fully recycled garment. 

Head to the Craghoppers website to view the full collection, and use the code TRAVEL15 for an exclusive 15% off!

Long-sleeved tops

While it may seem counterintuitive to wear long sleeves in high humidity, the extra fabric on your arms actually has many hidden benefits. Not only can long sleeves protect you from the sun and biting insects, but they also come in really handy when you’re moving between the humid conditions outside and the cool temperatures inside. Roll your sleeves up when it’s hot, and down when it’s cold!

• Craghoppers Nosilife Erin Long Sleeved Top – All of Craghoppers’ Nosilife range is designed to protect your skin from biting insects, but this long-sleeved top is also made from light material that effectively wicks sweat away from your body. If you’re worried about odour, don’t be! The fabric has special anti-odour properties, making it perfect for wearing in hot and humid climates. 
• Patagonia Long-Sleeved Cool Trail Shirt – Like the Craghoppers top above, this long-sleeved shirt from Patagonia is super lightweight and loose to keep you cool and calm when it’s hot. It also has odour control and is made from recycled materials, so you’re doing good too. 
• Ayacucho Bamboo Long-Sleeved Tee – Made from a mix of bamboo and cotton, this long-sleeved crew by Ayacucho is really soft and comfortable. This mix of materials has natural cooling, anti-odour and moisture-wicking properties to keep you at your best even when it’s really humid outside. 
• Craghoppers Nosilife Talent Long-Sleeved T-Shirt – The Talen long-sleeved shirt comes in a wide range of colours and is super stylish too. It’s lightweight, breathable and designed to be loose fitting, so it will effectively wick away sweat to keep you cool when it’s hot. But the best part of this item is the Nosilife properties that keep you safe from biting insects. 

Heading somewhere humid? You’ll love Singapore! Check out my post all about Singapore’s most iconic hotel, the Marina Bay Sands , next!

When packing for tropical climates, most people make the mistake of expecting it to be hot and humid all the time. However, you don’t want to be caught out if it cools down in the evening or there’s a day when the temperature dramatically drops. But most importantly, humid countries will likely have air conditioning indoors to make the heat more bearable. What if that air conditioning is on too high? You’ll need a sweater!

• Craghoppers Nosibotanical Eden Hooded Jacket – This zipped hoodie is perfect for quickly zipping up when it’s too cold, and taking off once you get outside. The hood is also ideal if you’re stuck in a rainstorm and don’t want your head to get wet. What’s more, being a Nosibotanical hoodie, it features a plant-based insect repellent built into the fabric to keep those nasties away.
• Patagonia Strip Crew Sweatshirt – This classic sweatshirt features a stylish striped design and is super comfortable thanks to the brushed interior and slightly loose fit. It’s lightweight, breathable and made from recycled polyester and cotton. It’ll keep you warm in the cool air-conditioned air, but will also wick away moisture from your body when you get a little too hot. 
• Craghoppers Nosibotanical Cambra Jacket – The Cambra jacket is ideal for slipping on and off, and for layering with a basic tee when humidity strikes. Available in a couple of different colours, it’s a classic style and shape, and a must for any packing list. The odour-controlling panels and insect-repellent treatment are also a must for humid climates. 
• Fjallraven Vardag Sweater – Fjallraven is a brand synonymous with adventure, so it’s only fitting I include it in the list of humid weather clothes. It’s light and breathable, and the classic crew neck design is timeless. Made from organic cotton, it has a smaller footprint than many other styles too.

If you’re travelling to a humid country, you’ll more than likely be caught out in a rain storm. It, therefore, makes sense to pack a lightweight raincoat to keep you dry. There are plenty of raincoats to choose from, so I’ve made it easier for you to pick the perfect one for you by listing my favourites below.

• The North Face First Dawn Packable Jacket – This packable waterproof jacket is lightweight and very easy to stuff into your day bag. That means you can always have it to hand, ready for those tropical downpours. The breathable fabric also keeps you cool, even when it’s hot.
• Ayacucho Adventure Jacket – Ideal for rainy days, this lightweight adventure jacket from Ayacucho keeps you dry with its water-resistant coating. It’s lightweight and breathable, while the adjustable hood gives it a tailored fit. 
• Craghoppers Waterproof Laurel Jacket – The Laurel waterproof jacket from Craghoppers is made from recycled materials, helping to reduce landfill waste and carbon emissions. It’s also lightweight and breathable, to help regulate body temperature in hot and humid conditions. 
• Craghoppers Creevey Jacket – The Creevey jacket is light enough to be packed into your day bag but effective enough to keep you dry in a tropical storm. The lightweight fabrics allow moisture to escape, so you stay cool too. 
• The North Face Dryzzle Futurelight Jacket – The iconic Dryzzle jacket from the North Face is engineered for warm weather. The technology behind the Futurelight material enables air to permeate through a completely waterproof layer, so the rain will stay out, but air can still circulate to keep you cool.
• Ayacucho Yosemite Jacket – The Yosemite jacket is made from fully recycled polyester, making it soft and eco-friendly but perfectly waterproof too. Underarm ventilating zips and the lightweight, breathable fabric makes it ideal for wearing during tropical rainstorms and humid spells.

Shorts are the order of the day when it’s hot. Choose breathable fabrics in light colours to protect your skin from the sun and heat. Elasticated waistbands also make sure you stay comfortable whether you’re sitting, standing or trekking, so opt for these if you can.

• Craghoppers Kiwi III Pro Shorts – These shorts are made from a stretchy fabric that provides comfort and a wide range of motion with every wear. But what’s more, that fabric is water repellent, recycled and treated with Craghoppers’ anti-insect technology, making them the perfect travel shorts for all climates. 
• Ayacucho Goa Shorts – These linen shorts from Ayacucho are casual, light and airy, making them perfect for hot days in the sun. They’re soft, breathable and loose-fitting, thanks to the elasticated waistband and drawstring. You won’t find more comfortable shorts than these!
• Tentree Destination Fulton Shorts – Tentree clothing is ultra sustainable, thanks to recycled materials and ethical manufacturing methods. What’s more, they plant 10 trees for every product sold, so you’ll be giving back when you buy these super comfy, jersey shorts. 
• Patagonia Lightweight Hemp Volley Shorts – Made from a mixture of hemp and organic cotton, these shorts are soft and lightweight, keeping you cool even in the hottest conditions. They’re elasticated with a drawstring cord, so no matter what you get up to in them, you’ll be comfortable too. 
• Passenger Tahoe Casual Shorts – The casual Tahoe shorts from Passenger are made from a mixture of vegan-friendly materials, that are lightweight, breathable and very quick-drying. The relaxed fit is stylish and perfect for every day. 
• Tentree Joshua Hemp Shorts – The mix of hemp and recycled polyester makes these shorts soft, stretchy and stylish too. With two front pockets and one on the back, you’ve got room for your essentials – ideal for relaxation and practicality. 

Trousers/Pants

Lightweight trousers or pants made from linen and other breathable fabrics will keep you cool, even on the hottest days. Choose baggy, loose or wide-leg pants to give your legs lots of space to breathe and move, no matter what your day has ahead.

My top picks for women:

• Barbour Cherbury Pants – These 100% linen palazzo pants are light and breathable, with an elasticated waistband for style and comfort. The classic fit is perfect for dressing up with a strappy top in the evening, or a loose tee during the heat of the day. 
• Patagonia Island Hemp Beach Pants –  The cotton and hemp mix of these Patagonia pants gives a linen-like feel and a loose, comfortable fit. Featuring plenty of pockets, there’s enough room to store your essentials, and the slightly tapered fit gives an effortless style too.
• Craghoppers Rosa Trousers – Perfect for summer and hot, humid conditions, the Rosa trousers are light, bright and breezy. With a sunglasses wipe, two standard pockets and a hidden, zipped security pocket, there are plenty of technical features that help set them aside from others. 
• Vuori Ripstop Pants – These slim summer trousers are made with organic cotton for a lightweight but comfortable fit. And, featuring both mesh and zipped pockets, they’re practical as well as stylish.
• Ayacucho Fitzroy Cargo Pants – Ideal for hiking, trekking and everyday walking about town, these cargo pants from Ayacucho are made with recycled polyester. They’re water-repellent and full of pockets, so they’re functional too. 
• Craghoppers Kiwi Classic Trousers – These classic walking trousers from Craghoppers are packed full of features for travel and everyday life. Made from recycled plastic bottles, they’re designed to be water repellent and protect from biting insects and the sun too. 

Dresses and skirts

Choosing a floaty dress or lightweight skirt, your legs will feel bright and breezy, even in the most humid of conditions outside. Again, go for light fabrics, and choose a length and style that you’re comfortable with wearing both day and night. Loose is best in humidity, to help your skin breathe and any sweat to easily evaporate. 

My top dress picks:

• Nosibotanical Nicolet Dress – Nicolet is the ideal day-to-night dress, with its elegant pink and grey striped pattern and lace detail. The fabric is a blend of soft linen and cotton, but it has the added benefit of Craghoppers’ anti-insect treatment. It’s cool, breathable and in a really comfortable shift style with five handy pockets for practicality.
• Ayacucho Malibu Dress – This jersey-style midi dress has a sage green leaf pattern and a flattering fit. The Tencel and cotton blend fabric is quick-drying, sustainable and UV resistant, making it an ideal mix for hot and humid weather. 
• Barbour Fairburn Dress – The 100% cotton make-up of the Fairburn dress is lightweight, airy and lets your skin breathe. It features a white and grey stripe, large pockets and front button detailing for a stylish design that can be dressed up with sandals, or down with sneakers for an everyday look.

And skirts:

• Ayacucho Bamboo Seersucker Skort – With the style of a skirt, but the practicality of a pair of shorts, the Seersucker skort is ideal for hot and humid weather. It’s made with a bamboo fabric, which is quick-drying, breathable and stretchy to make it comfortable, whatever you get up to.
• Sherpa Padma Pull-On Skirt – Padma is Sherpa’s best-selling skirt, but now even more environmentally friendly! Made with a blend of organic cotton and a fibre extracted from beechwood trees, the skirt is soft and flowy and super soft too. It’s ideal for the hottest of days, so make sure you pack it!
• Brakeburn Aster Daisy Print Skirt – This daisy print skirt features a flattering paper bag waistband, making it soft, comfortable and wearable in all situations. Falling above the knee, it allows lots of air to circulate around your legs, keeping you cool in the most humid conditions. 

You can’t forget shoes when you’re packing for humidity! But make sure you’re packing for your environment too. Flip flops are perfect for beach days or lounging around by the pool, but you’ll need comfortable, breathable shoes when exploring a city or when travelling. Heading to the jungle ? Make sure you’ve got a pair of sturdy walking boots that will protect you from the rainforest floor. 

• Craghoppers Eco-Lite Shoes – The Eco-Lite shoes are made from a lightweight mesh material, with a sole made from recycled foam, ground coffee beans and recycled rubber. They’re in a low-rise sneaker style, giving them a small enough profile to be squeezed into a day bag, but still comfortable enough to wear on your everyday adventures.
• Craghoppers Jacara Mid Shoes – If you’re after something a little sturdier for walking or hiking, these Jacara shoes from Craghoppers may be just what you’re looking for. Of course, they provide exceptional support for your feet, but they also are treated with insect repellent technology to ward away biting insects, they’re waterproof for guaranteed dryness, and they’re also totally breathable to allow the air to circulate.
• Allbirds Tree Pipers – My personal favourite shoes for travelling are Allbirds, and the Pipers, in particular, are super comfortable. Made from a blend of eucalyptus fibres, they’re lightweight, breathable and silky smooth. They’re a classic sneaker style, so whatever you’re doing, your feet will look the part!
• Craghoppers Eco-Lite Shoes – These classic sneakers really do live up to their name. They’re eco-friendly, thanks to recycled materials and ethical trading practices. They’re light and breathable, thanks to the mesh construction, which keeps your feet comfortable all day long. Available in a couple of different colours, you’re sure to find some you love.
• Craghoppers Onega Mid Shoes – As part of the Craghoppers brand, they’re top quality and perfectly designed for whatever outdoor pursuits you’ve got planned. They’re built for walking and hiking, but even when it’s hot and humid, your feet will stay cool because of the breathable fabric and low-rise style.
• Allbirds Tree Runners – Allbirds is well-known for making some of the most comfortable shoes on the planet, and it does so sustainably with organic materials and ethical practices. These Runners are made from eucalyptus fibres in a mesh pattern, which allows your feet to breathe and keep comfortable when walking, running or chilling.
• Craghoppers Locke Sandals – These sturdy sandals were made for hot weather. The moulded midsole (made in part from ground coffee beans!) keeps your feet comfortable and protected, while the webbing upper has been treated with anti-insect technology to keep those pesky mosquitoes at bay.
• Merrells Kahuna III Sandals – Another pair of classic sandals, the Kahuna from Merrells are ideal for walking and hiking, even when it’s hot. The specially contoured sole protects and supports your feet, and the grippy bottoms keep you travelling on the right path. 
• The North Face Base Camp Mini II Flip Flops – Sometimes you can’t beat a good pair of flip flops, and these ones from the North Face are certainly that. The durable footbeds provide a soft yet sturdy base for your feet and arches, while the synthetic upper is comfortable between your toes. 
• Craghoppers Locke Sandals – Made from recycled materials, the Locke sandals from Craghoppers are both an ethical and practical choice. They come complete with an anti-insect treatment, providing a great defence against mosquitoes and other biting insects. 
• The North Face Hedgehog Sandals – The textured footbed on these Hedgehog sandals will keep your feet safe and secure, no matter how hot they get. Ideal for all types of terrain, these sandals are sturdy enough to keep your feet comfortable and protected for all your adventures.
• Reef Fanning Flip Flops – These flip flops from Reef are full of features for such a small amount of material, all built with breathability and comfort in mind. They have a perforated and padded liner, a soft and squishy footbed and even an airbag in the heel for extra bounce. What’s more, there’s a bottle opener on the bottom, so they’re absolutely perfect for the beach! 

Socks are vitally important in hot and humid countries. Without them, the sweat on your feet can cause walking shoes to rub and develop blisters. Choose a pair of breathable socks designed for hot weather. I’ve picked out my favourites below:

My top picks:

• Craghoppers Heat-Regulating Travel Socks – Heat-regulating socks do exactly what they say on the tin: they keep you warm when your feet are cold, and cool when your feet are warm. These Craghoppers socks for men and for women feature a cushioned sole, toe and heel, making them ideal for pairing with hiking or walking shoes on active adventures.
• Allbirds Trino Tubers – These socks are made from a sustainable blend of eucalyptus fibres and merino wool, giving them unique moisture-wicking and odour-controlling properties. This also makes them super soft and breathable, yet durable too. 
• Bridgedale Coolmax Liner Socks – These travel socks for men and for women are made from a special fabric, which absorbs heat from the body and distributes it to help you cool down. They wick perspiration away from your feet to keep them dry and comfortable. 

Light Scarf

Packing a light scarf can be a great way of protecting your skin from the sun, but also of keeping you warm when the sun goes down or if the air conditioning is up too high. Plus, they’re really easy to pack in a day bag and have many uses! Fold into a head scarf, wrap it around your neck, unravel as a blanket or simply drape it over your shoulders. Opt for light cotton or another lightweight material to best suit the heat and humidity.

• Craghoppers Nosilife Florie Scarf – The Craghoppers Florie Scarf is great for humid weather, as it’s lightweight and dries really quickly. This means it can wick moisture away from your body to keep you cool but does it with an anti-insect treatment built in. So, drape around your neck whenever you need a little extra cover or protection, and you’ll thank me later!
• Craghoppers Nosibotanical Blair Shawl – If you prefer more large scarves that can also work as blankets, the Blair shawl is exactly what you’re looking for. In hot and humid countries, a single layer of this will keep you covered thanks to its lightweight cotton and linen construction. But that’s not all! The Nosibotanical technology built into the scarf wards off biting insects for up to 25 washes.

Heat, humidity and the sun are a lethal combination, so make sure you protect your head too. Choose one with a large enough rim to shield your eyes and face from the sun. Breathable fabrics will allow heat to escape, thereby regulating your temperature too. 

• Craghoppers Nosilife Sun Hat – They don’t call this hat a sun hat for nothing! With UV protection equivalent to SPF50, you can rest assured your head is protected even on the sunniest of days. The bucket hat style is reversible and made from lightweight fabrics that wick away moisture to keep you cool. It’s also treated with Craghoppers’ Nosilife technology to keep the bugs away.
• The North Face Horizon Cap – This baseball cap from The North Face is ideal for hot and humid conditions. It features a quick-drying sweatband to keep sweat away from the face, while the nylon mesh back with folded opening helps heat escape, and is perfect for wearing with a ponytail. 
• Tentree Festival Hat – This 100% wool hat is the perfect fashion accessory, even when it’s hot. Designed with a fedora style, the contrasting cork band gives it a modern finish. What’s more, it’s incredibly light, sustainable and comfortable, with a brim wide enough to protect your eyes from the sun while wearing it. 
• Craghoppers Expert Kiwi Ranger Hat – The Ranger hat is designed for adventure. It’s made with a recycled and water-repellent fabric, which provides protection from showers and biting insects too. It also features sun protection, with a wide brim and light colour, to reduce the amount of heat absorbed.
• Craghoppers Expert Kiwi Cap – This baseball cap from Craghoppers is made, in part, from recycled materials to reduce landfill waste and carbon emissions. It’s also water-repellent and treated with anti-insect technology to keep those pesky insects at bay.
• Buff Explore Booney Hat – The Booney hat is made for warm conditions and warm activities, making it ideal for hot and humid weather. It features a wide brim to protect both your face and your neck from the sun, while the recycled materials are lightweight and breathable too to keep you cool. 

Travel Accessories for Humidity

Now that we’ve got the best clothing for high humidity sorted, it’s important to consider what other accessories you might need to take with you. These range from electronics and devices to keep you cool, to toiletries that guard your skin against the sun and biting insects. 

Mosquito Repellent 

With more skin exposed due to the hot temperatures, your body is at a higher risk of being bitten by insects or mosquitoes. Make sure you are as protected as possible by packing a high-quality mosquito repellent in your bag with you. 

• Insect Repellent Spray – This is my go-to brand for protection against insect bites. It’s DEET-free, but still highly effective and scientifically proven to repel biting insects for up to 5 hours. Unlike most repellents, it has a natural, pleasant smell and is completely cruelty-free and vegan.
• Heat it Insect Bite Healer – Of course, it’s better to avoid insect bites due to the likelihood of causing disease. However, if you’re unlucky enough to get bitten, this smartphone-powered device uses your smartphone’s battery to heat up and provide chemical-free treatment for insect bites. It works by connecting to the ‘heat it’ app, which personalises the amount of heat required to alleviate pain and itching from bites. 
• Craghoppers Nosilife – If you want extra protection from biting insects, give Craghoppers’ range of anti-insect clothing a go. From stylish hiking gear to fashionable clothes for a city break, you’ll be protected simply by the clothes you’re wearing. Take a look at the full collection now. 

Sun Cream 

Humid countries can often be hazy, with clouds and fog hiding the sun. However, it’s just as important to have effective sun protection with you to make sure you don’t burn or soak up harmful rays. 

• Malibu 50SPF Sun Lotion – This 50SPF sun lotion from the British brand, Malibu, is ideal for hot and humid climates. It helps protect your skin against harmful UVA and UVB rays, with a vegan formulation that is cruelty-free and kind to your skin too. This one is also the perfect size to pack in your hand luggage.
• Bondi Sands 30SPF Sun Lotion – The non-greasy formula of this Australian-made sunscreen brand leaves your skin protected and feeling moisturised. It’s fragrance-free, cruelty-free and reef friendly too, meaning it doesn’t contain chemicals proven to cause coral bleaching.
• Sun Bum 50SPF Sun Lotion – The original formula from Sun Bum provides you with moisturising sun protection, suitable for all skin types. It smells like summer thanks to its coconutty fragrance, with a velvety feel that rubs in quickly and easily, but isn’t greasy. Of course, it’s vegan, cruelty-free and reef safe too. 

You’ll need a day bag to carry these items in, so make sure you choose one that won’t weigh you down or be uncomfortable to carry. It should be large enough to store your belongings, but not large enough that you’re carrying extra weight when you don’t need it.

• Lowe Alpine AirZone 18L Backpack – The AirZone bags from Lowe Alpine are specifically designed for hot and humid climates. It features a suspended mesh carry system with fast-wicking hip fins that circulate the air around you, helping you keep cool. 
• Osprey Talon 22 Daypack – The Osprey Talon 22 Daypack is a lightweight bag, fitted with a breathable back panel that minimises heat and sweat transfer. There’s plenty of room for all your belongings, including water bottles and snacks. But it’s also compatible with Osprey’s Hydraulics Reservoirs, so you can hydrate straight from the bag via a tube and straw. 
• Craghoppers 14L Kiwi Classic Bag – This classic backpack is an ideal travel companion. It features a water-repellent exterior, which is ideal in humid conditions, to keep your items dry and protected. Though it’s the smallest pick of day bags on this list, it’s still got plenty of room for all your essentials, including a padded tablet or laptop pocket, a large main compartment and side pockets for your water bottle.

