Going on a hot air balloon ride can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Making sure you are properly prepared for this experience is essential.
If you don’t have the right attire, your trip may be much less comfortable, and you don’t want that to happen.
With hot air balloon rides being as expensive as they are, it is best to find a way to enjoy the most of your hot air balloon ride by being appropriately dressed.
Let’s take a look at what to wear on a hot air balloon ride.
What to Wear on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
1. Bottom
Depending on the time of the year you head out on your hot air balloon ride, you may need to choose between pants and shorts for the ride.
For the most part, people find that pants are the best option.
Most hot air balloon rides are going to take place in the morning or at sunset.
The reason behind this is that the winds tend to die down at these times.
Hot air balloon pilots do not want to subject the hot air balloon to too much wind because it will significantly impact the landing and the takeoff.
When there is a lot of wind, it can become unsafe to fly a hot air balloon.
Once you determine if you are going to wear shorts or pants, you have to make sure that they are comfortable.
When your hot air balloon lands, you can sometimes be exposed to somewhat of a rough landing.
This rough landing may cause you to have to get out of the basket a bit quickly.
If you are wearing pants or shorts that are too tight, this could get difficult.
Wear something which is comfortable and allows you to move around as well.
For women, it is best to avoid skirts or dresses.
A hot air balloon is not a place for wearing these types of clothes.
With a mixture of wind and then having to get into and out of the basket, there are just better articles of clothing you could be wearing.
For those who really love shorts, just make sure you will not be too cold when you are up in the air.
Ultimately, we think that pants are the best way to go.
2. Top
When it comes to the top you wear for a hot air balloon ride, again, it makes sense to consider the weather.
If you are going in the middle of the summer, chances are you will need a short sleeve top.
Our best advice for what top to wear on a hot air balloon ride is to incorporate some layers.
Depending on the temperature and the weather forecast, make sure to have two or even three layers on.
We recommend starting with a base, something like a t-shirt.
On top of the T shirt, look for a lightweight ¼-zip or something similar that will cover your arms.
As the final layer, you should wear a jacket or sweatshirt.
If you are taking a morning ride, you will want to make sure you can adjust to the temperature as it heats up.
Some people think it’s going to be colder in the sky when the hot air balloon is up high.
This is not really the case.
The temperature will be very similar to what it is on the ground.
Mostly, the layers help you adjust your clothing for your best comfort level as the temperature changes over the course of your ride.
Some hot air balloon rides can be up to four hours long.
This is a long time for the weather to change and a long time for you to be uncomfortable if you are not prepared with the right clothing.
3. Sunglasses
Some people don’t leave the house without their sunglasses while others have to continually be reminded to put them on.
If you are not someone who often travels with their glasses, a hot air balloon ride is a time when you will certainly need them.
Make sure you wear sunglasses because you will be able to enjoy so much more of the scenery.
Chances are there will be some kind of a glare since the hot air balloon rides take place mostly at sunrise and sunset.
Sunglasses will help you to catch everything that is going on down below without having to squint.
While you are thinking about the sun and sun protection, you should consider putting a little bit of sunscreen on as well.
Anytime you are outside and exposed to the sun like you are in a hot air balloon, it’s smart to wear sunscreen.
4. Shoes
If you remember us saying that comfortable clothes were important, comfortable shoes may be even more critical.
When you are on a hot air balloon, there will be no area to sit down.
You will be standing the entire time, and if your shoes are not comfortable, it will be difficult for you to enjoy the ride.
Remember that, when you get on and off the hot air balloon, you may need to do a little climbing.
Certainly, this will be difficult to do with heels or uncomfortable shoes on.
Another thing to remember is that your hot air balloon is probably going to land and take off from some kind of a field.
This field could be muddy, grassy, or even sandy.
Keeping this in mind is a smart idea so that you don’t damage or destroy the shoes you bring with you.
We recommend wearing something like a sneaker or tennis shoe if you have access to them.
They will work best for all of the reasons above, and because you will probably wear socks with them as well.
Socks will help keep your feet dry if you should end up having to walk through a grassy or wet field when you are finished with your ride.
5. Hat
A hat is another smart thing to bring with you on a hot air balloon ride.
There are a few reasons a hat makes a good piece of attire for a trip on a hot air balloon.
The first reason is that a hat can protect your face and your head from the sun.
Just as we mentioned that sunglasses and sunscreen are essential, a hat will give your face lots of shade.
A hat is also a smart thing to wear because of the heat you will be exposed to in the hot air balloon.
Remember that a hot air balloon is able to fly because of the heat that is coming from the propane-fueled heat source.
This heat and open flame will be located above your head.
Although most people do not experience any discomfort with this, the hat will help to protect your head a bit.
We recommend wearing something like a baseball cap that is slightly tight fitting.
This will ensure it does not fly off while you are in the middle of your ride.
Hats can also help to keep your hair from blowing in your face while you are on the hot air balloon ride.
This is a lightweight and easy thing to bring along just in case you should need it.
Accessories
There are a few accessories which may be worth bringing on a hot air balloon ride and a few that make sense to leave at home.
1. Jewelry
Wearing jewelry on a hot air balloon ride is acceptable, but some people will be worried about it falling off while in the sky.
If you have any fear that you could lose a ring or a bracelet while the hot air balloon is up in the sky, leave it at home.
It’s not necessarily a problem to wear jewelry, but chances are, if you lose something mid-flight, it would be very difficult if not impossible to ever find it again.
2. Camera Strap
Bringing a camera on a hot air balloon flight can be a great idea.
A camera will help you photograph the amazing scenery below and have memories forever.
The reason you will want to make sure you have a camera strap is that, during the landing and takeoff, you could end up losing the camera.
Remember, sometimes a hot air balloon landing is easy and happens without any trouble.
Other times, it could be a bit bumpy and cause you to lose some of your gear or equipment.
We highly recommend making sure your camera is secured to you in some way so that you don’t lose it.
3. Blanket
Many people seem to think that a blanket is a great thing to bring on a hot air balloon flight.
Most hot air balloon pilots are not going to agree with this one.
Chances are the basket you are in is going to be a little cramped, and the blanket is just another piece of gear that is not truly necessary.
If you think you are going to be cold on your hot air balloon ride, then you should probably wear layers as we suggested.
Having layers you can put on or take off is a much better solution than a blanket.
Besides, if you don’t need the blanket, you are going to need a place to store or keep it while you are on the hot air balloon.
This just gets annoying. Trust us, and bring an extra layer but leave the blanket at home.
4. Backpack
If you are one of those people who always likes to have a lot of stuff with them, you may want to check with the hot air balloon pilot.
They can be pretty particular about what is allowed on their flight.
If you must bring something with you, we recommend the camera and a water bottle.
Outside of this, you really won’t need all that much with you while you are on a hot air balloon.
It makes sense to call ahead and talk to the hot air balloon pilot and see what they suggest.
Conclusion
If you are reading this article, you are probably getting fairly excited about your hot air balloon ride.
This is certainly an experience you will never forget and one that you should be properly prepared for.
Hot air balloon rides are not cheap, and making sure you do everything you can to avoid any issues on your day is very important.
Think more about practicality and functionality when it comes to your hot air balloon attire.
Don’t worry so much about fashion because people won’t be looking at you anyway.
They will be looking at the sights below!
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