California Nevada

Lake Tahoe Packing List: Summer Vacation Edition

This Lake Tahoe packing list includes everything you need to be prepared for hot summer beach days, cool sunsets, hiking, SUPing, and a variety of the fun activities that the lake has to offer.

Swimming at Secret Cove, Lake Tahoe
Sunrise at Bonsai Rock in Lake Tahoe
Sunrise at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe
Paddle Boarding (SUP) at Lake Tahoe
Emerald Cove along East Shore Trail, Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe Packing List: Summer Vacation Edition

Beach Clothing

  • Bathing Suit
  • Swim Cover Up: Bring a cover up to wear over your bathing suit while heading to and from the beach. For an active day at the lake, I like to wear quick-dry athletic tops and shorts since they are comfortable to wear even if my bathing suit underneath is wet. My favorite pair of shorts that I wear over my bathing suit are my Vuori Dash shorts (Vuori | REI).
  • Sun Shirt: The mountain sun is strong so be sure to pack a long-sleeve sun shirt for sun protection. The sun shirts we own are discontinued, but when they wear out and need to be replaced, we plan to pick up the Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoodie (Women’s | Men’s).
  • Sandals
  • Water Shoes: We didn’t feel the need to wear water shoes, but some people prefer to wear them to protect their feet on the rocks.

Around Town/Hiking Clothing

  • Warm Jacket: In the summer, the daytime temperatures in Lake Tahoe are toasty, but the temperatures drop once the sun goes down. We recommend packing a few warm, mid layer jackets that can be layered. This is especially important if you plan to catch a few sunrises or sunsets. I brought along my fleece jacket and insulated puffy jacket. For more information on the best insulated mid layer jackets, check out our post here.
  • Rain Jacket: The weather can rapidly change from sunny to rainy. Even if the forecast for your trip looks sunny, pack a rain jacket just in case. I love my Patagonia Storm10 rain jacket (Women’s | Men’s). The Storm10 has 3-layer (3L) waterproofing, is very lightweight, has watertight zippers, and is not bulky at all. If you’re looking for a rain jacket that will give you the most bang for your buck, check out the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L rain jacket (Women’s | Men’s).
  • Tops: If you plan to hike, be sure to bring along breathable, quick-dry tops and long-sleeve sun shirts. The summer sun is intense. Even when its 60 degrees F, it can feel very hot in the sun.
  • Bottoms: I packed leggings, water resistant pants for rain, and shorts. If you plan to hike, be sure to bring along breathable, quick-dry bottoms.
  • Trail Running Shoes: If you plan to hike, we recommend wearing trail running shoes. Trail running shoes are lighter weight and easier to pack than hiking boots while still providing the traction, support, and comfort you’ll need on the trail. The most popular hikes around Lake Tahoe are fairly short so hiking boots are probably unnecessary unless you have a specific need for ankle support. Keep in mind that getting to beaches like Secret Cove require hiking. We highly recommend wearing trail running shoes to get to beaches like Secret Cove rather than sandals. Jordan and I both wear Salomon Speedcross Trail Running Shoes (Women’s | Men’s).
  • Socks: Good socks are key to foot comfort and preventing blisters. Jordan and I both wear Balega Hidden Comfort Socks (Amazon) with our trail running shoes.
  • Under Garments
  • Hat: For the beach and day-time hiking, bring along a sun hat or baseball hat for extra sun protection.

Hiking Gear

  • Day Pack
  • Water Bottle: Lake Tahoe is at high elevation so it’s very important to stay hydrated to help your body adjust to the altitude. Drinking plenty of water during AND before your trip.
  • Snacks
  • The Ten Hiking Essentials
  • Sun Protection: The sun is more intense at high elevation locations like Lake Tahoe. Be sure to bring sunscreen, SPF lip balm, a sun shirt, and a hat for protection from the sun. For lip balm, we’re fans of Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 (Amazon) since it is completely sealed and won’t melt all over your gear.

Beach Gear (+ SUP & Swimming)

  • Waterproof Pouch/Dry Bag: Keeping your belongings and valuables with you while paddle boarding is recommended rather than leaving them on the beach or in a car where they are more likely to be stolen. A waterproof pouch with a waist strap (Amazon) can be used to hold belongings such as a cell phone, wallet, and keys and keep them dry while swimming and snorkeling.
  • Beach Bag: Bring along a packable beach bag for carrying your beach items. My favorite packable beach tote is the ALOHA Collection Day Tripper Travel Bag (Amazon). ALOHA Collection bags are functional, splash-proof and come in cute, beachy designs.
  • Packable Quick Dry Towel: We like to pack our Nomadix Towels (Amazon | REI) for beach trips so we have something lightweight to dry off with. Nomadix Towels are quick dry, sand resistant, packable, and come in a variety of unique designs.
  • Beach Blanket: We love lounging on the beach on our Sand Cloud (Amazon) beach blanket. The Sand Cloud is soft, fast-drying, and sand-resistant. The XL size is wide enough for two people, and is long enough for tall people to lay comfortably on.
  • Water Bottle
  • Snacks
  • Sun Protection

Camera Gear

  • Camera & Lenses
  • Tripod
  • GoPro: We like to use a GoPro (Amazon | REI) for taking videos and photos while paddle boarding. Bring along a floating handle attachment (Amazon | REI) to make sure your GoPro doesn’t sink if it is accidentally dropped.
  • SD Cards
  • Batteries and Chargers

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That finishes out our summer packing list for Lake Tahoe. For more information to help plan your trip, check out our other Lake Tahoe posts:

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