The last two times I have gone to Nashville, it has rained. Like, cats and dogs rained. Like, delay flights, drench all your stuff, drive five miles an hour rain. And of course, I have not had a rain coat or umbrella with me for either of those trips. Not great for professional looking hair, let me tell you. This has peaked my interest in rain gear that is travel friendly.

After copious (or not) amounts of research, it appears that there are two options. Umbrella or raincoat. I think both have their place, and in fact the most successful rain protection plan probably involves both. However it is hard to imagine giving away not just one, but two valuable spaces in my suitcase for “just in case”.  I have had a travel umbrella in the past, and in my experience they just haven’t worked all that well. Plus umbrellas are kind of a pain because you have to use one of your hands to carry them, and if your other hand is pulling your suitcase you are out of hands to, say, open a door. However, if you really want a travel umbrella, there are many different ones available at many different price points. You can find one virtually anywhere, from Amazon to Eddie Bauer to REI.

After these last few trips, I have decided I am going to start packing a travel raincoat. They are small enough to condense into a tiny package, but unfold and will protect you from rain. And they are much more attractive than a poncho. There are several on the market right now (since it’s the rainy season in a lot of areas) and many are even on sale! Again, they are available in all price points and levels of quality. A couple that I really like are from Patagonia (on the high end) and Old Navy (on the low end).

Happy shopping! And stay dry 🙂