Yosemite Winter Packing List (Plus Road Trip Supplies)
Visiting Yosemite National Park in the winter has so many upsides! You’ll have moderate daytime temperatures, snow, and much fewer crowds than the summer months. Packing for such a versatile climate can be a bit overwhelming, but this blog has you covered.
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Hiking essentials
Hiking day pack (men’s/women’s)
These are our favorite day packs. They are so comfortable, large enough to fit anything you could need to carry for a hike, and have a built-in rain cover that is easy to use.
If you’ll be hiking up and down steep hills, trekking poles are a must. They’ll help disperse your weight, help to keep you from getting knee injuries, and help you stay steady in variable terrain. We always have our poles on us!
Spikes are great for walking on hard-packed snow and ice. They work like miniature crampons and keep you from slipping.
Choose the length of snowshoes that will accommodate your weight, including pack weight.
These snowshoes have sharp, jagged edges that allow you to walk on slopes without slipping. Cheaper, plastic snowshoes have slippery tubes on their edges instead – avoid these if you’re planning on snowshoeing hilly terrain.
These snowshoes have heel lifts on the back to make walking up hills a breeze.
If you’re flying in and have limited space, or simply don’t want to purchase snowshoes, Yosemite has rentals available at the Badger Pass Ski Area.
Check out this blog for a full list of our favorite hiking gear.
What usual hiking items can’t you bring?
Bear spray
Yosemite does not allow bear spray inside the park.
Clothing
Footwear
You’re going to want waterproof boots — ones that can handle walking through shallow streams, stepping in puddles, hiking in the rain, and even on snow.
Unless you’re purchasing traditional leather boots, you shouldn’t have to “break in” your boots for them to feel great.
Of course, you should wear them for a couple shorter hikes to figure out if they are right for you and how tying them will work best (check out this article on ways to tie boots to minimize hot points), but they should generally feel great from the get go.
Heavyweight hiking socks (men’s/women’s)
A good pair of hiking socks will prevent blisters!
Base layers
Wearing layers will help keep you warm no matter the temperatures! Here, Zach is layered up and warm on the Baltic Sea in the Arctic.
Clothing
Moisture-wicking T-shirt (men’s/women’s)
Moisture-wicking pants (men’s/women’s) or shorts (men’s/women’s)
These wool undergarments are odor-resistant and temperature-regulating. Choose longer briefs to help prevent chafing.
This Smartwool bra is odor-resistant and temperature-regulating.
Fleece zip-ups (men’s/women’s)
These are a great insulating layer.
This Northface fleece is Meghann’s favorite warm layer!
Outer layers
You’ll want a hard-shelled outer layer that keeps you dry in the snow or rain. You can layer a puffy coat and rain jacket or wear a ski jacket. Layering is more packable, travel-friendly, and more comfortable to hike in.
Packable puffy coat (men’s/women’s)
Look for raincoats with pit zips — arm pit zippers or vents — to help moderate your temperature.
No raincoat is completely waterproof, so don’t get caught up in the lingo. Purchase a water resistant/waterproof coat from a reputable brand and you should be good!
Pro tip: Do not wash your waterproof gear like other laundry. Use this two-step Nikwax detergent instead and your gear will last much longer.
Snow pants
If you’re planning on participating in any snowy activities such as skiing, sledding, or snowshoeing, bringing a pair of snow pants will help keep you warm and dry.
Accessories
When a hat would be too warm, Meghann opts for a headband like this one.
Mittens
Buy mittens rather than gloves — mittens keep your hands warmer. You’ll want a waterproof and insulated pair like these (men’s/women’s). These are comparable to what skiers wear. You’ll want to have a bit of extra space in them to fit glove liners in them, too.
Glove liners
Any glove that fits inside your mitten will work as a liner to give your hands a bit of extra insulation. We wore gloves like these. They fit into the mittens well and we loved that we could use our phones without taking them off.
These are great to wear while skiing, or on windy days, although we find them to be too warm for most snowshoe hikes.
Gaiters
We have two types of gaiters: these waterproof ones that help keep snow out of your boots (men’s/women’s) and these lightweight gaiters that aren’t waterproof, but help keep pine needles and rocks out of your boots. They’re great for hiking in warmer weather and Meghann wears them hiking year-round.
Ten essentials
These items are necessities and could be responsible for saving your life while out hiking.
These emergency shelters are surprisingly cheap, effective, light, and hardly take up space.
We have the blanket style (they come in a sleeping bag style as well) because we like their versatility. They can be used to create shelter, used as a blanket, or ground cover.
