Packing · Dolomites

Clothing layers (11)

Base layer, long sleeve (synthetic or merino)2 per personfor below 15 °CWicks sweat; the first layer for dawn starts and for the 2,500 m+ days. Cotton stays wet and chills.Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Mid-layer fleece1 per personfor below 12 °CNeeded whenever the air at the stop is under 12 C.Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Light insulated jacket (down or synthetic), packable1 per personfor below 8 °CRidge breaks, Sass Pordoi and Lagazuoi (about 0 to 5 C with wind), hut terraces at dusk, sunrise stops. Day 11 and day 7 are the cold ones.Days 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14
Waterproof, breathable shell jacket1 per personAfternoon thunderstorms and wind on every high day; also the wind layer on ridges.Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Waterproof over-trousers (side zips)1 per personDays 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14
Quick-dry hiking trousers, one zip-off or shorts2 per personfor below 18 °CValley days reach 22 C, so shorts work below 2,000 m in the morning sun; trousers above.Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Warm hat and thin gloves1 per personfor below 5 °CMornings at 2,000-2,700 m can be near 0 C and wind chill at 3,000 m is -1 to -12 C; sunrise at Lagazuoi or Seceda needs them.Days 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14
Brimmed sun hat or cap1 per personDays 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Sunglasses, category 31 per personUV is about 30 percent higher at 3,000 m and the limestone reflects.Days 3, 7, 11, 14
One clean town and hut-evening outfit and light shoes1 per personEvenings in villages are 10-12 C by early Sep; one outfit is enough with a laundry stop.Days 1 to 15
Swimwear1 per personAcquafun San Candido and Dolomythos are the rain-day fallbacks.Days 5 to 6

Footwear (4)

Mid-height boots with a stiff Vibram-type sole1 per personNeeded for Tre Cime (day 3), Sorapis ladders and cables (6), Lagazuoi tunnels with wet steps (7), Viel dal Pan and Piz Boe scree (11), and every hut-trek stage. Ankle support on loose stone; wet limestone is slick.Days 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Approach shoes or trail shoes (light, grippy)1 per personEnough for the flat or gentle days: Braies loop (2), Prato Piazza (4), Alpe di Siusi (9), Val di Funes short loop (10), Carezza (12). Lighter on the feet; a child usually prefers them.Days 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13
Light hut slippers or camp shoes1 per personBoots stay in the boot room at every hut; most huts lend clogs, but not all. Also used in apartments.Days 8 to 11
Hiking socks (merino or synthetic), spares4 per personWet feet cause blisters; two pairs a day on the long days.Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14

Day pack and mountain kit (10)

Hut nights (option 2, Lagazuoi, Nuvolau, Croda da Lago) (6)

Sleeping-bag liner1 per personMandatory at Croda da Lago (EUR 6 to buy there) and at Biella; huts supply blankets and pillows but not sheets. Buy cotton or silk at home and keep one per person.Days 8 to 11
Cash in small notes, about EUR 150 per hut night1 per partySome huts take cash only, others never published their payment method; tourist tax EUR 1.50 pp at huts is paid in cash at Biella; the dinner extras and drinks add up.Days 8 to 11
Earplugs1 per personShared rooms and dormitories; hut quiet hours are 22:00 to 06:00.Days 8 to 11
Quick-dry travel towel1 per personHuts do not supply towels; showers are rare and usually paid (hut by hut).Days 8 to 11
Hut toiletries kit (soap, toothbrush, tissues, wet wipes)1 per personWater is short at altitude; wet wipes cover the wash.Days 8 to 11
Small duffel or stuff-sack for the car-left bag1 per partyThe car stays in Cortina for three nights; the main bag stays there, the trek bag is 8-10 L light.Days 8 to 11

Documents, money and tech (8)

