Traveling in Rainy Weather

CONCERN #1: WET WEATHER

Getting your clothes soaked through when there's buckets full of rain quickly dropping from the Neopian sky is almost inevitable. Equipping yourself properly with different items will ensure your dryness. First things first. You absolutely need rubber boots. Your feet, or paws, are the ones that come in contact with that pesky liquid most frequently. Rubber will provide your feet with solace from invading rain. The stylish approach to rubber boots are the Wellington Boots, sleek, shiny, and black. However, if you do not have sufficient funding (in which case, you probably should play some games, seriously speaking!) or perhaps are feeling a bit more adventurous, you can give Lucky Fishing Boots a try. Bright blue in hue with an orange fish said to magically bring you luck, this pair of rubber shoes might just prove to be your lucky charm!

Okay, so we have your feet, or paws, taken care of, but it doesn't really matter much if the rest of your poor self is unprotected against that awful rain! A lined coat or jacket will do you justice in the long run. Please, please, please avoid a Leather Jacket in the off chance there's any sudden gusts, propelling rain toward it. Trust me, you do not want rain splatters visible on your rather expensive jacket. Traveling in wet conditions requires practicality, not glamour! Lucky for you, there is an assortment of durable coats and jackets to choose from! If you are a musician, choose your favorite band's jacket to wear! 2 Gallon Hatz, Sticks N Stones, Chomby and the Fungus Balls, Blue Kacheek Group, M*YNCI, and Yes Boy Ice-Cream all provide their fans with jacket memorabilia! Nifty, eh? Okay, so maybe you'd rather stay indoors than be seen in a rather neon coloured jacket. However, there are more options left! If you're feeling quite evil, why not give the Sinister Neovian Jacket a chance? Or if you tend to speak in eloquent phrases, enjoying the company of the good citizens of Neovia whilst at a tea and crumpets party, you might want to consider the Brown Suit Coat or the Green Velvet Dress Coat! Stay dry in style! Isn't there anything normal to wear, you may ask, being disgusted by the neon, sinister, and old-fashioned options so far. If you have money to burn, the Purple Hooded Robe looks mighty fine and durable for that walk in the rain! The best thing about this last item is that it provides your head with shelter!

The last, but probably one of the most significant items to buy, is a decent umbrella. Most umbrellas out there are designed for the sun, defeating their original purpose of aiding you in your quest to stay wet-free. And then... There are some umbrellas you should avoid at all costs. The Water Umbrella is perfect for rain loving maniacs, not you. The Snot Umbrella is perfect for snot lovers? Gross! The last thing you need is being soaked in both rain and snot. Edible umbrellas attract hungry Neopians that haven't had their share of the Giant Omelette, because they arrived there too late and found it gobbled up. You don't want crazed starving beggars attacking you, right? That pretty much leaves only two sturdy contraptions. One of them being the Neopian Philharmonic Umbrella, charcoal in colour and perfect in size. Its only setback? The rod is made of metal, which shouldn't pose a dire problem unless you're freakishly paranoid of getting struck by lightning. Slightly more expensive is the second of the two working umbrellas: the Wooden Umbrella. Do not underestimate its ability to sustain water from getting to you. As an added bonus, this item can be turned into a boat just in case the area starts flooding! Nice!

CONCERN #2: COLD TEMPERATURES

When it rains in Neopia, the temperatures naturally fall. This occurs everywhere, even in the scorching Lost Desert! If you're susceptible to feeling shivers or shaking from the cold temperatures, you might want a more warmer coat than the ones previously mentioned. Carassas Coat, olive, furry, and hooded, provides a warm haven while remaining very affordable to even the poorest Neopian. Not a huge fan of Carassa? Annoyed at her statement of being sold out of discounted items at her Igloo Garage Sale? Maybe the Taelia Style Coat will better suit you, being based off of the Snow Faerie's own arctic blue coat. Living in the coldest region of Neopia, Taelia knows how to stay warm so the imitation coat, also as widely available as Carassa's, might be the safest investment you've made so far. Going from Terror Mountain to the small town of Neovia, the Simple Fur Lined Cape, elegant in its apparent simplicity of style and color, is a dream come true for Neovian fanatics.

