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What to pack for San Francisco in May
Typical May, built from ten years of weather
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Typical for your dates
Highs 63°F, lows 52°F, rain 2 of 31 days
windyhigh UVdry
Sunset lands around 8:10pm. Wind averages 18 mph. No border paperwork on this one.
0 of 42 packed
Packing for
34 things on this list are on sale today
Essentials
10 items
UV index reaches 10.3 in May, even on cool days.
Glare bounces off water and pavement all afternoon.
Coastal humidity at 77% brings mosquitoes to parks.
Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.
Urban hiking near the Golden Gate exposes you to scrapes.
Long daylight hours drain phone batteries faster than usual.
Overhead bins on regional flights won't fit larger bags.
Day trips to Muir Woods and beaches need separate packing.
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
10 items
Coastal wind cuts through a t-shirt fast.
Wind hits 29 km/h off the bay and cuts through layers.
UV hits 10.3 here. Long sleeves beat reapplying sunscreen every hour.
Fourteen hours of daylight means long exposure to sun.
Treat the clothes once and it lasts weeks.
Two rain days mean tap water stays safe to drink.
One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.
Airports and transit hubs make bag theft a real risk.
Damp air at 77% humidity makes wrinkled clothes visible.
Two weeks of urban walking dirties clothes faster than expected.
Nice to have
6 items you could skip
Lips crack from wind and sun exposure combined.
Public transit and crowded sites spread germs year-round.
Bites itch worse when sunburned skin is already inflamed.
Charging ports wear out from daily use in cities.
Domestic travel still requires protection against opportunistic theft.
Bathroom humidity fogs mirrors and makes wet items mildew.
Basics
16 things you probably own already