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We spent 9 days hiking in Switzerland, from June 13-21, 2026. The weather this time of year is iffy; it often rains, and temps can range from wet and chilly to blazing hot. I knew layering would be key, as was having good rain gear just in case.
I needed (almost) everything to fit in my 45L Peak Design travel backpack—and because this bag is nothing short of magical, it did. (Knowing how often we’d be on and off trains and hauling our luggage to and from Airbnbs, I didn’t want a roller bag.) I did check this bag, however, as I had my hiking day pack with my bulky hiking boots and my small cross-body bag as my personal items.
Here is the full list of clothes, shoes, and accessories for 8 days of hiking in Switzerland. (I’ve also got a link at the end to an Instagram carousel showcasing all of my gear!)
Clothes
I needed a mix of hiking and “town” clothing, plus one outfit for travel.
4 pairs of pants
REI Trailmade Barrel Pants (tall length, color Cremini)
Calia Nylux Cinch Cargo Pants (long length, color Khaki)
lululemon Stretch Woven Ruffle-Waist Wide-Leg Pant (no longer sold, black—travel pants)
Heynuts Yoga Pro Leggings (black)
I only wore the black lululemon pants on the plane, but it was worth bringing them. They are so light and comfortable, look elegant, and they were easy to wash when I landed. It felt great to put on a pair of clean pants for the plane ride home, and had the weather stayed chilly they would have been clutch for town days. These two hiking pants were also perfect. I mostly wore shorts hiking because it was so hot, but they were cute enough to wear on chilly mornings and evenings, and very light. Shockingly, I never wore the leggings. People don’t really hike or hang out in athleisure in Europe, and it was too hot to wear them during the day.
4 pairs of shorts
Linen shorts, Old Navy (no longer sold, tan—for town days)
baleaf 5” Workout Shorts (tan, for hiking)
CRZ Yoga High-Waisted Dolphin Athletic Shorts (black, for hiking and town)
SANTINY Hiking Cargo Shorts 5” (color Silver Sage, for hiking)
The linen shorts got near-zero use. I wore my black running shorts (a lululemon dupe) a lot in town, paired with the Everlane black high-neck tank and my silver Adidas. It was sleek enough to look nice, but if it rained I wouldn’t be miserable. It was too hot for jean shorts, plus they’re bulky to pack. In retrospect, I would have swapped the linen shorts for my red (or black) Patagonia Garden Island shorts.
5 tank tops (town)
Ribbed Slim-Fit Tank Top (TikTok shop, white)
Ribbed Slim-Fit Tank Top (TikTok shop, mauve)
Linen striped tank (black and white, Zara, no longer sold)
Everlane Luxe Rib Racerback Tank (black)
I didn’t wear my linen tank at all, and only wore the one-shoulder tank twice. I could have skipped them both, or swapped the one-shoulder for a different color tank.
3 tank tops (hiking)
lululemon Switftly Tech Racerback Tank Top Waist Length (grey)
lululemon Switftly Tech Racerback Tank Top Waist Length (terracotta)
lululemon Switftly Tech Racerback Tank Top Waist Length (neon yellow)
I wore every single one of these at least twice. They were easy to hand-wash and dried in the sun very quickly. No notes.
4 long-sleeve tops (hiking and town)
REI Lightweight Long-Sleeve Crew Base Layer (color Raisin)
REI Lightweight Long-Sleeve Crew Base Layer (color Echo Grey Heather)
SKIMS Cotton Jersey Long-Sleeve T-Shirt (color Soot)
Levi’s Western Linen + Denim Shirt (color Dark Wash)
I wore the Echo Grey (more of a cream color in person) base layer a LOT. It was light, offered great sun coverage, and was my ride-or-die by midday on hikes. I only wore the raisin one once, probably because it was dark. I also didn’t wear the SKIMS tee (I brought this for town days, in case it was chilly). In retrospect I would have skipped the SKIMS long-sleeve and replaced the raisin base layer with a sun hoodie. (I can’t believe I didn’t pack a sun hoodie… at one point I had one in my “to pack” pile but it somehow didn’t make it.) I wore the denim shirt for travel and as a light jacket, and it was pefect. It didn’t wrinkle, easy to wear open or buttoned, and went with everything.
4 sports bras
CRZY Yoga Feeling Strappy Sports Bra (green/grey)
CRZY Yoga Feeling Strappy Sports Bra (maroon)
I didn’t bring a single bra-bra with me, and this was the best decision. I wore these hiking and in town, and just hand-washed them often. They were super comfortable and dried fast. (These are a dupe for the lululemon Free to Be Wild bra, but much cheaper. I’ve been wearing them exclusively for years.)
6 pairs of socks (hiking and travel)
4 pairs of wool-blend hiking socks (Pride Socks, innotree merino socks)
2 pairs of town socks (Stance quarter socks, Stance no-show socks)
This was almost the right amount of socks. I wore the hiking socks daily and hand-washed them immediately so they’d be dry the next time I needed them. I wore the cream innotree merino socks on plane days, because they are so soft and cozy. I wore the no-shows on town days with my black running shorts and silver Adidas. I could have skipped the quarter socks, but they’re small so NBD.