Reusable Water Bottle

Dehydration is all too common in hot and humid countries and is a very dangerous condition too. It’s essential to drink enough water to keep yourself cool and your body hydrated, especially when it’s hot. 

Tap water is not always safe to drink, so make sure you take a reusable bottle with you everywhere you go and take the opportunity to fill it up at drinking fountains you may spot on your travels. There are plenty of different water bottles to choose from, each with different features, materials and styles. I’ve picked out just a few of my favourites below. 

• Craghoppers Insulated Water Bottle – The insulated water bottle from Craghoppers works well to keep hot drinks hot, and cold drinks cold. It’s lightweight and can hold 750ml of your favourite drink to help you stay hydrated throughout the day. The bamboo lid and flexible handle make it a stylish essential to keep in your day bag. 
• Water-to-Go – The Water-to-Go bottle is much more than just a water bottle. It comes with a filter around the mouthpiece, which allows you to fill up from almost any water source and drink it safely. This is ideal if you’re travelling to an area where drinking water is scarce, or where it’s not safe to drink straight from the tap.  Use my code WBT15 on the Water-to-Go website to save 15% !
• Hydro Flask Wide Mouth Water Bottle – This Hydro Flask holds up to 32oz (just under a litre) of water, helping you keep hydrated all day long. Its double wall vacuum insulation keeps hot drinks hot for up to 12 hours, but cold drinks will stay cold for 24. What’s more, it comes in a variety of colours to match your style.
• Hidrate Spark Pro Water Bottle – The Hidrate Spark Pro is my new favourite thing. It keeps track of the amount of water you drink throughout the day, alerting you through the light-up puck in the base of the bottle when you’re behind your hydration target for the day. It can be difficult to know how much you’ve had to drink, but the Hidrate Spark Pro automatically measures your water intake, making it an ideal travel companion for hot and humid climates. 

Portable Fan

Trust me. A portable fan will be your new favourite travel accessory once you’ve travelled to the most tropical countries in the world. A paper fan works just as well, but if you prefer a battery-operated one, you can just hold it and let the fan do all the hard work for you. It’s the perfect way to cool down!

• Hands-Free Neck Fan – A hands-free neck fan does exactly what it says on the tin. It hangs around your neck, blasting cool air onto your body. This one from Amazon charges via USB, so you can keep it topped up while you’re away, ready for the hottest days.
• Handheld Fan – ​​A handheld fan like this one is a really easy and quick way of cooling down when you’re travelling. The beauty of this one is that it can be propped up on a table so you can point it at you while you’re relaxing or sleeping.
• Bamboo Folding Fan – If you’re a fan of traditional ways to keep cool, you’ll love this effortlessly beautiful folding fan. It’s made from bamboo, so it’s a sustainable resource and a sturdy, effective product. Simply open it, waft it in front of your face and enjoy the cooling breeze. 

Other Cooling Accessories

If you prefer other ways of keeping cool instead of a portable fan, check out these other cooling accessories that are perfect to use in hot and humid climates. I’ve included some of my favourite items below, that will keep you cool, calm and collected. 

• Cooling towel – ​​A cooling towel is an easy, cheap and quick way to stay cool. Simply wet it with water, wring it out and then give it a snap. When you place the damp towel on your body, it gives an immediate cooling effect that will last for hours. 
• Spray bottle – Sometimes you just need a blast of water to cool you down. By spraying your face and body with water, your body heat will help the water evaporate which, in turn, will work to cool you down. This spray bottle can be filled with tap water, and then pulling the trigger will release a fine mist of water. Give it a go!
• Ice blocks – If you are staying somewhere with a freezer or ice box, pick up a couple of reusable cold packs like these from Amazon. They’re great for keeping any food or drink you have in your backpack cold during the day, but also ideal if you need a quick blast of cold on your forehead or body to cool you down rapidly.
• Cooling pillow – Sleeping can be an almost impossible task when it’s too hot, especially if you don’t have air conditioning or a fan in your bedroom. Try a cooling pillow. It absorbs heat from your body and dissipates it away from you, helping you stay comfortable while you’re asleep. 

So there you have it, my round-up of the best clothing and accessories for high humidity. Now, get packing and enjoy your trip. Stay cool!

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What features are essential for travel clothing when visiting tropical or hot climates?

What travel clothing items are best for a hot weather excursion.

Not all clothing is made equally, especially under warmer weather conditions. So when you're shopping for outfits for your warm weather adventure, make sure your clothes have these features built in:

Breathability: When you can't catch a cool breeze anywhere, you've just gotta bring your own. Wearing breathable clothing is crucial to avoid overheating or having your whole outfit stick to your bod – no thanks! Title Nine's explore and travel shirts, shorts, and skirts are all made with breathable, odor-resistant fabrics in looser-fitting silhouettes that always pack extra airflow when you need it.

Moisture-wicking: Don't sweat getting sweaty in moisture-wicking short-sleeve t-shirts, tank tops, shorts and pants. Designed to soak up sweat in a snap, you can go from trekking the outdoors to lunch indoors with the A/C blasting without getting clammy. Bonus: they resist wrinkles in a snap.

Quick-drying: Hot climates tend to bring unpredictable weather, so prep for afternoon storms, roadside waterfalls, or sun showers with quick-drying clothes. Title Nine's collection of quick-dry pants, t-shirts, dresses, shorts and skirts shirk moisture like nobody's business, keeping you comfortable all day long.

Built-In UV protection: Applying and re-applying lotions is a sticky, messy pain – so instead, choose sun protective clothes that offer built-in certified UPF protection from the sun. From UPF20 through UPF 50+, Title Nine offers UPF-certified shirts, shorts, hats and more.

Easy care: We don’t have time for ironing, so we look for fabrics that don't wrinkle, are easy to wash, and dry quickly while we're on the move.

BACK TO TOP

Everything Title Nine offers is made to move with women who can't stop, won't stop. Whether we’re trekking across the Sahara, backpacking through Europe or taking the family camping at the beach, every piece is designed to boost women's movement, not hold us back. With sweat and stink control, wrinkle-free fabrics, quick-dry powers, and way more, Title Nine's got the total travel clothing package.

Here are our top picks for clothing, accessories, and travel shoes from our collection so you can pack the ultimate travel-ready outfits. Mix and match the best hot weather travel clothing to fit your style of adventure:

Travel Shirts & Tops: From tanks to long sleeve t-shirts, Title Nine's got your upper half covered, cool, and dry. Our fastest-drying, do-it-all tee, Ravine Short Sleeve Tee works day to night to keep us comfortable without anyone seeing us sweat. Or, go sleeveless with our Anda V Neck Tank Top , made with our moisture-wicking WickID fabric and built in UPF 50 to keep you cool and comfortable, even as the heat keeps rising.

Like a little more coverage? Grab the Moorea Gauze Textured Shirt , a 100% cotton layer-ready top. Roll-up the sleeves when things start to get a little too warm, and keep things casual with this flattering, relaxed fit top.

Pants and Shorts: Your travel pants and bottoms should be just as breathable, lightweight, and comfortable as your tops. Title Nine's travel pants and shorts let you move, stretch, and flex your way–from the trails to town, or from the beach to brunch–without needing a backup.

Planning a river adventure with the family? Go from wet to dry in our Rogue Bottoms (available in both shorts and skorts), made with our soft and sturdy, summer-ready Nimblene fabric. Or, head somewhere tropical in our Slaycation Cropped Pants , made to resist sun, sand, water, and wrinkles.

Have a hot weather hike planned? Our Switchback Ultralight Hike Joggers were made for trekking through the tropics, featuring a four-way stretch fabric boosted with DWR, quick-dry superpowers, and seven pockets (for all your go-to trail snacks, obviously).

Want to keep it comfy on the flight there and back? Grab a pair of soft, wicking Nebula High-Waisted Pocket Leggings for the ride.

Quick-drying: Who says you can't have stylish travel clothes? Title Nine's active dresses and skirts add a flattering touch to your travel outfits, while still beating the heat. Take our Round Trip Dress – with versatile styling, hidden pockets, and wrinkle-resistant Nimblene™ stretch fabric that's easily packable, hand washes easy, and dries super fast.

Wear any tee or tank with our Samba Swing Skort , an A-Line skirt with built-in shorts, hidden pockets, and a softer-than-soft fabric that packs some much-needed airflow.

Accessories: Every travel capsule wardrobe has the ultimate travel-friendly accessories, like hats, sunglasses, and scarves. Title Nine's warm weather ready gear has all the sweat-fighting, heat-beating capabilities as our clothing.

Shoes and Sandals: Leave the flip-flops at home and bring along some travel-ready shoes that'll keep your feet moving with no complaining. The best walking sandals for travel should provide adjustability, technical comfort footbeds, water-friendly materials and more. Title Nine offers a curated selection of some of the best walking shoes for travel, including athletic shoes, sneakers and breathable, comfortable sandals for your next excursion.

If hot weather's in the forecast for your upcoming trip, pack clothes that don't just look good, but feel good and perform even better in warmer weather. Look for fabrics that check all the boxes–breathable, temperature-regulating, sweat-wicking, odor-resistant, and quick-dry–that pack light, resist wrinkles, and transition from one activity to the next, day to night. From lightweight, abrasion-resistant hike pants, to beach-ready, moisture-wicking dresses, Title Nine has everything women need to beat the heat (and look like a badass doing it).

What are the best materials for women's travel clothes that are suitable for hot and humid conditions?

What types of clothing are best suited for warmer weather: dresses, shorts, or pants.

• What features should I look for in women's travel clothes that are designed for hot weather, such as moisture-wicking or sun protection?

How can I pack light and still have enough space for my travel outfits?

What colors are best for women's travel clothes in hot weather, such as light or dark shades, what are the best types of footwear to pair with women's travel clothes in hot weather, such as sandals or sneakers, how can i stay comfortable and cool during hot weather activities such as hiking or sightseeing, what are the most important considerations when selecting women's travel clothes for destinations with high humidity, are there any special cleaning or care instructions for women's travel clothes that are designed for hot weather conditions.

• Can women's travel clothes that are designed for hot weather be worn in other settings, such as for casual wear or outdoor activities?

What are the most important factors to consider when selecting clothes for a beach vacation?

What are some of the most popular trends in women's travel clothes for hot weather destinations, how can i create a versatile wardrobe for hot weather travel with a limited budget, what are some tips for layering women's travel clothing in hot climates.

The best materials to look for when shopping for travel outfits include breathable, lightweight fabrics like cotton, polyester, and spandex. Title Nine's collection of warm-weather clothing performs exactly how you'd need it to in hot, humid conditions, keeping you cool, comfortable, and dry. Below are the best fabrics to tackle the high temps, only available at Title Nine:

• WickID™ Super good wicking that dries 4x faster than cotton. A zap-drying fabric that sits softly on our skin and emerges wrinkle-free from our pack. It's our ultra-breathable fast-drying poly, odor-shirking Tencel™, infused with drirelease® performance fibers that dramatically improve how wetness is pulled from the skin and released into the air. Shop WickID breathable clothes .
• Buttah™ The year-round soother that washes and wears like a dream. Our soft blend of wrinkle-resistant and wash-and-dry-ready poly/spandex. Shop Buttah wrinkle free travel clothes .
• Matahari™ The double agent performance fabric that plays both sides and wins. Working and playing in overtime, Matahari™ goes from sweaty to ready in a snap. Our UPF 35 poly/spandex with StinkStopper™ odor blocking means more adventures and less laundry. Shop Matahari anti-odor clothing .
• Nimblene™ Amphibious in nature, allowing us to move quickly from river to trail, from wet to dry: the heavy hitting, surprisingly sturdy lightweight fabric that’s summer-ready. Our fast-drying, springy, stretch woven poly/spandex that’s certified UPF 50 to boot. Shop Nimblene quick dry clothing .
• ClambR™ Our abrasion-resistant, water-repellent, stretch nylon/spandex fabric. Soft, but rugged enough for every adventure urban to outback. Shop ClambR water repellent fabric clothes .

There's really no wrong answer here. As long as your travel wardrobe consists of the performance-ready fabrics and materials, whatever you choose to wear should be good to go. If you like a little extra breeze, wear shorts, dresses, and sleeveless tops. But if you're traveling where the fashion is more modest, go with lightweight, breathable travel pants and sweat-wicking t-shirts.

What features should I look for in women's travel clothing that are designed for hot weather?

The must-have features in every traveler's outfit include sweat-wicking powers, built-in UPF protection (because who wants to keep reapplying all day?), and a lightweight, loose fit on the body for max breathability.

The best way to keep your carry-on from overflowing is to bring outfits that pack down small or roll up tidy and resist wrinkles so us women can keep movin' along.

You might've heard to avoid black t-shirts and pants when traveling to hot, dry, or tropical destinations. While this isn't entirely wrong, what really helps you keep cool and comfy through the heat are those performance fabrics. The color of your clothing doesn't really matter if the materials are made to stand the higher temperatures. So, wear what you want! Just make sure your outfit's built to beat the heat.

“I love hot, sweaty feet!” said no one ever. Traveling to hot climates calls for appropriate foot wear to match. Headed somewhere tropical? Bring along a pair of water-resistant sandals, like the Teva Hike Out Sandal, or sneakers with a cushy footbed that make 12,000 steps feel like 20. Taking a walk through the ancient ruins in the heat of the summer? Pack the sneakers that go with every outfit: The Satorisan Boomerang Sneaker, with a sole that loves to wander and durable, sustainable materials all throughout.

If you're planning to spend your whole day outside, make sure your outfit has all the features you need to stay cool and comfortable. Got a hike on the itinerary? Pack along a pair of lightweight, abrasion-resistant pants or shorts, like our Recycled Clamber Hiking Pants. Taking it to the streets? Grab a versatile, breathable travel dress, like our Round Trip Dress for an outfit that transitions from day to night with no sweat.

Humid destinations pack more moisture than you might be used to, so the most important feature to look for from your clothing is that moisture-wicking capability. It keeps the moisture in the air off your skin without getting your outfit soggy.

Not all fabrics follow the same cleaning methods, so always check the care instructions on your clothing before washing. The dryer is known to ruin the performance materials that make our travel wardrobe hot weather ready, so as a general rule of thumb, always air dry your travel clothing.

Can women's travel clothes designed for hot weather be worn in other settings, such as for casual wear or outdoor activities?

Yep, you can wear your travel outfits anywhere you want. They're built to be versatile, so they're tough enough for outdoor activities like hiking, but still casual enough to fit right in at the local tavern, at the farmer's market, or at the neighborhood block party.

Beach vacations usually mean tons of humidity and a potential storm or two. So if you're packing for a warm, tropical getaway, make sure your dresses, shorts, pants, and tops all have moisture-wicking abilities and dry on the fly. Whether you're taking a walk on the beach or trekking through the rainforest, keep the water and humidity off your clothes and off your bod. Oh yeah, and don't forget your swimsuit!

Comfort is key when traveling to warmer destinations. But the most popular styles for warmer destinations we've seen include dresses, jumpsuits and rompers, and skorts. With features like hidden pockets, sweat-wicking powers, and adjustable straps and waistbands, Title Nine's dresses, jumpsuits, and bottoms have everything you need to look and feel your best

If style and function are the two must-haves from your travel wardrobe, look for travel-friendly outfits that are both versatile and made with performance materials that keep you cool under warmer temperatures. Title Nine's travel-ready clothing comes in tons of colors and prints to suit your style, without slacking on performance.

A versatile wardrobe consists of–you guessed it–versatile clothing! Before throwing anything in your carry-on, make sure you're packing versatile pieces. Travel dresses and jumpsuits that can go from day to night, shorts that go from wet to dry, and tops that stay wrinkle-free are all versatile pieces to include in your suitcase.

The only layers you'll really need in a warmer destination include comfy underwear, sweat-wicking socks, a light rain jacket, and maybe a pair of leggings from the flight to and fro. Title Nine's travel clothing have all the features you need to dress smarter; like built-in shorts with pockets in our skorts, built-in shelf bras in every dress, and packable jackets that take up zero space in your carry-on.

CONTRIBUTING T9 Hiking GEAR EXPERT

Molly Hanks, Merchant

Mom, competitor, triathlete and adventure trail runner, Molly has been the resident Women’s Travel Gear Expert at Title Nine. She not only leads and manages wear testing across the entire line, but also works with our in-house product development team and women across the industry to uncover and adopt the features most important to us when traveling wherever in the world it may be regardless of activity or sport.

• Hot Weather Travel Clothing
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The Best Warm Weather Travel Gear for Women

Wahine Swim Shorts - Solid

Speed Racer Tunic - Textured

Henerala V Neck Tank

Dogtown Shorts 4"

Lehua Bikini Bottom - Solid

Paddle Board Swim Shorts

Anda V Neck Tank Top

Recycled Clamber 2.0 Hiking Shorts 5"

Dogtown Shorts 10"

Holy Grail Bikini Bottom - Solid

Scout Ripstop Shorts 5"

Yasumi Short Sleeve Top

Ravine Muscle Tank - Solid

Scout Ripstop Shorts 3"

Flora Skort

Scout Ripstop Skort - Solid

Headlands Ribbed Tank Top

Maverick Pocket Tee

Maverick V Neck Tank Top

Set It And Forget It Halter Bikini Top

Dream V Neck Dress - Solid

Undercover Short 4"

Sunbuster Full Zip Hoodie - Solid

Sunbuster 1/4 Zip Cap Sleeve Hoodie - Textured

Slaycation 2.0 Cropped Pants - Textured Petite

Moorea Gauze Sleeveless Top

Notton Racerback Tank Top - Colorblock

Dream Swing Skort

Set It And Forget It Halter Tankini Top

Dogtown Shorts 6"

Samba Swing Skort

Hike Out Sandal

Baja Shorts 3"

Miraculous Shorts 5.5"

Slaycation 2.0 Cropped Pants - Textured

Evergreen Hiking Skort

Crusher Tiered Dress

Upland Long Sleeve Sun Shirt

Evergreen Hiking Shorts 5"

Baja Button Back Tank Top

Ravine Muscle Tank - Jaipur

Sunbuster 1/4 Zip Long Sleeve Hoodie - Textured

Recycled Clamber Cargo Hiking Shorts 5"

Dream Swing Skort - Aalsmeer

Upland Sleeveless Sun Shirt

Amelia Short Sleeve Dress

Boundless Tee

The Best Lightweight Travel Clothing for Hot Climates

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Although a bit overwhelming, choosing the best travel clothes for hot climates does not have to be hard. There are many options when choosing the best travel clothing for hot and humid climates but you’ll want to make sure you choose the right fabrics, colors and shapes for your body type, activities and destination. Breathable fabrics and garments crafted from moisture-wicking fabric are perfect for the great outdoors and active adventures but there are also stylish clothing options for less active adventures that still keep you cool in hot destinations. Knowing what to look for will help you choose the right clothing and avoid costly and sweaty mistakes.

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You can start checking off your  warm weather packing list  after you decide where you are going and what activities you plan to do. In this packing guide, along with plenty of suggestions, and convenient shopping links, I’ll share useful fabric knowledge to help you choose the best lightweight travel clothing for you!

Table of Contents: Jump to

Fiber Content

Fiber content in clothing refers to “the materials or fibers that make up the fabric or textile used to create the garment.” -The Textile Glossary

When finding the best lightweight travel clothing for hot climates, it’s essential to look at the fiber content label to know what the garment is actually made out of. Fabrics can sometimes look and feel the same on the outside, but their fiber content (treatment or construction) may be entirely different, which means their performance will be different. Reading the content label and understanding fabric characteristics is the best way to choose appropriate clothing for hot climates. The fiber label is usually sewn into the side seam or attached to the neck label of each garment, in most countries it is required by law. 

Fabric Characteristics

Once you know what the garment is made out of, it is important to know how that fabric preforms. 

Most fabric falls under two main categories, Synthetic (man-made) or Natural. Some fabrics are a combination of both natural fibers and man-made fiber. Each type of fabric has their own advantages and disadvantages.

The Most Common Natural Fabrics

• Cotton – Breathable, lightweight and hypo allergenic. It is easy to care for but absorbs moisture easily, can loose its shape and dries slowly. 
• Linen – Linen is light and airy and dries quicker than cotton. It is very breathable but does wrinkle easily. It is one of the most popular summer fabrics.
• Silk – Very lightweight and drapes easily but is delicate, hard to care for and shows sweat easily. 
• Wool – Very durable and breathable and has natural moisture wicking properties. It is wrinkle and odor resistant but prone to shrinkage and can be itchy in warm weather.

