The season of fun in the sun is almost upon us! But before you jump on a plane or head to the nearest sunny beach this summer, you need to make sure you are prepared with your summer travel essentials. This packing list highlights essential travel clothing as well as other accessories it can be easy to forget until you need them.
8 Travel Essentials for the Summer Season
1. Swimwear
A summer trip wouldn’t be complete without packing your swimsuit. For women, a fashionable one-piece style option is a sneakerkini. Or, for a glam-yet-secure two-piece suit, you can try the scoop neck Sneakerkini.
Men aren’t confined to a one-size-fits-all swimsuit style anymore, either. Try out different lengths and styles, like opting for Superdry board shorts or switching it up with a pair of striped swim shorts. You can even coordinate a whole poolside outfit like the Jordan Flight Allover Print poolside duo.
2. Loose tops
Wearing loose-fitting clothing on a hot day can help keep you cool. In the travel essentials for women category, choose styles like this Nike sportswear tee or a cropped shirt. Loose-fitting travel essentials for men include printed tees that will combat the summer heat while keeping you comfortable underneath.
You can also opt to ditch the t-shirt tan lines by choosing to sport a cool tank top instead. The women’s adidas crop shirt or tape crop top are great examples. For men who want to enjoy a sun-kissed summer vacation, great options include the Nike Futura tank or a loose-fitting jersey, which also allows you to represent your favorite sports team.
3. Matching sets
A comfortable pair of leggings is a travel essential for women year-round. And now you don’t have to think about what top to wear with your leggings with the matching sets available from adidas, which include ribbed leggings and a top. For men, try matching sets that include either pants or shorts and a long-sleeved shirt.
4. Hats and sunglasses
Sunglasses are an absolute travel essential for both men and women. Look for polarized lenses to reduce glare and UV blocking characteristics to protect your eyes.
Another summer essential is a stylish hat. Hats can be style-defining, giving you the chance to top off an already great outfit while protecting the sensitive skin on your face from the sun. For men, you can opt for a traditional baseball cap to give you a sleek style or a boy-next-door kind of vibe. Or if you’re feeling a bit edgier or prefer more of a street-savvy style, then you may want to don a Jordan snapback cap instead. Feeling especially trendy? Then go for the bucket hat, which has made its way back into the summer travel scene and is a great choice.
Women have similar style options when it comes to hats, including both baseball hats and snapback caps to help keep you shaded from the sun.
5. Versatile carrying options
Another summertime travel essential is a durable and stylish backpack or bag. Backpacks, like the One Training Backpack, are supportive and stay close to your body. However, if you need something slightly more versatile, you might opt for the Sportswear RPM Backpack, which has more pockets and zippers to keep your stuff organized and safely contained inside. Another stylish option for carrying around your summertime essentials is a duffel bag.
Beyond the primary bags you travel with, you will also need a daily bag. Traveling often brings you into areas you aren’t familiar with, so it’s a good idea to keep your money, phone, and IDs safe in a crossbody bag.
6. Hair accessories
There are all kinds of useful hair accessories for women that want to get their hair off their neck but maintain it as part of their style. A printed headwrap or even just simple scrunchies can do the trick this summer.
For men, even if you wear your hair short, you still have options. A breathable hair wrap gives you that extra sweat protection and holding power without holding the heat to your head like a hat does.
7. Appropriate footwear
Footwear that’s ideal for summer travel may include comfortable walking shoes, like sandals or casual sneakers, or athletic shoes.
Sandals or walking shoes take many shapes and sizes, from Birkenstocks and slide sandals to Nike’s casual Air Max sneakers. This choice depends on where you are going and what kind of movement you intend to do while you are there.
Another movement-based choice is the athletic shoes you bring. For example, do you plan on needing more support for long walks or even continuing your workout regime while you are there? Then you should opt for shoes that can get you there, like On Cloud running shoes.
One of the easiest things to forget during the summer after packing your shoes is the socks you will need to make the combination work. If you plan on wearing boots, you might want higher socks, while athletic no-show socks will work for athletic outfits.
8. Layers, layers, layers
Remember that just because somewhere is warm during the day doesn’t mean the temperature won’t drop at night. So pack a thin, warm fleece hoodie for a versatile extra layer at night. If you prefer to keep your legs covered at night, opt for cuffed jogger pants instead.
Travel Prepared This Summer
Get ready to travel in style this summer with summer travel essentials from JD Sports. From duffel bags and backpacks to sandals, slides, and casual running shoes, we’ve got you covered.
