Travel Essentials Blog

Comfortable, functional, and stylish designs.

Established eighteen years ago, Sunday Afternoons began as a small family-run business that designed sun protective outdoor gear to sell at trade shows, craft fairs and outdoor markets. As time went by, they began to design and redesign products based on what worked, what was popular and what was cutting edge. Sunday Afternoons has grown throughout the years and is thriving as a manufacturer of sun-protective hats and clothing for customers all over the world.

In women’s sun protection, our most popular Sunday Afternoons shirts are the Trade Winds Shirt and the Passport Shirt. both of these shirts offer high ratings of UPF sun protection, venting to keep you cool, and light, airy quick-drying material.

In women’s hats, we find that the simple elegance of the Kauai Hat and the Riviera Hat is quite popular. Both hats provide protection from the sun for your face and neck, while offering style and durability. Or, for a simple visor, the Key West Visor is great for gardening or a day in the yard.

Stay protected from the sun.

Our most popular men’s shirt is the Island Breeze Shirt. Made from an airy, comfortable fabric, the Island Breeze will wick moisture away from your skin while allowing plenty of air in and protecting your skin from the sun with a UPF rating of 40. In hats, the Adventure Hat has been our most popular among men. Perfect for a day on a boat, on the beach, hiking in the sunlight, or even on safari, the Adventure Hat is designed to protect your face and neck from harmful UV rays while still permitting air to circulate, keeping your head cool. Visit TravelEssentials.com today to check out all our Sunday Afternoons hats and shirts to prepare yourself for the sunlight of spring and summer.

Anne McAlpin is a true travel expert.

Anne McAlpin started packing light at the age of sixteen, when she took a student bike tour in Europe. Having to carry everything on her bike really made her think about each item she packed, and wether or not it was necessary. As an adult, she created packing seminars for cruise-ship travelers on how to get all of their swag home. She saw that a lot of people packed way more than was necessary and she saw an opportunity to help.

Anne’s Pack It Up book (with included packing DVD) was her first venture into the world of packing assistance – promoting the idea: “If you want to get away from it all, don’t take it all with you!” After a while, Anne McAlpin started designing her own travel products to making packing easier, lighter, and more efficient.

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Illuminate just the page.

The Lightwedge is just a phenomenal idea. Allowing you to light up the page you’re looking at, but nothing else makes the Lightwedge ideal for planes and buses, car trips, or reading at night without disturbing your sleeping partner. Made in two different book-sizes as well as a mini size, there’s an appropriate Lightwedge for everyone. The Paperback sized Lightwedge is 7.4 x 5.5 inches, fitting perfectly over the entire page of any standard paperback book. The Original Lightwedge is a little larger, measuring a 9.25 x 6.5 inches, and will fit over the pages of standard hard-backed books.

Magnify small print on maps.

The Lightwedge Mini, on the other hand only measures 5 x 2.25 inches and is perfect for travelers. Not only can it be used to read a book if you’re bored on a bus or fighting jet lag at night, but you can also use it in the car to read maps, check your directions or guidebook, or hunt for other information. The Mini Lightwedge comes with handy little hard plastic case that will protect the sensitive lense from scratches and the abuses of travel and frequent use. For the larger Lightwedge, we recommend picking up a Lightwedge Softcase, made in both Paperback and Original sizes to protect your lenses from the scratches and abuse of your adventures.