Natural fabrics are great for hot summer days and casual wear outfits including breathable pants, loose fitting tops, and breezy dresses with a stylish look. 

Most Common Synthetic Fabrics (Semi-Synthetic)

• Rayon- Often used to replace silk and cotton. It is lightweight and drapes well but only moderately breathable. 
• Polyester – Wrinkle resistant and easy to care for but it traps moisture and is prone to odor.
• Nylon -What most bathing suits are made out of. Stretches easily, is durable and drys quickly.

Synthetic materials are great for athletic clothing and outdoor activities where you’ll be sweating. They help to pull moisture away from the skin and keep you dry. This is why if you are running or hiking in cold weather you should never wear cotton underwear or base layers. Cotton will trap body moisture and keep it close to your skin making you colder.

The Best Fabric for Hot and Humid vs Hot and Dry Climates

Loose-fitting clothing and breathable fabrics such as cotton and linen are the best choices for staying cool in hot, humid weather. However, when choosing apparel to wear in warm weather, it is essential to select fabrics right for the type of activity you are doing and the type of heat you are experiencing. 

Humidity means more sweating, so depending on your activity, you may opt for tighter fitting, wicking clothing (summer wool or tech-polys) over naturally absorbent materials. In some cases, cotton is preferred for its natural cooling abilities, although it will become wet and heavy with excess moisture and eventually make you cold. 

If you are an avid hiker, you probably have heard the popular rule of thumb “Cotton Kills.” Most hikers avoid cotton because of its absorbency, slow drying, and failure to regulate body temperature.

Garment Fit, Construction, and Design

In addition to fiber content and fabric characteristics, garment fit, construction, and design are important variables to pay attention to while choosing the best lightweight attire for warmer climates.

• Fit -if you are planning to be active moisture-wicking clothing is best. Make sure it fits tight or it won’t be able to do its job.
• Construction – Breathability increases with looser weaves and open knits; while tighter knits or weaves create less breathable fabrics.
• Design – Mesh cut-outs, zippered air vents, retractable collars, and sleeves are designed into garments to improve features such as UV ray protection and breathability.
• Colors-  Light-colored clothes are best in hot and humid climates. Dark colors asorbe the sun’s heat while light colors help reflect the sun’s rays. 

Pro Tip: D.I.Y garment breathability test; in a well-lit room, hold the garment up and see how much light passes through. More light=more breathability.

UPF Protection + Performance Clothing

Hot temps usually mean intense sun, which is best taken in moderation to prevent sunburn, wrinkles, and premature aging. Living in Florida, with a fair complexion and freckles, I always do my best to protect my skin from too much sun exposure. Lightweight clothing with a UPF factor is a great way to enjoy the sun while blocking UV rays. Although all fabrics have a level of UV protection, not all fabrics are UPF protectant. Elements such as weave, stretch, wetness, color, and finishes determine how well a garment will protect you from the sun. 

Columbia’s PFG Tamiami   shirts are my go-to sun-blocking and moisture-wicking shirts when spending the day outside in the hot sun, especially on a boat. They come in so many colors, are lightweight, quick-drying, and easy to throw on when you start to feel the burn, plus they are wrinkle-resistant, which makes them great for traveling!

I am also a fan of  Patagonia’s tech-tee line  Capilene® Cool .   This is their “most versatile performance knit for use on trails or the water.” This tech-tee provides 50+ UPF sun protection and HeiQ® Fresh durable odor control. Their styles range from tanks, and short sleeve tees to long sleeve hoodies and are available for men, women, and children.

Merino-wool clothing: For really active trips or long hiking days, summer wool is becoming more and more popular. Gone are the days of merino-wool being a cold-weather garment only. With its moisture-wicking, breathing, and odor-fighting natural properties, merino wool has now evolved into a year-round staple. Wool is also wrinkle resistant so it is another great option for traveling.

SmartWool   and  WoolX  do a great job creating high-performance clothing for all seasons. Merino wool is more costly than its polyester competitor but well worth the money if you want something that works well and lasts. Wool can be itchy- it never bothers me in cold weather but make sure you get fine, high quality merino wool (like Smartwool or WoolX) to wear in warm weather.

Some popular performance brands :

• Under Armour ISO Chill® – Helps disperse body heat to provide cooling power.
• Patagonia Capilene® Cool -Patagonia tech tees keep you comfortable when you’re working hard in conditions ranging from cool to hot.
• Cotton Incorporated Trans DRY® – Combines the comfort of cotton with moisture-wicking performance that rivals any competitive fiber in the market.
• WoolX- Some wool can be itchy but the wool tops I have from wool

Fashionable Clothing for Hot Climates

If you are on vacation you may want a few fashionable pieces for a day on the beach a night out.

I look for lightweight and loose-fitting pieces in breathable fabrics for these types of occasions. I prefer to allow a bit of airflow to help cool me off in hot climates and love cotton and linen blends.

Some of the best travel pants are these linen pants from Athleta . They also come in joggers .

Bathing Suits and Cover-Ups

Andie Swim is my new favorite bathing suit company. They have many full and moderate coverage suits that pair great with shorts making it easy to go from the beach to a restaurant.

Long sleeve suits are quickly becoming a staple in my swim draw, For one, it’s the best way to avoid using sunscreen.

Pro Tip: Long sleeve bathing suits are great for wearing under a wet suit when scuba diving. They help the wetsuit glide on and off your body without riding up like a rash guard.

Hot Weather Accessories

From wide-brimmed hats to sunscreen and cooling devices consider these items when packing for hot weather to help you stay cool.

Popular Questions:

How do i avoid wrinkled clothing while packing.

• Use sheets of tissue paper between clothing and roll rather than fold or lay flat.
• Roll multiple garments together keeping the most prone to wrinkles garment on the outside
• Use Dry cleaner bags to wrap each outfit in before packing
• Once at your destination hang all clothing immediately
• Hang garments in the bathroom while taking a hot shower. Make sure doors are closed so the garment can absorb the moisture to help remove stubborn wrinkles.
• Pack a portable travel steamer with you

Pro  Tip:   Never fold linen! If you have to, fold it along its seams and hang as soon as possible. It will produce deep wrinkles if folded into luggage for long periods of time. Laying flat is the best option, and rolling is the 2nd best option to avoid wrinkles as best as you can.

How do I pack light

• Bring essentials and basics that can be mixed and matched to form more outfits
• Use accessories to change the look of an outfit
• Bring only a weeks worth of clothing and plan to wash it for longer trips
• Bring less shoes and wear your bulkiest pair (that goes for bulky jackets too)

How can I wash clothes on the go?

• Hand wash delicates in a sink with mild detergent
• Consider using laundry detergent sheets for easy packing and no surprise leakage
• Try using a portable wash kit like the Scrubba Wash Bag for on the go washing

What are the best fabrics for extreme heat?

• In extreme heat make sure to protect your skin from the sun. Skip the tank tops and short sleeve tops and opt for lightweight breathable long-sleeve tops instead. 
• Performance material in light colors is best for active days when you may be sweating.
• For fashionable frocks, the best materials to wear in extreme heat are lightweight fabrics including cotton, silk blends and linen. Opt for lightweight pants, a loose fitting tops or a loose fitting maxi dress allowing for airflow. Pair your outfits with a wide-brimmed hat and sunnies for a complete fashionable look.

I hope this post gives you more insight on how to choose the best lightweight clothing for any hot and humid get-a-way. The biggest takeaways should be to choose the right lightweight and breathable fabrics for your preferred activities in light colors. Enjoy your vacation!

If any of these products are a great fit for you, I am extremely grateful for your support by purchasing from the included links. As an Amazon Associate, my blog earns a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you -thank you for your support!

Additional Packing Guides:

The perfect Carry on Packing list- Travel Essentials Only | The Perfect Summer Iceland Packing List | 13 Practical items you don’t want to Car Camp without | 49 Essentials for a road trip packing list you shouldn’t leave home without

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Best travel clothing to beat the heat

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With record high temperatures across the U.S. and Europe, travelers are trying to find the best ways to beat the heat. And here at TPG we know the clothes you wear are important when it comes to keeping you cool — both mentally and physically — in the face of stifling temperatures, airport meltdowns and other challenges this summer.

Experts recommend wearing loose-fitting, light-colored clothes and a wide-brimmed hat to protect your skin from the sun. For packing and style, it's also good to bring outfits that are versatile — such as those that could be worn both on the beach and later in a restaurant — and are easy to clean.

Keeping your wardrobe to a minimum can help you reduce checked bags . It might even allow you to travel with just a carry-on — an important strategy in this summer of luggage chaos .

Here are the summer travel clothes TPG staffers and frequent travelers recommend for optimal fit, versatility and the ability to keep you cool.

If you're planning on purchasing any of these items on Amazon, consider using the Prime Visa to get 5% cash back, or try one of the other TPG recommended credit cards for Amazon purchases.

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Shirts, skirts and pants

The mainstays of a travel wardrobe — including durable shirts, skirts and pants — can be challenging to find for summertime. You want something that is light and cool but also sturdy enough to handle the rigors of travel. For instance, clothes that can serve as a cover-up at a pool bar might not be appropriate (or warm enough) for dining in an excessively air-conditioned restaurant at the hotel. Here are some recommendations that can keep you cool and serve multiple purposes for summer travel.

Skirt: Ripskirt Hawaii Quick Wrap Cover-up

This multi-purpose skirt gets good reviews for being both presentable and practical, making it easy to put on for a quick transition from the pool into the hotel restaurant. The skirt is lightweight but not so delicate that it can't handle repeated use on trips. It is easily wearable and breathable to keep you cool for summer city tours and walks along the beach.

Pants for men: Black Diamond Men's Alpine Pant

These lightweight pants were designed for hiking, but they look nice enough to serve a second purpose as a dinner outfit. I've enjoyed their comfort, breathability and stretchability which make them good both for sitting on long flights and for long walks around town. As a bonus, the pants have light waterproofing to keep you dry in a summer drizzle or if you, say, spill something on them at a bar.

Shorts for men : DUER Men's No Sweat Short

If you want to wear something trendier than just basketball shorts to keep cool when traveling, try DUER Men's No Sweat Short. These shorts may not completely eliminate sweat, but the Tencel lining combined with the cotton-spandex blend wicks away moisture and adds to their breathability. The spandex makes the shorts flexible for climbing trails or city steps, and they even have security flaps in the pockets to help foil pickpocketers that may hang around tourist sites.

Women's pants: LNX Women's Linen Pants

Linen pants have long been a choice for cooler summer wear, but they have a reputation for wrinkling in suitcases. LNX offers an affordable option for casual linen pants that are versatile enough for country tours and can be dressed up for dining out at night. The cotton-linen blend tends to wrinkle less. Everlane linen pants are another option that has served TPG photo editor Emilia Wronski well. "I've taken mine traveling several times since purchasing in April and the wrinkles mellow out pretty quickly," she says.

Shirts : Vapor Apparel Women's Sun Protection Hoodie

While wearing a long-sleeved hoodie in the heat of a summer day might seem counterintuitive, keeping your skin shielded from the sun, particularly if you're fair-skinned, can keep you cooler and prevent devastating sunburns. As a bonus, long-sleeved shirts can help protect you from voracious bugs on early summer mornings or evenings.

Vapor Apparel's Sun Protection hoodie is a very lightweight and breathable option for summer travels; the thin fabric packs down easily in bags but doesn't look wrinkled upon wearing. RipSkirt also makes popular lightweight summer long-sleeved shirts for sun protection.

Underclothes

Underwear for men: ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs

I've sworn by these lightweight moisture-wicking briefs as a hot weather choice for years. Although I haven't gone to the ExOfficio advertised extreme claim that you "only need two pairs to travel for weeks," I have found these comfortable to wear on hot days, whether walking around a city or hiking into the mountains. They're easy to wash in a hotel sink, quick drying for repeat usage and durable for repeat trips.

Underwear for women : ExOfficio also has a line of women's underwear and bras, while Patagonia Barely bras and underwear garner high reviews from TPG's Katie Genter. "They dry quick, don't smell and feel fine in the heat and humidity," she says.

Widebrim sun hat : Leotruny super wide brim sun hat

One of the best ways to beat the heat (or at least protect yourself from it) is to wear a proper head cover. Experts recommend something that has a wide brim to protect your face and neck from the blazing rays of the sun. Leotruny makes both men's and women's styles of wide-brimmed bucket hats; they are foldable and packable but still provide great coverage from the sun when lounging at the beach or going on a walking tour.

Another similar sunhat option is sold by Baggu. "I recently purchased a packable hat from Baggu for a trip to wine country," TPG's Claire Loyet says. "It was great because it folds up small enough to fit in a purse/tote/backpack."

Walking shoes: Hoka Bondi 7

I've long been a fan of Hoka's extra-cushioned shoes for running, hiking and just walking around town. They're a godsend for anyone like myself with chronic knee problems. The Bondi 7 shoes have mesh tops for breathability and great padding as well as support to reduce impact and provide stability on long walks on European cobblestone streets. The black-colored Bondis are subtle enough to wear to a restaurant or an evening out, although you're probably not going to win any fashion awards with them.

Allbirds shoes are a popular pick among TPG staffers, earning high marks for being fashionable, lightweight, and versatile enough to wear for both fitness and style purposes.

Sandals: Birkenstock EVA Sandals

These waterproof Birkenstocks check all the boxes of comfort, versatility and style for summer travels. A cushioned footbed keeps your feet and joints happy, while the sole is solid enough to survive extended walking tours. The waterproof functionality makes them a good choice for pool and beach use. They're more substantial than flip-flops but just as easy to slide on and off.

Note that Americans have a notorious reputation for wearing Birkenstocks with socks in Europe, so if you're going to partake in that trend, be prepared for people to laugh at you.

Related: What are the best travel shoes?

Feature photo by Thomas Barwick/Getty Images.

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9 Best Travel Clothes and Accessories for Hot Weather

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline .

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

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Extreme heat can put a damper on any trip by sucking your energy and putting you at risk for exhaustion or heat stroke. Gain an advantage over dangerous (or just uncomfortable) weather with these products that use cutting-edge technology to keep you cool.

Columbia Omni Freeze Zero Line

The proprietary Columbia Omni Freeze Zero fabric works with your sweat to help lower your body temperature. This unique material reacts with your sweat (and other kinds of moisture) to create a cooling sensation. It’s also got UPF 30 sun protection built in, as well as an advanced wicking system and antimicrobial treatment. We like the Women’s Freeze Degree III Tank Top , the  Coolibar Sun Bandana , and the Men’s Short Sleeve Crew Shirt .

Mission Athletecare Enduracool Headband

Keep your sweaty hair off your face and get relief from the heat at the same time with a headband from Mission Athletecare . Simply soak the headband with water, wring it out, and snap it to automatically drop the fabric’s temperature by 30 degrees.

Adidas Climachill Collection

Although it’s designed for athletes, the Adidas Climachill collection has plenty of stuff that will also work for casual vacation wear. Climachill fabric is woven with titanium and 3D aluminum cooling spheres, which offer an immediate chilling sensation in strategically located areas. Travelers’ best options are the golf shirt , polo shirt , sports bra , and running shoes .

RelaxGear Cooling Cap

The RelaxGear Cooling Cap keeps you up to 20 degrees cooler all day long. Simply soak the hat in cold water and it’s ready to go. If the cooling effect starts to wear off, just re-wet or wave the hat to reactivate it.

Travelon Wearable Fan

Ever been stuck in a hot hotel with only a slow fan and no air conditioning? If only you’d had the Travelon 3-Speed Folding Fan , which packs down compact, yet unfolds to make a decent fan for your night table. (You can also toss this in your purse or day bag and use it when you’re waiting in line, or stuck anywhere else that’s hot.)

Solar-Powered Fan Hat

Okay, so this product isn’t for you if you want to be unobtrusive on your travels. But if you’re heading somewhere where no one will see you (like camping or hiking), why not keep yourself cool with this Solar-Powered Air Fan Hat ?

Swiggies Wrist Water Bottles

Ever been so desperate for heat relief that you’ve run cold water over the pulse points on your wrist? The Reebok Hands-Free Wrist Water Bottles are a similar, yet longer-lasting version of that trick—and it will help keep you hydrated. Perfect for runners, these are BPA-free, and can be frozen for extra cooling power.

Under Armour Iso-Chill Line

Under Armour products made with Iso-Chill fabric actually feel cool to the touch; and help disperse body heat, wick away sweat, and offer UPF 30 protection. The line features everything from underwear to shirts, all made to keep you feeling refreshed no matter how hot it gets.

Chill Pal Cooling Towel

Perfect for working out, a day at the beach, or camping—you’ll feel Chill Pal ‘s cooling effect as soon as you take it out of the package. To activate the towel, just soak it in water and wring it out, then wear it as a bandana or use it as a towel.

More from SmarterTravel:

• 10 Incredibly Useful Travel Products for Summer Trips
• 11 Ultra-Packable Dresses for Summer Travel
• The Best Travel Bags for Guys

Caroline Morse prefers traveling in hot weather over cold, and knows exactly what to pack for any climate. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline and on Twitter @CarolineMorse1 for more clothing and travel inspiration .

Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2015. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

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Hike, kite, dive – adventure travel with a french twist, essential women’s travel clothing for hot climates.

We are usually all harnessed in technical gear, ready for any adventure travel or outdoor activity. Mostly because we go trekking in high mountains, kiteboarding in turquoise lagoons, or exploring remote regions of Mongolia, Canada, or Pakistan. However, when it comes to traveling to hot climates, I admit I like to have a few more items in addition to my regular hiking pants and board shorts. That’s how I added a few essential travel clothing for hot climates to my packing list. Finding the right summer clothes for women takes some time as well as they come in different shapes and sizes, and of course, purposes!

This post contains sponsored and affiliate links, which means we receive a percentage if you make a purchase using these links – at no cost to you.

Why Travel Clothing for Hot Climates?

More of my usual gear would be suitable for hot climates as they are lightweight, dry quickly, and work well for warm temperatures. However, they tend to be tight outfits that work best in for outdoor activities.

As we traveled this summer in the South of France and Africa, I realized I needed to add a few more items to make travel more comfortable. And because we will be traveling to conservative countries, I had to find women’s clothes for hot climates that would show less skin than the usual summer beach clothes.

See below some of the easy summer outfits for women I liked and packed.

What to Wear for Hot Weather

Before discussing design, I usually avoid cotton, linen, and leather during our outdoor activities. But these materials are perfect for the summer’s hot temperatures. I also enjoy Rayon and viscose fabrics – soft and comfortable to wear. Here are what I found as new cute summer clothes.

Large Travel Scarf 

My large scarf turned pareo turned towel turned sun blocker is the one item that never leaves me – come summer or winter, and anything in-between. But a long thin scarf is even better in summer as you can use it as a pareo, a beach towel or cover from the sun. My long scarf is really light, which makes it ideal for any trip. The number one item for accessorizing cute summer outfits as well!

No need to spend a lot of money on this scarf, and if you forgot to buy one from home, these long cotton pieces are easy to find in almost every country in Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Here in Tanzania, they are called kangas , but headscarves are everywhere.

Must-Have: Long Scarf

Pick Your Travel Skirt

The best travel skirt is the perfect piece of clothing when traveling to hot weather countries. A long travel skirt protects against the sun during the day and from mosquitoes at night. It’s also the right length when traveling to more conservative destinations.

Last but not least, I sometimes wear it from my chest, transforming the skirt into a casual dress.

High-waist long skirts like the Kate Kasin Beach Skirt are ideal for evening or day outings. I wear it with a simple cotton top for a casual day trip vibe or add a nice shoulder off the top (see below) for a refined look.

Kate Kasin Skirt and Top

Women’s Travel Tops

Perfect for walking the beaches of Zanzibar, a spaghetti top is essential clothing and can be layered with a scarf or under a long-sleeve shirt.

An alternative to spaghetti, a sleeveless top is an excellent addition to wear if you are exploring a city or going out at night for a drink. A top with off shoulder design like this Kate Kasin Summer Top  makes it perfect for an evening out.

The large scarf comes in handy to cover shoulders if need be.

Casual Summer Dresses for Women

Flowers or patterns, colors, beads, or lace will all make for lively summer dresses. The Kate Kasin Retro Summer Dress is a good example of a light yet dress floral dress.

What makes a good travel dress, in my mind, is that it should be lightweight, wrinkle-free, and colorful.

Kate Kasin Summer Dress

Best Travel Shorts: Pantacourts!  

While, in theory, not travel shorts, I actually prefer pantacourts to real short shorts. A highly versatile piece of clothing, a pantacourt (jupe-culotte, capri, or gaucho) is awesome when you need to be active and don’t want to be too hot in a pant or play like the famous scene of Marilyn Monroe over the subway grate. All while being acceptable in some conservative countries since they are under the knees.

I wear mine for short hikes or if we bike through a city.

The design of these pantacourts is usually wide, which makes them breezy and adequate in a conservative culture.

