What to pack for The Alps in May

15 rain days a month finds every seam. A real shell, not a windbreaker.

Lows around 30°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.

Lows drop to minus one. A beanie stops heat loss from your head.

Wind at eight kilometers per hour bites exposed skin on ridges.

Terrain is mountain with patches of snow. Boots rated below minus one work.

UV index hits 8.1 at elevation. Skin burns in two hours.

Snow reflects sun at 2055 meters and glare hurts your eyes.

Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.

Remote mountain terrain and altitude mean hours from medical help.

This country runs on Type C or J. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.

Fifteen hours of daylight drains batteries fast on camera and phone.

Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.

Fits airline overhead bins. Skip checked bags on short hops.

Mountain hikes from base camp need daypack space for layers and water.

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.

Snow and minus one lows turn regular gloves stiff and useless.

For the mornings and the nights.

Altitude of 2055 meters means thin air and fast temperature swings.

Wet snow soaks through regular socks and chills feet fast.

UV hits 8.1 here. Long sleeves beat reapplying sunscreen every hour.

Fifteen daylight hours means long exposure to UV index 8.1.

Tap water is safe here. Carry a bottle for the long days.

One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.

Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.

International travel and mountain villages mean lost bags take days to find.

Multi-country trip means checked luggage for gear you won't carry daily.

Packing cubes compress damp clothes and separate dirty from clean.

International routes and two weeks of elevation mean rolling luggage.

Humidity at 82 percent and rain fifteen days a month breed mold.

Lows around 30°F. One blanket that packs small covers the car, the campsite and the beach at sunset.

Thin air at 2055 meters and fifteen rain days make cabin pressure changes and engine noise harder to tolerate.

Mountain terrain and snow patches need poles to save knees on descent.

Snow works into boots at every step and melts against your leg.

Fifteen rain days in May means wet boots stay wet without treatment.

Thin air and UV 8.1 dry lips fast and cause cracks.

Single-track mountain roads and 8 km/h wind make stomachs unsettled.

Guesthouses share facilities. One outlet serves many guests.

One outlet at the guesthouse charges three devices in rotation.

A few phrases go a long way. Ten minutes a day before you leave is plenty.

International border crossings happen on this route through the Alps.

Luggage transfers between countries and hands in transit.

Checked suitcase space fills fast with layers for minus one to seven.

Damp air and long days mean toiletries scattered across the room.

Thin mountain air and high altitude disrupt sleep on first nights.

Lows of minus one and wind make hands numb on ridges.