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Travel Tips for Tall Men

We’ve all been on a trip that’s memorable for all the wrong reasons. We rushed through packing and forgot to include our favorite dress shirt, there was traffic, and wouldn’t you know it, we were cramped in the back seat of a car, or the middle seat of a plane, train, or bus.

Now imagine having that feeling every single time you travel.

According to the most recent survey from the CDC, about 5% of men ages 20-74 are 6-foot-2 or taller, leaving a sizeable segment of our population with some serious comfort issues when it comes to traveling. While many companies are mourning the fact that the average human is getting heavier due to poor diet, lack of exercise, etc., it’s much tougher to get shorter.

No need to worry, just like we can help you find the right fit for your attire, we’ve also got some ways to make traveling more comfortable for you vertically gifted gentlemen.

You Choose, or You Lose

Nowadays different airlines have differing amounts of legroom, depending on class (obviously) but also airline. Websites like seatguru.com offer users the ability to compare these airlines side by side and determine, literally, which airline is the best fit for them.

Take advantage of transportation companies that give you the opportunity to choose your seat. When you don’t have the cash to upgrade to business or first class, you should at least spring for an aisle seat so you can stretch those long legs. It may be free to change your seat assignment but at worst it will only run you a little bit more to make your journey much more comfortable.

Airplanes can be particularly cramped, and if an aisle seat isn’t available, try your luck at securing a seat in the exit row. Exit row seats offer increased leg room so that people are able to access the exits in case of an emergency. Also, on a number of airlines, the seats that are in front of an exit row are unable to recline, so you won’t have to worry about another passenger invading your valuable leg room.

Stay in Style

If you often find yourself uncomfortable with your hotel accommodations, inquire as to the availability of a room with features that are more suited to your size. Nowadays some hotels have rooms that come with key features, such as longer beds, higher doorways and mirror, taller closets in which to store your clothing, and an amenity you may not have considered: a higher shower head. These features allow tall travelers to stay comfortably and avoid what has come to be known as the "shower limbo," a sort of contortionist act necessary to fit entirely under the shower head.

The unfortunate truth is that such hotels are the exception, not the rule. At the very least reserve a room with a king size bed to give yourself as much space as possible.

You may always have to watch your head when walking into a new house or near a ceiling fan, but at least now you can travel with a bit more comfort.