Thursday, February 7, 2013

WWOOF Wear – What to Pack


When I was in Junior High and High School I was quite a clothes horse. This trend carried over into my adulthood where I was stuck in the same rut as a lot of other women – too many clothes and nothing to wear.

Realizing that I was cycling through the same handful of outfits from one week to the next, it started to dawn on me that I could simplify my life dramatically while helping out other women in need. Once I made the decision to start WWOOFing I donated all of my business casual garments to a charity focused on helping at-risk women find their way back into the workforce.

Only the Essentials

Now that I'd given away enough clothes to outfit half of Columbus, I was faced with a new dilemma – what to take to Hawaii. There were the obvious options like t-shirts, a hoodie for layered warmth, a couple of changes of shoes, but if I had really done my homework first I would have packed a blanket and long-underwear as well.

Absolute Must-Haves

  • Long Sleeved Shirts – Yes, Hawaii is practically smack-dab on top of the Tropic of Cancer, and we're hovering somewhere near the equator. All this amounts to is fairly consistent weather year-round. Folks who are fortunate enough to live near the beach probably experience the warmest weather, while those of us dwelling at 17,000 feet elevation get to deal with brisk breezes and chilly mornings. If the weather doesn't convince you to bring along at least two long-sleeved shirts, the mosquitoes will convince you to bring another three.
  • Long Pants – Nothing thwarts a mosquito attack quite like hindered access. Weed-whacking and other farm duties can be dirty work, having a few pairs of pants dedicated to this sort of labor will keep you comfortably guarded against mosquitoes, and keep the rest of your clothes from getting ruined as you move from one task to another.
  • Socks by the Ton – You can never have enough socks – ever. I thought that 10 pairs of socks would suit me well from one laundry day to the next. I was wrong. I would have been better off with 30, maybe 50, pairs of socks. Granted we do a lot of walking, and the terrain is rugged as can be, so the wear and tear is exponentially increased compared to my lifestyle of old. Still, if you appreciate a fresh pair of socks, you'll take my advice and come prepared.
  • Waterproof Footwear – My $30.00 hiking boots are holding up surprisingly well! Probably because I wear them only once a week. My footwear of choice these days is a pair of rubber rain boots, they slip on and off easily while also keeping my feet comfortably dry. Living on the edge of a 10,000 acre rainforest means there is a persistent dampness to everything. Plus it rains for about 15 minutes every day, if I had to walk around in soggy shoes I would be miserable.


Dress for Success

Okay, so chances are you're more likely to book a trip to Hawaii with the help of a site like http://www.viator.com/ than you are to donate all of your possessions and dedicate yourself to WWOOFing full time like I have, that's cool, you can still benefit from my packing experience. 

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