View Full Version : Yosemite in August-What clothing should I bring?
I'm not sure how much warm clothing I should bring for Yosemite when I go next week.:-?
We are going to be hiking a lot in the higher elevations, but may or may not camp up high since they are going to be day hikes....(I'm hoping to go backpacking but thats probably not going to happen:()
What do you guys normally take?
MTS
For day hiking: long pants, long shirt, good hat, bandana, sunglasses.
If you camp up high: hat, down jacket/fleece, long john bottoms, down sleeping bag around 30 degree rating.
taildragger
07-25-2008, 14:11
When I was there in early June and camping at ~7000 a 30* was fine for me.
During the day I wore zip off pants, and a long white sleeve button down fishing shirt, some good sunglasses, and a straw cowboy hat.
I'd bring a light rain/wind shell for any unexpected rain, and maybe a 100wt fleece if I was camping at elevation
The Solemates
07-25-2008, 15:31
I always take:
-zip-off pants
-tee-shirt
-bandana
-sun hat
-rainjacket
-30 degree bag
that's it.
you can add another lightweight upper extremity piece if you are concerned about being cold, but i stopped doing that a while back because I've found I never use it.
I typically make 4-5 trips out west each summer with this set-up.
Two Speed
07-25-2008, 16:41
I'm headed out to Yosemite tomorrow and was planning on bringing my 200 wt fleece. Looks like I could substitute a polypro turtle neck and get along just fine; bringing my rain jacket and fleece hat either way.
Yes, or taking chances of freezing my patootie?
taildragger
07-25-2008, 16:48
I'm headed out to Yosemite tomorrow and was planning on bringing my 200 wt fleece. Looks like I could substitute a polypro turtle neck and get along just fine; bringing my rain jacket and fleece hat either way.
Yes, or taking chances of freezing my patootie?
You forgot your pistol and your undrinkium. Both will help start a campfire to keep you warm.
Two Speed
07-25-2008, 16:53
Nah, bringing trekking poles, and the dog's got the cell phone so I don't need no stinkin' pistol or undrinkium.
Username75
07-25-2008, 17:15
after working in the park for many years prepare for ALL weather.
it can get rather chilly at nite, but warm up to almost 100 degrees after 11 AM.
when it does rain in the park, IT DOES RAIN.
sobring raingear.
usualy a warm flannel CPO type jacket will suffice
for most evenings.
there are insects, so you might bring a repellent.
if hiking pack lite, but sufficient for your trip,
this time of year backwood hiking has fire restrictions
but this can be overcome by finding a can about as high as your Alcohol stove, and putting it down on clear earth away from vegatation.
a few holes at the bottom of the can should let in enough air.
I use a tuna can for my trangia works great.
BUY YOUR FOOD OUTSIDE THE PARK.
you will thank me if you do.
and curse me if you don;t
Thanks, that helps a lot.
Minor thread drift: I'll be out walking south from Red's Meadow a week from Monday. I'd planned to take my summerweight (45 degree) down bag. Is that going to be warm enough? (I suppose I could don a base layer or two while sleeping.)
taildragger
07-26-2008, 14:16
Minor thread drift: I'll be out walking south from Red's Meadow a week from Monday. I'd planned to take my summerweight (45 degree) down bag. Is that going to be warm enough? (I suppose I could don a base layer or two while sleeping.)
You could call one of the stations out there, I noticed that they always had forecasts for 3000' and 8000' for about week.
IMHO, I sleep warm and I could have rocked the 45. I slept in a 15 and it was brutal. When I got into my girlfriends top bag (which was too cold for her) I was still warm (30* bag, optimistically...) very warm, but I could vent it enough.
All of this was sleeping in early June at ~8000' inside a tarptent.
If I were to do the 45*, I'd definitely make sure to bring a fleece, or a driclime and balaclava.
But thats just my opinion, someone else will undoubtedly have more experience.
Thanks for all the info. I'll be hiking the JMT in September and have been struggling on my clothing choices.
sofaking
07-26-2008, 16:59
don't forget to bring a turtle-neck thong...when you get to a steep descent, just pull up the turtle-neck thong really tight and slide down...works awesome.
Minor thread drift: I'll be out walking south from Red's Meadow a week from Monday. I'd planned to take my summerweight (45 degree) down bag. Is that going to be warm enough? (I suppose I could don a base layer or two while sleeping.)
Absolutely not.
Absolutely not.
