by Melinda Crow
Last updated: 9:00 PM ET, Wed February 1, 2017
Winter and spring are when we all crave tropical (or at least warmer) escapes.
Images of sunny beaches and sparkling pools tease us as we huddle in our winter garb. It's easy to forget, though, that traveling to the climates of our dreams poses the problem of how to keep our cool.
Wear a shirt that protects and breathes
Wearing the wrong shirt is probably the number one reason people feel overheated when they travel to warm-weather destinations. Aim for light and airy, but with protection from the sun. Innovative specialty fabrics that work like evaporative coolers take traditional resort wear to a whole new level. Look at Columbia Sportswear's line of Omni Freeze Zero clothing. The company provided me with several pieces to test in the Texas heat last summer and all of them outperformed shirts made of traditional fabrics.
Wear pants that convert
If your destination has a temperature variance of twenty degrees or more between the highs and lows, you may want to consider a pair of convertible pants with either zip-off or roll-up legs, or both. Clothing Arts adds pickpocket-proof pockets to their convertibles, making them perfect for metropolitan adventures.
Crave the shade
When all else fails, find a shady spot and stick with it.
Get wet
The easiest way to stay cool in a warm climate is to get wet. If kids are a part of your travels, build water parks into the itinerary if there's no beach or pool at your destination. If hiking is on the agenda, wear shoes that can get wet. It's amazing how cooling a quick wade in the water can be. And if there's no opportunity to get in the water, consider getting on the water. Temperatures can be several degrees cooler on the water than on land.
Check out Get My Boat, which has listings for boat rentals worldwide.
[READMORE] READ MORE 3 Warm-Weather US Getaways To Fight The Winter Blues [/READMORE]
Put a lid on it
We all know that wearing a hat in cold weather keeps you warmer, but did you also know that wearing one in hot temperatures can keep you cooler? The key is wearing the right hat. Blubandoo has a complete line of headwear that incorporates water-absorbing gels that work to keep you cool.
Enjoy the breeze
In some tropical destinations, you may find that the breeze from the sea is your best defense against the heat. In locations where air conditioning is not provided, you may have to learn to live like the locals and harness that breeze. The trick is to open the proper combination of windows and doors to get a cross breeze circulating the air. Close blinds, shutters, or draperies on windows that face the sun, and be sure to reopen them as the sun moves through the day. And don't forget to use fans when they are available.
Hydrate
The number one concern when you visit warm climates is staying hydrated. Sipping frozen fruit drinks by the pool comes to mind, but for serious hydration consider additives to water that boost your electrolytes. Mediterranea Seawater claims to do just that in easy-travel packets. A New Zealand product, 1 Above, billed as a "travel recovery drink" comes in effervescent tablets that makes them easily transportable.
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