Click here to see the type and costs of these pantacourts

Pantacourt with spaghetti cami top

Lightweight Travel Pants

Regarding travel pants, women can choose from so many different options. Some of the best travel pants for women also depend on your height. As a petite woman, finding the right pant is tricky.

Linen and cotton are your friends in hot, summer temperatures. While these fabrics are not the best quick-dry pants for travel, they are comfortable. And a pant is a must-have for evenings against mosquitoes, insects, and dirt. The length under the ankle might be required when visiting some religious monuments, so if you don’t have a skirt or a sarong to cover down, make sure to pack loose-fitting pants.

Why bootcut? Well, stay away from form-fitting pants that might be too revealing, and bootcut style is usually a straightened design.

Click here to find the prices of these linen pants

Best Travel Shirts

Lightweight travel shirts come in short and long sleeves. For Africa and other hot weather countries, I prefer a long-sleeve shirt. Indeed, to protect against the sun or insects, long sleeves are recommended. Loose tops are usually airier and would work well in summer. A button-down shirt might have the extra benefit of being used as an evening layer when you wear it over a spaghetti or cami top.

Large Brimmed Hat

Beware of the sun and insolation! I am sensitive to the sun, and a hat is a must-have for me. I have a cap when we do outdoor activities, but I prefer a wide-brimmed hat for simply exploring the city.

Wide Brimmed Hat

Open-Toe Sandals

I usually wear Teva Sandals or my hiking boots when we go to the mountains, but I was looking for open-toe sandals with a softer look. Many sandals have skinny soles, which tend to become uncomfortable after a short walk. So I prefer shoes with thicker soles that provide better support and prevent pain. They tend to be more expensive, but nothing worse than bad shoes to turn your trip into a nightmarish experience.

Summer Sandals

Check these sandals: Taos Trophy 2 Sandals | Clarks Leisa Sandals | Taos Beauty 2 Sandals | B.O.C Kesia Sandals | B.O.C Sophina Sandals | Blowfish Granola Fisherman Sandals  | Teva Elzada Sandals

What are your must-go summer travel clothes that you can’t live without? We would love to hear from you, so please share your tips and suggestions!

Kate Kasin gifted us with the summer clothes listed in this blog post. Thank you, Kate Kasin, for the opportunity of featuring your products and brand! Our opinion is our own and is not impacted by this partnership.

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Patricia - Ze Wandering Frogs

Bonjour! I am Patricia Pagenel, the founder with Bruno Chartier of this adventure travel blog - Ze Wandering Frogs, where we share our travel tips and personal experiences from traveling in 50+ countries. We have been on a world trip since 2016, looking for exciting new adventures. Our work has been featured on Viator, National Geographic, Huffington Post, and ASEAN Tourism. Find out more about Ze Wandering Frogs in our About Us, our Portfolio, and Partners that worked with us. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to explore the world with us and start planning your own itineraries.

July 27, 2019

January 14, 2020 at 1:18 pm

I love Pantacourts too! I used to wear shorter pants, but I agree that these are more versatile if visiting a conservative country. I also like that they can easily be dressed up or down. And the length is perfect for showing off a pair of nice heels 🙂

February 12, 2020 at 9:04 am

Totally agree! Pantacourts are perfect in all conditions! I recently bought another one as my old one was falling apart after wearing it so much!

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The Ultimate Packing List for Women over 40: Hot Weather Travel (Part 3)

Over 50 Travel Fashion , Travel Clothing

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Those of us who are “women of a certain age” have special considerations when planning travel wardrobes. In today’s post, I’ll show you a sampling of my hot weather travel packing list. Always start by following Travel Fashion Girl’s concept of a Capsule Wardrobe .

This is a four-part article, make sure to read all the posts!

• PART 1 : 9 Tips to Get You Started with A Capsule Wardrobe
• PART 2 : Capsule Wardrobe for Mixed Weather
• PART 3 : Capsule Wardrobe for Hot Weather
• PART 4 : Capsule Wardrobe for Cold Weather

Capsule Wardrobe for Hot Weather

Written by: Phebe Schwartz

Table Of Contents

How I pack my travel wardrobe : I use packing cubes and have one cube for cold, one for hot, and one for in between weather. Since we’re just traveling (have been on the road for two years thus far), I’ve color-coded my packing cubes, and just pull out one or two cubes whenever we stop long enough to unpack for a while.

Plus I can get away with a few less items in each temperature group because I can overlap – some of the  transitional weather items  work just fine as a layer for cold weather, or hot weather items can work under a shirt or jacket for transitional weather climates. Again, this expands the options.

Here is my sample capsule wardrobe for hot weather:

Hot Weather Capsule Wardrobe

6 tops + 3 bottoms + 1 dress + 1 outer garment

The base color here is black. (I love black, and yes, that’s always my base color.)

Plain Shirt | Blouse | Shirt | T-Shirt | Flecked Shirt | Sleeveless  |  Dress | Long Sleeve | Skirt | Trousers | Denim Shorts | Shorts | Sandals | Thong  | Handbag

Eddie Bauer Departure Easy Tank Dress Sizes: XS-XXL Regular | S-L Petite | 2X-3X Plus

We have a black sundress (not spaghetti straps) in knit cotton that can go under or over most of the tops.

We’ve compiled the ultimate list of what our readers rank as the best dress for hot weather travels!

Quince Cotton Crew Neck Tee | Sizes XS-XL

For the tops

Most of the tops have either a cap or flutter sleeve shirt to accommodate less-than-muscular upper arms; all the tops look great with the straight black skirt, cropped grey slacks, and either the black or denim shorts (you don’t need both, I just show two examples).

The grey, red, and plain black tops are knits, as well as the black skirt; the white, embellished black, and ivory tops are woven fabrics. All are cotton, linen, or rayon.

Leave the logo tees at home and discover our readers’ classic picks for the best t-shirts for travel !

Levi’s Mid Length Shorts | Sizes 24-40

For the bottoms

Skirt , and dress are knee-length or just above.

Tops can be worn untucked or tucked, and the tops can also go over the dress so the skirt looks fuller, or under the dress like a jumper. You can also pair it with denim shorts .

Find out what to wear with a maxi skirt with these six styling ideas!

Grace Karin Open Front Knit Cropped Sweater | Sizes S-4X

Add a cropped black sweater for evenings, sandals in red and black, and a black purse. (Note that with all the loose, floating tops the skirt, shorts, and slacks are more fitted.) Voila, you are set.

In the above capsule wardrobe, I’ve added one piece of outwear , as well as two pair of shoes. I included a handbag, just so you can see how it all comes together.

Take a look at these cardigan outfit ideas for your next trip!

Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Crossbody Bag

Advice on a handbag – I prefer small nylon fabric handbags to leather, having had leather get moldy in hot humid climates. Also, I like straps that clip on and off, and carry a spare wrist strap, so I can change a shoulder or cross-body bag to a wristlet or clutch, depending on the occasion.

A scarf or two, some inexpensive jewelry, and you have a complete wardrobe for travel.

Scarves and jewelry are great souvenirs to remember your travels, so you can always pick up a few to tuck into your bag to change up your look.

We’ve rounded up the best anti theft travel bags for women, and our readers have voted for their favorite styles.

Vionic Rest Kirra Sandal

Obviously, you’ll adjust for your personal style.  You’ll look at what you have in your closet and try compiling your capsule wardrobe. Maybe you only need to buy one or two pieces to tie it all together.

The point is that with just a few well-selected items you can put together a wardrobe that will take you through country after country, location after location, and events ranging from a walk on the beach to an afternoon at a museum to a night at the ballet or opera. You’ll be ready for just about anything, (Okay, if you’re meeting royalty, you obviously need to go shopping .)

But you really don’t need to travel with more than five or six pieces of any one kind of clothing (other than undies and maybe socks).

These are our tried and tested reader recommendations for the world’s best travel shoes !

Compass Rose Packing Cubes

How to Organize Your Clothing

Many of our readers use packing cubes to organize their things.  Compass Rose packing cubes  allow you to do so by number and color so you know where you packed everything, even when you use the cubes to separate parts of your outfit. Learn more in the  video  below.

Learn about our hacks with packing cubes in this video !

We also put together a  five-part YouTube series  showing the different methods to use packing cubes for travel. If you use  this  specific packing strategy, packing cubes can also compress your belongings. This is the secret to traveling carry-on only!

For more tips, take a look at TFG’s Universal packing lists  and learn how to customize them to meet your needs.

Stay tuned for the last post in this series!

What other items would you add to this packing list for women over 40?

Please read the following for more tips and ideas on travel clothing:

• Beach Vacation Packing List
• How to Choose Travel Shoes
• Cute and Comfortable Women’s Flip Flops
• 10 Step Guide: How to Pack for a Trip with Different Weather
• How to Choose the Best Swim Suit for Your Body Type

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Hope you liked this travel packing list for women over 40. Please share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Thanks for reading!

Author Bio: Phebe Schwartz started traveling and living overseas at age 19, and haven’t stopped. Her career has included two years in Africa with the Peace Corps, and a three month trip home from there. As a result of living in Liberia, West Africa, she found a job teaching art in the US Virgin Islands, where she spent 25 wonderful years. Now retired, she and her husband are just traveling the world and having the time of their lives; the plan is to have no plan, the philosophy is that where they end up is where they are meant to be. Follow their adventure at their travel blog: Rolling Luggagers

15 Comments

Thanks for adding an over-40 list! I’ve aged since I started following you.

LOVE that you added an over 40 option. I’ve been modifying suggestions for what works better for me, but appreciate tips on what to look for to get started.

My suggestion: I enjoy trying different active adventures when traveling (biking, etc.) and I suggest adding some very cute tennis style skorts. I found a few that are knee length and modest with attached ‘biker like shorts.’ Some have pockets on the shorts big enough to hold a phone & zippered side pockets for security.

Thanks for all the great tips. I live in Europe for three months in the winter (Spain) and in the fall (Germany) and I really appreciate your comments. I use the packing cubes because of the organizational factor. When I’m in a transition hotel or if I get stuck, I have an outfit in a cube. My cubes are the ones that can be rolled up to squish. It adds a lot of room although the weight stays the same. Have you found that no one wears shorts in Europe? Is it just me? I never bring shorts, I rely on skirts and leggings.

Hi Sydney, thank you for your lovely comment, so happy you enjoy all the tips!! Thanks for sharing your travel packing experiences with me, packing cubes are the best! Safe travels! 🙂

Since the list is for hot weather, I think a swimsuit and pair of flip flops should be added. I just returned from a 25 day cruise and this is what I packed. I did take two swimsuits, though.

Thanks for the added items Joy!

So happy to find the over 40 option! I didn’t not realize it was here. Thank you!

Very smart looking capsule. I’m also a woman of a “certain age” and appreciate your advice. My greatest challenge packing for hot weather is that, although I love black, I can’t stand wearing it in the heat.

We’re going to Italy in 2 wks and I’ve been trying to decide what to bring for weeks. I’ve decided upon 3 white tops (1 tank, 1 knit Tee, 1 3/4 sleeve blouse). I’d cut out one of these but I’m a stain magnet and will probably have to launder after each use. A solid pink tank, a print cami and a print silk blouse round out my tops. Beige linen shorts and olive green cropped pants in a light viscose fabric as my neutral bottoms, along with a pair of vintage floral pattern capris for fun. These have a very current flared silhouette and I can’t resist bringing them to Rome. The print tops make for some bold pattern mixing with the capris but I’m totally into it. Also 1 maybe 2 lightweight dresses. Distressed boyfriend jeans, a striped Tee and a hoodie to wear on the plane.

Kind of unconventional but I’m happiest and most comfortable in boho styles, so that’s what I’m packing.

Great post – I totally agree with all of the suggestions. BTW, I’m over 50 (just for reference:) Last summer, I packed a small carry-on for a 3 week vacation in Europe – even with what I thought was minimal, I had more clothes than I needed. I wasn’t sure if we would be shopping, etc., so I wanted to be “prepared” – this summer I will pack even lighter. adding more color and style. I am not a seasoned traveler, so I really enjoy reading the tips – keep those posts coming:)

Happy you enjoyed the post Loxie 🙂 Thanks for your feedback!

Very nice set of clothes. Thank you

That’s one helluva lot of clothing to cart around!

I am a female 63 travelling to vietnam and Cambodia in feb for 12 days wondering what I should pack can you give me examples

Hi Marlene, thank you for reaching out! You may find our 10 step guide to Southeast Asia a good place to start planning your packing: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/10-step-packing-guide-for-southeast-asia/ I would highly suggest that you join our TFG facebook group and post any questions you have there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ Its a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that have the best advice and recommendations to share. Hope this helps you with your packing. Have an incredible time on your adventure! ?

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Long Term Travel Packing List Essentials: Global Nomad Clothing Recommendations

Today we’re covering something we get asked often when traveling long-term: what do you pack for multiple months of travel?

In this two part series we’ll share our long term travel packing list recommendations for both travel clothing and gear essentials .

Part One: Global Nomad Clothing

Today’s post includes:

1. How to pack for your own style of travel

2. Important considerations for choosing the best clothing for long-term travel

3. Best fabrics for global travel clothing

4. Best travel clothing brands (for both cold weather and for hot, humid climates)

5. Our recommended packing list for long-term travel (including the travel shirts, pants, dresses and skirts, socks, underwear, jackets, and shoes that we love the most)

Updated: November 2023. Originally published: December 2017

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you make a purchase after clicking through one of our links, we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. You don’t have to use our links to make your purchase, but we really appreciate it when you do! We also received complimentary items from Kuhl, Duer, and Bluffworks. All opinions are our own and we only recommend products we love.

Table of Contents

Pack For Your Own Style of Travel

Everyone has their own preferences for how they like to travel. Let your gear support and enhance your travel experience, not hinder it.

Here are our personal travel preferences that help inform the type of gear we bring for trips:

– We are essentialists: We try to make sure that everything we bring with us will actually get used.

– We are minimalist: The more gear, the more burden. We’ve found that backpacks are easier for us to manage than suitcases for going up stairs, walking on unpaved or cobble stone roads and routes where cars cannot go. By knowing we will be carrying our gear, it forces us to be more intentional about what we bring to literally lighten our load.

– Everything must be multi-functional: Our long term travels put us in a variety of situations, from working on farms to attending weddings, so our clothes have to be adaptable for different uses as well as different climates. For example: Jedd’s travel pants are durable enough to be used for work or hiking but casual enough for a day around town and passable for those rare semi-formal events.

– Value matters:  Although we’re on a tight budget, buying cheap gear can backfire, so we invest in nomad travel clothing that is high quality and durable. For example, some of our Exofficio underwear has lasted us 5 years. They were expensive when you compare them to underwear you can get at Target or Walmart, but the quality and durability makes the initial price worth it.

A good rule of thumb here is to invest in great quality travel gear, especially for things you will use regularly like underwear, socks, shoes, etc..

What does your travel look like? Where will you be going? What kind of gear do you need to enhance and help you to have a great experience? Start there.

Choosing the best clothing to pack for long term travel

I’ll say it again: Your clothes should enhance and support your travel experience. Bringing the wrong clothing can become a burden and in some cases, the wrong clothing can actually make you sick.

Here are some important things to consider about travel clothing:

Avoid cotton when possible: Pros: – Feels great against the skin – Typically cheaper material than merino wool and high-tech fabrics Cons: – Absorbs moisture too easy – Does not dry quickly

Consider merino wool and high tech fabric blends (including ones with a cotton mix): Pros: – Wicks away moisture well – Dries quickly (Merino dries faster than cotton. High tech fabric blends are the fastest.) Cons: – Not everyone likes the feel of these fabrics (we do) – Typically more expensive material, especially merino wool

Find multi-use clothing: Examples: board shorts that can be used for swimming and casual wear. A dress that works casually or for formal situations.

Find a balance between function, fashion, and durability: Regardless of how many features an item of clothing might have, if you think it’s ugly then there’s a good chance you won’t wear it. Find the balance that works best for you. Thankfully, travel clothing is starting to look a lot better these days.

Read online reviews when possible: Do products actually do what they say they’ll do? Learn about the fit, the features, etc… Also read the “most critical” reviews. What do people hate about the product? Maybe why they didn’t like something is the reason why you’ll need to get it yourself.

Cold Weather Travel: Why and How You Should Wear Layers

If you’re going to be traveling in cooler climates – something we actually try to avoid – the best thing to do for yourself is learn how to layer properly. The goal: protect yourself from moisture to stay dry and comfortable.

Most of the time people think the way to stay warm in cold weather is just to block out the cold elements. That helps, but if you don’t find something breathable that helps wick moisture, you will be a mobile sauna — sweaty and uncomfortable.

The goal is to find the perfect balance where your body is neither too hot or too cold, protected against the elements but not keeping in all the warmth. With the right layering you can achieve this balance.

All you have to remember is the 3 layer rule:

– Base layer – The moisture wicking machine. Keep your body dry! – Mid layer – Provides insolation and some breathability – Outer layer – Provides protection from the wind/rain/snow, but needs to have ways that hot air can escape (pit vents or breathable material/seams).

Outer layer: Consider a waterproof shield of some sort. It doesn’t have to be heavy or insulated to do the job (the base and mid layers should keep you warm). Remember, the bigger and heavier the coat, the worse it is to pack.

Look for taped seams, pit venting pockets and materials that claim both breathability and waterproof technology. You want something that shields the external elements but allows your body to vent so you don’t get too hot and sweaty.

Mid layers: You have a variety of ways to go here and it all depends on how much warmth you need. If you tend to get cold often, like Michelle, consider mid layers that incorporate fleece or down.

If you will be more active or you heat-up pretty easily, consider high tech fabrics. Look for words like wind-resistant or wind-proof as well as breathability.

Do not use a mid layer to protect you from rain, but it should help protect you from the wind. Think warmth on a plane, early in the morning, or later at night.

Why Cotton Should Not Be On Your Travel Clothing List

The most important thing you want your travel top to do (besides look good) is to help you stay dry .

In cold climates, if your clothes are damp, cold air will find this moisture and make you cold. If you properly layered and protected yourself against outside elements (like rain and wind) but you’re wearing cotton, you risk overheating and sweating. Your clothes will be drenched because cotton has poor wicking properties. Then it will become uncomfortable (and potentially smelly).

In hot and humid weather, cotton can feel nice against the skin, especially with a breeze. However, once it absorbs and holds on to sweat it can feel, well, unpleasant.

Because cotton absorbs and holds moisture well, it will not dry quickly if it rains (or if you need to do a quick wash) and it will show sweat. We’ve also found that the more you sweat, the more you attract mosquitos and flies – gross!

Denim is our one caveat when it comes to cotton. Jeans are so common world-wide and many people feel most comfortable traveling in jeans, plus they’re pretty versatile.

When we lived in hot, humid Jamaica for 2+ years, Michelle never had jeans. (These days, she does pack one pair of jeans if at least one of our destinations has milder weather.)

So first and foremost, always and forever — avoid cotton as much as possible when traveling. Mix blends are ok and full merino wool is best (though pricy).

Ready to travel like a pro?

Get our best packing and travel gear tips! Download our free Guide to Packing & Gear >

Best Travel Clothing Brands

Because everyone has their own fashion sense, here are some of our favorite brands to check-out:

For Mild to Cooler Weather Look For Merino Wool: ⁃ Icebreaker: An outdoor and sportswear company from New Zealand that specializes in merino wool clothing  Browse Icebreaker Women’s  | Browse Icebreaker Men’s

⁃ Smartwool: Performance apparel that’s moisture-wicking, anti-shrinking, odor-reducing, and itch free Browse Smartwool Women’s | Browse Smartwool Men’s

– Woolly: Seattle-based sustainable and versatile travel clothing Browse Woolly Women’s | Browse Woolly Men’s

If you’re wondering: Why the big price difference between REI and the other brands? — It comes down to the quality of the material and the detail in the fit and finish. You’ll find that Icebreaker and Smartwool will fit better against the skin were REI will have a fit for the masses kind of feel.

– PAKA: Alpaca fiber clothing made in Peru. Though spendy, alpaca fiber is actually stronger, softer, more eco-friendly, and has 85% greater wicking capability than merino. Browse PAKA Apparel

– Thermowave: Soft base layers with Museeling-free merino Browse Thermowave Women’s | Browse Thermowave Men’s

For Hot and Humid Weather Look For Moisture-Wicking Techwear: ⁃ Patagonia: An environmentally-conscious brand for climbing and other outdoor adventures Browse Patagonia Women’s | Browse Patagonia Men’s

⁃ Mountain Hardwear: A high-tech outdoor clothing and gear company Browse Mountain Hardwear Women’s | Browse Mountain Hardwear Men’s

⁃ PrAna: Stylish, sustainable clothing for every-day life and adventures Browse PrAna Women’s | Browse PrAna Men’s

⁃ Columbia Sportswear: A Pacific Northwest company producing outdoor gear and sportswear Browse Columbia Women’s | Browse Columbia Men’s

Save money, work smarter, travel deeper with our free Resource Guide for Digital Nomads .

