How to Prep for Visiting a Third World Country

3. Pack Appropriate Clothes

After studying the culture and talking to people who have been there before, you should have a pretty good idea about what’s appropriate to wear while you’re in country. You’ll want to dress for weather, obviously. But beyond that, whether we like it or not, our clothes send messages to the people around us. When you’re in a different culture, sometimes those messages get morphed in translation.

For instance, in Brazil a man wearing pink is homosexual. That’s just the cultural attitude. If that’s the message you want to send, cool. If it’s not, maybe take that into consideration when you pack.

It’s generally a good idea to blend in with the locals as much as possible. This will make you less of a target for scams and robbery in some countries, and less of a security threat in others.

Alyssa Hollingsworth / Own Work

Sometimes there are surprising benefits to dressing or accessorizing like the locals, even if it might seem inconvenient at first. Wearing a chadar (large headscarf) in Afghanistan is great for filtering out the “poo-dust” when you breathe. Packing sandals instead of hiking boots will save you a ton of time when you are entering and leaving houses (where you’ll be expected to take them off/put them on). Carrying an umbrella in Mexico really cuts down on the midday heat.

Try to bring clothes that you know you’ll need, but also leave room in your suitcase for clothes you might have to pick up while you’re there!