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If there is one thing that every human being hates, it is the feeling of being embarrassed. We also hate feeling like we are out of sync with our environment. This can happen a lot if you are dressed like a tourist. When you go bike touring, you should avoid dressing like a tourist and show up to any city like a regular citizen. Even though you are riding around and you have to wear riding gear, you should try as much as possible to fit in and blend with your environment. In this article, we will show you how to fit into your environment and blend in perfectly.
Tips on how to avoid dressing like a tourist
Bring casual clothes with you
When you step into any town, city, or community, chances are they dressed similarly. When a foreigner visits places like this and they decide to dress like the locals, they will be easy to pinpoint from the crowd because they are likely to make a few mistakes in their apparel. However, when you wear casual clothes like plain tee shirts, no one can question your looks and your choice of dressing. Therefore, if you are going on a bike packing trip, you need to carry as much casual clothing as you can. This will allow you to blend in with the locals and move around quickly.
Don’t wear colorful gear
Biking gear is one of the most amazing sports outfits. Manufacturers love to make colorful gear because it allows athletes involved in cycling competitions to stand out and get seen from among the crowd. However, using equipment like this will be counter-productive when you go bike packing. For example, imagine you go to a remote village in Argentina and ride around in an orange or neon outfit. The locals will point you out quickly and get the uncomfortable “this is a tourist” look from them. Therefore, it is essential to keep your gear colorless and straightforward when you go bike packing overseas.
Take plain shirts
When you bike packing in a foreign country, you would not be riding all the time, and you have to visit beautiful places within that city. If you don’t want to go around looking like a tourist, the best way to dress for occasions like this is a plain, dull-colored shirt. If you wear a plain navy blue or gray shirt anywhere on this planet, the locals in that area cannot regard you as a tourist, and you would be free to walk around in confidence.
Avoid sporting outfit
Another way you should avoid dressing when you go on an international bike trip is a sporting outfit. You will be riding through wherever you are visiting, and you need to wear cycling shorts and tees when you are on your bike. However, you should avoid excessive sporting gear that makes you look like an assassin on a motorcycle. This point mainly advises that you dress and pack to avoid being seen as a tourist.
Pack all necessary clothing
Before you set out on any bike packing trip, you need to know which clothes are essential for your trip and how they will help you blend into the local community that you are visiting. When you are traveling, you should pack at least two travel shirts, two tee shirts, two pairs of shorts, one rain jacket, three under-wears, three pairs of socks, one pair of jeans, one swimming shorts, one jumper, and one down jacket. When you have all this clothing and a few plain shirts and trousers, you would be ready to explore any country without thinking about looking like tourists.
Keep your clothes clean
Dirtiness will always stand out in any environment, which is one of the fastest ways people can single you out as a tourist. If you are looking dirty and unkempt because you have been riding all days (or for days even), it might mean you don’t know your way around the city. So it would be best if you stayed clean.
Conclusion
If you think about going bike packing in another country, you have to dress carefully, so you don’t appear as a tourist and get taken advantage of as the local. Of course, you don’t have to change your entire wardrobe because you are going on a journey. However, the minor tweaks in your dress options will save you a lot of stress on the road. Cheers!