Coats, however, aren't the only articles of clothing to consider for staying warm and comfortable. Socks are another! Come back here! I don't care if you've had a bad encounter with Magic Smelly Socks; there are plenty of good socks in Neopia! ... Okay, now that you're back, let's continue... Woolen Socks are probably your best bet for guaranteed warmth. You can buy them from the Clothing Shop or feel smarter for making your own pair of nice blue woolen socks by purchasing a Woolen Socks Knitting Set from the Toy Shop. Of course, Woolen Socks are rather plain, so maybe for your eccentric taste, you might want to consider other socks such as: Angelpuss Socks (Aww, so adorable!), Dr Sloth Sock (Eww, he's so evil! How dare you?), Red Pirate Socks (Avast, ye scurvy scallawag!), Skunk Moehog Socks (Eww, talk about smelly socks!), Fire Eyrie Socks (Very cool!), Plushie Skeith Socks (Think they are softer than other socks?), Blue Zafara Socks (So yellow indeed!), and Jubjub Rainbow Socks (Stylish and colorful!). That's a lot of socks! Maybe I should wait for you to make a decision before moving on...

...Are you done yet? Okay! Good. Took you long enough! The Neopian wind is unpredictable. You can just ask any Air Faerie herself! A gust of wind in your face and you're going to wish you had a nice, cozy scarf! As with socks, a Woolen Scarf Knitting Set is up for grabs in the Toy Shop for your crafty needs. If knitting is not your idea of fun, there are plenty of other varieties of scarves for almost every fashion taste: Scarf (Lovely, plain, and cheap!), Scorchio Scarf (Wouldn't that look good with those Fire Eyrie Socks?), Aisha Scarf (Pretty in Aisha Pink!), Colourful Bruce Scarf (Adorable with plenty of colors and bows!), Pink Quiggle Scarf (Another pink scarf...), Purple Gnorbu Wool Scarf (Made from Gnorbu Wool, this must be super cozy!), Red Ogrin Scarf (Very red indeed..), Woolen Scarf (Many stripes!), Squid Scarf (Scary, weird, or cool?), and Rainbow Kacheek Scarf (Perfect with those Jubjub Rainbow Socks!). Freezing your ears off (Not literally anyway..)? Kacheeks can enjoy their very own Kacheek Pink Earmuffs! While the rest of Neopia can have a Pink Earmuff and Scarf Set! Spiffy! Pink not your color of choice? No worries! You can always keep your hands, or paws, warm with a Grey Fur Muff available from Neovia! Those Neovians sure know how to stay warm and dry!

CONCERN #3: STAYING SAFE

BOOM! Is lightning scaring you away from traveling during a storm? Well, it shouldn't! If you're absolutely paranoid, avoid that Neopian Philharmonic Umbrella mentioned before and buy the wooden one instead! If you're a Robot, ummm.. You should probably stop reading this article and stay indoors at all costs! *hands robots plenty of warm cocoa and Usul Stories for Rainy Days books* Bye bye! If you aren't a Robot, do not take anything metallic with you. It'd be for your own good to leave that shiny, precious Metallic Mote or that robotic petpet home. Last of all, do not obsess over lightning! By stepping outdoors, you are fighting your fear of it already! Congratulations! *claps* Don't stare at me like that! If there was a way to combat it with an existing item, I would have told you so. But alas, there is no such item. You are stuck on your own.

CONCERN #4: AVOIDING ILLNESS

Getting sick is no pleasant event! You don't want to catch Sneezles, do you? And have a runny nose, sneezing all the time?! If you're sensitive and succumb to illnesses when you are exposed to rain, you should take Vitamin C Tablets. They sustain your weak immune system, preventing sickness from reaching you! Available at the Healthy Food Shop every day! *hands out samples* Yummy, aren't they? Chia shaped too! In addition to this supplement, ponder gulping down a hot drink like Hot Soup, Hot Chocolate, Cup of Hot Borovan, Aisha Hot Chocolate, Hot Strawberry Soup, Hot Banana Soup, Zafara Hot Chocolate, Hot Doughnutfruit Juice, Hot Munuberry Juice, Hot Blunella Juice, or Hot Meerca Tea. I could go on and on, but we all have lives and places to be, don't we?

And so, the next time you hear the crackle of lightning, the whirling of the wind, and most importantly, the sound of rain falling from Neopia's stormy sky, remember that you aren't helpless anymore! Go outdoors and enjoy traveling on a gloomy rainy day! Good luck!