Long-Term Travel Clothing Packing List

We would recommend packing the following, assuming you’ll be traveling for several months at a time:

Best Travel Shirts

Pack 6-7 tops that can be used in a variety of situations.

For men, go for about 4 t-shirts, 2 collared short-sleeve polos, and 1 long sleeve shirt. If you are a true minimalist, use the same high tech t-shirts (like this one ) for work, day to day travel, and working out.

Jedd’s favorite travel shirts for men:

– REI Tech T-shirt  – Standard quick-dry, moisture-wicking crew neck tee perfect for hiking, work outs, and every-day wear; currently available in black, blue, green, dark red, and gray

– Bluffworks Threshold T-shirt – Soft, stretchy, wrinkle and odor resistant tee, with options for a classic or slim fit; crew neck, V-neck, and long-sleeve options available

Michelle’s favorite travel shirts for women:

– Cowl neck polyester blend shirts that work for long walks, long flights, and even work meetings, or just about any Travel Tops by prAna

Best Travel Bottoms

Pack 2-3 long pants or jeans and 1-2 pair of capris or shorts (maybe more if you work out).Try to find pants and shorts that can be used in social, work, and semi-formal situations. Know that shorts are not worn in some cultures so lightweight capris may be more appropriate. Remember to choose colors that can match with several tops.

The best travel skirts and dresses should have the same elements mentioned for tops and bottoms. They should be quick drying, comfortable, and appropriate for casual exploration around town or out to a semi-formal dinner. Michelle packs 1-2 dresses or skirts for a trip, but some women may prefer more depending on their personal style.

KÜHL men’s Deceptr pants and KÜHL women’s Freeflex Metro capri pants

Over the years, we’ve been able to try a lot of different travel clothing. Our preference is for lightweight, tech fabrics in styles that fit multiple occasions.

KÜHL, a technical outdoor brand, is one place to find that magical combo if you’re looking to add high quality, long-lasting pieces to your travel wardrobe.

Duer women’s perfomance denim slim straight and Duer men’s no sweat pants

Duer is another great brand, combining fashion and functionality, for active lifestyles. The travel pants we got from Duer are stretchy, soft, and durable–perfect for travel.

I always like to pack a stretchy pair of jeans for our trips and when my old pair wore out, Duer’s performance denim fit the bill perfectly.

Bluffworks mens Acendor chino and womens Petaluma pants and Threshold wide leg

Bluffworks makes versatile, high quality clothing with features like wrinkle and odor resistance, moisture wicking, and our personal favorite: hidden pockets. The pants and tops we received from Bluffworks are delightfully soft and stretchy.

Michelle loves that they offer petite sizing. We both appreciate the genius use of pockets. There’s even sleek, hidden pockets within pockets, which are so helpful for safely carrying valuables out and about on trips.

Jedd’s favorite travel bottoms for men:

– No Sweat Pants by Duer  – Dress up or down (or even adventure in the outdoors) in these stretchy, soft trousers that wick away moisture. Available in multiple colors, slim fit or relaxed.

– Quicksilver Amphibian Hybrid Shorts – Stretchy water repellant swimsuit shorts that look like chinos so you can wear them in town. Available in solid colors like red, navy, khaki, grey, black, and light blue.

Michelle’s favorite travel bottoms for women:

– Saturday Trail II Knee Pants – Quick dry, light weight stretchy bottoms that keep knees covered. Sleek pockets so you don’t look like you’re going on safari!

– Bluffworks Wide Leg Threshold Pants – Soft, comfy performance fabric pants perfect for long airplane rides.

Michelle’s favorite travel skirts and dresses for women:

– Almost anything by prAna or Toad&Co. Browse prAna dresses – Stylish, wrinkle resistant dresses with smart pockets by Bluffworks. Browse Bluffworks dresses

Best Travel Underwear and Socks

Adjust the number of socks and underwear you pack based on how often you’ll be able to do laundry. We try to have a week’s work, just in case.

If you don’t feel comfortable in your underwear or your socks, you will not enjoy your travel experience no matter what you are wearing on top of it. Things to think about here are staying dry from sweat and avoiding chafing. The last thing you want is a rash or blisters on your feet. Moisture-wicking socks are essential.

Our favorite brands for underwear:

– Exofficio for every-day high tech fabric underwear (they changed the game in the industry) Browse Exofficio underwear for women | Browse Exofficio underwear for men

– Patagonia for long underwear base layers Browse Patagonia base layers for women | Browse Patagonia base layers for men

– We’ve also heard great things from fellow nomads about Icebreaker’s merino underwear

Our favorite socks for travel:

– Smartwool ankle socks for running and every-day use Browse Smartwool ankle socks

– Injinji moisture-wicking toe socks (Jedd swears by these) Browse Injinji toe socks

Best Layers and Outerwear for Men and Women

Jedd’s favorite travel jacket for men:

– Columbia Ascender Softshell Jacket – Wind and water resistant shell makes a great every-day jacket or a mid-layer to go under heavier coats in the cold

Michelle’s favorite travel jackets for women:

– Mountain Hardware Packable Down Jacket – Lightweight down jacket that packs into a pocket. Available with or without hood, in various colors

For a more detailed run-down on outerwear, see our Guide to Light-weight Jackets for Travel

Best Travel Shoes and Footwear

Shoes can easily take up a ton of space in your luggage because they’re not usually collapsable. So it’s best to find shoes that can be used in a variety of situations. We suggest bringing the following 3 types of footwear and wearing your bulkiest pair for transit days, to leave more room in your luggage:

– Town shoes: For casual day-to-day exploring and traveling. Think comfortable and durable enough to walk and explore a city like Rome or rugged enough for the dirt roads of Jamaica. It’s ideal if the shoes can be considered dressy and casual at the same time.

– Athletic shoes: Hiking, working out, exploring, etc… your go-to shoe. Try to find athletic shoes that can do many of these things and still match with multiple outfits.

– A good pair of flip-flops, sandals, or mocs: There are so many times where it’s nice to have lounging footwear. In warmer climates you might even use your flip-flops for every-day wear. Again, find the style that best suits your needs and doesn’t take up much space.

If your travel itinerary calls for a specific kind of footwear, then adjust for your needs. For example, if you plan on doing a backpacking trek then you might need really durable hiking boots. If you’re doing a walking trek like the “Camino de Santiago”, you’re going to want comfortable walking shoes that can handle many miles of walking. Plan accordingly.

For water-resistant walking shoe reviews (like Allbirds), see our post: Walking Shoes for Travel

Further reading on what to pack for travel:

– Packing Hacks of Frequent Travelers – Our Favorite Alternatives to Travel Wallets – Best Light Weight Jackets for Travel – 12 Items We Take With Us on Every Trip – Minimalist Travel Toiletries List for Women – Water-Resistant Wool Walking Shoes for Travel

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The Hiking Life

Ultralight Backpacking Gear for Hot and Humid Weather

Posted on May 8, 2020 February 12, 2023 Author Cam 10 Comments

Since the early 2000s, I’ve applied ultralight principles to all of my backpacking trips around the globe. From deserts to jungles and from alpine regions to arctic tundra, lightening and simplifying my load has made a significant difference to the overall quality of my wilderness experiences. As a result of these journeys, I’ve learned what backpacking gear I need to be safe and comfortable(ish) in any given environment.

Yours truly on the Australian Alps Walking Track in January 2019.

What follows is the first in a series of ultralight gear posts based on those experiences. Considering my east coast of Australia origins, I thought I’d start things off with “hot and humid” environments. In regard to specifics, by “hot and humid” I’m referring to hiking destinations in which daytime air temperatures regularly exceed 29°C (84°F) with at least 65 percent humidity, and nighttime temps are commonly in the low teens to low twenties Celsius (i.e. 54 to 75°F). In the upper reaches of low-elevation mountain ranges such as the Appalachians and the Australian Alps, evening temperatures can occasionally drop to single digits Celsius (i.e. high thirties to low fifties Fahrenheit). 

Hiking from Springbrook to O’Reilly’s in Queensland’s World Heritage-listed Lamington National Park.

Common Sense

It should go without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that most hot and humid places are not necessarily backpacking-friendly 12 months a year (e.g. Florida in the middle of summer) . The same goes for multi-day or week excursions during the height of the rainy season in tropical environments such as Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea. Is it possible to venture into such environments at the hottest times of the year? Yes. It’s possible if you’re fit, experienced, and prepared for the added discomfort and/or limited hiking windows. Is it always a smart thing to do? Not so much.

Crossing the Rio Peñas Blancas in Monteverde Cloud Forest | Costa Rica, February 2000.

Gear List: Appalachian Mountains / Australian Alps (Summer)

Below is a gear list of what I would take if the world was COVID-19 lockdown-free and I was jetting off in the not-too-distant future for a summer backpacking trip in the Appalachian Mountains or the Australian Alps. Most of the gear is similar to what I’d also take on a hiking trip to tropical areas, however, there are some differences which I reference specifically in the Details/Alternative Items section immediately below the list:

Details & Alternative Items 

In this section, I go into more specifics about the reasons behind some of my gear choices, as well as list alternative items which will do a similar job in hot and humid conditions. Some of the alternate items suggested I have personally used, whereas other recommendations are based on consistently great reviews from the UL backpacking community over a period of at least two or three years.

Warmer weather means a light sleeping bag, no stove, and fewer and/or lighter clothing items. In such conditions, I’ll almost always opt for a frameless backpack, unless there is a chronic scarcity of H2O and I’m regularly having to carry more than 6 or 8 liters. In such scenarios, I’d consider going with a lightweight internal framed pack such as the HMG Southwest 2400.

UL Alternatives : Gossamer Gear (Kumo) , Superior Wilderness Designs , Atom Packs, Pa’lante Packs (V2)

Yours truly on my fourth trip to Mexico’s Copper Canyon region in 2005 (other visits were in 1995, 1999, 2001, and 2013). I was carrying the Granite Gear Virga at the time – an OG frameless backpack that is still around to this day. From a meteorological perspective the Copper Canyon area is a place of extremes – nighttime temps on the canyon rims can dip below freezing, while 6,000 ft below on the canyon floors, daytime conditions are often tropical-like.

When nights are muggy, buggy and torrential rain could be on the meteorological cards (i.e. particularly if you’re in tropical-type environments), ideally, you want a shelter that holds up well in a storm, has good ventilation, a bathtub floor, and bug netting. Alternatively, for those that prefer the aerial approach, hammocks represent and excellent (though slightly heavier) option in hot and humid conditions (i.e. better airflow and easier to keep gear dry).

“What about tarps?” For hot and dry environments, most definitely. For buggy, wet and muddy conditions, it’s possible, but personally I think there are better options.

UL Alternatives : Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo , Tarptent StratoSpire Li , MLD Solomid/Duomid (with bug net inner) , Durston X-Mid // For lightweight hammock options, see Hammocks for Thru-hiking .

Tarptent Aeon Li in a steamy river valley on the Australian Alpine Walking Track (January 2019).

Sleeping Quilt

When it comes to sleeping bags/quilts, I opt for down insulation in most conditions. The exception being hot and humid weather in which synthetic equivalents (e.g. ClimaShield Apex ) are both more resistant to moisture and dry faster. If the evenings are consistently sweltering, I’ll leave the sleeping bag at home and opt for a Sea to Summit silk/cotton bag liner (i.e. 70% cotton / 30 % silk) which tips the scales at just 5.2 oz. It’s worth noting that 100% silk liners are even lighter and more compact, but tend to stick to the skin more. Alternatively, 100% cotton liners feel like your sheets at home but are approximately twice as heavy and even less compact.

UL Alternatives :  Nunatak 3D Apex, Enlightened Equipment Revelation Apex 40

The Rio Aguapolo during dry season in Bolivia’s Parque Nacional Madidi. My most recent visit to the Amazon jungle was in 2017 when I spent an incredible four days at the Ecolodge in Madidi. By day I explored the system of hiking trails in the area, and by night I slept in a hammock with a silk-cotton liner and a monster-sized bug net for protection. There is nothing quite like drifting off to the land of nod accompanied by Mother Nature’s mesmerizing jungle soundtrack.

Sleeping Mat

In hot and humid conditions, insulation from the ground isn’t much of an issue. If you are going to go with a thin closed-cell foam mat, this is the type of environment in which to do so. That said, everyone’s different when it comes to the level of comfort required in order to obtain a good night’s rest, so ultimately your own experiences will be your best guide. 

Memory Lane : Age and personal history play a role in sleeping comfort. In my teens, twenties, and thirties I exclusively used closed cell foam mats. When I hit my forties, I noticed that years of heavy wear and tear had begun to take a toll, and I required a little more in the way of comfort in order to obtain a good night’s sleep. From an ultralight perspective, thankfully the beginning of my fifth decade coincided with the arrival of the Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite .

UL Alternatives : Therm-a-rest Z Lite Sol , Therm-a-rest RidgeRest SoLite, Gossamer Gear Nightlight

Another shot from the Copper Canyon region. This time from 1999, with yours truly negotiating a waterfall in Taracuera Canyon on a Thermarest RidgeRest . Still my all-time favourite sleeping pad photo!

In hot conditions (whether it be dry or humid), go as light and breathable as the dictates of your feet allow. The goal being to mitigate swelling and excessive perspiration which can lead to blisters and/or other foot issues. Don’t even think about boots or trail running shoes with a Gore-Tex liner, the latter of which sacrifices breathability for temporary waterproofness.

Pro Tip:   1. When hiking in hot conditions, wash/clean your feet and socks regularly. Once during the day when at a water source (change socks afterward), and again at day’s end before going to sleep.

Alternatives : When it comes to footwear, I’m always reluctant to give specific model recommendations, due to the uniqueness of each person’s feet and injury history. That said, brands of trail runners that have well-established reputations include Brooks , Salomon , Inov-8, Merrell , La Sportiva , and (even) Altras.

What about sports sandals? : Best ventilation and quickest drying of all footwear options. If you have strong ankles, a light load, and are walking on a trail with relatively mellow tread, they can be a functional option. That said, it’s worth noting that they usually weigh around the same as lightweight trail runners, don’t offer the same level of support or protection in rough terrain, and aren’t as stable during challenging river crossings. Personally speaking, sandals are a great choice for day hiking and around town wear, but not so much for backpacking trips.

Yours truly in the Sierra Madre with Brooks Cascadia 14’s and Dirty Girl Gaiters.

Most of the models advertised as hiking or trekking socks in Outdoor Stores are too thick and heavy for anything but cold conditions. Disregard the spin, and go with thin, breathable models. Many ultralight hikers opt for cheap and ultralight nylon dress socks (e.g. Goldtoe Metropilitan) , but personally I prefer merino wool liners – they are a bit more expensive, but they feel better against the skin and don’t smell as much.

Alternatives :  Smartwool Merino Liners, Injinji Wool Liners

REI Merino wool liners.

Base Layer – Torso

When both temps and humidity are high, generally I’ll opt for a synthetic, buttoned shirt for maximum ventilation. If I’m carrying an umbrella it could be a short-sleeved model, however, more often than not I’ll still go with a long-sleeved version both for bug deterrence, as well as the extra sun protection. If it’s buggy as well as hot (e.g. Amazon and Central America), I’ll opt for permethrin-treated clothing. On that front, there are three options available: 1. DIY Permethrin spray your shirt and pants; 2. Send your items away to be factory treated (US residents), or; 3. Purchase pre-treated shirts and/or pants from companies such as ExOfficio and RailRiders .

UL Alternatives : Patagonia Tropic Comfort Hoodie 2 , Columbia Silver Ridge Lite

Putting together this post I realized that I don’t have any recent photos while wearing a long-sleeved button shirt. Going through the archives I found this shot from the Continental Divide Trail in 2012 which features an REI Sahara Shirt (which is still going strong) along with a fully loaded MLD Burn.

Base Layer – Pants/Shorts

As long-time followers of “The Hiking Life” may be aware, I tend to prefer wearing shorts when I hike. Indeed, unless it’s consistently below freezing, it’s rare that I’ll walk in pants. That said, there are some notable exceptions. One of them is in countries such as Pakistan and Tibet , where it’s culturally appropriate to wear pants rather than shorts. The other scenario that comes to mind is when I’m hiking in areas where ticks or mosquitos/sandflies/midges are an issue.

Which brings me to the Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants . I only picked these up recently after reading a bunch of glowing reviews, and I have to say they’ve exceeded my expectations. Lightweight, very comfortable, they dry relatively quickly, and they look respectable when traveling through airports and towns.

UL Alternatives : Patagonia Baggies 5″ and 7″ (the only hiking shorts I’ve worn since 2016). Click here for a long-term review of the Baggies.

Ridge-hiking above Jalisco’s Lake Chapala in Outdoor Research Ferrosi’s .

Insulation Layer   

What I bring as an insulation layer for a backpacking trip is more changeable than a summer’s day in San Francisco. Come to think of it, I’m not sure there’s another item in my kit which is more dependant on weather conditions than the insulation layer. When hiking in hot and humid low-elevation mountain areas (where chilly nights/mornings are possible) I’ll generally go with a very light fleece/grid fleece with a zipper (e.g. 100 wt). In tropical regions, I’ll often leave the fleece at home and go with a thin Merino t-shirt , which I’ll change into at day’s end after having a wash.

“ What about the Synthetic Poncho Quilt?” : In the gear list above I mention the MLD Spirit quilt with a poncho head slot. Technically speaking it’s a dual purpose item that can also be used as an insulation layer. But in practical terms, I’ve found that while I might occasionally wear the poncho quilt around camp, I virtually never do so out on the trail. Why? Mostly because it’s overkill for activewear in hot/humid environments. The other reasons are that I don’t want to risk getting it wet on foggy/drizzly mornings, and also because there’s a pretty good chance of catching it on a branch if it’s draped loosely over the back of my pack while hiking.

UL Alternatives :  Montbell Chameece Jacket , Patagonia Micro D Fleece Pullover

Rain Protection   

In hot and humid environments an umbrella provides an unbeatable combo of shade, ventilation, and rain protection. Theoretically speaking, most of the time in such conditions you could probably do without a rain jacket. That said, theories aren’t worth *#!% during an extended period of high winds when the rain is coming in at a 45° angle (irrespective of the temperature). At such times, you’ll be glad you also brought along a lightweight rain jacket (i.e. 6 to 8 oz).

UL Alternatives (Umbrellas) : Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow , Montbell Trekking Umbrella

UL Alternatives (Rain Jackets) :  Columbia Outdry Ex , Montbell Peak Dry Shell, Frog Toggs Ultralite 2 Jacket

Yours truly ascending a wet and muddy Volcan Maderas on Nicaragua’s magical Isla Ometepe (2000).

Related Posts

• The Thru-Hiker’s Gear List Vol.2
• Tents for Thru-Hiking
• Backpacks for Thru-Hiking
• Sleeping Bags for Thru-Hiking
• Hammocks for Thru-Hiking

Disclosure :  This post contains some affiliate links, which means The Hiking Life receives a small commission if you purchase an item after clicking on one of the links. This comes at no additional cost to the reader and helps to support the website in its continuing goal to create quality content for backpackers and hikers. 

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10 Replies to “Ultralight Backpacking Gear for Hot and Humid Weather”

Noted the mld burn dcf pack. My tramplight (Dudley) bushwhacker pack is nearing the end of its life, and I’ll be looking for a replacement. I notice many of the lightweight packs in the market feature mesh pockets. Have you found mesh pockets to be a nuisance when forcing your way through bush/scrub, such as is found on South Island’s west coast? Cheers, Brian

You’re right – all-mesh pockets and bushwhacking through thick scrub generally don’t mix that well. That said, the current version of the Burn has DX210D Ripstop side pockets (which I’ve found hold up pretty well when bushwhacking), with the rear pocket being mostly non-stretch mesh, but with a 5″ section of solid fabric at the bottom.

Do you somehow protect your pack from rain or you just allow it to soak? It is a question more of about an older MLD Burn as I’ve opted for usual model. With best regards, Roman Sokolov

Yes, unless I’m wearing a poncho the outside of my pack will get soaked in the rain (Note: An umbrella will help to mitigate this). I always line the inside of the pack with a trash compactor bag which ensures the contents remain dry.

Great idea for a series of posts! Likewise with your AMC gear list if you were doing it now post. Looking forward to the other post in this series.

You should really check out the rab pulse hoodie. Much, much cooler than anything else I’ve tried. I have a Patagonia Capilene cool hoody and it is much much thicker and warmer than the Pulse. The Pulse is also rated to UPF 30. It almost feels like you are not wearing a shirt at all, and it vents extremely well for something that covers your whole upper body.

They also make a tshirt but even in 90 degree weather I prefer the hoodie.

Sorry for ranting its just such a fantastic piece of gear.

Thanks for the great article.

