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Puli · Clothing · Worth packing

A warm wrap

A rectangular wool or cashmere shawl, roughly 70 by 30 inches, intended to be worn or draped as a blanket on flights.

Our take

A rectangular wool or cashmere shawl works as a light layer on planes where the air conditioning runs cold. It packs into a small space in a personal item and drapes over the shoulders or lap more effectively than a hoodie for blocking direct airflow. It adds little insulation once you leave the plane and offers no structure if you prefer a jacket with pockets. Skip it if your usual carry-on already includes a bulky coat or fleece.

Who it’s for

Travelers who chill easily on long flights and want a compact extra layer that fits in a personal item.

Skip it if

Skip it if you already travel with a bulky jacket or coat that serves the same purpose.

A warm wrap: questions people ask

Is a wool shawl allowed in carry-on?

Yes. A shawl counts as a clothing item and passes through security without issue.

How warm is a cashmere wrap on a plane?

It provides light warmth and blocks airflow better than a thin hoodie when draped over the body.

Can you use a shawl as a blanket on flights?

Yes. The rectangular shape lets it cover shoulders and legs while seated, though it stays in place less securely than a dedicated blanket.

Where we recommend it

What to Pack for SeoulSeoul isn't a mild city with the odd cold snap. January lows average -7°C, and summer brings 30–31°C highs witWhat to Pack for BerlinBerlin doesn't have a dry season to plan around. Rain is spread through the year, and temperatures swing from What to Pack for CopenhagenCopenhagen's numbers look mild, and that's the trap. Highs never pass 20°C, wind off the water makes it feel cWhat to Pack for Tel AvivTel Aviv is a beach city, so people pack only beach clothes. That works on the promenade, but not on the day tWhat to Pack for DubaiEveryone packs for Dubai's heat and then shivers in it. Outside can be 43°C, but the malls, the metro and everWhat to Pack for StockholmPeople assume Stockholm's summer is the dry one. It isn't. July is the wettest month on the books with 17 rainWhat to Pack for HelsinkiMost visitors pack for Helsinki's cold and forget the sauna. Public saunas like Löyly and Allas Sea Pool are aWhat to Pack for ChicagoPeople check Chicago's temperature and miss the lake. Wind off Lake Michigan cuts through the Loop and along tWhat to Pack for LimaPeople think Lima is a hot South American beach city. Most of the year it's grey and cool, with highs around 1What to Pack for DublinPeople pack for Dublin like it's cold. It mostly isn't. Highs run 8°C to 20°C all year, and the real problem iWhat to Pack for TaipeiMost people pack for Taipei's heat and forget the cold. Summer highs hit 33°C with rain on 20 or more days, buWhat to Pack for MontrealMontreal winters get the attention, and they deserve it, with January highs of minus 5°C and lows of minus 12°What to Pack for CuscoPeople look at Cusco's highs of 17°C to 20°C and pack for spring. That's the mistake. The city sits at about 3What to Pack for QuitoQuito sits on the equator, so people pack for heat. Wrong. It's at about 2,850 m, highs barely change from 17°What to Pack for KrakowKrakow's cold catches people out because it's wet, not dramatic. Winter lows sit just below freezing and JanuaWhat to Pack for AmmanPeople pack for Amman like it's the Gulf, then get caught cold. It's a high, hilly city where winter lows sit What to Pack for FezThe Fez medina is one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world, and that's what you're packing for: hoWhat to Pack for MarrakechMost people pack for Marrakech as a hot desert city, and they're only half right. August hits 40°C, but winterWhat to Pack for RomeMost people pack for Rome's heat and forget about the ground. You'll walk far more than you plan to, mostly onWhat to Pack for BostonBoston catches people out because it swings so hard. February lows hit -5°C, July highs reach 29°C, and the wiWhat to Pack for VenicePeople pack for Venice like any city break, with a big suitcase on wheels. That's the mistake. There are no caWhat to Pack for OsloMost people pack for Oslo's cold and forget the ice. Winter highs sit between -2°C to 1°C, January lows reach What to Pack for LuxorPeople hear Luxor