The dos and don'ts of keeping warm while travelling this winter

Winter has set in in SA, and we caught up with traveller and self-confessed girl boss Thithi Nteta about the dos and don'ts of keeping warm while travelling.

Nthetha recently spoke at Cape Union Marts Conquer The Cold With K-Way event in Cape Town on how to conquer the winter months.  

How did you get into travel?

I have always loved  adventure and discovering new things. However, as I have gotten older, I can say that travelling and doing even mini-adventures like driving out to Mountain Sanctuary Park to hike to the pools and spend an afternoon jumping in and out of  water there all contribute to keeping me excited about life.

Between working,  hustling and trying to be successful and stuff, one's days and weeks can end up feeling very uninspiring, and I find that travel really helps to reinvigorate me and I often come back from a trip inspired.

What can people do to keep warm outdoors when travelling in colder areas?

Being smart with regards to layering by investing in quality thermal under- garments like long johns and fleece tops, a down puffer jacket that can be easily rolled up to fit into your handbag, or small backpack and that won’t take up too much space in your suitcase if you are travelling to a cold destination, but the trip is not necessarily an outdoor hiking-based trip.

Coats look lovely, but they take up so much space in one’s suitcase. If the destination you are in is cold and rainy, I would then also look into investing in rain jacket to wear over the down jacket or your fleece top. I recently discovered that down jacket shouldn’t really be exposed to water, so it's best  to have that snug warmness that the down jacket provides you with protected by a rain jacket.

Then because these outerwear items are not cheap, I’d also advise that one should invest in colours that are easily wearable – black, beiges, taupes – so that you can wear them in your “city life" as well.

What can you do to protect your skin during the colder months while travelling?

I wear sunscreen everyday, all year, even when I am going to be indoors for most of the day, so my first tip is to wear sunscreen. Look for something that is also moisturising, because one’s skin does tend to get drier during the winter months.

How can you travel on a budget?

The best option is to save. Have an idea of when you want to travel and how much it will take for you to get there. Then cut out unnecessary spending, if you have to avoid going out then do that. I also buy plane tickets in advance because they are often cheaper that way.