Wow. This is gonna suck. My pack just keeps getting heavier and heavier. A-Train, are you pretty certain of this? I imagine most PCT thru-hikers go through this stretch late June or so?
Wow. This is gonna suck. My pack just keeps getting heavier and heavier. A-Train, are you pretty certain of this? I imagine most PCT thru-hikers go through this stretch late June or so?
Not certain. I guess it is colder in June. But 10,000 feet is 10,000 ft. Ditto for 12,000. I'm not trying to scare you. I would NEVER go into the High Sierra with a 45 degree bag, but that's me.
Maybe folks with more summer Sierra experience can say better. YMMV
Not certain. I guess it is colder in June. But 10,000 feet is 10,000 ft. Ditto for 12,000. I'm not trying to scare you. I would NEVER go into the High Sierra with a 45 degree bag, but that's me.
Maybe folks with more summer Sierra experience can say better. YMMV
Yeah, I know I'm cutting it kinda close. I checked temperatures at Mono Hot Springs for this coming week -- lows around 50* F, and it's at 7000 feet. We'll be at 10000 feet much of the time (hopefully not sleeping in the passes!) -- the lapse rate is 4 degrees F per 1000 feet.. so that means around 38* F. I think I'll bring a liner and chance it. The only "UL" bag I own is that summerweight bag. (Do I really need a fifth down bag? Trouble is, three of those bags are >15-20 years old and not the least bit "UL.")
Actually, the temp drops to the low 60s on either side of the Sierras at night during the summer, typically. I lived in Sacramento for 2 1/2 years. With your 4 degrees per 1000 ft (I read somewhere it' s 3, but either way), you're looking at closer to 30* than 38* at 10K ft. In fact on my JMT hike during the month of July many years ago, I had ice in my water bottle several nights.
I echo what A-Train said. If planning to be above 8-10K ft, I would carry my 20* bag and if I had one, nothing less than a 30* bag.
Drove through Yosemite on Sunday (8/3), camped on the PCT near Mammoth Lakes on Monday and Tuesday nights, at 9000 feet (Mon.) and at 10000 feet (Tues). It never got much below 50 degrees either night. Mid-day temps 95 degrees or so in the valley (west of the Sierras.) I was snug in my 45 degree bag, same one I used on the AT last summer.
Drove through Yosemite on Sunday (8/3), camped on the PCT near Mammoth Lakes on Monday and Tuesday nights, at 9000 feet (Mon.) and at 10000 feet (Tues). It never got much below 50 degrees either night. Mid-day temps 95 degrees or so in the valley (west of the Sierras.) I was snug in my 45 degree bag, same one I used on the AT last summer.I'd say you lucked out on the temps. That's atypical. Anyway, I bet it was nice. I'm jealous. Haven't been in the Sierras in a number of years.
Two Speed
08-09-2008, 13:28
Just got back from Yosemite. I had a pair of shorts, convertible pants, light and heavy weight wool socks, cotton socks, t-shirts, long sleeved cotton shirt, 200 wt fleece, fleece hat and arcrylic gloves, and a pair of Montrail Hardrocks. Also had a rain jacket for a wind shell, but didn't ever use that.
Wore the cotton socks while walking, wool socks in camp. The 200 wt fleece was OK, but I'll probably bring my MEC primaloft jacket if I go again.
The big surprise to me was how fast I could sunburn out there. A lot less tree cover, combined with the more intense sunlight at 7,000 - 10,000' was cooking me pretty quick. Rarely wear convertible pants on the AT; almost always hike in shorts and a t-shirt. I'd say I have about a medium complexion, neither fair nor dark complected, but my usual AT attire just didn't cut it. Hiked almost exclusively in the long sleeved shirt and the convertibles; rarely zipped the legs off of the convertibles.
The big surprise to me was how fast I could sunburn out there. A lot less tree cover, combined with the more intense sunlight at 7,000 - 10,000' was cooking me pretty quick.
Ayup. The worst sunburn I've ever gotten was from skiing on Mt. Hood in August, at around 9000 feet.
Reminds me. The largest snow field I had to traverse on my JMT hike rendered me with extremely sunburned legs . . . actually just the exposed area between my gaiters and the top of my shorts (the shorts style was a little shorter in the 70s). Normally my legs were not much of a sunburn issue, but with the direct sunlight + the reflection back up off the snow, my legs fried. It was very painful walking the next couple of days where my knees bent.