8 Essential Items for Monsoon-Season Travel

When humidity and heat make you perpetually sweaty, the heavy rain might feel nice for a bit. But walking around in soggy clothes all day is not worth that brief cool down.

Be sure to take an ultralight, thin, and packable hooded rain jacket that you can always have handy. It down poured for at least an hour every day that I was in Sri Lanka, but I was able to keep exploring as long as I had one. Colombia’s Switchback II Jacket was my weapon of choice against the rain. It has a hidden hood, cooling vents, zippered pockets, and is made of super thin waterproof fabric. It also comes in great colors, and is on sale for just $40 (at time of publication).

Whether you’re backpacking, hotel-hopping, or taking trains—transporting bags in the rain can get messy. Opt for a travel bag that works in multiple ways.

Patagonia’s Black Hole Duffel lives up to its name. The roomy 45, 60, 90, or 120-liter duffle has the ability to pack into one of its inner pockets and become a tiny bundle that's easy to store at home. It can be carried as a backpack thanks to detachable straps, and fits everything you’ll need to bring, plus your souvenirs. With plenty of zippered inner pockets and a water-resistant, durable outer material, it’s a workhorse of a pack that can handle everything you throw at it. Priced between $129 and $169 depending on the size you choose, it comes in plenty of cool colors.

Asian mosquitos are much smaller and sneakier than their North American counterpart, so before you know it you could be covered in bites. The sun in monsoon season is just as shifty—just because it's hazy or even rainy doesn’t mean strong UV rays aren’t powering through the cloud cover. Avoid the itch of both problems with combination sun and mosquito protection like Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard with SPF 30, available on Amazon from $5. It’ll save you the time and energy of applying both necessities every day.

To see all of the temples, mosques, rainforests, waterfalls, and safaris your destination has to offer, you’ll need a dependable day pack with all the appropriate attachments. Osprey’s Mira AG 26 Hydration Pack ($164 on Amazon.com) will fit everything you need for long days or overnight trips, including water through a built-in hydration reservoir—and it includes a waterproof rain cover for protecting your stuff when the monsoons hit. It’s lightweight yet sturdy, and perfect for bumpy, long train rides or day-long treks.

Heat and humidity mean sweat, and lots of it—but varying elevations could make your surroundings chilly. Pack plenty of light layers so you can pack them on for warmth in mountainous regions, or opt for less when you need to stay cool. Modest clothing is the norm in many south Asian cities, so linen pants and light T-shirts are your best bet.

An umbrella isn’t as versatile or packable as a light rain coat, but you’ll want it for days that have longer periods of rain and are too hot for an extra layer. I brought a standard small collapsible umbrella, but in the future would invest in something stronger that can handle high winds, like Kolombo’s Unbreakable UltraSlim Windmaster. It’s normally $45 and on sale right now for $20. Paying a little bit more for a durable travel umbrella means it’ll last longer and endure tougher elements.

Exploring by foot and by tuk-tuk is the best way to get around Sri Lanka, so I knew I’d need a dependable yet comfortable sandal. Refusing to opt into touristy-looking and expensive travel sandals, I tried out Sanuk’s Yoga Duets, which are made with yoga-mat insoles and come in plenty of cool shapes and colors. Your foot won’t fall out of Sanuk’s minimal slings or flip flops, and your feet will love the cushioning.

Light scarves are your best friend for keeping cool while visiting religious sites in steamy whether. If you opted to stay cool in shorts and a tank top, you’ll need to cover up from shoulder to knee before you can enter the temples and mosques. You don't want to miss these sites, so you should always have a pashmina on hand. The summer scarves are typically sold by vendors near religious sites for forgetful tourists, but they’re often overpriced and low-quality material. Keep an airy linen scarf of your favorite pattern in your day bag. It can also double as a shawl or blanket on the plane, and stashes easily in your carry-on or purse.