Your Style Guide for a Mountain Trip

When you want to get away from it all, there's no better place to go than the peaceful mountains. Packing for this trip is much like it is for any other vacation, except that you need to consider the weather fluctuations of higher elevations when choosing your clothing. Dressing for this type of climate means that you need to bring a broader variety of clothing to stay comfortable for your entire trip. Therefore, your wardrobe choices should be centered around the more significant temperature changes you'll experience in the mountains. Here is a short style guide to help you pack the right apparel for your upcoming trip.

Jeans All Year

In the mountains, you can never have too many pairs of jeans. Even if the daytime temperatures turn out to be warm enough to wear shorts, the early mornings and evenings tend to be cool, especially as you get to higher altitudes. (Specifically, the temperature gets about 5.4°F colder per 1,000 feet.) Before you head off on your mountain getaway, find out the altitude of your destination so that you plan accordingly for the weather you’ll experience while there. Pro tip: There is one major benefit to a high-altitude vacation: The higher you go, there will be fewer mosquitos waiting for you. These annoying pests don't like colder temperatures, so they will be less likely to buzz around you. You should still bring some bug repellent spray and protective clothing for the daytime, but mosquitos aren’t as big an issue as they would be if you were vacationing closer to sea level.

Flannel Tops and PJs

Since the average temperatures are cooler in the mountains no matter the season, you should bring along some comfy cool-weather clothing like flannel tunics and leggings and a toasty set of flannel pajamas. You should also have some warm-weather clothing on standby like t-shirts, shorts, and cotton pajama sets just in case the weather decides to go in a different direction. Mountain weather can change from one day to the next, so it never hurts to have some backup clothing to suit different weather patterns.

Stylish Outerwear

When you're dealing with a dynamic weather pattern, having versatile outerwear like jean jackets and packable down coats will be helpful. By keeping your outerwear stylish and easy to wear, you can feel confident and comfortable, whether on a hike or sitting around a campfire at night. If you prefer having more freedom of movement and don't plan to encounter extreme cold, then you can easily wear a long-sleeve shirt underneath a puffer vest. This will keep your core warm while allowing some breathing room for your arms. Consider a vest the perfect option for keeping chills away when you don't want to commit to a full coat or jacket.

Boots & Sneakers

One of the reasons people love going to the mountains is the sense of adventure that awaits them. You’ll get to experience rugged terrain and sights like cascading waterfalls, majestic overlooks, and babbling brooks. All these beautiful places may not be accessible by an officially paved path, and so you might find yourself heading down a dirt trail forged by previous trailblazers. This is not the time nor the place for high heels or sandals, to be sure. Instead, you’ll need rugged footwear like rain boots and sneakers that offer good traction. Save those flip-flops for quick trips in and out of your cabin, but do not wear them when it’s time to head off on a hike.

Cozy Sweats

At the end of the day, there's nothing like lounging on the front porch of your mountainside cabin and cozying up in one of your comfy hoodies. In fact, anything made out of cozy fleece material like sweatpants and sweatshirts makes the perfect mountain outfit for when you have some downtime. The brushed fabrics of these essentials insulate you from the chill and give you that comfortable feeling of home even when you're away from it all. For your convenience, bring a few sets of sweats and hoodies so that you have enough to last your vacation.