Travel advice for plus-size travelers
Travel tips for plus size travelers
Are you ready to go on a trip, but have some insecurities? Never mind, just get ready to leave with peace of mind. Whether it's preparing your luggage efficiently, making sure you fly comfortably or learning about the local culture, you'll have everything you need to create lasting memories!
Prepare your luggage well!
Jennifer Doré Dallas, blogger
"Corporate dropout" who became a travel blogger and freelance writer on my own, I am passionate about web-related technologies and the nebulous world of blogs. Image-cruncher and avowed gourmet, I like to explore unknown lands, but I always come back towards my Quebec that I like to discover and make known! When traveling, I find myself in youth hostels as much as in big luxury and I like the sandwiches on the trot caught at the local market as well as the 5-course meals in famous restaurants. Just like in my job, I'm a jack-of-all-trades on the road. I have a thing for Ziploc bags and hate umbrellas. The things I can't part with? My travel diary and my camera. My economic hobbies: markets and grocery stores. My ultimate dream? Having set foot in all the countries of the world!
To learn more about Jennifer, do not hesitate to follow her personal blog and on social networks.
As a plus size woman, I have a hard time finding clothes or accessories overseas. So I have to make sure I leave prepared, with everything I will need during the trip. So here are some tips for doing this:
- Use the onion skinning technique. This way, you can "change" by simply removing a layer if you're hot, or adding one in the case of chills.
- By staying in the same color palette with your tops and bottoms, you can easily mix and match and wear different sets over the days.
- Bring scarves and earrings as accessories to energize your ensembles rather than other pieces of clothing.
- Bring a “Buff” type headband. It will serve you as much as a headband as a hat, neck warmer or toque.
- Not easy to choose between shorts, capris, skirts and pants. If in doubt, bring pants that convert to capris or shorts instead. This way you will have several kits in a jiffy.
- Plus size clothes sometimes take up a little more space, so use all the space possible by storing your socks and underwear in your walking shoes!
Fly comfortably!
If you need a belt extender on the plane, it is possible to buy your own accessory, if you are embarrassed to ask for it each flight. Otherwise, be among the first to board and discreetly ask the staff.
Sites like SeatGuru will help you visualize seat widths ahead of time, so you can go hassle-free! Book your seat or arrive at the airport very early if you don't want to be seated in the middle. Personally, I prefer the aisle, as I'm free to stand up, lean into open space, or stretch my legs, etc. I can also overflow a little by bending over if necessary.
Find out about the local culture!
Are you going to a country whose culture you know little about? It is always recommended to do your research before you go to avoid the faux pas, but when approaching being a plus-size traveler, it is also necessary to realize that physical appearance is not approached in the same way. everywhere.
For example, in Cambodia, women regularly approached me to ask me to touch my skin and then pinched my belly fat. The first time, I was very insulted, then, asking the question about the reason for this gesture, I understood that it was on the contrary nice, that over there being fatter turns out to be a form of wealth , that we just wanted to learn more about our differences.
Also, when boarding a tuk-tuk, it happened to me on several occasions to be asked to change sides or to sit in the middle because “you big”. It can be very destabilizing at first, but then you realize that weight doesn't have the same meaning, it's a fact, not an insult or a reproach, in some countries. You have to get used to our taboos not being interpreted the way you think abroad!
Armed with these travel tips for hitting the road as a plus size woman, I hope you have a great vacation!
Jennifer Dore Dallas
