Kit: what I carry in Yosemite

Three packing lists with the reasoning behind every item: a day pack, what an overnight adds, and the full car load.

Day pack

For a single day on the trail in the Valley or the high country. Spring through fall.

• 20–25L pack with a hip belt: Hip belt matters more than the brand. It should sit on your iliac crest, not your waist.
• Paper map of the park: Cell service dies past Crane Flat. A physical map does not need a signal.
• Baseplate compass: Paired with the paper map, it is useful when the phone is dead or lost.
• Downloaded offline maps: Gaia or Maps.me. Download the tile set at home before you leave; the park has no reliable data connection.
• Garmin inReach Mini or similar satellite messenger: Two-way texting and SOS when there is no cell signal, which is most of the high country.
• Power bank, 10,000 mAh: Backup for phone navigation and the satellite messenger. Charge it the night before.
• Wide-brim sun hat: Granite reflects. A baseball cap is not enough above 7,000 feet.
• Long-sleeve sun shirt, UPF 50: Light color, hood if you can find it. Wear it even in heat.
• Sunscreen, SPF 50, reef-safe: Reapply every two hours at elevation.
• Polarized sunglasses, UV400: Polarized lenses cut glare off granite and water.
• SPF lip balm: Lips chap and burn faster than skin at elevation.
• Patagonia Nano Puff, or any packable insulated jacket: The Valley is warm at 10am and 40°F at the rim by 3pm. Synthetic insulation still works if it gets wet.
• Packable rain shell with taped seams: Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer high country.
• Warm beanie
• Lightweight gloves: Worth carrying for Tuolumne.
• Extra wool or synthetic socks: Wet socks cause blisters. A dry pair costs almost no weight.
• Buff or neck gaiter
• Headlamp plus spare battery: Day hikes turn into night hikes more often than you would think.
• Small first aid kit: Blister care is what you actually use.
• Leukotape or moleskin: Apply before hot spots form.
• Ibuprofen
• Antihistamine
• Tweezers
• Personal prescription meds
• Lighter or waterproof matches: Emergency fire only. Campfires are banned above 9,600 feet.
• Small folding knife or multi-tool
• Duct tape, short strip
• 10 to 15 feet of paracord
• 2L reservoir plus 1L bottle: Reservoir for steady sipping, bottle for filtering refills. Both, not either.
• Squeeze water filter: The Sawyer kind. Cheap, fast, and keeps working when the temperature drops.
• Electrolyte tabs or powder
• Trail snacks, twice what you think: Calories matter more than weight up here. Bring real food: bars, nuts, jerky, dried fruit, hard candy.
• Extra emergency food, one meal
• Emergency bivy or space blanket
• Pealess whistle
• Over-the-head mosquito head net: Meadows and creek crossings in spring and early summer can be dense with mosquitoes.
• DEET or picaridin insect repellent
• Hand sanitizer
• Trowel, TP, and Ziploc: For catholes on longer day hikes.
• Trekking poles: They reduce knee stress on steep descents.
• Packable foam sit pad
• Small dry bag for phone and electronics
• Cash in small bills: Parking is cash-only at several trailheads.
• Hiking boots or trail runners: Road sneakers do not grip wet granite.

Overnight backpack

For one to four nights in the backcountry. This adds to the day pack list, it does not replace it.

• 55 to 65L pack: Bigger than you need is worse than tighter than you want.
• Three-season tent: Freestanding, two doors, under three pounds if you can afford it.
• Tent footprint
• Extra tent stakes: Longer stakes hold in sandy, rocky soil.
• Guy-line cord
• 20°F sleeping bag: A 30°F bag is not enough above 8,000 feet.
• Inflatable pad, R-value 4 or higher: Cold ground steals heat all night.
• Compressible camp pillow
• Sleeping bag liner: It adds 5 to 15°F of warmth.
• Dry bags and stuff sacks
• Stove plus 4oz canister: Figure one canister per two days, per person. Bring one extra.
• Lightweight cookpot: 750ml for one, 1.3L for two.
• Long spork
• Lighter plus backup: Carry two. They vanish and they fail.
• Insulated mug
• Collapsible water bottles or bladder
• Electrolyte packets or instant coffee
• Food and odor-proof bags
• Biodegradable camp soap: Wash dishes 200 feet from water.
• Small sponge or dish rag
• Bear canister, required: Yosemite rents Garcia jugs at the wilderness center cheaply but they are heavy. Upgrading to a BearVault 500, or a 450 for shorter trips, is worth it. All food, trash, and scented items go inside, and store it 50 feet or more from your tent.
• Wilderness permit, required year-round: Carry a physical or digital copy. It specifies your trailhead and entry date, and it covers the use of a backpacking stove in the park.
• Insulated puffy jacket
• Warm base layers for sleep
• Warm hat and light gloves
• Extra dry socks
• Camp shoes: Cheap foam sandals. Worth their weight every single night.
• Camping shovel, the poop shovel: You know what this is for. Practice Leave No Trace: dig a 6-to-8-inch cathole 200 feet from water and trail, do your business, bury it. Pack a double-lined Ziploc to carry your TP back out. Or, if you want to be a real outdoor junkie, just use rocks. No, seriously. You can just use rocks.
• Hand sanitizer
• Toothbrush and small toothpaste: Spit 200 feet from water.
• Wet wipes
• Small pack towel
• Blister kit with Leukotape
• Menstrual supplies and pack-out bag
• Power bank with cables: There is no cell service in the backcountry.
• Satellite messenger or PLB: A Garmin inReach or SPOT works. A PLB needs no subscription.
• Extra headlamp batteries or spare headlamp
• Mosquito head net: June through mid-August, the lakes and meadows are brutal.
• Tent and pad patch kit
• Duct tape or repair tape
• Paracord
• Multi-tool or knife
• Whistle
• Emergency bivy
• Earplugs and eye mask

