If there’s only one packing tip you ever follow it should be to include a sarong or two (or three) because not only do they take up minimal luggage space but there are so many ways to use a sarong on your travels. I always pack a few because their versatility means you are never lost for something to wear, a beach cover up, a shawl for chilly evenings or even a drape to feng shui those energy-sapping corners in hotel rooms. I’ve got just 7 ways to use a sarong here that will make you have them as your priority item in your travel wardrobe too.
I don’t know about you but I have always receded back to my fetal stage when lying down and I feel really quite weird if I don’t have some kind of cover on me. In hot weather this isn’t ideal, but a sarong is so light it gives me that covered feeling I need without weight and unwelcome heat. Also, If you like to sleep in the nude but still want some kind of coverage, this is another of the ways to use a sarong when you’re traveling.
When you’re out sightseeing you never know when you might happen on somewhere you want to sit and linger a while. Maybe that street vendor had a delicious snack you just couldn’t pass on and you find a patch of grass to cop a squat, or you went round a bend and a darling little beach appeared unexpectedly. With a sarong you have an instant picnic blanket or beach mat, and it folds up so small it doesn’t matter if your bag of choice for your sightseeing trip is a small purse or a roomy backpack.
What would you rather have to carry? A towel, a beach blanket/mat, a cover up or a couple of sarongs? Ok, you still need a towel if you’re going to take an ocean dip bit instead of loading yourself up with beach clothes, a sarong will provide coverage on your way to and from the beach. And, there isn’t a color combination or pattern that sarongs don’t come in so you can have a whole range to match your swimwear.
If you’re holidaying and the climate is changeable (like in the UK where we can have all four seasons in one day), having a sarong with you means that when the sun comes out from those early day clouds and hits you with stronger rays than you anticipated, you have a form of protection ready and easily draped around those vulnerable bare shoulders. You can use it as the sun sets and evenings become chilly from the breeze blowing in off the ocean, and you can use it as protection against the wind.
When you are traveling, it is essential that you observe the dress codes of cultures that have them. It is so easy to cause offense with the simple act of not being dressed modestly, especially if religious and spiritual attractions are on your sightseeing agenda. One of the most important ways to use a sarong is simply to have it available when you need a head covering or to cover bare arms when local custom calls for it.
Who wants to pack an inflatable pillow? I don’t like taking up valuable luggage space with something that has limited or one-use/one-time only purpose per trip. If you like to sleep on your flights or long train/bus journeys, you need a pillow. A folded up sarong is multi-purpose, multi-use, takes minimal space and it can be folded up to make a pillow/headrest. If you’re backpacking, you can use it as your night-time pillow too. And if you need a plumper “pillow” you’ve no worries because you’ve accepted there are many great ways to use a sarong and you’ve packed a few, and you can pile them on top of each other for a perfect night’s sleep.
Another fabulous thing is that there are so many ways to wear a sarong you can change it up as many times as you like. Check out this video – there’s 20 ideas here
– wowzer! You don’t need a suitcase full of half your wardrobe when you have a stash of sarongs that can go with anything and that can change a simple daytime outfit into something suitable for a romantic restaurant meal, or a night in a local bar/club.
Who’d have thought a simple rectangle of fabric could be so versatile. Now you know these ways to use a sarong are you convinced to make them an essential travel item?