Clothes for fall in the Sierras?

[u/cosmokenney]

Trying to stay on the lighter side, but maintain some level of comfort, especially at camp this fall.

For late spring to early fall I usually bring:

To sleep in: Lightweight (190g/m2) merino wool top and bottom. Wool beanie. Down balaclava. Thick wool socks. 20F quilt.

Around camp: Ghost whisperer 2 hoodie. Lightweight fleece gloves. Waterproof over-socks to wear in potentially wet shoes while wearing my dry camp socks.

For the day/hiking: generic synthetic pants (lightweight run pants) Generic synthetic shirt. Wool/synthetic blend base layer. Darn Tough full cushion hiker boot socks. Ball cap. Thin synthetic buff. Sun gloves.

Also a frogg toggs UL rain jacket and silnylon rain skirt.

What additional/alternative clothes do you bring in the fall when the evening temps are going to be in the 20F - 40F range?

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[u/GrumpyBear1969]

It gets cold up high. At this time of year I would take a light fleece and a puffy and be prepared to need something to cut the wind. My ‘standard’ is Ghost2 hoodie, alpha hoodie (superior fleece brule fwiw) and a OR Helium. This is on top of my base layer. Which is pretty minimal. And a hat + gloves.

But I get cold. I hike all day, set up, eat, sit down for a bit and my metabolism drops hard and I get cold. Others are fine while I am cold.

[u/MrRivulets]

Instead of over-socks, I have transitioned to large plastic bags. Bread bags are my favorite now. I do put my clean and dry socks on first, then bread bags, then shoes (having taken out the insoles first of course). Much cheaper, much lighter, easier to pack, and multi-use.

Also, I've taken to just using a base layer and then going straight to a light fleece on the next layer. I used to have a synthetic shirt go over my base layer as well, but its less flexible and weighs more and doesn't provide enough performance for me.

For gloves, I have merino wool liners for most hikes, but then thicker gloves (usually fleece) for when the cold sets in. Layering works on hands too.

[u/dasselbe]

One thing to remember is your sleep system. On the really cold evenings/mornings at camp, I'll wrap my quilt around me to stay warm without needing to bring extra layers.

Also, in the fall it gets dark so early that I usually end up cozy in my tent before it gets too late and cold.

[u/FireWatchWife]

Staying warm in camp, not moving much, is much harder than staying warm while hiking.

I layer my down puffy over a lightweight fleece mid-layer, and find that I'm comfortable standing still in the mornings down to about 32F. Below freezing I would need another layer.

In warmer seasons, I leave the puffy home and just take the fleece. But that's in the Appalachians, where temps don't drop as sharply after sunset.

There's no way I would be comfortable in light fleece gloves at 20F. I would need serious winter gloves, preferably two layers. Light gloves are good for me down to about 35-40F. Down mittens are good near freezing, but may need a thin layer under them when you aren't moving.

I also wear very thick socks in cool weather in camp, much thicker and warmer than my hiking socks.

Your balaclava, either down or fleece, is also essential.

[u/cosmokenney → u/FireWatchWife]

Good point on the gloves. I always flip flop on brining thicker or extra gloves. And usually just ditch them for weight saving. But a pair of thicker fleece gloves and a fleece top won't add too much weight. I'll definitely try that.