is hot and pack shorts and tank tops. It is hot, with 43°C highs in July and August, but looWhat to Pack for IstanbulMost people pack for Istanbul like it's a Mediterranean beach city. It isn't. Winters are wet and chilly, summWhat to Pack for Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur doesn't really have a dry month. Every month averages 16 or more rain days and highs of 30°C to 3What to Pack for FlagstaffPeople see Arizona and pack for desert heat. Flagstaff sits at about 2,100 m in the pines, so lows drop to freWhat to Pack for MelbourneMelbourne's morning forecast isn't the weather you'll have by the afternoon. Locals call it four seasons in onWhat to Pack for SantiagoSantiago's dry air means big swings between day and night. A January afternoon hits 31°C and the night drops tWhat to Pack for BeijingBeijing swings hard. January lows hit -6°C with a dry, cutting wind, and June highs reach 34°C. The bigger surWhat to Pack for NairobiPeople expect equatorial heat and land in Nairobi to find it cool. The city sits at about 1,795 meters, so higWhat to Pack for PraguePeople pack nice shoes for Prague and regret it by lunch. The Old Town, Malá Strana and the climb to the CastlWhat to Pack for UshuaiaUshuaia in summer is still cold. January tops out at 14°C, it rains on 22 days that month, and the wind off thWhat to Pack for HamburgPeople pack for Hamburg's temperatures and get caught by the rain. July, the month you'd expect to be dry, is What to Pack for Las VegasMost people pack for Las Vegas like it's hot everywhere. It's 42°C on the Strip in July, but casinos and show What to Pack for San FranciscoMost people pack shorts for a California summer and freeze in San Francisco. July highs here are just 19°C, foWhat to Pack for CairoMost people pack for Cairo's heat and forget its winter. From December to February nights drop to 10–12°C, andWhat to Pack for JaipurMost people pack for Jaipur as if it's hot all year. In January nights drop to 8°C, so a sunrise trip up to AmWhat to Pack for VancouverMost people pack a heavy coat for Vancouver and get caught by the rain instead. Winters are mild, with highs oWhat to Pack for CórdobaPeople pack for Córdoba like it's any other Spanish city. It isn't. In July and August the average high is 38°What to Pack for PortlandThis is Portland, Maine, and the mistake is packing for the summer postcard. Even in July, evenings out on theWhat to Pack for DordogneThe Dordogne isn't a city, it's a region of river valleys, castles and stone villages, and you'll see it from What to Pack for SalzburgPeople pack for Salzburg's cold winters and forget its summers are the wettest part of the year. July has 19 rWhat to Pack for HoustonEveryone warns you about Houston's heat. Nobody warns you about the air conditioning. You'll spend a lot of yoWhat to Pack for NewportNewport looks like a summer postcard, so people pack for a heatwave. The warmest month tops out at 25°C, and tWhat to Pack for Quebec CityOld Quebec is built on a cliff, with steep streets and stairways between Upper and Lower Town. In winter thoseWhat to Pack for BayeuxMost people come to Bayeux for the Tapestry and the D-Day beaches, and pack for a quiet French town. The town'What to Pack for DresdenDresden's old town is compact, so people pack light city clothes and stop there. Then they discover Saxon SwitWhat to Pack for Wadi RumPeople pack for desert heat and get caught out by the desert cold. In Wadi Rum the days can be warm while the What to Pack for RigaPeople pack for Riga's cold and forget its rain. July is the wettest month of the year, and summer here bringsWhat to Pack for TallinnMost people pack for Tallinn's cold and get beaten by its hills and cobbles. The Old Town is steep, uneven stoWhat to Pack for Abu DhabiMost people pack for Abu Dhabi's heat and forget the cold. From May to September highs run 37–42°C outside, buWhat to Pack for RouenRouen catches people out with rain, not cold. Every month has 8 to 16 rain days, and the old town is cobbles, What to Pack for LyonLyon looks flat on the map. It isn't. Fourvière and Croix-Rousse are steep hills full of staircases, and VieuxWhat to Pack for AgraMost people plan Agra around the Taj Mahal and pack for the heat. That's only half right. From December to FebWhat to Pack for Loire ValleyPeople pack for the Loire Valley like it's the