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What to pack for California in March

Typical March, built from ten years of weather

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Typical for your dates
Highs 63°F, lows 46°F, rain 11 of 31 days
coldwetmild
Sunset lands around 7:15pm. Wind averages 11 mph. No border paperwork on this one.
Packing for

Essentials

13 items · 0 packed
Insulated puffy (down or synthetic)
Lows around 46°F. Goes under the shell when the wind picks up.
On sale
Repleto Down Jacket - Women's
budgetWomen's
Repleto Down Jacket - Women's
$74 $185
Shop
at Cotopaxi
On sale
Solazo Down Hooded Jacket - Women's
budgetWomen's
Solazo Down Hooded Jacket - Women's
$90 $240
Shop
at Cotopaxi
On sale
Fuego Down Jacket - Men's
budgetMen's
Fuego Down Jacket - Men's
$108 $270
Shop
at Cotopaxi
On sale
Hybrid WINDSTOPPER Lightweight Puffy Jacket - Men's
mid
Hybrid WINDSTOPPER Lightweight Puffy Jacket…
$196 $280
Shop
at Backcountry.com
On sale
Insulated Puffy Parka Jacket - Women's
mid
Insulated Puffy Parka Jacket - Women's
$152 $379
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at Backcountry.com
Swipe for all 5 options →
Merino base layer top
Wear one, dry one. Cotton stays wet all week here.
On sale
Terramar Men's 3.0 Merino Bi-Layer Long-Sleeve Crew Base Layer Top Gray S
budgetMen's
Terramar Men's 3.0 Merino Bi-Layer Long-Sleeve…
$29.73 $45
Shop
at REI
On sale
Wedze Women’s BL900 Merino Wool Ski Base Layer Top
budgetWomen's
Wedze Women’s BL900 Merino Wool Ski Base Layer Top
$60 $99.99
Shop
at Decathlon America
On sale
Arc'teryx Women's Lana Merino Wool Crew Base Layer Top Black XS
midWomen's
Arc'teryx Women's Lana Merino Wool Crew Base…
$63.93 $90
Shop
at REI
On sale
Arc'teryx Women's Satoro Merino Wool Crew Neck Long-Sleeve Base Layer Top Green XS
midWomen's
Arc'teryx Women's Satoro Merino Wool Crew Neck…
$95.73 $120
Shop
at REI
On sale
Terramar Women's 3.0 Merino Flex Long-Sleeve Crew Base Layer Top Blue XL
budgetWomen's
Terramar Women's 3.0 Merino Flex Long-Sleeve…
$54.73 $80
Shop
at REI
Swipe for all 5 options →
Warm hat (beanie)
Lows dip to 46°F and wind runs at 17 km/h, so a beanie blocks both.
Sunscreen SPF 50
UV index of 6.3 in March still burns; twelve hours of daylight means exposure.
Polarized sunglasses
Glare off the coast and pavement is intense even when the sun feels mild.
DEET or picaridin repellent
Humidity at 72% near the coast keeps insects active through March.
Tick remover
Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.
Travel first aid kit
Urban hiking near parks means minor cuts and scrapes happen regularly.

Recommended

7 items
Neck gaiter / buff
Permethrin-treated clothing spray
Reusable water bottle
Multi-port USB-C charger (GaN)
AirTag / tracker for bags
Packing cubes
15% off