Our family took a trip out to Banff last month. I wanted to share what worked and what didn’t packing for Banff in May. The biggest challenge is that you have to pack for both the low and higher elevations which can be stuck in different seasons at this time of year. I will let you know what worked and what didn’t in my guide of what to pack for Banff.
Weather wise I found the Banff area to be a bit cooler than where we live in Southern Ontario. Which isn’t surprising really since Banff is further north. However, the higher elevation areas (think Lake Louise and Peyto Lake) still had snow in mid May! If you are packing for Banff in May you are going to want to pack layers so that you can be ready for whatever the weather. In Banff town we had temperatures that ranged from single digits in the mornings to 15 – 20 degrees Celsius by the afternoons. But the higher elevation areas did not get this warm and still had frozen lakes and snow.
What to Pack for Banff – Shoulder Seasons
- Rain jacket – at this time of year a shell or rain jacket is a great option. Not just for the obvious rain, but also to block out the wind.
- Fleece – I wore my fleece more than the other jackets I packed. It is also perfect for layering under the rain jacket in case the weather turns colder.
- Knitwear – I packed a few thin knit sweaters to layer up when needed. And they were definitely needed in the mornings and evenings.
- T-shirts – we were gone for 5 days, so I packed enough tees for every day. These were my base layer every day. There were times when I could go just in a tee but most of the time I was still layered up with fleece or knits.
- Sweatpants or athletic pants – Most of the activities in Banff are outdoorsy. So we made sure to pack our comfy outfits that worked for long drives and hiking. I packed two pairs of black sweat pants. These are a bit dressier and I wore them on the plane. I also packed these as they have thicker lining and are great for cold weather.
- Dark jeans – We didn’t really go anywhere fancy for dinner but I don’t like to wear sweats going out to a restaurant. Overall I found Banff to be very low key in terms of what people were wearing.
- Hiking boots – All the sights that we went to see, waterfalls and lakes and mountain views, they all involved some kind of hiking. The hike to see Peyto Lake was particularly challenging because the trail was still covered in snow and ice. The hiking boots aren’t necessary but they made things easier. My kids had their snow boots and my husband had sneakers. Sneakers were fine for most of the hikes as the other trails we hiked were clear.
- Black Boots – I packed another set of boots so that when we were going out for dinner I wasn’t stuck with hiking boots. But the rest of my family stuck with sneakers. The brew pub type restaurants we ate at weren’t super fancy.
- Hat – I packed hats for everyone and they came in handy for the boat tour we took but for the most part we didn’t wear them. Or started out with them on and shed layers after the morning.
- Backpack – We had a few backpacks that we used as carryon and kept them packed with supplies. Since this was a road trip (we had a rental car) and we didn’t really do too many multi hour hikes the backpacks weren’t super necessary but that really depends on your preference. There are many hiking options and you can easy spend all day out on the trail.
- Sunglasses – I am always packing sunglasses but I really recommend not forgetting them especially for the icefields parkway drive.
- Hiking socks – These aren’t a must have but if you are going on longer hikes they are a great way to keep your feet feeling happy. Merino wool socks are great for avoiding blisters.
Other stuff I packed were toiletries, undies, pjs and my ereader. I also packed a packable puffer for every member of the family. While my son and husband used their packable puffers more than my daughter and I, I did find that I packed too many warm layers. I would say either pack a packable puffer OR fleece if you are visiting in the shoulder seasons. Having them both was a bit over kill for this point in spring. Mine in particular didn’t pack down as small and I found it too warm. I would recommend something more like this that packs down smaller.
Have you been to Banff? What would you pack?