Car trip

The full trunk load for any Yosemite drive. Pack it once, leave it packed.

• The John box: Named after my friend John, who came up with the idea. The John box is a single durable storage box that holds every camping essential you ever bring: a double-burner Coleman stove, propane, a hatchet, paracord, firestarter, a flashlight, a spare headlamp and batteries, a lantern, a tarp, even a deck of playing cards. Mine doubles as a camp chair and a small table. The whole point is that you don't unpack it between trips. You load it once, store it loaded, and grab it on the way out the door. You'll never forget the propane again. If you'd rather skip the build, John sells a premade version with everything you need to survive and thrive in the wild.
• Tent sized for the group plus one
• Tent footprint or ground cloth
• Extra tent stakes: Rocky Sierra soil bends cheap ones.
• Mallet or rubber hammer
• Sleeping bag, one per person: Rate it to at least 20°F.
• Sleeping pad or air mattress
• Pillow, one per person
• Extra blankets: One wool blanket per tent.
• Tarp
• Extra tarp: Stage it separately so you always have a spare.
• Pop-up shade canopy: Eight hours of August sun makes this mandatory.
• Canopy stakes and guy lines
• Tent repair kit
• Double-burner propane stove
• Stove windscreen: Sierra afternoons are windy.
• Spare standard 1 lb propane canister: Always carry one extra.
• Little Kamper refillable 1 lb propane: A DOT-certified refillable canister sold at the Village Store and other in-park locations on an exchange model. Buy one, then swap empties for full ones. The park disposes of roughly 24,000 single-use cylinders left at campsites every year, so this is the responsible alternative.
• 1 lb-to-bulk-tank adapter hose: Cheaper fuel on longer trips.
• Cast iron skillet, 10 to 12 inch
• Pot with lid, 4 quart
• Saucepan, 2 quart
• Kettle or percolator
• Dutch oven, optional
• Portable grilling grate: Campsite grates vary.
• Pot gripper or handle
• Thin flexible cutting board: It rolls flat and rinses in seconds.
• Chef knife in a sheath
• Paring knife
• Metal spatula
• Long-handled tongs
• Wooden spoon
• Ladle
• Whisk
• Large serving spoon
• Can opener
• Bottle opener or wine key
• Collapsible mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Unbreakable plates, one per person
• Unbreakable bowls, one per person
• Insulated mugs, one per person
• Eating utensils, one set per person
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Ziploc bags, quart and gallon
• Spice kit: Salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, red pepper, olive oil.
• Cooking oil in a squeeze bottle
• Biodegradable dish soap
• Sponge or scrubber
• Collapsible wash basin: A two-basin wash and rinse uses less water.
• Dish towels
• Paper towels
• Reusable food containers
• Kitchen trash bags
• Lighter, keep two
• Waterproof matches, backup
• 5 gallon jug with a spigot: Not for drinking. For radiators, hand-washing, the unexpected.
• 2 gallon collapsible jug
• Water filter: The Sawyer kind, as a backup if the spigot is closed.
• Purification tablets, backup
• Reusable bottles, one per person
• Insulated tumbler, one per person
• Firewood, bought in-park: California invasive-pest rules apply and rangers enforce them at checkpoints. Buy it locally.
• Kindling
• Fatwood or fire-starting sticks
• Firestarter cubes
• Newspaper, backup tinder
• Long-reach lighter
• Waterproof matches
• Leather fire gloves
• Small metal shovel or trowel: For spreading coals and smothering the fire.
• Metal water bucket: Full extinguishment is required before you leave a fire.
• Telescoping roasting sticks
• Valley campfire hours awareness: Campfires in Valley campgrounds are restricted to certain evening hours, and high-country wilderness fires are banned above 9,600 feet. Propane stoves stay legal during fire bans.
• Hatchet
• Folding saw: Cuts what the hatchet bounces off.
• Work gloves
• Paracord, 50 feet
• Additional paracord or bank line, 100 feet
• Assorted bungee cords
