I’ve always tried to pack as efficiently as possible, and I felt like I had honed my packing list “template” to near perfection over the years. However, I now had different gear and could rethink how I packed—I was looking forward to putting some new approaches into practice.
We knew we’d be dealing with fairly large temperature swings in Utah—from mid 30s in the morning to mid 70s during the day—so layering would be critical. I’ve been layering clothes for a while using a simplistic approach, but I wanted to go a bit further this time in order to keep the bulk to a minimum. I knew the chilly mornings would quickly give way to the warmth of the day—especially since every day featured a forecast with full sun—so I didn’t want to carry a lot of heavy clothing for a relatively short period of time. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long to decide what bring.
Icebreaker merino wool short-sleeved shirts would be my upper baselayer. Over those, I would wear Columbia or Under Armour synthetic wicking t-shirts, with a fleece in tow for the colder mornings. A “Michigan” slicker would provide wind resistance (and a little “M” pride), and Marmot rain gear would protect me if the weather folks were mistaken.
A mid-weight Smartwool baselayer would provide warmth for the lower section, if needed, with Marmot and Ex Officio convertible pants offering flexibility.
In the past, I wore mostly Smartwool hiking socks with a toe-sock liner to help prevent blistering. Unfortunately, my feet must have changed because when I tried that same combination durig the packing process, my feet felt cramped in my hiking boots. So, I opted to bring along some Injini toe-socks that could be worn alone.
A Marmot beanie would literally cap things off when needed.
When I saw the small space occupied in the suitcase by my clothes, I did have a small tinge of concern that perhaps I was packing too minimally. But I opted to trust the logic of my plan—which had been formulated with the help of several hiking blogs—and just go for it.