As a former SEQ’er, who (I hope!) would have spent more time bushwalking in winter than summer, what would you change in your gear for winter walking in an area like SEQ? Would you go for a tarp instead of tent with storms unlikely?

Hi CM, Not too sure about the “former” part………I’ll always be a Queenslander and Australian! As for your question, yes, a tarp would definitely be a viable option for the conditions you describe. As for other changes, if we’re talking about somewhere like Lamington NP in winter where temps drop down to around freezing, I’d bring a slightly warmer quilt and insulation layer (e.g. a lightweight fleece). Cheers, Cam

Thanks Cam, sounds like a tarp will be a sensible option for most non-summer scenarios in SEQ.

Would you take the same approach for a trip to a beachy area (eg Fraser), where you’re in a constant battle against sand? I did a 5 day walk through Cooloola earlier this year with a tent, and wonder how you would keep sand out of your sleeping system if you’re using a tarp.

…and great to hear you’re “still” a QLD’er! It’s always a treat to read your Aussie trip reports when you return “home”.

No worries. I think for beachy-type trips a tent is generally the way to go for the reason you mentioned. Keeping any shelter sand-free on such a journey is like trying to hold back the tide!

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• Travel Products

These 12 Wrinkle-free Travel Clothes Will Be the M.V.P.s of Your Suitcase — and They’re Starting at $23

They pack like a dream.

Travel + Leisure

I’m one of those people who can’t leave the house in good conscience with wrinkles all over my outfit. But it’s hard to avoid when you travel. I’ve tried every method — rolling things up Marie Kondo-style, laying each item flat and piling it, using packing cubes — but wrinkles are just a reality of the jet-set lifestyle. Sure, I could bring a travel steamer or mini iron, but there's not always room for one in my carry-on. Or, I could curate a wardrobe packed with wrinkle-resistant tops, bottoms, and one-pieces . That way I can skip the part where I have the ironing board set up and my travel companions are impatiently scrolling through their phones because they’re inevitably ready before me.

Some clothes are specially constructed to be wrinkle-resistant, and you’ll find that in the product messaging. But other times, you just have to look at the materials on the label. Some fabrics, like linen and cotton, though great for the warmer weather, are notorious for wrinkling at the drop of a hat. Others have the natural ability to resist and repel wrinkles. These fabrics include (but are not limited to) Supima cotton, lyocell (brand-name Tencel), an eco-friendly acetate called triacetate, charmeuse, and certain types of polyester. Luckily, a lot of your favorite brands are already on board with the convenience of wrinkle-free clothes. Among them are Athleta, Everlane, Madewell and Summersault. And of course, you can dig around Amazon and find your fair share of wrinkle-resistant clothes that travel well, too. 

Below, I've rounded up 12 of my favorites, from tanks and polos to rompers and cover-ups. Bonus points for the pieces that include other travel-friendly features, like UPF protection and moisture-wicking fabrics. Bottom line: packing these pieces will make your trip go a lot smoother. Your travel buddies can thank me later.

Timeson Three-quarter-sleeve Blouse

A crisp white blouse is a travel M.V.P., but it’s usually made of quick-to-wrinkle cotton. Not this sheer Timeson blouse from Amazon, though. It’s got wrinkle-resistant polyester (with a touch of stretchy spandex) and has a more relaxed silhouette than a traditional Oxford shirt with its tunic-style design. My white blouses are in constant rotation when I travel because they’re so versatile, and this one is unique in that its precise length allows it to look great tucked in or left loose. Plus, it pairs nicely even with yoga pants. Take it from this shopper : “I packed this blouse in a suitcase for a trip and it didn't wrinkle." 

PrettyGarden Midi Summer Dress

Twirl your way through the vineyards in this pretty poplin PrettyGarden dress made with wrinkle-resistant polyester. Its pleated skirt, ruffled hem, and keyhole front make it fun and flirty for any warm-weather destination. And, you can dress it up or down depending on your accessories, so wear it straight out of your suitcase for whatever's next on your itinerary. According to one Amazon customer , it “washes well, never wrinkles" and is "very classy and feminine." 

Babaton New Power Blazer

This long, versatile blazer by Aritzia-favorite brand Babaton is my go-to for travel and the perfect layer to help any outfit transition from day to night. I’ve worn it to elevate a white-tee-and-jeans look and over a bodycon dress for a bit more modesty. Its open front, collarless design and ruched, three-quarter sleeves keep it looking chic instead of stuffy, and the fabric is made of eco-friendly triacetate with a touch of polyester — which is the reason why I can literally ball it up in my suitcase and it will never wrinkle. 

Summersalt The Silky Luxe Beach to Brunch Wrap Skirt

With Summersalt's Beach to Brunch Wrap Skirt, You can pack up your beach bag with all of the essentials and not have to worry about your swimsuit cover-up getting smushed by your towel, books, snacks, and sunscreen. It's made with silky charmeuse fabric and is specifically designed to resist wrinkles. As the name implies, this skirt can be worn as part of your post-beach outfit thanks to its stunning print, stylish details, and maxi skirt length that provides the right amount of coverage for a restaurant or walk around the city. 

Amazon Essentials Lightweight Open-front Cardigan

I’m so glad cardigans are on-trend again because they truly come in handy when I visit places that are hot during the day and chilly at night (Mexico City and Lisbon, I’m talking to you). Roll up this lightweight, best-selling Amazon Essentials cardigan and pop it in your tote without worry because it’s got modal and polyester mixed in, so it won’t look crumpled when you pull it out at night. A reviewer confirmed that it's “wrinkle-resistant and packs well,” and you have your choice of 20 colors and prints to help it maximize your travel wardrobe. 

REI Co-op Sahara Bermuda Shorts 

Outdoor activities in warmer temps call for shorts that are comfy and rugged, and this pair by REI Co-op is the brand’s answer for Bermuda shorts fans. Not only are these water-repellent, stretchy, and outfitted with UPF sun protection, but they’re also wrinkle-resistant thanks to their resilient nylon construction. I’m not even a regular hiker, but there seems to be a spontaneous hike on almost every extended trip that I take, so this pair is going in my cart for summer. 

Madewell Pull-on Wide-leg Pants in Softdrape

Another great fabric option for the wrinkle-free travel life is lyocell — also known by its brand-name Tencel — a sustainable type of rayon that’s known for being super soft, durable, and breathable. That’s what Madewell’s Softdrape fabric is made up of, making its elastic-waist Wide-leg Pants the perfect pair for all-day wear. They can be dressed up or down and paired with anything from a T-shirt or tank to a button-down blouse or bodysuit. According to one reviewer, "They're so comfortable, flattering and stylish. The material is super lightweight and flowy. They'd be flattering on any body type." 

Lands’ End Moisture-wicking UPF Sun Curved Hem Tunic Tank Top

Land's End 

A soft polyester blend fabric is responsible for making sure that this performance tank top won’t wrinkle, and its UPF 50 sun protection helps shield you from UV rays on long walks and hikes. The ribbed top also wicks away sweat and resists odors, comes in eight cute colors, and pairs perfectly with leggings and shorts. I wore a top just like this to go off-roading in a military tank in the Czech Republic, and wish that I had it for my jeep tour of Sintra, Portugal. It also would have come in handy during my Kenyan safari. Moral of the story? Your travels will often present you with hot-weather, open-sun activities, so you’ll never regret packing a top that does as much as this one does. Use the code " FAVORITES " to get select colors on sale for as little as $23. 

Athleta Essential Tee Dress

You’ll always find an occasion to wear this T-shirt dress from Athleta, a brand that masters the intersection between stylish and high-performing activewear and travel clothes. The dress has a playful, flowy shape constructed of breathable, wrinkle-resistant Supima cotton and comes in four colors, including classic gray and black (plus bold hues like orchid pink and rosewood red). The dress makes getting ready a breeze, too — just put it on and pair it with sandals or sneakers, and you’re good to go. One customer wrote, ”I took to Hawaii for spring break… [it was a] comfortable, cute, easy-to-pack, pretty dress." 

Basudam Golf Polo Shirt

If a round of tennis, pickleball, or golf is on the agenda, this wrinkle-free polyester polo shirt should be in your suitcase. Its modified V-neck collar gives it a visual twist to make it more fashionable than your average polo. It’s also moisture-wicking and stretchy enough to handle a day filled with sports, but polished enough to keep you looking put together for post-game drinks or grub. “Female golfer here," an Amazon shopper began their review. "This shirt will be my go-to and I plan on buying every color. It's lightweight, super cute, and comfortable."

Everlane The Supima High-neck Riviera Dress

The importance of a comfy midi or maxi dress that doesn’t cling can’t be overstated. I’ve had at least one in my luggage since I became a travel writer, and this High-neck Riviera Dress from Everlane that's made with wrinkle-resistant Supima cotton fits the bill beautifully. It’s the perfect style to pair with Birkenstocks or with your favorite pair of white, all-day walking sneakers. “I am not usually a huge dress girl, but I will definitely be wearing this for spring and upcoming summer months, too," an Everlane shopper raved, adding that they "have already paired it with a jean jacket and black slides." 

Athleta Brooklyn Utility Romper

Another wardrobe essential that I’d never travel without is a romper or jumpsuit, as one-pieces just make an easy no-brainer for getting dressed and looking put together fast. They also cinch my waist and skim my figure in a way that leaves me feeling confident and securely covered to handle whatever's on my itinerary for the day. Athleta’s Brooklyn Utility Romper takes it the extra mile by being wrinkle-free, too. Plus, it has UPF-protective fabric and resists snags and rips. According to one reviewer, it's “lightweight and simple" and you can "dress it up with a jacket or just go sleeveless." 

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Passing Thru Travel

2024 Travel Guide – 10 Essential Packing Tips for Every Climate Adventure

Posted: February 22, 2024 | Last updated: February 22, 2024

Traveling across different climates can be a challenge when it comes to packing. Whether you’re venturing into the icy Arctic, the humid tropics, or the variable conditions of the mountains, being prepared is key. This guide provides essential packing tips for various weather conditions, ensuring you’re equipped to comfortably enjoy your adventures, regardless of the climate.

1. Tropical Climate

When packing for tropical climates like Southeast Asia or the Caribbean, your primary goal is to stay cool and comfortable. Choose lightweight, breathable clothing made from materials like cotton or linen. Long-sleeved tops and pants can protect you from the sun and mosquitoes. A good quality, water-resistant sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and UV-protective sunglasses are crucial to protect against intense sun exposure. For footwear, breathable sandals or waterproof shoes are ideal. Remember to pack a lightweight raincoat or poncho for sudden downpours, common in tropical regions.

Insider’s Tip: Choose clothing in light colors to reflect the sun’s rays and stay cooler.

2. Desert Climate

Desert environments, such as those in the Middle East or North Africa, require you to protect yourself from extreme heat and sun exposure during the day and potentially cool temperatures at night. Pack light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that covers as much skin as possible. A high-quality sun hat with a wide brim and UV-protection sunglasses are vital. Include a lightweight scarf or bandana for sand protection and a good SPF sunscreen. For hydration, bring a durable, insulated water bottle. Comfortable, closed-toed shoes are important to protect your feet from hot sand and rough terrain. For cooler evenings, a light jacket or sweater is advisable.

Insider’s Tip: Wear closed-toed, breathable shoes to protect your feet from hot sand and rough terrain.

3. Arctic and Antarctic Climates

Preparing for polar regions like the Arctic and Antarctic involves layering for extreme cold. Start with thermal base layers (wool or synthetic) and add fleece or wool mid-layers for insulation. Your outer layer should be waterproof and windproof. Insulated, waterproof boots are essential, along with thermal socks, waterproof gloves or mittens, and a warm beanie or balaclava. Sunglasses with UV protection are necessary to prevent snow blindness. Pack a sturdy, insulated water bottle, and consider bringing high-energy snacks.

Insider’s Tip: Pack chemical hand and foot warmers for extra comfort during long outdoor excursions.

4. Mountainous Climate

In mountainous areas like the Rockies or the Alps, weather can change rapidly, so layering is essential. Waterproof and breathable clothing is key. Pack moisture-wicking base layers, insulating layers like fleece or down jackets, and a waterproof outer shell. Good quality hiking boots, thermal socks, a warm hat, and gloves are a must. A daypack is useful to carry extra layers, water, and snacks. Also, consider packing a headlamp, as daylight can be unpredictable in mountainous terrains.

Insider’s Tip: Bring a compact first-aid kit for minor injuries on the trail.

5. Temperate Climate

For temperate climates with moderate temperatures, versatility in your clothing is key. Pack a mix of short and long-sleeved tops, a couple of sweaters or fleece jackets, and a lightweight, waterproof jacket. Comfortable walking shoes are essential. An umbrella or a rain hat can be useful for unexpected showers. You can adjust layers as temperatures change throughout the day.

Insider’s Tip: Choose clothing that can be mixed and matched to maximize outfit combinations.

6. Rainforest Climate

In rainforest environments, like the Amazon, pack lightweight and breathable clothing that covers your arms and legs to protect against insects and dense vegetation. Quick-dry fabrics are preferable. Waterproof hiking boots or shoes, a waterproof jacket or poncho, and a hat are essential. A high-DEET insect repellent is necessary, as are zip-lock bags or waterproof pouches to protect your electronics and important documents from humidity.

Insider’s Tip: Pack zip-lock bags to keep electronics and important documents dry in humid conditions.

7. Savannah Climate

For savannah climates, as found in regions like East Africa, choose breathable, light-colored clothing to stay cool and protect against the sun. Long sleeves and pants will also protect you from insects. A broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and comfortable walking shoes or boots are important. Include binoculars for wildlife spotting and a high-quality camera with a zoom lens to capture distant animals.

Insider’s Tip: Wear layered clothing for early morning safari drives, which can be chilly.

8. Mediterranean Climate

Visiting Mediterranean destinations like Greece or Italy requires packing for warm days and cooler evenings. Include light and airy daytime wear, swimwear, a light jacket or sweater for the evenings, and comfortable walking shoes for exploring. Sun protection is essential, so pack sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. A lightweight, foldable daypack is useful for day trips and beach outings.

Insider’s Tip: Bring a lightweight, foldable daypack for day trips and beach visits.

9. Subarctic Climate

Layering for varying conditions is important in subarctic regions, such as parts of Scandinavia. Thermal base layers, wool or fleece mid-layers, and a waterproof, insulated outer layer are essential. Warm, waterproof boots, wool socks, gloves, and a hat are necessary to protect against cold temperatures. Packing a thermos can be a nice addition to keep your drinks warm during outdoor activities.

Insider’s Tip: Bring a compact, insulated travel mug to enjoy hot beverages during your outings.

10. Urban Climate

Traveling to urban environments requires packing for both comfort and versatility. Depending on the climate, include a mix of casual and more formal wear suitable for day-to-night transitions. A stylish, weather-appropriate coat or jacket, comfortable walking shoes, and an umbrella or lightweight raincoat for unpredictable weather are key. A portable charger and a secure, stylish bag for your belongings will keep you prepared and safe during city explorations.

Insider’s Tip: Choose a crossbody bag or a backpack with security features for city exploring.

The Bottom Line

Packing effectively for diverse climates means balancing practicality with comfort. By focusing on layering, protecting against specific weather elements, and choosing versatile pieces, you can enjoy your travels to the fullest, no matter the destination’s weather. Remember, being well-prepared allows you to focus on the incredible experiences each unique climate has to offer. Happy travels!

More Articles Like This…

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The post 2024 Travel Guide – 10 Essential Packing Tips for Every Climate Adventure republished on Passing Thru with permission from The Green Voyage .

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / I am Kulz.

For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.

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All About Climate

Climate is the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area.

Earth Science, Meteorology, Geography, Physical Geography

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• National Geographic Education: What is the Future of Earth's Climate?

Climate is the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area. Weather can change from hour-to-hour, day-to-day, month-to-month, or even year-to-year. A region 's weather patterns , usually tracked for at least 30 years, are considered its climate . Climate System Different parts of the world have different climates . Some parts of the world are hot and rainy nearly every day. They have a tropical wet climate . Others are cold and snow-covered most of the year. They have a polar climate . Between the icy poles and the steamy tropics are many other climates that contribute to Earth's biodiversity and geologic heritage . Climate is determined by a region 's climate system. A climate system has five major components: the atmosphere , the hydrosphere , the cryosphere , the land surface, and the biosphere . The atmosphere is the most variable part of the climate system. The composition and movement of gases surrounding Earth can change radically, influenced by natural and human-made factors. Changes to the hydrosphere , which include variations in temperature "> temperature and salinity , occur at much slower rates than changes to the atmosphere . The cryosphere is another generally consistent part of the climate system. Ice sheets and glaciers reflect sunlight, and the thermal conductivity of ice and permafrost profoundly influences temperature . The cryosphere also helps regulate thermohaline circulation . This “ocean conveyor belt” has an enormous influence on marine ecosystems and biodiversity . Topography "> Topography and vegetation influence climate by helping determine how the sun'’s energy is used on Earth. The abundance of plants and the type of land cover (such as soil , sand , or asphalt ) a region has impacts evaporation and ambient temperature in it. The biosphere , the sum total of living things on Earth, profoundly influences climate . Through photosynthesis , plants help regulate the flow of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere . Forests and oceans serve as “ carbon sinks ,” which have a cooling impact on climate . Living organisms alter the landscape through both natural growth and created structures such as burrows , dams , and mounds . These altered landscapes can influence weather patterns , such as wind , erosion , and even temperature . Climate Features The most familiar features of a region 's climate are probably average temperature and precipitation . Changes in day-to-day, day-to-night, and seasonal variations also help determine specific climates . For example, San Francisco, United States, and Beijing, China, have similar yearly temperatures and precipitation . However, the daily and seasonal changes make San Francisco and Beijing very different. San Francisco's winters are not much cooler than its summers, while Beijing is hot in summer and cold in winter. San Francisco's summers are dry and its winters are wet. Wet and dry seasons are reversed in Beijing—it has rainy summers and dry winters. Climate features also include windiness , humidity , cloud cover , atmospheric pressure , and fogginess . Latitude plays a huge factor in determining climate . Landscape can also help define regional climate . A region 's elevation , proximity to the ocean or freshwater , and land-use patterns can all impact climate . All climates are the product of many factors, including latitude , elevation , topography , distance from the ocean, and location on a continent . The rainy, tropical climate of West Africa, for example, is influenced by the region 's location near the equator ( latitude ) and its position on the western side of the continent . The area receives direct sunlight year-round, and sits at an area called the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ, pronounced “itch”), where moist trade winds meet. As a result, the region 's climate is warm and rainy. Microclimates Of course, no climate is uniform . Small variations , called micro climates , exist in every climate region . Micro climates are largely influenced by topographic features, such as lakes, vegetation , and cities. In large urban areas , for example, streets and buildings absorb heat from the sun, raising the average temperature of the city higher than average temperatures of more open areas nearby. This is known as the “ urban heat island effect.” Large bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada, can also have micro climates . Cities on the southern side of Lake Ontario, for example, are cloudier and receive much more snow than cities on the northern shore. This “ lake effect ” is a result of cold winds blowing across warmer lake water. Climate Classification In 1948, American climatologist Charles Thornthwaite developed a climate classification system that scientists still use today. Thornthwaite's system relies on a region 's water budget and potential evapotranspiration . Potential evapotranspiration describes the amount of water evaporated from a vegetated piece of land. Indices, such as humidity and precipitation , help determine a region 's moisture index . The lower its moisture index value, the more arid a region 's climate . The major classifications in Thornthwaite's climate classification are microthermal , mesothermal , and megathermal . Microthermal climates are characterized by cold winters and low potential evapotranspiration . Most geographers apply the term exclusively to the northern latitudes of North America, Europe, and Asia. A microthermal climate may include the temperate climate of Boston, United States, the coniferous forests of southern Scandinavia , and the boreal ecosystem of northern Siberia . Mesothermal regions have moderate climates . They are not cold enough to sustain a layer of winter snow, but are also not warm enough to support flowering plants (and, thus, evapotranspiration ) all year. Mesothermal climates include the Mediterranean Basin , most of coastal Australia, and the Pampas region of South America. Megathermal climates are hot and humid. These regions have a high moisture index and support rich vegetation all year. Megathermal climates include the Amazon Basin , many islands in Southeast Asia—such as New Guinea and the Philippines—and the Congo Basin in Africa. Köppen Classification System Although many climatologists think the Thornthwaite system is an efficient , rigorous way of classifying climate , it is complex and mapping it is difficult. The system is rarely used outside scientific publishing. The most popular system of classifying climates was proposed in 1900 by Russian-German scientist Wladimir Köppen. Köppen observed that the type of vegetation in a region depended largely on climate . Studying vegetation , temperature , and precipitation data , he and other scientists developed a system for naming climate regions . According to the Köppen climate classification system, there are five climate groups : tropical, dry , mild, continental , and polar . These climate groups are further divided into climate types . The following list shows the climate groups and their types: Tropical