Passports, each valid to at least 5 Dec 20271 per personEntry to Schengen on 22 Aug and exit 5 Sep (3 months beyond). The rule list has passport for flights only; this is the validity point.Days 1 to 15
International Driving Permit plus Canadian licence1 per personBuy thereRequired with the licence; without it hire insurance can refuse a claim. About CAD 25 at CAA, after 5 Sep 2026 and before July 2027.Days 1, 15
Insurance policy number and 24 h line, offline copy1 per partyMedical (no Canada-Italy healthcare agreement), mountain rescue named; Aiut Alpin helicopter missions are not free.Days 1 to 15
Two cards (Visa and Mastercard) and EUR 300 cash in small notes1 per partyCard at lifts and shops; huts and parking meters take cash; ZTL fines are not payable by cash.Days 1 to 15
30-day Italy eSIM on a TIM-based plan (about USD 33), Canadian SIM kept with data off1 per personBuy thereTIM has the widest mountain reach; the Canadian line stays for SMS and codes. 112 works with no SIM.Days 1 to 15
Plug adapter type L plus type F (also covers C)2 per partyItaly is 230 V 50 Hz; type F and C fit most flats, type L older buildings. A 4-port USB charger saves sockets.Days 1 to 15
Power bank, 10,000 mAh minimum1 per personMaps, photos and torch drain phones; huts charge for sockets.Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Offline maps and apps1 per partyDownload before each hike: a topo app region, Google offline area, hut and parking bookings screenshotted. Apps: South Tyrol weather, Provincia Bolzano mountain weather, ARPAV or MeteoSwiss as a cross-check, 112 Where ARE U (South Tyrol coverage unconfirmed), booking apps for the lifts.Days 1 to 15

Child-specific (6)

Child layers matched to the adult list, one extra fleece1 per personfor below 12 °CSmall bodies cool faster at a stop; the layer list matches the adults but add a spare mid-layer.Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Spare socks, T-shirt and trousers in a dry bag1 per personStreams, rain and mud; a second change on the hut days.Days 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Child-size helmet, for tunnels and any via ferrata1 per personRent thereHire in the valley; do not buy for one day. Operator minimum ages are in the via ferrata lane (not known yet confirm with the operator).Days 7, 14
Snacks and a treat for each hut1 per personBuy thereKeeps motivation on the long days.Days 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11
Small game, book or pocket binoculars1 per personMarmot watching, rest stops and car time.Days 1 to 15
Child restraint for the rental car1 per personRent thereItalian law on child restraints by height: not known yet, confirm with the hire firm and Polizia Stradale before booking.Days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15

Car and daily logistics (6)

Coins for parking meters and toilets1 per partyMountain car parks and pass toilets want coins; huts and lifts do not always accept cards.Days 1 to 15
Parking disc (disco orario)1 per partyBuy thereBlue-line zones in town centres use it; hire cars often lack one.Days 1 to 15
Soft cooler bag and a day of food on arrival1 per partyBuy thereSunday 22 Aug: small-town shops are shut; buy groceries on the VCE side.Day 1
Phone mount and charging cable1 per partyHairpin roads need hands-free navigation.Days 1 to 15
Hire-car items: hi-vis vest, warning triangle, spare check1 per partyRent thereThe hire company supplies and checks them on pickup; the ZTL camera warning stays in the app.Days 1, 15
Windscreen cloth for cold dawn starts1 per partyFrost possible at 1,500 m trailheads in early Sep.Days 2, 3, 14

Also suggested by the places on the trip (5)

Walking shoes or boots with good gripDay 4, Cadini di Misurina viewpoint: our notes record rough, steep or slippery ground there
Waterproof, windproof jacketDay 8, Walk down through the Lagazuoi WWI tunnels: our notes record cold, wet or snowy conditions there
Sun hatDay 4, Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop, clockwise from Rifugio Auronzo: a high place; the WHO says UV rises with altitude
Map (paper or downloaded for offline use)Day 2, Val Fiscalina: navigation is one of the US National Park Service's Ten Essentials for a hike
Water bottle or reservoirDay 2, Val Fiscalina: water is one of the US National Park Service's Ten Essentials for a hike

Dolomites

What to pack

Papers and insurance