Fall Packing List for the Swiss Alps & Italian Dolomites

travelsgear guide
Written By Lynn Baumgartner

Photo by Greyson Howard

I just spent an awesome seventeen days in the Swiss Alps and the Italian Dolomites with a quick stop in the Italian lake country. I tried to minimize my clothing for packing efficiency, but we brought lots of camera and hiking gear - so no “one bagging” for me. I packed everything in an Away Bigger Carry On Flex (that I checked) and Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack, with plenty of room for souvenirs. I also used a Fjallraven Kanken Hip Pack as a small purse.

Photo by Greyson Howard

I had a hard time creating this packing list - weather in the mountains is changeable in the fall so we needed to be prepared for hot or cold, rainy, snowy, or dry weather. We spent our days hiking but didn’t go hut to hut and returned each day to our lodging in various towns. Most of the packing lists I found focused on one or the other - super light hiking specific lists for people going hut to hut or for people who were going to be mainly in town with just a few short, light hikes. I wanted to have the clothes and gear for long days, while still looking nice when we wandered around town. I think I managed to nail it, with only a few things I’d change for a similar trip in the future.

First off, the winners from my packing list:

  • Janji 5” Pace Shorts - these are so comfortable, stay in place while hiking or running, have lots of big pockets, and washed and dried quickly. These are way more expensive than my Old Navy ones, but they’re definitely worth the money.

  • Ridge merino tops - tanks, tees, and especially the sunshirt  which got way less stinky than my synthetic one. I was able to rewear the Ridge Merino Solstice Sunshirt multiple days in a row.

  • Patagonia Fleetwith Jumpsuit - this has been my travel go to for almost ten years at this point, and it still looks great. It washes and dries quickly, doesn’t wrinkle, repels pet hair, and doesn’t give an “urban explorer” look like a lot of travel gear. I really hope they bring this back, but, until then, there are lots available on Poshmark and Patagonia Worn Wear.

  • Prana Koen Mid Rise Pants  - I bought these pants for this trip, and I was super happy with them. I wore them on the plane in both directions. They come in a long length (that’s actually long enough for me!), were comfortable enough to sleep in, and still looked decent after a long flight. They also pack down super small and wash and dry quickly.

  • Quince chambray long sleeve button down - This shirt was a fairly recent purchase, but I didn’t buy it specifically for this trip. I almost didn’t bring it at all, but I was so glad that I did. It’s on the heavier side for a chambray shirt, so it held its shape well and didn’t wrinkle. It was great for throwing on for a little bit of warmth if it was windy or sun protection on overcast days. It also helped give my repeating outfits a bit of a new look. 

Day to Day Clothes (there was some crossover between hiking and regular clothes):

Hiking Clothes: 

Outerwear

Shoes

Other

Gear

Didn’t Use/Used Minimally but Glad to Have

Fall in the mountains can be hard to pack from because you can have anything from hot, sunny days to sleet and snow. We got lucky with mostly nice weather on our hiking days, but I was glad to have gear that would have let us get out if the weather had been rainy or cold. Additionally, we didn’t end up needing to use our safety gear, but it’s important to have.

  • Rain coat

  • Gloves, headband, buff

  • Puffy

  • Garmin Inreach

  • First Aid Kit

  • Head Lamp

Photo by Greyson Howard

Losers - Things I Should Have Left Behind

  • Sand Cloud Towel- didn’t swim anywhere that didn’t have towels, didn’t need for laundry. Instead, I should have brought a more packable towel like this Sea to Summit Airlite one.

  • Second pair of Goodr Sunglasses - I didn’t need these, and if I was going to bring a third pair, I should have brought a pair with lighter lenses for cloudier days like these Goodrs.

  • Outdoor Research Leggings - it was too warm for these and I got way too hot every time I tried to wear them. I should have brought lighter leggings, like the Janji Trail Tights. Then if it was colder, I could have layered them under the Prana pants. I do love these legging for nordic skiing and cold weather hikes though!

Disclaimer - some of my links are affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any purchase you make via the link - at no additional cost to you.

Lynn Baumgartner
Next

Sugar Bowl to Palisades Tahoe: A Classic Pacific Crest Trail Hike