OK, “yes” I’m male and “no” I don’t use hair straighteners.
I wanted to write this article because I was surprised by the large amount of travel forum chatter on the subject.
If you’ve already read my opinions on “Should I Take My Laptop Traveling” then you can probably guess what my stance is when it comes to a pair of hair straighteners.
I consciously left my electric razor at home because it’s a luxury I can live without, so are hair straighteners.
I can understand women (mainly women) wanting to take them if they’re going to work in say New York for 3 months or any developed country for that matter.
But what really surprised me is the number of people considering taking them or a hair dryer backpacking around the world.
Surely taking a pair of straighteners through developing nations such as Laos and Cambodia for example is completely unnecessary?
The locals wouldn’t have a clue what they’re meant to be used for and your favourite GHD’s are probably worth about 3 months wages in such countries.
Here are 8 reasons to leave them at home:
1. Lower Voltage
A lot of developing countries have a lower voltage than in the UK, your straighteners will take forever to heat up.
2. We Survived Without Them
What did women do before straighteners existed? I’m sure you can live without them whilst traveling.
3. Personal Vanity
On the road no one will care if your hair isn’t straight because you’re backpacking with a backpack not heading for a photo shoot with a designer suitcase.
4. Heat and Humidity
In many countries you’ll be visiting, the heat and humidity will render the whole process of straightening useless.. Once you step out of the nicely air conditioned hotel/hostel your hair will turn to frizz.
5. Extra Room
Your straighteners will take up extra room and add to the weight of your backpack. It’s an extra item you can really do without especially if you aiming to travel light. See my article – Why Travel Light?
6. Waste Of Time
Let’s face it, if you’ve gone traveling to do and see new things do you really have time to be sat in front of a mirror straightening your hair.?
You could be out and about seeing the sights or socialising with people who really don’t care if your hair is straight or not.
7. Lack Of Power
In many developing countries you’ll stay in modest accommodation , often just a simple wooden hut.
Here there is likely to be no power point at all in your room so you may as well leave the straighteners in the backpack.
8. GHD’s Don’t Work In Japan
Or so I’ve been told. So for anyone with GHD’s and off to Japan, leave them at home.
As a backpacker you’ll probably be traveling on a budget and “roughing it” to some extent, in these circumstances no one expects you to look as if you’re about to walk down the red carpet.
If you are the type of person who can’t live without a pair of straighteners, you may be in for a bit of “culture shock” if you intend to head to one of the less developed nations. If you don’t mind carrying a pair with you, then go for it. The most popular pair on amazon right now are the GHD IV Styler
Do you agree that you should leave hair straighteners or a dryer at home when backpacking?
Let us know by commenting below…
Well said! Of course I have little hair to speak of so I can't quite relate. Still, I sure do appreciate it when women go the extra step to look nice while "roughing it" such as sleeping in a hammock by night as was the case with Alice whom I met in Costa Rica.Alice seemed to magically deflect dirt and grime while on the road, and certainly appreciated the compliment that resulted from my observation. 🙂
amen…after a RTW trip last year I couldn't BELIEVE it when I met other girls with hair straighteners. Arriving in Europe after South America and seeing girls with high heels and make up in hostels was a total shock, and guys should not 'appreciate' girls taking effort to look nice on the road…that is ridiculous, who the hell cares?!. Shower and a hair tie.There is better things to do while traveling than look good
I wouldn't take my hair straightener, but I take a hair dryer because it's normally cold when I travel and my hair is long. In my defense, it is really small and dual voltage. It's my only appliance.
I wouldn’t take my hair straightener, but I take a hair dryer because it’s normally cold when I travel and my hair is long. In my defense, it is really small and dual voltage. It’s my only appliance.
Siempre llevo en la mayoría de los casos algo para arreglarme el cabello! Y no genera problemas ni ocupa mucho espacio. Que tiene de malo lucir arreglado! Pienso que es posible llevarlo y disfrutar a pleno del viaje.
I love my hair straightener, but it stays at home when I'm traveling…usually. It barely works anywhere else, anyway.
Hi guys,
Again thanks for your comments.
I know it's a big talking point on some forums. Women trying to decide whether to take them or not. In my mind I believe traveling light is the way to go so taking electrical things like straighteners would be out of the question!
But again if you are going away for a weekend, then fine. But if you are traveling the world is it really worth it?
Thanks,
Paul @
TravMonkey.com
In fact. Universal Voltage: AC110V/60Hz-40V/50Hz, , With universal voltage you can get optimum performance from your ghd IV Styler anywhere in the world.
I’m reading this a little late than originally posted but I can’t help but feel that maybe the same can be said about makeup…
Maybe mascara and lip balm but I’ve heard that some girls find they have to travel with an entire make up kit.
Hello Bianca,
Thanks for your comment! Yes this article was written quite a while ago! I’ve always been surprised at how much stuff some people travel around the world with… roughing it with makeup seems kind of against part of the travel experience!
Backpacking doesn’t need to equal grot! I realise it certainly isn’t a fashion parade, but you also don’t need to look/feel gross while you’re away!
i have a low voltage mini hair straightener that weighs a (whopping) 250g and serves it’s purpose perfectly… a little bit of make up, less than 10 minutes of my time and i’ve still managed to “see the sights” and “socialise” and experience everything i wanted to on my trip!
yes please to my hair straightener taking up tiny bit of my backpack 🙂
Absolutely right!!! There are no rules, I hate travel snobbery , and a man giving advice on this is very cringey!!!!
Bit sexiest isn’t it? Of course there are no rules…
i’m not sure that nic meant to be sexist – but it is a bit strange to say “personal vanity” is a good reason to leave it at home! many girls just prefer to look and (in effect) feel good!
you’re very right though, TravMonkey, there are some places that it would be ridiculous to take a straightener 🙂
Some guys like to look and feel good too! 😉
To be honest I did write this post many many years ago… I still agree that if you’re backpacking and travelling for a long time it’s better to leave some things behind. But each to their own obviously. 🙂
Here are some more reasons:
My Chi died an immediate death when I was in Sydney, even with a voltage and electric adapter. In London, my American blowdryer overheated because my voltage adapter broke and it burnt a chunk of my hair off. Now I don’t bring hair electronics and I wear my hair wavy and natural when I travel. Just not worth it!
I know this article is old, but I had to say something. I agree with the above commenter — the judgement in this article on top of seeing that the article is written by a guy makes me cringe.
Over half of these reasons could be applied to an argument against bringing a computer or any other electronic or appliance while traveling (for example, different voltages, we survived before without it, extra room, lack of power, etc) but somehow you chose hair straighteners, a product mostly aimed at and used by women.
Plus, the first reason and last reason are essentially the same. Any hair straightener should work in Japan in theory if you buy one in Japan or get a converter/transformer for one not formatted to work in Japan.
Im travelling to Mongolia with my other half and we are spending a month there. Wish I could take my GHDs to use when we are in the capital (will be there about 6 days over the whole 31 days). Im just going to have to accept that I haven’t got hair, I’ve got birdsnest and itll have to stay that way the whole time Im there ((WITH A BUFF ON MY HEAD)) x x
Just wanted to say I’m in Japan right now on a study abroad program and I brought my GHDs over from UK and they work perfectly fine.