{"id":11137,"date":"2026-04-20T16:13:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T16:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=11137"},"modified":"2026-04-20T16:13:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T16:13:20","slug":"in-praise-of-the-versatile-sarong-for-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/?p=11137","title":{"rendered":"In Praise of the Versatile Sarong for Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>I wish I had figured out how versatile a simple sarong was sooner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\"> (Photo: Sara Yoder)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published April 20, 2026 09:37AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Over the past decade, a large piece of thin, lightweight, colorful fabric has become the single most important thing I travel with. I wish I had figured out how versatile a simple sarong was sooner. I\u2019ve used one as a towel, skirt, dress, scarf, skin protector, cooling device, and sleep solution on airplanes and riverbanks alike. If I\u2019m traveling to a watery locale, I\u2019m packing a sarong. No other item serves so many functions; let me count the many ways I rely on my sarong.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A Lighter, Faster-Drying Beach Towel<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When I\u2019m headed to an oceanside destination, I want to be able to head straight to the beach before settling into wherever I\u2019m staying, and I always want to jump in the ocean one last time before heading home. That means I don\u2019t always have access to a towel, unless I pack one. Since towels are bulky and take forever to dry, I use a sarong, which fits inside a small bag\u2014if I\u2019m not already wearing it. Most sarongs are the same size or larger than a beach towel, making them perfectly comfortable for lying on top of in the sand. And they work just fine for drying off after a dip.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A Comfortable, Stylish Beach Wrap<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A sarong wraps around my waist or under my armpits and then becomes a good-looking, quick-drying, super-comfortable beach wrap\u2014it\u2019s much more wearable than a bulky towel and can even pass as clothing. It\u2019s a skirt! It\u2019s a dress! (I like to just wrap them around myself and roll over the top like I would a beach towel, but I\u2019ve also tied them fancily with twists and wrapped them around my neck.) Not only does the sarong feel and look good, when it\u2019s time to leave a beach (which I always hate), wearing a sarong over my bikini lets me extend my beach vibes to wherever I\u2019m going next.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A Personal Cooling Device<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A sarong has also proven invaluable on river trips, protecting me from the sun and helping me stay cool. On a rafting trip in the Grand Canyon, I\u2019d dip it in the river and drape it over my bare legs. When heading out for hikes, I copied a river guide and dunked my sarong in the river, then draped it around my shoulders. Staying wet did wonders for keeping me comfortable while others seemed to be suffering from heat.<\/p>\n<p>And perhaps the most critical usage of the sarong to date: during my last trip down the Colorado River in late June, temperatures were in the 90s at night, making sleeping comfortably on the sandy shores of the river a challenge. Dunking a sarong in the river before bed, squeezing out the excess moisture, and then sleeping underneath it created my own personal cooling system. I slept great once I figured that out.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A Chic Scarf (and Pillow)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>On travel days, I either throw a sarong in my personal item bag or tie it loosely around my neck as a summer scarf. Not only does it elevate what I\u2019m wearing, making my otherwise bummy outfit look more chic, but the greatest benefit is that I can pull it over my eyes or my head entirely to get some shut-eye on the plane. It can even act as a pillow, or at least, a barrier between my head and the tray table.<\/p>\n<p>There are so many reasons why a sarong is so right.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Sarong Shopping\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Hundreds of sarong styles and colors are available all over the internet for under $25. I love prints because they hide stains, but I also like solid colors to wear as easy summer scarves.\u00a0 Here are three of my current favorites:<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><\/p>\n<section id=\"\" class=\"content-card rounded-xl px-base-loose pt-base-loose pb-loose shadow-sm shadow-black\/10\">\n<h2><strong>Back from Bali Women\u2019s Sarong<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2738594\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Back from Bali patterned sarong wrap\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1351\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2738594\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Back-from-Bali_h.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Back-from-Bali_h.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\">(Photo: Courtesy Back from Bali)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- --><\/section>\n<p>Made from 100 percent rayon, this sarong is lightweight, quick-drying, and soft against the skin\u2014wet or dry. It held up great during a week of abuse on a Colorado River rafting trip. I even found <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-afl-p=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0GRQBCHYC?tag=outsideonlinedotcom-20\">a print<\/a> that proved cool enough for my 17-year-old son, who used the sarong as a beach towel on a recent trip to San Diego.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><\/p>\n<section id=\"\" class=\"content-card rounded-xl px-base-loose pt-base-loose pb-loose shadow-sm shadow-black\/10\">\n<h2><strong>Eicolorte Sarong<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2738593\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Eicolorte Sarong orange wrap\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1349\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2738593\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Eicolorte-Sarong_h.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Eicolorte-Sarong_h.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\">(Photo: Courtesy Eicolorte)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- --><\/section>\n<p>This $14 sarong has become my \u201cfancy\u201d scarf en route to beach towns, then turns into a towel and wrap once I\u2019m there. It\u2019s made from 100 percent polyester and is a little smaller than the Back from Bali sarong, but still plenty big for my needs.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><\/p>\n<section id=\"\" class=\"content-card rounded-xl px-base-loose pt-base-loose pb-loose shadow-sm shadow-black\/10\">\n<h2><strong>QIANXIZHAN Women\u2019s Beach Sarong<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2738595\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Qianxizhan sarong wrap white\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1350\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2738595\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/QIANXIZHAN_h.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/QIANXIZHAN_h.jpg?width=3840&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\">(Photo: Courtesy QIANXIZHAN)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!-- --><\/section>\n<p>This 100 percent polyester sarong comes in a range of solid colors instead of prints and is a bargain at $10 ($14 with tassels). I like the small tassels for style and have worn this on cool evening walks to see music, but also as my do-everything travel piece.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/outdoor-gear\/sarong-beach-wrap\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I wish I had figured out how versatile a simple sarong was sooner. (Photo: Sara Yoder) Published April 20, 2026 09:37AM Over the past decade, a large piece of thin, lightweight, colorful fabric has become the single most important thing I travel with. I wish I had figured out how versatile a simple sarong was<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11137","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wild-living"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11137\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wildgreenquest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}