• Wet ( rainforest )
• Wet and dry ( savanna )
• Mediterranean
• Humid subtropical

Continental

• Warm summer
• Cool summer
• Sub arctic (boreal)

Tropical Climates There are three climate types in the tropical group: tropical wet, tropical monsoon, and tropical wet and dry. Tropical Wet: Rainforests Places with a tropical wet climate are also known as rain forests . These equatorial regions have the most predictable weather on Earth, with warm temperatures and regular rainfall. Annual rainfall exceeds 150 centimeters (59 inches), and the temperature varies more during a day than it does over a year. The coolest temperatures , about 20° to 23° Celsius (68°-73° Fahrenheit), occurs just before dawn. Afternoon temperatures usually reach 30° to 33° Celsius (86°-91° Fahrenheit). Rain forests experience very little seasonal change, meaning average monthly temperatures remain fairly constant throughout the year. Tropical wet climates exist in a band extending about 10° of latitude on either side of the equator . This part of the globe is always under the influence of the intertropical convergence zone. The ITCZ follows a pendulum -like path during the course of a year, moving back and forth across the equator with the seasons. It moves north during summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and south during the northern winter. Some tropical wet climates are wet throughout the year. Others experience more rainfall during the summer or winter, but they never have especially dry seasons . The U.S. state of Hawai'i; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Belém, Brazil, are examples of areas with tropical wet climates . Tropical Monsoon Tropical monsoon climates are most found in southern Asia and West Africa. A monsoon is a wind system that reverses its direction every six months. Monsoons usually flow from sea to land in the summer, and from land to sea in the winter. Summer monsoons bring large amounts of rainfall to tropical monsoon regions . People living in these regions depend on the seasonal rains to bring water to their crops . India and Bangladesh are famous for their monsoon climate patterns. Tropical Wet and Dry: Savanna Tropical wet and dry climates are sometimes called “ savanna ” climates after the grassland ecosystem defined by wet and dry periods. Tropical wet and dry climates sit just outside the ITCZ, near the equator . They have three seasons. One season is cool and dry —when the warm, moist ITCZ is in the opposite hemisphere. Another season is hot and dry as the ITCZ approaches. The last season is hot and wet as the ITCZ arrives and the region experiences months as a tropical wet climate . Life in these tropical wet and dry regions depends on the wet season’s rains. During years when rains are light, people and animals suffer through drought "> drought . During especially rainy years, regions may experience flooding . Havana, Cuba; Kolkata, India; and Africa'’s vast Serengeti Plain are in the wet and dry tropics . Dry Climates Regions lying within the dry climate group occur where precipitation is low. There are two dry climate types : arid and semi arid . Most arid climates receive 10 to 30 centimeters (four to 12 inches) of rain each year, and semiarid climates receive enough to support extensive grasslands . Temperatures in both arid and semi arid climates show large daily and seasonal variations . The hottest spots in the world are in arid climates . The temperature in the arid Death Valley National Park, California, U.S., reached 56.7° Celsius (134° Fahrenheit) on July 10, 1913—the highest temperature ever recorded. Although rainfall is limited in all dry climates , there are a few parts of the world where it never rains. One of the driest places on Earth is the Atacama Desert of Chile, on the west coast of South America. Stretches of the Atacama may have never received rain in recorded history. Semi arid regions , such as the Australian outback , usually receive between 25 and 50 centimeters (10-20 inches) of rainfall every year. They are often located between arid and tropical climate regions . Arid and semi arid climates can occur where the movement of warm, moist air is blocked by mountains. Denver, Colorado, just east of the U.S. section of the Rocky Mountains, has this type of dry climate , known as a “ rain shadow .”

Mild Climates Regions with mild and continental climates are also called temperate regions . Both climate types have distinct cold seasons. In these parts of the world, climate is influenced mostly by latitude and a region 's position on the continent . Mediterranean

Mediterranean climates have warm summers and short, mild, rainy winters. Mediterranean climates are found on the west coasts of continents between 30° and 40° latitude , and along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean summers feature clear skies, cool nights, and little rain. Humid Subtropical Humid subtropical climates are usually found on the eastern sides of continents . In cities such as Savannah , Georgia, in the U.S.; Shanghai, China; and Sydney, Australia, summers are hot and humid. Winter can be severely cold. Precipitation is spread evenly through the year and totals 76 to 165 centimeters (30-65 inches). Hurricanes and other violent storms are common in these regions . Marine West Coast Weather on both sides of a continent generally becomes cooler as latitude increases. The marine west coast climate , a type of mild climate typical of cities such as Seattle, Washington, in the U.S., and Wellington, New Zealand, has a longer, cooler winter than the Mediterranean climate . Drizzle falls about two-thirds of winter days, and temperatures average about 5° Celsius (41° Fahrenheit). Continental Climates Areas with continental climates have colder winters, longer-lasting snow, and shorter growing seasons . They are the transition zones between mild and polar climates . Continental climates experience extreme seasonal changes. The range of weather in continental climate regions makes them among the most spectacular sites for weather phenomena . In autumn, for instance, vast forests put on their annual show of brilliant color before shedding their leaves as winter approaches. Thunderstorms and tornadoes , among the most powerful forces in nature, form mostly in continental climates . There are three types of continental climate —warm summer, cool summer, and sub arctic . All these climates exist only in the Northern Hemisphere. Usually, continental climates are found in the interior of continents . Warm Summer Warm summer climate regions often have wet summer seasons, similar to monsoon climates . For this reason, this climate type is also called humid continental . Most of Eastern Europe, including Romania and Georgia, has warm summer climates . Cool Summer Cool summer climates have winters with low temperatures and snow. Cold winds , sweeping in from the Arctic , dominate winter weather . People living in these climates have grown accustomed to the harsh weather , but those unprepared for such cold may suffer. Many of French Emperor Na poleon Bonaparte's soldiers, for example, were used to the mild Mediterranean climates of France. Thou sands died in bitter cold as they retreated from Russia's cool summer climate in the winter of 1812. Subarctic North of regions with cool summer climates are regions with subarctic climates . These regions , including northern Scandinavia and Siberia , experience very long, cold winters with little precipitation . Sub arctic climates are also called boreal climates , or taiga . Polar Climates The two polar climate types, tundra and ice cap, lie within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles near the North and South Poles. Tundra In tundra climates , summers are short, but plants and animals are plentiful. Temperatures can average as high as 10° Celsius (50° Fahrenheit) in July. Wildflowers dot the landscape , and flocks of migratory birds feed on insects and fish. Whales feed on microscopic creatures in the region 's cold, nutrient -rich waters. People have adapted to life on the tundra for thou sands of years. Ice Cap Few organisms survive in the ice cap climates of the Arctic and Ant arctic . Temperatures rarely rise above freezing, even in summer. The ever-present ice helps keep the weather cold by reflecting most of the sun's energy back into the atmosphere . Skies are mostly clear and precipitation is low. In fact, Ant arctica , covered by an ice cap 1.6-kilometers (one-mile) thick, is one of the largest, driest deserts on Earth. High Elevation Climates Many geographers and climatologists have modified the Köppen classification system over the years, including geographer Glen Trewartha, who added a category for high-elevation climates . There are two high elevation climate types : upland and highland. Both highland and upland climates are marked by very different temperatures and levels of precipitation . Climbing a lofty mountain or reaching a plateau can be like moving toward the poles . On some mountains, such as Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, the climate is tropical at the base and polar at the summit. Often, high- elevation climate differs from one side of the mountain to the other. Influence of Climate The enormous variety of life on Earth is largely due to the variety of climates that exist and the climate changes that have occurred in the past. Climate has influenced the development of cultures and civilizations . People everywhere have adapted in various ways to the climates in which they live. Clothing Clothing, for example, is influenced by climate . Indigenous Arctic cultures of Europe, Asia, and North America, for example, developed warm, durable , fur and animal-skin clothing. This clothing was necessary for survival in the icy climate near the North Pole . Many parkas worn by Arctic peoples are not only insulated , but waterproof. This combats both the frigid temperatures and precipitation found in polar climates . Lightweight, papery tapa cloth , on the other hand, is part of many cultures in the warm, humid climates of Polynesia , in the South Pacific. Tapa cloth was traditionally made from dried leaves, coconut fibers, and breadfruit bark. Tapa cloth is delicate and loses strength when wet, which would be deadly near the poles but only inconvenient near the equator . Shelter Climate also influences how civilizations construct housing. For instance, the ancient Anasazi people of southern North America built apartments into tall cliffs . The sheltered, shady area kept residents cool in the hot, dry desert climate . The yurt is a part of the identity of many cultures across the windy , semi arid steppe of Central Asia. Yurts are a type of original “mobile home,” a portable , circular dwelling made of a lattice of flexible poles and covered in felt or other fabric. Yurts protect residents from fierce winds , and their portability makes them an ideal structure for nomadic and seminomadic herding cultures on the grassland . Agriculture The development of agri culture was very dependent on climate . Ancient agricultural civilizations , such as those in Mesopotamia and India, flourished where the climate was mild. Communities could grow crops every season, and experiment with different types of crops , livestock , and farming techniques . The mild, Mediterranean climate in which the Roman Empire developed, for instance, allowed farmers to cultivate crops , such as wheat, olives, grapes, barley, and figs. Livestock included cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and even honeybees. Like the ancient Romans, ancient cultures of the Amazon Basin in South America were also able to develop agricultural practices. The chief domesticated trees in the Amazon were mostly harvested for food and medicine : Brazil nuts, Inga ynga fruit (commonly known as “ice-cream beans”), Amazon tree grapes, abiu (another tropical fruit), and cacao fruits (whose seeds are known as cocoa beans). Today, farmers are still in tune with the climate . They plant certain crops according to the expected amount of rainfall and the length of the growing season . When the weather does not follow the typical climate pattern, it can mean hard times for farmers and higher food costs for consumers. Climate Change Climate does not change from day to day like weather , but it does change over time. The study of historic climate change is called paleoclimatology . Climate changes happen slowly over hundreds or even thou sands of years. For example, periodic glacial periods have covered large portions of Earth with ice caps. Some paleoclimatology evidence shows that the Sahara Desert was once covered by plants and lakes during a warm “wet age.” Climate change can happen for many reasons. The movement of tectonic plates , volcanic activity, and the tilt of Earth’s axis all have effects on climate . For example, after the eruption of the island volcano of Krakatoa, Indonesia, in 1883, winters and even summers in Asia and Europe were colder and darker. Volcanic ash blocked the sun. Farmers had to adjust to shorter, weaker growing seasons . Climates around the world were changed for years. The so-called “ Little Ice Age ” was a period of climate change extending from the 12th through the 19th centuries. The Little Ice Age was not a true glacial period , but describes colder climates around the world. In Europe, canals in Great Britain and the Netherlands were often frozen solid, allowing for ice skating. In North America, European colonists reported especially harsh winters. Global Warming Since the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, human activity has begun to impact climate . The current period of climate change is sometimes called “ global warming .” Global warming is often associated with a runaway “ greenhouse effect .” The greenhouse effect describes the process of certain gases (including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide (N2O), fluorinated gases , and ozone) trapping solar radiation in a planet's lower atmosphere . Greenhouse gases let the sun's light shine onto Earth'’s surface, but they trap the heat that reflects back up into the atmosphere . In this way, they act like the glass walls of a greenhouse. The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon and keeps Earth warm enough to sustain life. However, human activities that include burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate. The current period of climate change has been documented by rising temperatures , melting glaciers , and more intense weather phenomena . Our planet’s temperature has risen about 1.1° C (2° F) since the late 19th century. Sixteen of the last 17 warmest years on record have occurred in the 21st century. According to NASA, not only was 2016 the warmest year on record, but eight of the 12 months that make up the year were the warmest on record for those respective months. The current period of climate change is also associated with the massive retreat of glaciers , ice sheets , and sea ice. Warmer temperatures have reduced the number of glaciers of Montana’s Glacier National Park from 150 in 1850 to just 26 today. In 2017, one of the largest icebergs ever recorded entered the ocean as a huge chunk of the Larsen C ice shelf broke off the Ant arctic Peninsula. Warmer ocean temperatures and warmer ambient air temperatures likely contributed to the fracturing of the ice shelf and the massive Ant arctic ice sheet associated with it. Finally, both the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice has declined rapidly during the past several decades. The famed Northwest Passage , the treacherous route connecting the North Atlantic and North Pacific ocean basins , is now habitually free of ice and safe enough for cruise ships to navigate . Melting glaciers and ice sheets , as well as expansion of seawater as it warms, have contributed to unprecedented sea level rise . Sea level rises at about 2.3 millimeters (0.2 inch) every year, contributing to up to 900 percent more frequent flooding in coastal areas. Increasing temperatures can change the climate impacts and even the classification of a region . For instance, low-lying islands may be flooded as seawater rises. The populations of island nations, such as Maldives or Comoros, have been forced to contemplate becoming “ climate refugees ”—people forced to leave their homes and migrate to a different region . Heat in the atmosphere may increase the interaction of diverse weather systems . Unusually arid climates in a semi arid region may prolong droughts , for instance. In regions with mild climates , the increased atmospheric moisture associated with humid climates may increase the likelihood of hurricanes and typhoons . Climate change is also impacting organisms and species range . Organisms that have adapted to one climate may have to migrate or adapt to warmer temperatures . Manatees, for instance, are marine mammals native to tropical waters. As temperatures increase, manatees have been migrating as far north as New York City, New York. Polar bear populations, on the other hand, are venturing farther south as Arctic sea ice becomes more scarce . Climate change can be mitigated through reducing greenhouse- gas emissions . This can mean investing in new technologies, relying more on renewable energy sources, making older equipment more energy- efficient , or changing consumer behavior.

The Big Chill Antarctica’s frigid climate makes it the only continent on Earth with no permanent human residents. The coldest temperature ever recorded at ground level on Earth—-89.2° Celsius (-128.5°Fahrenheit)—was at Vostok Station, Antarctica.

Climograph A climograph depicts the highs and lows of temperature and precipitation over a set period of time. Climographs can summarize daily, monthly, yearly, or decades-long weather patterns to help climatologists identify a region’s climate.

Did the Language You Speak Evolve Due to Heat? Some research indicates that the concentration of a language’s vowels and consonants may be due in some part to the climate of the language’s region. Vowel-heavy languages, such as Hawaiian, may have been influenced by pockets of warm air that can “punch into a sound wave”, making it harder to distinguish consonants such as “k” and “ch.”

Geographic Perspective British geographer Andrew John Herbertson described climate like this: "Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get."

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Related Resources

What Are the Different Climate Types?

• Continental

Climate is the average weather conditions in a place over a long period of time—30 years or more. And as you probably already know, there are lots of different types of climates on Earth.

For example, hot regions are normally closest to the equator. The climate is hotter there because the Sun’s light is most directly overhead at the equator. And the North and South Poles are cold because the Sun’s light and heat are least direct there.

The snow-covered peaks of the Chigmit Range during winter. Credit: NPS/M. Cahill 2015

Using this information, in the late 1800s and early 1900s a German climate scientist named Wladimir Koppen divided the world's climates into categories. His categories were based on the temperature, the amount of precipitation, and the times of year when precipitation occurs. The categories were also influenced by a region’s latitude—the imaginary lines used to measure our Earth from north to south from the equator.

Today, climate scientists split the Earth into approximately five main types of climates. They are:

A: Tropical. In this hot and humid zone, the average temperatures are greater than 64°F (18°C) year-round and there is more than 59 inches of precipitation each year.

B: Dry. These climate zones are so dry because moisture is rapidly evaporated from the air and there is very little precipitation.

C: Temperate. In this zone, there are typically warm and humid summers with thunderstorms and mild winters.

D. Continental. These regions have warm to cool summers and very cold winters. In the winter, this zone can experience snowstorms, strong winds, and very cold temperatures—sometimes falling below -22°F (-30°C)!

E: Polar. In the polar climate zones, it’s extremely cold. Even in summer, the temperatures here never go higher than 50°F (10°C)!

This is roughly where those climate zones appear on a globe:

What does a map of climate zones really look like?

Distance to the equator is only one part of an area’s climate. Things like the movement of the oceans and Earth’s tilt and rotation also affect how weather patterns move around the globe.

If you classify the United States into climate zones using all of this information, it actually looks something like this:

This is an illustration of the climate zones within the United States. The extra climate zone, labeled "H" on this map, is a special zone called the highlands. The highlands climate zone is characterized by weather that differs from the surrounding area because of mountains. Credit: NOAA (modified)

How can information about climate zones be used?

Climate zones can be useful for gardening and farming. Plants grow best in the climate conditions that are found in their native ecosystem. For example, if you want to plant an apple orchard in your backyard, you should first check to see which varieties of apples are a good match for your region’s climate.

This is called a Plant Hardiness Zone map. It’s a specific type of climate zone map that can help you figure out what kinds of plants will survive in your back yard. Image credit: USDA/Agricultural Research Service/Oregon State University

How do weather satellites play a role?

Weather satellites mostly help with tracking conditions that are happening right now and forecasting weather in the near future. However, they also collect information that helps us monitor a region’s climate over time.

For example, satellites in the GOES-R series —short for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R—can monitor the sea surface temperature and the Gulf Stream, a powerful current in the Atlantic Ocean. Both of these things can influence a region’s climate.

In addition, the temperature of the land becomes cooler at night, and there are changes in the amount of clouds. The GOES-R series satellites monitor cloudiness and land surface temperature—information that helps scientists to understand how the differences between day and night can affect a region’s climate.

Satellites in the Joint Polar Satellite System ( JPSS ) can also provide information on differences between day and night. For example, JPSS orbits Earth twice a day in what’s called an afternoon orbit. As the satellite orbits from North Pole to South Pole, it captures observations in the afternoon on one side of Earth and observations of the early morning on the other side of the planet.

While JPSS orbits, the satellites provide global observations of many other variables that influence climate such as atmospheric temperature and water vapor, snow and ice cover, vegetation, sea and land surface temperature, precipitation and more. These add important information to our records of regional differences in Earth’s climate.

Climate - Moscow (European Russia)

Moscow - Weather by month

Science | April 26, 2024

Ten Amazing Facts About Tornadoes, Explained

To prepare you for the movie “Twisters,” we’ve compiled some jaw-dropping details about the powerful phenomenon

Catherine Duncan

Staff Contributor

As looming thunderstorm clouds spit out baseball-sized hail and torrential rain, a narrow whirlwind of air stretches its way toward the ground, signaling the arrival of one of nature’s most violent phenomena: a tornado.

Also known as twisters, these violent cyclones can reach wind speeds of 300 miles per hour and blaze a path of destruction that can last from mere seconds to several hours . While most people flee or take shelter at the sight of these alarming conditions, others dive headfirst into them. Storm chasers, people who get dangerously close to extreme weather events, sometimes for scientific research, jump at the chance to pursue the ever-unpredictable tornado.

The 1996 disaster classic Twister follows a group of these daring storm chasers, a university professor and her team of students who rush toward an outbreak of severe twisters sweeping Oklahoma. Their goal: deploy a revolutionary weather alert device, aptly named “Dorothy,” within the heart of multiple tornado systems to track and possibly tame the forces of nature. After a series of disastrous attempts to deploy their invention within multiple cyclones, a final, massive tornado rips through the area. In the nick of time, the team successfully sets up their device in the twister’s center and collects crucial data.

The highly awaited sequel Twisters sees the continuation of this research nearly two decades later, with a new generation of storm chasers and technology. The story’s hesitant protagonist Kate Cooper, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, joins forces with adrenaline junkie Tyler Owens, played by Glen Powell, as twin twisters ravage the plains of central Oklahoma. The pair races against a rival team and devastating weather conditions to conduct groundbreaking analysis. Though the film is fictionalized, its overarching circumstances—the treacherous nature of twisters and the difficulty of predicting their arrival—ring true.

In anticipation of the July 19 release of Twisters , we contacted three scientists to unravel some of the secrets wrapped within these catastrophic cyclones. Here are a few of the coolest finds we uncovered.

Supercell thunderstorms are responsible for creating tornadoes

Tornadoes are born within supercell thunderstorms , an anvil-shaped cloud with a rotating updraft called a mesocyclone. As an extremely rare weather event, only one in thousands of storms yields a supercell thunderstorm. One in five or six supercells , though, produces a tornado.

“To get a thunderstorm, we have to have an unstable atmosphere, and generally, for a tornado, we need the thunderstorms to rotate,” says William Gallus, a meteorologist at Iowa State University. “That happens if we have wind shear, which means that the wind speed and wind directions are changing as you go up.”

Warm air rises, cold air falls, rough winds whip within the storm system, and an updraft occurs. If this rotating updraft descends toward the ground, lowering itself below the storm, a tornado can emerge from the chaos.

The tornado forms as the mesocyclone accelerates from the bottom up—and the feature intensifies its rotation, in a way similar to an ice skater who pulls her arms into her body to spin faster, says Jana Houser , a supercell thunderstorm and tornado radar analysis expert at Ohio State University.

