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What to pack for Yellowstone in December

Typical December, built from ten years of weather

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Typical for your dates
Highs 21°F, lows 10°F, rain 13 of 31 days
snowyfreezingcold
Sunset lands around 5:40pm. Wind averages 12 mph. No border paperwork on this one.
Packing for

Essentials

18 items · 0 packed
Rain shell (hardshell jacket)
13 rain days a month finds every seam. A real shell, not a windbreaker.
On sale
Quechua Men's Raincut Fullzip Waterproof Rain Jacket
budgetMen's
Quechua Men's Raincut Fullzip Waterproof Rain…
$15 $29.99
Shop
at Decathlon America
On sale
Quechua Women's MH100 Waterproof Hiking Rain Jacket
budgetWomen's
Quechua Women's MH100 Waterproof Hiking Rain…
$40 $49.99
Shop
at Decathlon America
Fineline Stretch Rain Shell - Women's
premium
Fineline Stretch Rain Shell - Women's
$189
Shop
at Backcountry.com
Columbia Women's AmazeRain 3L Rain Shell Jacket Brown XS
premiumWomen's
Columbia Women's AmazeRain 3L Rain Shell Jacket
$250
Shop
at REI
On sale
Quechua Women’s NH500 Waterproof Hiking Rain Jacket
budgetWomen's
Quechua Women’s NH500 Waterproof Hiking Rain…
$50 $69.99
Shop
at Decathlon America
Swipe for all 5 options →
Insulated puffy (down or synthetic)
Lows around 10°F. Goes under the shell when the wind picks up.
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
Fuego Hooded Down Jacket - Women's
budgetWomen's
Fuego Hooded Down Jacket - Women's
$148 $295
Shop
at Cotopaxi
On sale
Insulated Puffy Parka Jacket - Women's
mid
Insulated Puffy Parka Jacket - Women's
$152 $379
Shop
at Backcountry.com
On sale
Repleto Down Long Jacket - Women's
budgetWomen's
Repleto Down Long Jacket - Women's
$100 $200
Shop
at Cotopaxi
Swipe for all 5 options →
Heavy insulated parka
Highs below freezing. A puffy alone won't do it.
Merino base layer top
Wear one, dry one. Cotton stays wet all week here.
Warm hat (beanie)
Lows hit 10°F. Exposed skin on your ears and forehead loses heat fast.
Gloves
Wind at 20 km/h pulls warmth from bare hands within minutes.
Insulated winter boots
Snow covers the ground and ice forms under it. Regular boots won't grip.
Polarized sunglasses
Snow reflects UV rays at altitude. Eyes strain without polarized lenses.

Before you go

1 to sort

Recommended

13 items
Merino base layer bottoms
Neck gaiter / buff
Thermal socks
Permethrin-treated clothing spray
Reusable water bottle
Multi-port USB-C charger (GaN)