4 pairs of shoes (hiking and town)
Danner Mountain 600 waterproof hiking boots (color Grizzly Brown)
Brooks Cascadia 18 trail runners (no longer sold)
Adidas Barreda sneakers (color Cyber Metallic)
Franco Sarto Monalee sandals (black)
I knew I needed both my boots and trail runners, because if a pair got soaking wet or started to become uncomfortable, I needed options. (I ended up wearing my boots on nearly every hike.) I also needed walking sneakers, and a pair of sandals. (I could have doubled up my trail runners here, but I wanted a cute pair of walking sneakers.) I wanted to pack my Birkenstock but they’re bulky. I ended up wearing the sandals the least; my sneakers were perfect for town and travel days.
Jackets
Arc’teryx Beta SL Rain Jacket (color flame)
Patagonia Nanopuff Jacket (color Permafrost Purple)
Black Diamond Deploy Wind Shell (mens, color Alloy, not available)
Trendy Queen Zip-Up Cropped Hoodie (color Coffeegrey)
I played my jackets perfectly. Gore-Tex rain jacket (this Arc’teryx is 10 years old), a puffy layer (which I only wore once, but I had to have it just in case); a light water resistant windbreaker (which I wore on every hike), and a hoodie for travel days and lounging at home. FYI, this is the coziest hoodie I’ve ever owned, and the shorter length (hits right at my waist) is perfect. I have them in at least four different colors.
Miscellaneous
Cupshe Bikini Set (color Purple Red)
Kaenon polarized sunglasses (no longer available)
Tommy John Second Skin Tank & Short PJs (color lilac)
2 bandanas
1 baseball hat
This bikini is REALLY stretchy and comfy. Polarized glasses were ideal on the trail—they made the snow, ice, and lakes pop with depth and color. My PJs needed to be light, as there isn’t any AC in most hotels and Airbnbs. (These were also easy to wash and quick to dry.) I wore the bandanas on every hike and wish I had packed a third. I wore the hat a few times on hikes, for sun protection. I always hike with a Kula Cloth, and it was fun to spot them on other people’s packs while in the Alps!
Bags
45L Peak Design travel backpack (color Coyote X-Pac)
BagSmart Packing Cubes (black)
Ultimate Direction USA Fastpack 20L (color Beacon)
Patagonia Terravia Mini Hip Pack (multi-color)
I will make an entire video on this Peak Design bag, because it was the best travel bag I have ever used. It fits as a carry-on (barely, but technically it is within Delta’s limits) and held all of my gear brilliantly. It had a million ways to get into it, so nothing was ever stuck at the bottom, and lots of hidden pockets to stash paperwork and other odds and ends. (The side pockets were stuffed with snacks.)
The BagSmart packing cubes saved my life. They held more than my expensive Monos packing cubes, and actually compressed. They kept me organized and made repacking at each destination effortless. Best $30 I’ve ever spent.
I’ve been hiking exclusively with Ultimate Direction packs for a decade. This 20L was the perfect size for our day trips. (I’ve had this one for a few years now.) It held my 3L water reservoir, a towel and bathing suit, snacks, my PB&J sandwich, my Kindle, and all of my hiking necessities. And the pockets on the shoulder straps make it easy to access your phone, sunglasses, lip balm, sunscreen, and snacks.
The BagSmart cross-body bag was inexpensive and not the most stylish, but worked out perfectly. It’s super light and squishy, has a ton of pockets, and held a surprising number of things. I didn’t use the Patagonia mini-hip pack at all.
Tips and tricks
A few things that made packing for this trip easier:
I practice-packed my 45L bag a few times before the morning of my trip. I had to see where stuff fit best and how to arrange it, and it took some trial and error.
I labeled my compression cubes, and when we changed locations, everything went back in the same cube. This made re-packing much easier.
I knew I’d have more breathing room on the way home, as I used up the oats, bars, and toiletries. The bag was STUFFED on the way there, but it was much easier to pack on the way home.
I considered bringing a dress—I had the Athleta Signature Rib Maxi Dress in black ready to go. I figured it would be a good layering piece, and with a built-in bra, easy to wear. I ended up not bringing it, and that was the right call. I didn’t really need it, and it would have made changing to swim far more awkward.
My hiking boots were the hardest to fit. I ended up tying them to the outside of my carry-on day pack. That left me room inside for books, snacks, etc. It was a little awkward getting that bag into the overhead bin, but otherwise this worked just fine. (I had enough room in my big bag on the way home to pack them.)
ALSO, for you visual learners, I’ve got an Instagram post with all of this gear laid out here. What did I miss? What kinds of questions do you have about packing for hiking in the Alps? Leave them in comments!
Thank you. Great tips.
Fantastic article - thank you so much for these details!
Practically speaking....how exactly do you wash things out in the sink at night? Do you take special soap with you? Does it work well for stinky stuff (like bras where you might have either armpit stink or deodorant stink (or both - which is somehow worse) on the armholes)? I've got a trip coming up and sink washing looks like the only option. Looking for some hands on practical advice on how to do this from you (or anyone else that's skilled at it!).