Your clothing selections for multiday trips in Yosemite are all about versatility and packing light. A pair of shorts, a couple t-shirts, a light rain jacket, a fleece jacket, long pants, and a good sun hat are all that you need on many trips. Here are a few favorites from BACKPACKER field testers who’ve spent a lot of trail time in the Sierra.
Trekking Pants
Convertible trousers with zip-off legs may look a bit dorky when you wear them around town, but they’re a good pick for the mountains. The ExOfficio Nio Amphi pants are a favorite of BACKPACKER editors, one of whom wore them 40 miles straight on a Peru jungle trek. Cool, quick-drying shorts by day, they become wind-resistant, cotton-soft pants by night.
Shirt
Wool is a winter fabric, right? Not any more. Today’s extra-fine merino wool layers are perfect for warm-weather hiking, because they wick moisture away from your skin, breathe well, and resist odor better than synthetic fabrics. A new t-shirt that many BACKPACKER editors are wearing is Patagonia’s Wool 1, a light blend of merino and polyester that you can wear day after day without stinking up the joint.
Jacket
If you want to sit out and enjoy the stars after dinner, pack a warm fleece or insulated jacket. Temperatures can drop 30 degrees in some spots, and a lightweight puffy jacket like the Mountain Hardwear Nitrous will ward off the chill. This down sweater packs as small as a grapefruit.
Bug Spray
Early in the summer, Yosemite comes alive with mosquitoes breeding in the meltwater of all that snow. Some nights, the air is so thick with bloodsuckers in the high country that you can hear the hum. Try to pitch your tent on a breezy spot away from water (get more bug-beating tips here), and pack a big bottle of repellent. DEET-based products work well, but BACKPACKER prefers Repel’s Lemon Eucalyptus natural spray, which performed well in side-by-side testing.
Sunglasses
The glare above treeline in the Sierra can be fierce, with the constant sun bouncing off the light-colored granite just like it would off snow. Protect your retinas and prevent eye-strain headaches with a quality pair of sunglasses like Smith’s Factors, which come with interchangeable lenses for different light conditions and activities. See comments from BACKPACKER testers on these and other models here.
