What should i pack for colorado

Disclosure: Heads up, this post contains some affiliate links, which means I may get a commission if you make a purchase. To find out more, you can read our full affiliate disclosure right here. I realized this the morning I hit Crater Lake trail near Maroon Bells when I saw everyone else and their bulging hiking backpacks which immediately indicated to all the effortlessly dressed, geared-up hikers that I was a complete newbie to the Colorado summer hiking scene.

The hiking backpack I used was an old college backpack and it did not deliver in any way, shape, or form. My current favorite is this crossbody backpack it looks really weird but the design actually contributes to the weight distribution. The material is nice and durable. The straps are a little long. When I first ordered it, the backpack smelled like it arrived straight out of a factory so I set it on the patio for a day and let it air out.

Odor gone. It fits the essentials — water bottle, camera gear, extra clothes — which is what makes it so good for day hiking. My partner gifted me a reusable water bottle from KOR last year and I instantly became obsessed with it.

It also has a filter which was the most important part for me. For one thing, if the filter fidgets out of place, it sounds loud , like a stomach rumbling. Several of my friends recommended HydroFlask and I just invested in one. I packed it anyway, in the case of a multi-day hike. So sunscreen was the last thing I expected to pack for Colorado summers. I expected the mountains to be cool and shaded.

You will need a minimum of SPF 30 sunscreen no less. I hated lugging around several pairs of shoes everywhere. Now I wear these sneaker boots from Missguided , which double up as hiking shoes and walking shoes. I have to fit into them by opting for thick socks. The one thing I did pack correctly was toiletries! A blessing after years of trying to get it just right. I have three tiny toiletry bags I prefer the clear ones. This is the set I have. So before packing for Colorado summers, I discovered a clothing item on Reddit, of course that I knew would be perfect — a sweatershirt.

To be honest, a sweatershirt sounds weird enough to be up there with the likes of plastic jeans, shoulderless winter jackets, and skinners socks and shoes rolled into one. Sometimes, the temperature in Colorado jumps around depends on elevation. Here are the shoes I packed:. I got a ton of recommendation for trail running shoes, the most popular brand was Merrell. I linked the most popular and high rated trail running shoes on Amazon here plus even more on this list :.

I hope this Colorado Packing List for Summer helps! Be sure to check out my other Colorado posts before heading out on your trip. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram! How to Prevent Altitude Sickness in Colorado. Was this Summer Colorado Packing List post helpful?

Not sure what a water shoe is? When you stop at the roadside weathered picnic table to eat lunch, pull out your tablecloth to go from downhome to gourmet in a matter of seconds. Spend more time enjoying the scenery instead of swatting bugs.

Consumer Reports has ranked this formula as the best protection against mosquitoes. Learn more at Sawyer. Read at night in your tent comfortably with your headlamp or use this great lighting device to safely walk to and from evening ranger talks.

Taking photos of the night skies? A headlamp with a red light option will help you change your camera settings in the dark with minimal annoyance to your travel mates. You only need to have experienced the sun in Colorado one time before you realize how strong it really is, especially since Rocky Mountain elevations ranges from 7, to 14, feet.

Bring a wide-brimmed hat, which is preferable over a baseball cap, to cover your entire face. Then, apply sunscreen over all exposed skin, including the back of your neck. Sunglasses will protect your eyes from being burned and polarized lens will help you see views more clearly.

Rocky Mountain National Park has a plethora overlooks, trails and waterfalls. You can wait until a park ranger hands you a map at an entrance station, or you can plan ahead and get your maps now.

Plastic bags come in handy to keep things dry in the event you get rained on, as well to pack out used toilet paper if nature calls while you are hiking. I kept an eye on the weather, but due to varying elevations and environments, temperatures would be much colder near the wilderness yurt versus Denver, especially at night. Plus, I was flying straight from Denver to New York City for a summit on study abroad , so I had to think about what to wear there too.

It's been a few years since I last wrote about my approach to packing. Allow me to indulge in some quick background. I'm a backpacker at heart.

As a result of what I learned about my back from that episode, I became more protective of it and traded my backpack for a wheeled carry-on bag from The North Face. I wasn't a fan of trucking that thing around European mass transit systems later that year, so in , I compromised by using a backpack again, only a smaller one.

I bought an earlier version of The North Face Router daypack , and it worked well for me on many trips, from five weeks in Central America in to five months in Eastern Europe in Unfortunately, I'm in the midst of a longer, more complicated back episode herniated disc with nerve compression , so for my Colorado trip, I relied on carry-on size wheeled luggage, in addition to my daypack.