We’re carrying three in our emergency kit. Two to be used as blankets and one to be used as an emergency bivy.
This size of kit is for one to two people for one to four-day outings.
Bring extra AAA batteries as well.
Compass and map
Water filter or water treatment tablets
Although it’s unnecessary for most visitors, if you plan on hiking or skiing in the backcountry, this personal locator beacon will give you peace of mind.
With it, you’ll have the ability to set waypoints, text others when there is no cell service, and use the S.O.S button for emergencies.
There is a $14.95 monthly subscription fee.
Personal hygiene supplies
Helpful for blisters
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen
This sunscreen has the safest product rating for sunscreen on the EWG’s Skin Deep guide.
Cold weather can be hard on your lips. This balm will keep them from drying out, getting windburned, and sunburned.
Prevents chaffing
If it’s snowy during your visit, the sun will reflect off the snow and be terribly blinding.
Bathroom supplies
There are plenty of bathrooms located throughout the park. However, if you’re on a longer trail, you are responsible for disposing of waste properly, and rules can differ based on the environment or the amount of traffic a trail gets.
When allowed, dig a cat hole 6-8 inches deep and at least 200 steps away from water sources for solid waste. Always pack out toilet paper. When cat holes aren’t allowed, use wag bags instead.
Toilet paper or a Kula Cloth
Gallon Ziploc bags for garbage
These are needed for when digging cat holes for waste is not allowed.
This is a game-changer for the women/trans/non-binary folk!! It allows you to go pee standing up. Since you only have to unzip and point the direction you want to let things flow, it’s so much more private than pulling down your pants and squatting.
Food and water
You’ll find bear vaults next to most parking lots and campgrounds. If you’re camping or parking overnight, you’ll need to store all your food and smelly items (chapstick, sanitizer, baby wipes sunscreen, wrappers, etc.) in the bear vaults. It’s okay to have food in a completely closed car during the daytime.
Although there are restaurants inside the valley (find a list of them under this section of our Yosemite Valley itinerary), they were crowded during our visit.
Rather than dining with the crowds, we prefer to pack sandwich items in an ice chest to picnic wherever we like. If you’d rather have warmer food, bring this insulated food jar with you instead. It has two containers that each fit a serving worth of soup, oatmeal, or other warm foods.
For day hikes, we tend to pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with plenty of snacks like these:
Lara Bars (gluten-free)
Luna Bars (gluten-free)
Trail mix (gluten-free)
Archer’s Jerky (gluten-free)
Dried fruit, like mango, apricots, or apple chips (gluten-free)
Bolt Energy Chews (gluten-free)
Hot drinks
If we’re feeling fancy, we’ll bring hot coco to help us stay warm.
Don’t forget to bring along lightweight mugs.
We aren’t coffee drinkers, but my parents love this French Press Jetboil accessory.
On average, it’s suggested to pack one liter of water for every two hours you’ll be hiking, but we tend to err on the side of caution and pack a bit more, especially when we’re hiking in a new area.
We love the Hydrapak water bladders linked above. Since we always have water handy, it helps keep our water breaks quick and we end up staying more hydrated.
We’ve tried various brands of water bladders, and these ones are the easiest to clean since they flip inside out.
Road Trip supplies
Tire chains
Yosemite strongly recommends carrying tire chains with you if you’re driving in the park between November through March.
You must have tire chains in your vehicle if you’re in a designated chain control area (made known by signs that say “chains required”).
Make sure you buy the appropriate size of chains for your tire size.
You’ll find various designs of tire chains, but we’d recommend avoiding snow socks. They don’t provide as much traction as chains.
These are the tire chains we own.
They’re great because they’re easy to put on and come with long gloves (putting chains on in slushy snow is messy).
In designated chain control areas, you’ll see the following chain codes:
Requirement 1 (R-1): Chains are required on all vehicles unless you have snow tires
Requirement 2 (R-2): Chains are required unless you have four-wheel/all-wheel drive and snow tires
Requirement 3 (R-3): Chains required on all vehicles, no exceptions
What if you don’t want to carry tire chains or drive in the snow?
If you’re not comfortable driving in snowy conditions, take the YARTS shuttle in and out of the park instead of driving yourself.
We left at dawn each day we went into the park – this tool makes scraping the snow and ice off your windshield and easy and quick task.
We realize bringing a battery that can jump a car is over the top; however it gives us comfort knowing that we can help ourselves no matter how far away from civilization we drive.
Road conditions
Road conditions and weather can change quickly. Check the park’s website, here, for updates, and roads.dot.ca.gov for information on the highways outside of the park.
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