What I Packed for Our Trip to Montana

If you follow along on Instagram, you saw we traveled to Big Sky, Montana a couple weeks ago. It was beautiful! We were there for the wedding of two lovely friends, but extended the trip to do some hiking and sightseeing. This was my first-time visiting Montana and I wasn’t quite sure what to pack given the big temperature swings, so wanted to share what I packed, plus a few things I wish I would have brought!

I stuck with my typical uniform for the flight out, wearing straight leg jeans, a soft t-shirt, sneakers and this shirt jacket that is the ultimate layer to throw on. Nothing worse than being cold (or hot) on a flight and this jacket is oversized and easy to toss on or off. Plus, my Madewell Transport Tote.

We went on three significant hikes and overall I was pretty content and comfortable in my leggings, tank top and favorite sports bra. (Seriously, this sports bra is amazing for running or any cardio if you have a bigger chest). I also was sure to wear a hat, bring a long sleeve t-shirt when I wanted to cover from the sun and my Everlane crossbody bag was CLUTCH for carrying extra sunscreen (crucial! We got burnt the first day) and a few granola bars. The bag isn’t large enough for water bottles, so we carried those, which was fine. If you don’t want to carry anything, I would recommend bringing a small backpack instead for extra water.

Rookie mistake (given I’m not a hiker): Wearing my white running shoes. Wow, they got sooo dusty and dirty and probably weren’t the best for ankle support on rough ground. I just didn’t think ahead of time to get different shoes or actual proper hiking boots. So, I kind of wish I would have brought an old pair of sneakers to dirty up instead, but oh well! Hiking was worth the dirty shoes.

ALSO, given the elevation change, thankfully Zak had the foresight to pack some liquid IV hydration packs to add to our water. The elevation dehydration was real and I’m so glad we had the extra hydration fuel.

This Alex Mill jumpsuit was arguably my favorite one piece wonder for a night out for dinner with friends. Sadly I didn’t snap a photo, but I felt very “Big Sky chic” in this jumpsuit with loafers. It was perfect because there are big temperature swings once the sun sets, so I was happy to be wearing long sleeves once it dropped down to the low 60s. It runs true to size and I have a size small.

For the wedding welcome dinner, I went for an old, wide leg Madewell jumpsuit that I’ve had for years. It’s a classic that’s served me well. The welcome dinner was outside, so again my mind was focused on layers and I brought along my washed leather jacket (I’ve had this key piece for 5+ years now) and was able to throw it on once the temperature dropped.

Now, we hadn’t been to a wedding since 2019 and I was so excited to properly dress up! I got this Reformation Gavin Dress and truly loved it. It runs a little on the small size, so I went with a size 6. It was perfect for the venue because the ceremony was outside and it was sunny, so it was HOT and this dress is lightweight and breathable. The only issue with this dress is that you can’t wear a standard bra with it, since the back is open. I was on a mission to find a stick on bra that would actually stay put. After doing some research, I went with this Fashion Form stick on bra and other than just feeling weird and self-conscious for a moment, it worked great and stayed put! I danced and got a little sweaty and the stick-on situation stayed just fine. Overall, I loved this dress and would highly recommend.

A few other things that were in my bag – This Alex Mill sweater, extra socks for hikes, sunscreen and my Birkenstocks!

Filed In:
Random Musings
Share:

Comments

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.