south of France. It isn't. Even in May there are 14 rain days, What to Pack for VictoriaVictoria sells itself as Canada's mild city, and it is, but most visitors miss how wet the off-season gets. DeWhat to Pack for MarseillePeople pack for Marseille like it's always summer. It's dry, with no month over 9 rain days, but the mistral wWhat to Pack for LucernePeople pack for Lucerne's temperatures and forget the rain. Even summer is wet here, with July logging 20 rainWhat to Pack for San DiegoPeople pack shorts and nothing else for San Diego. Then the sun goes down. Highs only move between 17°C and 25What to Pack for Mont-Saint-MichelPeople treat Mont-Saint-Michel as a quick photo stop. It's usually a long day outdoors on an exposed tidal bayWhat to Pack for GuanajuatoMost people pack for Guanajuato like it's a beach town in Mexico. It isn't. It sits high in the mountains, theWhat to Pack for Luxembourg CityPeople think of Luxembourg City as a flat little financial capital. It's built on cliffs. The old town sits hiWhat to Pack for San Miguel de AllendePeople picture central Mexico as hot all year. San Miguel de Allende sits high, and from December to February What to Pack for Aix-en-ProvencePeople pack for Provence as if it's always summer. Aix gets real winters, with lows of 2–3°C from December to What to Pack for Cluj-NapocaMost people assume Transylvania is cold all year. Cluj-Napoca is properly cold in winter, with lows of -2°C, bWhat to Pack for GlasgowGlasgow's packing problem is rain. It rains on at least 10 days in every month of the year, often in quick shoWhat to Pack for DohaDoha has two packing problems at once. Outside, summer highs reach 43°C, and inside, malls and hotels run theiWhat to Pack for JerusalemJerusalem's packing problem is the dress code. The holiest sites expect covered shoulders and knees, while sumWhat to Pack for NassauNassau's winters are milder than people expect, and its summers are hot and stormy. The packing problem is theWhat to Pack for TorontoToronto's packing problem is winter. January averages a 0°C high and a -5°C low, with wind off Lake Ontario onWhat to Pack for Sri LankaSri Lanka has two monsoons that hit opposite coasts, and the hill country is cold at night. You can go from 31What to Pack for DenverDenver sits at 1,609 m, and the altitude is the packing problem. The sun is strong, the air is dry and dehydraWhat to Pack for Cabo San LucasCabo is desert, not jungle. The packing problem is dry heat and the sea: many Pacific beaches have dangerous sWhat to Pack for GalápagosGalápagos packing is about sun, sea and rules. Strict biosecurity means no seeds or fruit, and luggage gets seWhat to Pack for RovaniemiRovaniemi is properly cold. January averages a -13°C low, and you will spend that time outdoors on husky ridesWhat to Pack for AspenAspen's problem is altitude. The town sits at about 2,400 m, so the sun is strong, the air is dry and nights gWhat to Pack for WhistlerWhistler's winter is wet, not just cold. The village hovers around freezing, so you get heavy coastal snow andWhat to Pack for the SerengetiThe Serengeti's packing problem is weight. Most travelers reach camps on small planes with strict luggage limiWhat to Pack for YellowstoneYellowstone sits high, around 2,000 m and above, so a hot summer afternoon can follow a frosty morning, and snWhat to Pack for CappadociaCappadocia's days and nights are different trips. You will be up before dawn for the balloons in cold air, theWhat to Pack for KrugerKruger's packing problem is the gap between dawn and noon. In winter, open game drive vehicles leave camp nearWhat to Pack for ZermattZermatt sits at about 1,600 m, but most of what you come for is higher. The village can be mild while the MattWhat to Pack for TromsøTromsø's cold is manageable. The dark, the wet and the ice are the problem. Winter temperatures hover around fWhat to Pack for MuscatMuscat's summer heat is extreme, with highs of 40°C in June, and it almost never rains. You pack light, loose,What to Pack for the Grand CanyonThe Grand Canyon has two climates stacked on top of each other. The South Rim sits at about 2,100 m and freezePacking list: Winter City Packing ListLayers beat a big coat, because you'll spend half the day indoors. Waterproof boots are the one thing to spend

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