Now that the summer season is fast approaching, many of you may have a holiday trip in mind. Regardless of whether you’re heading to a tropical country or simply exploring a metropolitan city, bringing a hat along is usually an unspoken rule. If you look at packing recommendations from lifestyle bloggers and travel experts, you’ll notice that hats are always included in the packing list. No, the reason is not just for fashion. To find out why hats are must-have travel accessories, continue reading.
This applies to everyone. When the sun is out, your skin and eyes are exposed to the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. These rays are radiation, which means that prolonged exposure to them causes your body to suffer from skin burns and radiation sickness in the long run. More dire consequences include skin cancer. When it comes to the eyes, both UVA and UVB rays can lead to decreased vision, corneal damage, and cataracts damage. Due to these harmful effects, many medical professionals have, over the years, recommended we put on sunscreen and wear sunglasses if we’re planning on spending much of our time outdoors and under the sun. A little tip, the sun’s rays are the strongest between 10 am and 4 pm, so it’s good to limit your exposure to the sun during these times.
Let’s say you’re on a road trip or camping adventure and you are not able to wash your hair on schedule. This can result in your hair becoming oily, unruly, and overall just unappealing to people around you and for photographs. In such cases, a hat can do wonders by covering up your bad hair. Simply put it on and you’ll instantly feel more confident and comfortable being around people now that your greasy hair is hidden.
Aside from the sun, your body is also exposed to other environmental elements, such as rain, pollution, and even bugs and insects. Some people may not or have forgotten to pack an umbrella with them, so a hat helps to provide some coverage during rainy days. If you’re planning on going to a place that has high pollution levels, you’ll want to keep yourself protected for health reasons. Hats can also prevent you from getting bitten by bugs and insects by covering some surface area on your body.
We understand that, at times, all you want to do is stay hidden and avoid drawing attention to yourself. This is especially prominent when you’re on an airplane or on the beach, and you simply do not wish to speak to anyone and would like to rest. This is where a hat comes in by providing some shade to your face and allowing you to cover yourself from others.
Even though this reason is quite hilarious, it actually comes in useful when you’re in need of some storage. Whether you’re on a road trip or in an area without many amenities, you’ll find that your hat can double up as a shelf or bag of some sort by holding your items. Turn your hat upside down and now you can place your keys, phone, hotel card, and whatever you have into it.