Don't sweat the sweaty stuff.

One of the items I highly recommend you bring along on your trip is a bandana. Forget your images of cowboys with one wrapped around his neck, or mechanics using one to wipe off greasy hands, or your grandfather blowing his nose in one. A bandana is one of the most versatile things a traveler can carry. Here is what I mean:

·      Use it as a headband.

·      Use it as a head scarf on those days your hair doesn’t look like you want it to (because the town you’re in has no water, or something like that. See this post).

·      To tie things to your backpack or bag.

·      To wipe the sweat from your face as you slowly melt in the heat and humidity of a tropical paradise.

·      Use it as a tourniquet or bandage, should such a first-aid necessity arise.

I always take one or two bandanas, especially to hot locations, for one reason and one reason only: sweaty face. I first saw the taxi drivers in Panama using them to wipe their faces as they drove around the city. Most of them did not have air conditioning in their cars, and they used the bandana to wipe off that sweat. They sometimes used wash cloths, but those seemed too heavy-duty for my purposes; I just wanted to dry off, not exfoliate. So I adopted the use of the bandana.

I know it may not seem very lady-like to wipe off your face in public. It seems like something only sweaty, testosteroney men do during a time-out on the basketball court or between innings on the baseball field. So you have to ask yourself: “Do I want to walk around with sweat dripping off my face? Or do I just want to take this useful bandana and wipe it off?” It’s up to you. I am not one to deal well with sweat in my eyes or looking all shiny and drippy. But that's just me.

Another great thing about bandanas is that they are extremely portable. Shove one into your pocket or a side section of your daypack. Drape it around your neck and grab it when you need it. They are also easy to wash. Just hand wash it in a sink, shower, or pila with a little soap or shampoo and it will dry overnight to be used the next day (again, see this post for pila info).

Here is a photo of me in the beautiful, colonial city of Granada, Nicaragua at the top of La Merced Church. I’m not sure you can tell, but it was mighty hot and humid and I was turning out copious amounts of sweat. In my bag, I have a green metal water bottle on one side (right), and on the other is a yellow bandana peeking out, which I actually bought at the market there after I lost my other one. That bandana was very helpful; I may not have been able to see the gorgeous view without it (sweat dripping in eyes and all). I honestly would not go to a hot climate without one. A paper product, such as the highly revered Kleenex, would merely dissolve, I am afraid, in such a way that would leave you with pieces of tissue stuck all over your face, making you look like you just shaved with a dull razor.

Sweaty face, tissue-peppered face, or dry face thanks to a bandana. Seems like an easy decision to me.