The strongest winds of the tornado are closest to the ground

In the atmosphere, the winds get stronger the higher up you go. Tornadoes reverse these conditions, with their strongest winds appearing at the lowest points. This powerful rotation starts at the ground and then floats its way upward to converge into the visible funnel cloud.

“This process happens very quickly,” says Houser, who, alongside her team and National Geographic cameras, captured the very tornadoes set to appear as background footage in the upcoming film Twisters . “In under a minute, you can go from a weak rotation to, all of a sudden, a full tornado.”

According to Gallus, computer models of tornadoes have shown that the strongest winds could lie just 15 feet above the ground—their most brutal region lining up with the height of homes and buildings.

“That’s pretty unfortunate for all of us who live on Earth, because that means that in a tornado, unlike any other weather system, the very worst winds are impacting buildings, people and trees down near the ground,” says Gallus.

Tornadoes can form anywhere, anytime

Most tornadoes are formed in the Great Plains of the United States, in an area deemed “Tornado Alley.” Flat terrain combined with unstable conditions—warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collides with dry winds drifting in from the Rocky Mountains—provides the ideal breeding ground for twisters to spawn. But tornadoes can happen almost anywhere. They have been reported in all 50 states and all continents except Antarctica, and they’ve struck major urban areas , such as Dallas, Miami and Minneapolis.

But cyclones don’t follow any sort of pattern or path, contrary to popular misconceptions. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in a downtown part of the city, in a hilly area or even a mountainous area,” says Houser. She adds that some terrain may reduce or increase the probability of tornadoes, but complete protection from the twisters can’t be guaranteed.

Similarly, while peak tornado season ranges from May to July depending on location, tornadoes can hit at any month and any time, both day and night.

Tornadoes have uniquely powerful upward motion

In most weather phenomena, the most aggressive winds blow horizontally, directing their potency outward toward the north, south, east and west, rather than upward and downward. Tornadoes defy these expectations. Things resting in the tornado’s path—the roofs of homes, cars, animals—can be suddenly whisked straight up and into the whirl of debris, victim to the sheer power of the tornado’s upward winds. According to Gallus, the strength of a tornado’s upward motion is comparable to the speed at which it moves along terrain, with 100- or 200-mile-an-hour winds shooting up toward the sky.

“That’s why the damage that a tornado does to buildings is very different than if you have the exact same mile-per-hour wind from just a thunderstorm,” says Gallus. “It’s also why you hear these stories of people or things getting picked up and seeming to levitate or fly up into the air—it’s because the tornado has such strong upward motion.”

The air pressure inside a tornado can cause just as much damage as the wind itself

When visiting the site of a Missouri hospital ravaged by a tornado, Gallus recalls, a nurse he spoke with had to tilt her head a certain direction to hear. Due to the intense air pressure change caused by the tornado, her eardrum ruptured. The air pressure in the middle of a tornado can drop suddenly and strongly, as if you were riding on a plane flying up into the air extremely fast. Many people near tornadoes have reported their ears “popping” during the phenomenon. “That change in pressure is almost like nature’s way of giving you a very last warning by having your head experience this strange rapid adjustment and popping going on in your head,” says Gallus.

The change in air pressure can also create an additional force on buildings that, along with the strong winds, can intensify and quicken their destruction.

Terrain can change a tornado’s behavior

Researchers have a difficult time predicting when a tornado will form—and where it will go. Changing winds and differing terrain can make it hard for meteorologists chart the exact path of a twister.

“Tornadoes are incredibly susceptible to very small nuances in the land cover, in the environment, in the storm itself, and it’s very difficult, I would say impossible, to account for every single factor that could possibly go into changing what a tornado is doing,” says Houser. “They defy generalization.”

While predicating a storm is hard, meteorologists say that some features of terrain may enhance the conditions needed for a twister to form. For example, sprawling urban areas can affect thunderstorms, which, in turn, can affect tornadoes. Since cities have more precipitation on their downwind side because of the way water systems interact with urban structures, they produce more rain and more hail, and can be warmer, helping set up an environment that’s more likely for a tornado to form.

“Sometimes urban areas are warmer than rural areas due to the urban heat island. What happens if a tornado goes over a warmer city?” says Jason Naylor, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Louisville. “It looks like the urban heat island could potentially enhance the low-level updrafts in the storm and may help instigate tornadoes in a theoretical way.”

Tornadoes usually rotate counterclockwise, but they can switch directions

In the Northern Hemisphere, about 98 percent of tornadoes spin counterclockwise , which meteorologists label as cyclonical. However, a clockwise-swirling tornado is not out of the question—just much less common.

The counterclockwise motion of most tornadoes has long been attributed to the Coriolis effect, the force caused by the Earth’s rotation. But, according to Houser, this is merely a myth. Tornadoes exist on “too small a space scale and time scale for the Coriolis force to affect it,” she says. Rather, the counterclockwise motion results from how vertical winds change in speed and height within the storm.

Meteorologists call clockwise tornadoes anti-cyclonic. “You get an anti-cyclonic tornado when you have a very strong surge of air within the storm,” says Houser.

Storms can produce more than one tornado at a time

Twisters sees two groups of storm chasers unite as two different tornadoes converge over a small town in central Ohio. This event isn’t just movie magic: The same storm system can really eject multiple tornadoes at once. As winds change, the storm itself can begin to form a new tornado in a slightly different location from the original tornado—with the fledgling rotating updraft gaining power as the other twister slowly dies down. Or, if the original tornado is particularly violent , the level of agitation can churn out smaller whirlwinds that extend toward the ground.

And Houser says that other freak circumstances, such as extremely strong rotation along the edges of a storm, can also produce multiple tornadoes. A clockwise and counterclockwise tornado can even appear in the same storm system.

Tornadoes themselves can’t be forecast—only the conditions that produce them can

The 1996 film Twister and its 2024 companion Twisters center around the same key issue: the frustrating impossibility of forecasting tornadoes. “We don’t even really try to forecast exactly when and where a tornado would hit, because we simply cannot do that ahead of time,” says Gallus.

Warnings for tornadoes are only issued when a twister is already forming and has been sighted—or indicated by weather radar—and the alerts cover an area that may be impacted.

Scientists are able to predict, however, the conditions favorable for supporting thunderstorms that spin and would be more likely to produce tornadoes. Up to a couple of hours ahead of time, when increased weather severity is detected, local television and radio news stations issue a tornado watch.

But a tornado’s intensity can’t be determined until after its wake. Scientists determine a tornado’s level of destruction by using the Enhanced Fujita Scale . The scale assesses the damage a tornado does to trees, buildings and homes. Scientists then use that information to calculate its probable wind speed. The rating system ranges from F0, the weakest cyclone, to F5, a vicious, deadly tornado, which a character in Twister deems the “finger of God.”

Climate change is affecting tornadoes

Tornado Alley is moving eastward . In the past decade, twisters have been inching their way into the Midwest and hitting states such as Missouri in record-breaking severity . Meteorologists attribute this shift to climate change.

“Now, with climate change, places that were normally too cold in the winter are finding themselves with days warm enough that you’re starting to see tornadoes at times of year, parts of the country, where they didn’t used to happen,” says Gallus.

This is caused by climate change’s impact on weather. Gallus says that climate change is making conditions warmer and more humid near the ground, which is increasing the level of instability that leads to stronger, tornado-producing storms.

According to Gallus, we may see more days that meteorologists call tornado outbreak days, where five to ten tornadoes crop up. But climate change could also decrease the frequency of days where one or two tornadoes crop up. Essentially, the number of tornadoes could be concentrated on fewer days.

“We can’t say that tornadoes are going to become stronger. We can’t say that we’re going to have less,” says Gallus. “But what we do know is, because of how the temperature is changing, we are going to start finding them in weird times of the year and places where it always used to be too cold to have a tornado.”

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Catherine Duncan | READ MORE

Catherine Duncan is an intern with  Smithsonian magazine.

Wild Weather Ahead: Summer 2024 Could Be a Scorcher After Hottest Year on Record

The climate crisis is causing more severe heatwaves and related events. Here's what to know about dealing with extreme weather in 2024.

We just lived through the hottest year since recordkeeping began more than a century ago, but before too long, 2023 might not stand out as the pinnacle of extreme heat. 

That's because it's unlikely to be the only hottest year that we experience. Our climate is changing, growing warmer due to the emissions from burning fossil fuels, and our weather is changing with it. It's possible that this year may turn out to be hotter still.

In March, scientists from the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said February 2024 was the hottest February according to records that stretch back to 1940. The news came on the heels of their report in early January that, as expected, 2023 was indeed the hottest year on record. Temperatures closed in on the critical 1.5-degree Celsius rise above preindustrial levels, after which we will see irreversible damage to the planet . These aren't freak outliers: The extreme heat we're experiencing is something we'll need to be prepared to deal with on a much more regular basis, along with storms, floods and drought.

Later in March, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued its spring outlook, predicting that most of the continental US and Alaska will see above-average temperatures from April through June . The risk of flooding, it said, will ease during the three-month period because of "historically low winter snow cover" in large parts of the country. 

In April, a forecast from the Weather Company also predicted an "abnormally hot" summer in parts of the US. NOAA published a map this month showing where it expects the heat to be most extreme compared to normal. It highlighted a band stretching from the north west down through the south west and into Texas. The combination of heat and little rain could increase the risk of drought and wildfires in some regions. 

NOAA's seasonal temperature outlook.

A key trend highlighted by the US government's Fifth National Climate Assessment , published in November, was that climate change is provoking extreme weather events across the country that are both more frequent and more severe. It pointed to an increase in heatwaves and wildfires in the West over the past few decades, the increased drought risk in the Southwest over the past century and more extreme rainfall east of the Rockies. Hurricanes have also been intensifying, as those who have found themselves in the path of a storm know all too well.

You'll need to be prepared. Extreme weather is going to have a widespread impact on industry, society and individuals. Last year in the US there were 25 extreme weather events with losses amounting to over $1 billion that resulted in the deaths of 464 people. People lost their homes, saw personal property damaged or suffered mental and physical health issues.

Three months into 2024, we're staring down the barrel of another potentially record-setting hot year. If there's a silver lining, it's that the US is now better prepared than ever, and we know what steps you can take to better deal with these unwelcome events. When it comes to weather, forewarned is forearmed. 

The US has been taking active steps. The Biden administration has provided funding to build resilient communities , and a new (as of September 2023) National Climate Resilience Framework, which should provide the US with a whole range of protections. These include conserving water resources, modernizing and strengthening the electric grid against weather and disasters and building infrastructure to protect communities and ecosystems from sea level rise, tidal flooding, hurricanes and storm surges.

At home and in your community, you can take steps, too, including preparing your home for wildfires and flooding and recognizing signs of heat-related health issues. This way, when wild weather comes calling, its impact on our homes, health and livelihoods is minimized.

Forecast 2024

Last year's heat was no anomaly. It's part of a long-term trend: The last 10 years have been the 10 warmest on record, according to NASA , with most of the Earth's warming taking place over the last 40 years . Most forecasters are anticipating yet another year of extreme heat ahead.

"If we look at the forecast for the next three months in the long range, it's suggesting that the trend that we're seeing in baseline warming could continue, and so 2024 could rival 2023 for being the hottest year on record, which is very scary," says Chloe Brimicombe, a heatwave researcher at the University of Graz.

Some of the extreme weather we experienced in the latter half of last year and will continue to experience in the first half of this year is a result of El Niño, a cyclical climate event that sees unusually warm ocean waters that has a knock-on effect of warmer temperatures and increased rainfall across the southern part of the US. For instance, temperatures in Death Valley, California, peaked at 128 degrees Fahrenheit in July, while forecasters   predicted warmer temperatures in northern parts of the US stretching into February and a colder, wetter winter for Southern states.

Increased rainfall can lead to floods, like those that hit New York City in September 2023.

While meteorologists are able to make long-term predictions about El Niño, other climate-related predictions are trickier. "All things told, we're going to see an increased prevalence of heat events across the globe, but we can't tell right now exactly where that will be," says Andy Hoell, a climate scientist at NOAA.

What we do know, he adds, is that the climate crisis can compound events such as extreme heat or extreme rainfall to make them more likely or more severe. 

In the past, it wasn't always easy to draw direct links between extreme weather events and climate change. But huge improvements in attribution science (the ability to specifically identify emissions as the cause for unusually dramatic weather) in recent years have changed the game. The World Weather Attribution program, based at Imperial College London, has now completed nine studies on droughts, heatwaves, wildfires and heavy rainfall in North America. "Every study found that climate change made the event more intense and more likely," says Ben Clarke, a researcher at WWA.

The speed at which climate scientists are able to identify human-caused climate change as the culprit for extreme weather has also dramatically improved. Last year alone, Climate Central was able to attribute record-breaking spring heat in the western US , and ongoing extreme heat stretching through the summer in Texas and Florida , to climate change as it was happening. "It's much more impactful as far as our understanding of what climate change really is if we can make that connection in real time," says Andrew Pershing, vice president of science at Climate Central, a climate science analysis non-profit.

Thanks to attribution science, we can confidently point to a heatwave we've experienced and say whether climate change played a role in making it happen. But it also helps us to recognize that extreme weather events we're experiencing are part of a pattern – one that can't be broken without tackling the root causes of the climate crisis. "Until the world moves away from fossil fuels and reduces emissions to net zero," says Clarke, "extreme weather events in North America will continue to become more intense, more dangerous and more deadly."

Even if you live in a region that hasn't yet directly been impacted by a climate-linked weather event, you're not off the hook.

"As the climate continues to warm, most areas will be at an increased risk of some types of climate-linked extreme weather," says Russell Vose, chief of the Monitoring and Assessment Branch at NOAA' National Centers for Environmental Information and one of the NCA's authors. "Perhaps the best example is extreme heat – it can occur anywhere."

He points to the scorching heat dome that descended on the Pacific Northwest in June and July 2021, which was unprecedented in the historical record. The unpredictable nature of such extreme heat means no regions are marked as safe.

In fact, a region that's been lucky enough to not yet experience an extreme heat event is more likely to experience one in the future and suffer more greatly due to lack of preparedness, according to a study published by scientists from Bristol University last April.

Scientists are more concerned about the ability of people in areas that don't usually get intensely hot to cope when their turn comes. "What worries me would be something in the Upper Midwest or the Northeast that just hasn't had a major heat event for a few years," says Pershing. "I think we kind of lose a little bit of that muscle memory."

Weather's unequal impacts

The weather might not discriminate when it comes to who gets hit, but that doesn't mean its impacts are experienced equally by all groups across American society.

"Certain groups are simply more vulnerable to extreme events due to geographic, socioeconomic or demographic factors," says Vose. He points to the extreme rainfall brought by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which led to a large number of homes being flooded in Harris County, Texas, with a disproportionate impact on low-income Hispanic neighborhoods.

When a heatwave hits, it will feel hotter in high-density urban environments that are more likely to be occupied by people of color or people living in poverty than in more spread-out neighborhoods or rural areas. Then some are homeless and can't access health care. They have little ability to protect themselves, no matter how much warning they get about an incoming heatwave. This makes these groups much more vulnerable to the health risks of extreme heat.

Heat researchers are extremely concerned about people who live in housing not resistant to warm temperatures, says Brimicombe, who points out that those who rent are especially at risk. "If you're a tenant, you have less ability to adapt your house to extreme heat than if you're a homeowner," she says. "And that also means young families, because babies are vulnerable to extreme heat."

Not only are economically disadvantaged communities in the US more susceptible to feeling the worst impacts of extreme weather, but they have also done the least to contribute towards the climate crisis in the first place. A study published last August revealed that the wealthiest households in the US are historically responsible for 40% of the country's climate emissions.

Meanwhile, these same households have more tools at their disposal to protect themselves from the impact of climate-related weather events. In 2019, The New York Times reported that wealthy California residents were banding together to hire private firefighters to protect them from the impacts of wildfires.

The Biden administration is well aware that marginalized and minority groups are hardest hit by climate change, including extreme weather. At the beginning of his term, the president set up the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, made up of leading experts from the US climate justice community.

Last September the group published its policy recommendations urging the government to ensure climate disasters do not further or exacerbate harm to vulnerable populations and communities. 

The impacts of Hurricane Katrina were felt disproportionately by Black communities.

"Disaster relief should never be the cause of deepening inequality in any neighborhood, region, or Tribal community," the council wrote in its recommendations. "When disaster hits, the goal of government should be that the people hit the hardest should emerge stronger and more secure than before, not the opposite."

It recommended a number of measures that would help protect people in case of extreme weather including the creation of a low-cost national flood insurance and the establishment of a "Just Relocation Fund" that would provide communities hit by climate impacts with a relocation process based on a dignity framework with respect for their human rights. 

The White House has yet to respond to the recommendations, but if it does act on them this would hopefully prevent a repeat of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, in which Black communities were allocated less money to rebuild their housing, resulting in a lawsuit against the federal government .

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other initiatives, the Biden administration is investing heavily in adaptation, mitigation and resilience measures designed to protect all Americans from the impacts of climate-linked extreme weather. As with all funding, people may have to wait some time to feel the full impact of that funding. In the meantime, there are a number of steps you can take to keep yourself safe in the months ahead.

How to weather the weather, whatever the weather

Summer's not so far off, meaning sizzling days are on the horizon. 

Intense heat poses some scary risks to our health, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be life-threatening. It's important to familiarize yourself with the signs so that you'll recognize them in yourself and others, and can therefore seek medical attention if necessary.

Remember that heat is more likely to adversely affect older people, children and babies, and those with preexisting health conditions. There may be cooling centers or other well-air-conditioned places in your community where you can take refuge – if you do, consider taking elderly or vulnerable neighbors with you. "Look out for friends and families," said Brimicombe. "Don't be complacent."

The British writer and fellwalker Alfred Wainwright is widely credited as coining the phrase, "there's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing." Wainwright, who died in 1991, didn't live through the kind of consistently bad weather we're experiencing in this era of extreme heat, but that doesn't mean we have nothing to learn from him. In the midst of a heatwave, it's best to wear loose-fitting clothes in light colors, rather than black, which absorbs the heat.

Make sure you stay hydrated and try to spend as little time as possible outside in the sun. Try to block sunlight from warming your house, and consider buying reflectors to place in your windows that can help keep the heat out. At nighttime, take note of when it might be cooler outside than in, and use this to your advantage by opening doors and windows to let the internal temperature of your house regulate. Fans can be effective, but at very high temperatures they're likely to just start pushing the hot air around – in which case you should, sparingly and without putting too much pressure on the grid, resort to air conditioning, or moving to your local cooling center.

Heading to your nearest cooling center -- like this one in Portland, Oregon -- might be your best option during an extreme heat wave.

Remember that global warming is worldwide, so the same heat warnings apply even if you plan to travel to other parts of the world over the summer. The heat waves that hit the US in the summer of 2023 also impacted areas of Europe, including popular vacation spots in the Mediterranean. Countries including Greece, Spain and Italy were all affected by wildfires that resulted in the evacuation of locals and tourists alike from some areas and islands.

The surge in Europe-bound American tourists that occurred in 2023 is expected to continue this year, but if you're planning to be among them it's important not to travel without comprehensive insurance. Likewise, if you're traveling in the peak months of July and August, be prepared to adjust your itinerary in case of extreme heat to ensure you're not putting your health at risk. This may mean spending more time indoors than you'd planned for the sake of your health.

For other types of extreme weather that may hit your property such as wildfires, storms or floods, it may be useful to have an evacuation plan. You should prepare an emergency evacuation bag , also known as a go bag or a bug-out bag. Don't forget to plan for your pets. The National Fire Protection Association has a handy guide on how to prepare your home for wildfires . 

One of the easiest but most important things you can do is keep an eye on long- and short-term weather forecasts. The silver lining for people in the US, says Pershing, is that the country has great weather forecasting capabilities and the channels to communicate incoming events to people so you can prepare. "The gaps are really whether you take it seriously yourself," he says.

So for anyone who does take it seriously, be sure to read our tips on how to prepare yourself and your home for wildfires, hurricanes, floods and storms.

Here are some additional resources:

• Natural Disaster Guide: How to Prep for Wildfires, Hurricanes, Storms and More
• Flood Insurance: What It Costs and What It Covers
• Pet Disaster Prep: Take These Steps to Keep Your Pets Safe
• Emergency Prep: 3 Tips to Recover Important Documents
• 16 Emergency Apps for Wildfires, Earthquakes and Other Disasters
• Wildfire Season Is Here: Prepare Your Emergency Evacuation Bag Now
• Climate Change Is Intensifying Severe Weather. Take These 4 Steps to Fortify Your Home

For even more details on natural disasters and how to prepare beforehand or respond after an event takes place, check out https://www.ready.gov/ .

Correction, March 15: This story originally misstated the name of the National Fire Protection Association.