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What to pack for San Francisco in December
Typical December, built from ten years of weather
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Typical for your dates
Highs 57°F, lows 46°F, rain 10 of 31 days
coldwindyshort days
Sunset lands around 5:50pm. Wind averages 12 mph. No border paperwork on this one.
0 of 45 packed
Packing for
45 things on this list are on sale today
Essentials
14 items
Lows around 46°F. Goes under the shell when the wind picks up.
Wear one, dry one. Cotton stays wet all week here.
The layer you'll wear more than any other.
Wind at 20 km/h and lows near 46°F make an uninsulated head lose heat fast.
Glare off water and pavement intensifies even at UV 2.5 when the sun is low.
December rain and 82% humidity create the damp conditions where mosquitoes breed near the bay.
Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.
Urban terrain means blisters, minor cuts, and scrapes happen faster than in remote areas.
Nine hours of daylight means your phone dies before sunset if you're taking photos.
Dark by 5:50pm. Every campsite chore after that is a two-hands job.
Day trips to nearby parks require a separate pack so your main bag stays at the hotel.
Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.
For the passport, the chargers, and the one dry pair of socks.
Before you go
2 to sort
Recommended
9 items
Coastal wind cuts through a t-shirt fast.
Coastal wind and 9.6 hours of daylight mean exposed skin on your neck gets cold.
Treat the clothes once and it lasts weeks.
Tap water is safe here, so a bottle cuts down single-use plastic waste.
One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.
Urban crowds and public transit make bags targets; tracking prevents loss in the chaos.
Packing cubes compress damp clothes and keep mold from spreading in 82% humidity.
Rain 10 days this month means wet clothes pile up; washing every three days prevents odor.
Lows around 46°F. One blanket that packs small covers the car, the campsite and the beach at sunset.
Nice to have
6 items you could skip
Layering matters when highs stay at 57°F and you're walking urban streets all day.
High humidity traps bacteria on your hands between washings in a crowded city.
Insect bites itch worst when sunburn relief is the only anti-itch option you have.
One outlet per room forces you to charge devices in sequence, not parallel.
Domestic travel through a major city airport benefits from locks on checked luggage.
Basics
16 things you probably own already