What to actually pack for a Wyoming winter, from the people who do your laundry

I have been making beds in this lodge since 2004 and my team packs and repacks, dries and rehangs, more winter clothing than anyone else in this valley. We know exactly what guests bring, what they wear every day, and what goes home in the suitcase still folded.

This list is short because the real list is short. Jackson Hole in January is dry, bright and cold, usually somewhere between minus fifteen and plus twenty-five Fahrenheit. It is not wet cold. That changes what works.

Three pairs of good socks beats six pairs of bad ones

This is the thing I would change if I could change one. Every winter we dry dozens of pairs of cotton socks that made someone's feet cold and wet by ten in the morning. Cotton holds water against your skin and then freezes it there.

Merino wool, mid-weight, three pairs for a week. Wash two, wear one. They do not smell, they dry overnight on the rail, and your feet stay warm even when the sock is damp. Your ski boots will also fit better, because thick socks are why half our guests complain about pressure points.

Layers, and specifically the middle one

Everyone packs a base layer and everyone packs a ski jacket. The layer that gets forgotten is the middle one, and it is the one that does most of the work: a fleece or a light down sweater that you can add at the top of the tram and take off in the sun at eleven.

The other forgotten item is a second hat. Hats get wet, lost on chairlifts, and left in restaurants. Bring two, they weigh nothing.

What people never wear

• Heavy full-length winter coats. Too warm indoors, too bulky in a car, useless on skis
• More than one pair of jeans. Nobody changes trousers as often as they plan to
• Dress shoes. This valley has no dress code. None. The nicest restaurant in Jackson will seat you in snow boots
• A hairdryer. Every room has one, and the altitude will ruin your hair regardless
• Umbrellas. It snows, it does not rain, and the wind takes them anyway

What they wish they had brought

• Lip balm with sun protection. Dry air at 6,450 feet plus reflected snow is brutal on lips
• A reusable water bottle. Altitude dehydrates you faster than you notice
• Slippers or thick socks for the room. Our floors are wood and the mornings are cold
• A swimsuit. The hot springs surprise people who only came to ski
• Sunglasses as well as goggles. The glare off snow in the valley at noon is serious

About the laundry

There is a washer and dryer in every cabin and a guest laundry off the boot room, free to use, open all night. Take advantage of it. Packing for four days and washing once is a much better week than packing for eight days and living out of a large suitcase.

And if something comes back from the mountain soaked, hand it to whoever is at the desk. We will have it dry by morning. That is the whole job.