Clothing materials

As you look over the clothes you want to pack for that upcoming trip, you've chosen pieces that match each other, fit well, unwrinkle easily and thrive on machine washings. Hurrah!

But have you thought about what those clothes are made of? If you've never had any problems, celebrate. But if you have, here's why you should care what goes into your vacation clothes:

• skin allergies/sensitivities

• sweat and dirt

• long hours

Skin allergies and sensitivities

I used to be one of those people who, when asked if I had any allergies, chirped, "Nope!"

Then I got pregnant and my body got rewired. With no warning, I stopped being the me who loved wool, walked through prairies of poison ivy unscathed, and wore whatever material looked good. Now I developed a remarkable rash whenever wool came near me; I required long bouts of steroids if I brushed against a poison ivy leaf; and I couldn't bear to wear some material blends for more than a couple hours. My skin crawled. I itched. I had to get out of those clothes, almost no matter where I was or what I was doing.

Good-bye, cute clothes of fancy man-made "technical" fabrics.

Hello, natural fibers.

It was a gritty reminder that humans are giant chemical colonies, and things can change with zero notice, especially when you add sweat, dirt and long hours.

Sweat and dirt

If you want passive travel, watch YouTube videos.

If you want to travel -- using travel as a verb -- you're going to get a little dirty and you're going to get a little sweaty.

You might hit "cloudy" London during a rogue sunny spell. Berlin might have a heat wave (this happened to one of our daughters: 95 degrees in a city with no air conditioning). You might hike up a mountain or need to fix a bicycle that broke down roadside. Just wearing a full backpack for a couple hours can leave your back soaked.

Don't be afraid of a little sweat or dirt. Expect it. Dress in layers and make sure it's all the most comfortable thing you've ever worn.

Long hours

What you put on in the morning is likely what you'll be wearing at night.

This sounds straightforward, but lots of people change clothes multiple times during the day. At home, I start out in barn clothes for morning farm chores; change to work clothes to wear to the office; slip into casual clothes if we're going out; and wrap up the day in barn clothes again for the day's last chores.

When we travel, though, I put on one set of clothes at sunrise, maybe with an extra layer if it's cold, and I'm wearing the same clothes at nightfall.

Few things inspire itchiness and skin problems like wearing clothes for hours on end, especially if some of those hours include sweat and dirt.

It's all good

You can have a terrific time with almost no regard to your limits. A little thought strips away even those limits; just plan ahead.

photo credit: Kenneth York