• Utility carabiners
• Duct tape, full roll
• Assorted zip ties
• Multi-tool
• Small toolkit: Screwdrivers, a wrench, pliers.
• Tent pole repair sleeve
• Seam sealer
• Gear ties
• Cable locks: Secure gear to the rack or table.
• Heavy-duty needle and thread
• Headlamp, one per person: Vault toilets at midnight are not the place to share.
• Spare headlamp with fresh batteries
• Extra batteries, AA and AAA
• LED lantern
• Handheld flashlight
• Power bank, 20,000 mAh: Cell service is unreliable past Crane Flat.
• Multi-port car USB charger
• String lights, battery or solar
• Collapsible solar lantern
• Candles in a covered holder
• Standard folding camp chairs, one per person: You will use them more than anything else you bring.
• Packable backpacking-style camp chairs, one or two extra: Folds to the size of a water bottle and goes in the John box.
• Small folding camp table: Keeps the picnic table from becoming a staging area.
• Hammock with tree-friendly straps
• Outdoor rug or foam mat
• Clothesline, 20 feet
• Clothespins
• Whisk broom and dustpan
• Inflatable backup pillow
• Packable quilt or outdoor blanket
• Tote bags for grocery and bear-locker runs
• Comprehensive first aid kit: Blister treatment, moleskin, a SAM splint, an ace bandage, antiseptic, gauze, tape, and OTC meds. Note that bear spray is not permitted in Yosemite. Do not bring it.
• Dedicated tweezers
• Whistle, one per person
• Lithium jump pack: Better than cables. Cell service is unreliable past Crane Flat.
• Jumper cables, backup
• Road flares or reflective triangles
• Small ABC fire extinguisher
• Tire chains, November through April: Required during chain controls and rangers check. Practice once at home.
• Tire pressure gauge
• Basic car kit: Spare, jack, lug wrench.
• Mylar emergency blankets
• Sunscreen, SPF 50
• Insect repellent, DEET or picaridin
• Tick-check reminder: Yosemite has Lyme-carrying ticks.
• Extra toilet paper
• Portable hand-wash station
• Hand sanitizer, large
• Wet or baby wipes
• Biodegradable camp soap: Keep it 200 feet from water.
• Travel shampoo and conditioner
• Quick-dry towels, one per person
• Toiletries kit: Toothbrush, paste, floss, deodorant, lip balm, feminine items. All in the bear locker overnight.
• Small mirror
• Shower sandals or flip-flops: Curry Village and Housekeeping showers require them.
• Quarters and small bills: For the coin showers.
• Contractor trash bags
• Recycling bag
• Grey-water container: Do not dump dishwater on the ground.
• WAG bags for remote sites
• Cooler with ice: Bear-aware: nothing with a scent stays in the car overnight.
• Second cooler or dry-goods bin
• Block ice: It lasts longer. Freeze it in a cleaned jug.
• Dry-goods bin with a lid
• Coffee setup: Pour-over or percolator, grounds, filters, a manual grinder.
• Shelf-stable creamer
• Tea and cocoa packets
• Condiment packets
• Cooking oil and butter, sealed
• Snack bag: Granola, trail mix, jerky, dried fruit. There is one grocery store in the Valley and the line is long.
• S'mores kit, boxed together
• Printed meal plan
• Small supply of paper plates and cups
• Napkins
• Moisture-wicking base layers
• Mid-layer fleece or down
• Insulated outer jacket
• Packable rain jacket: Summer afternoon thunderstorms are not rare.
• Rain pants
• Zip-off hiking pants
• Camp pants or shorts
• T-shirts
• Long-sleeve UPF 50 sun shirt
• Beanie
• Wide-brim sun hat
• Lightweight gloves
• Broken-in hiking boots
• Camp shoes or sandals
• Extra socks, two pairs per day
• Swimwear: The Merced swimming holes are real, cold, and worth it.
• Underwear, plus extras
• Dedicated sleepwear
• Low gaiters
• Printed campsite and permit confirmation: Include your Half Dome confirmation if you have one.
• Paper park map
• Bear-locker discipline: All food and scented items, including deodorant, toothpaste, chapstick, sunscreen, and trash, go in the bear box. The trunk is not bear-proof.
• Offline NPS app, downloaded
• Park entrance receipt or America the Beautiful pass: Keep it on the dashboard.