How to Waterproof Your Travel Gear — From Shoes to Bags

Travel can be full of unexpected hazards, and weather will likely account for at least half of them. You can’t change the forecast, but you can take steps to avoid getting delayed by soggy feet or a soaked bag of clothes while you should be out exploring.

One of those steps is waterproofing your gear before your trip. A quick spray or rubdown can prepare you for surprise thunderstorms and make sure that you don’t accidentally sacrifice your favorite pair of shoes.

The vice president of marketing at popular waterproofing supply brand Nikwax, Heidi Allen, advises travelers prep anything they might possibly be wearing or carrying in the rain or near water. “I’ll waterproof my travel pants and even my jeans before a trip, to make sure even if I do get wet, things will dry as quickly as possible,” she said.

Related: 11 Waterproof Walking Shoes to Make the Most of a Rainy Trip

Every waterproofing product will have different requirements and instructions, but the basic prep steps should remain the same. First, make sure whatever you’re prepping is clean. Sealing water out will also mean sealing in whatever’s on there when you start, and dirt or factory chemicals may interfere with how well the treatment bonds to the material. Some of your rain gear may come with DWR, which stands for Durable Water Repellent, built in and should be able to regain its water-blocking abilities with a cleaning. Allen recommends testing it by spraying the item with water. If the water beads up, the DWR is intact; if it soaks in, the DWR has worn off and needs to be reapplied.

After the cleaning, you may need to leave your item slightly damp or even wet to apply the product — check the instructions. You should also make sure you do a spot check somewhere unobtrusive to see how the color and texture of the item react. Now, find a well-ventilated spot and get to work.

12 Steps to Getting Over Your Fear of Flying

Humans are not meant to be airborne — or at least that’s what people like me, who are terrified of flying, like to tell whoever is sitting next to us on our transatlantic. Like most others who share this particular fear, my early life was characterized by carefree travel. It wasn't until my early 20s that I started panicking every time I needed to catch a plane. I became certain that this would be the flight to buck all those safety statistics.

Still, Pinterest boards and Instagram photos taunted me. Everyone photographed in travel imagery frolics or lounges — there's no sign of the shaky mess I become just thinking about flying to the Caribbean or Santorini. When I fly, I have to dose up on anti-anxiety medication just to step on board, and then I sleep my way to the destination.

I’m not the only wannabe adventurer that gets uncomfortable on airplanes. Technology has evolved far faster than human biology, so while we want to be as futuristic as the machines we’ve built, I like to think our more basic instincts are still catching up. To me, everything about being in an airplane — sitting in cramped quarters, not being in control, being literal miles up in the air — makes me feel in danger, like prey.

I have faith that all of us can conquer this fear. To test the theory, I’ve compiled techniques for combating the phobia, in hopes of making everybody's dreams of far-flung adventuring come true. As is the case with any treatment, not every solution presented will be a cure-all; what may work for one could do nothing for another. And it’s important to treat any phobia conquest as a gradual process that (like, oh hey, an airplane flight) will have its ups and downs.