Thursday, September 26th 2018- by Jennifer Doré Dallas

Travel Tips for Plus Size Travellers

 Jennifer Doré Dallas, blogger

« Corporate dropout » as a travel blogger and freelance writer, I am passionate about web technologies and the nebulous world of blogs. I am an avid image lover, I like to explore unknown lands, but I always come back to my Quebec. I like to discover and make known! While traveling, I find myself as much in youth hostels as in luxury and I like the sandwiches on the trot caught at the local market that the 5-course meals in famous restaurants. Just like in my job, I am a jack of all trades on the road. I have a penchant for Ziploc bags and hate umbrellas. Objects that I can not separate? My travel diary and my camera. My economic hobby: markets and groceries. My ultimate dream? To have set foot in all the countries of the world!

To learn more about Jennifer, feel free to follow her personal blog and social media.

Ready to leave, but you have some insecurities? No worries, get ready thanks to my top travel tips. Whether packing your luggage efficiently, making sure you’re flying comfortably or learning about the local culture, you’ll have everything you need to create lasting memories!

Prepare Your Luggage

As a plus size woman, I have a hard time finding clothes or accessories overseas. So I have to make sure to leave prepared, with everything I need during the trip. Here are some tips I go by:

1. Use the onion peel technique. This way, you can “change” by simply removing a layer if you are hot, or add one in the case of chills.

2. Staying within the same colour palette with your tops and bottoms, you can easily mix everything and wear different sets during the week.

3. Bring scarves and earrings as accessories to make your kits pop rather than other pieces of clothing.

4. Take a “Buff” type headband with you. It will serve you as a headband, hat, neck warmer or tuque.

5. It’s not easy to choose between shorts, Capris, skirts and pants. If in doubt, bring pants that can be transformed into Capris or shorts instead. This way, you will have several kits in a jiffy.

6. Plus size clothes sometimes take up a little more room, so save as much space as possible by storing your socks and underwear in your walking shoes!

Fly comfortably!

If you need a belt extension in the plane, it is possible to buy your own beforehand, if you are embarrassed to ask for one on each flight. If not, be the first to board and ask the staff discreetly.

Sites like SeatGuru will help you view seat widths in advance, so you can leave without worries! Book your seat or arrive early at the airport if you do not want to be seated in the centre. Personally, I prefer the aisle seat because I’m free to get up, lean towards the free space or stretch my legs, etc. I can also overflow a bit on the outside if necessary.

Learn About the Local Culture!

Are you going to a country where you know little about the culture? It’s always a good idea to gather some information before you go to avoid missteps, but if you’re talking about being a plus size traveller, you also need to realize that appearance is not addressed the same way all over the world.

For example, in Cambodia, women approached me regularly to ask me to touch my skin and then pinched my belly fat. The first time, I was very insulted, then, asking why they did it, I understood that it was on the contrary a nice thing, that to be fatter there is a form of wealth and that they just wanted to learn more about our differences.

Also, while getting on a tuk-tuk, I have repeatedly been asked to change sides or sit in the middle because “you big”. It can be very destabilizing at first, but then you realize that weight does not have the same meaning, it’s a fact, not an insult or a reproach, in some countries. We must get used to the fact that our taboos are not interpreted as we would expect abroad!

With these travel tips to get on the road as a plus size woman, I hope you enjoy a great holiday!