Traveling Light: Winter Packing List for Asheville, North Carolina

Since I’ve been back from Asheville for about a month and a half, I guess it’s finally time to share my packing list for a winter visit!

Michael and I visited the North Carolina mountain town in the days following Christmas, staying in an Airbnb in West Asheville for five nights and getting out to explore the city and the scenery. The weather forecast was all over the place, and we had to pack for a variety of elements – including a day on the ski slopes! Still, coming from Florida, the weather felt so strange: It poured for two straight days with temperatures near freezing, and eventually dried and warmed to the mid-sixties.

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To ease our multi-climate packing challenge, we opted to add a single, shared carry-on suitcase to our roundtrip Spirit flight (thankfully, we’re pretty good at sharing a space!). Here’s everything I packed into my half of the Away Carry-On and my Longchamp tote for six days in Asheville.

Looking for more packing list inspiration? Discover what's in my suitcase each season: Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter

ASHEVILLE PACKING LIST

Tops & Sweaters

No matter where I'm traveling, this category is always the largest. For my trip to Asheville, I packed sweaters and tops of different shapes and weights for ease of layering and made sure to have enough options in the event anything became unwearable due to sweat or stains.

Long Sleeve Striped Crew* | You’ve seen this in my last few packing lists and for good reason – it goes with everything.

Oversized Alpaca Crew | This sweater is warm, oversized, and the right kind of bulky without being heavy. It’s what I imagine wearing a cloud feels like.

Pleat-Back Sweatshirt | This sweatshirt hardly looks like a sweatshirt thanks to its pleat-back and little gold neck detail.

Cashmere Crop Mockneck | I don’t track the number of wears (though I might change my mind if Cladwell ever releases an Android version of their app!), but I bet I’ve worn this sweater well over thirty times. It’s my go-to on a chilly day, and perfect with high-waisted denim.

Cobalt Merino Sweater* | This is one of a few non-black or grey sweaters in my wardrobe. It makes for a simple outfit with my black jeans or a more on-trend monochrome outfit with my blue jeans.

Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater* | I haven’t shown this sweater much love lately, so packing it in my suitcase gave me a chance to get reacquainted with it. I think it ended up being my most-worn item on this trip.

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Dresses

Living in Florida I have little reason to own winter dresses, and because our Asheville itinerary was filled with active days and brewery hopping, I didn't need to worry about dressing up. I only wore my dress once, and if I needed to, I probably could have gotten away with just jeans.

Sheath Dress* | This dress is one of my favorites in my wardrobe because it’s so versatile. It’s slim-fitting without being tight, and I like that it can have a jumper-esque look with a long-sleeve tee underneath or give the appearance of a skirt with a cropped sweater on top. Also, it has pockets!

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Bottoms

Asheville is pretty laid back, and my denim fit right in with the mountain-town vibe. The athletic-wear-as-clothing trend is alive and well, and while I don't typically wear workout clothes outside of the gym, I didn't feel terribly out of place in my leggings pre- and post-ski.

Leggings | I’ve owned these leggings for just over two years now and they’re still going strong. I love the compression fit and sleek seam-styling, and they worked perfectly under my ski bib on the day we hit the slopes.

Light Denim* | Traditionally, light denim in the winter has been somewhat of a no-no. I disagree – I think the pale blue feels fresh against a dark winter palette, and the vintage fit of these Levi’s is certainly on-trend.

High Rise Skinny Jeans | You’ll probably see these jeans in all of my packing list posts. They are super comfortable and blend seamlessly with all items in my wardrobe.

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Innerwear

Innerwear was the first part of my wardrobe I focused on bulking up when we began traveling to colder destinations. Having a base layer is important for storing body heat when the temperature dips (and for allowing circulation under your top layers when you head inside somewhere warm). I packed these garments in several colors to add a little interest to my darker sweater palette.

Embroidered Tee | It wasn’t warm enough for this tee in chilly Asheville but it was perfect under my sweater to prepare for landing in hot, hot Florida.

Black Tee | Uniqlo’s Heattech line is reasonably priced, but I find the artificial fibers retain odor really easily. This one is still hanging in there, but I plan on replacing it with a black wool tee soon.

Red Merino Tee* | Tees are great for preventing oils from skin and body products from transferring to sweaters, and my Merino one is tissue-thin but still warm.

Blue Merino Tee* | Wool is much better at taming odors than synthetic fibers, and I love that my long-sleeved Merino tee has thumb holes for easy layering.

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Shoes

Since we were sharing a suitcase and worried about the potential of our bag being weighed at the gate, I kept my footwear light (shoes can get really heavy!). A pair of sneakers and durable, yet stylish boots fit the bill. I saved on suitcase space and heft by wearing my boots in-flight.

Sneakers* | I’m no sneaker-head, which is why you see these shoes all over my blog. I love the vintage vibes of the gumsole, and of course, you can’t go wrong with a white sneaker!

Chelsea Boots | At four years old, these boots have been resoled once and had new heels added twice, yet they look almost new. Because they’re waterproof, I don’t fret about having to walk through a little snow or mud or when rain shows up in the forecast.

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Pajamas

As a person who showers at night, I happily re-wear my pajamas before washing. I normally don't wear the same PJs for five nights, but I figured I'd find something else to sleep in if I desperately needed it by the end of the trip to save a little space.

Pajama Shirt* | I like to be comfy when sleeping on vacation, so my body doesn’t totally freak out while sleeping in another bed. This old tee has that perfect, nubby, lived-in feel.

Leggings | Our Airbnb was located within someone’s house (albeit with our own entrance and sectioned-off portion of the house), so pants were a must in case we ran into anyone!

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Outerwear

Outerwear is the leanest category in my wardrobe, but I'm about at the point where I have a jacket or coat for every forecast. With temperature fluctuations, heavy rain, and skiing on the agenda, I managed with two outer layers (opting to wear both on the plane).

Olive Jacket* | I can’t believe I managed so long without this jacket. The olive green is compatible with almost everything in my wardrobe and the cotton canvas is so durable. It’s the perfect layer for those in-between days!

Winter Jacket | This jacket has served me well, even in single-digit weather, so I knew it would keep me perfectly toasty in the damp Asheville cold. While not technically a ski jacket, it was the jacket I wore while skiing, and I loved having so many pockets available while on the slopes.

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Tech & Accessories

All of the little things! Funnily enough, this category of items is the one I'd be saddest about if I forgot to pack any one of the items. For the most part, I pack all of my electronics and small accessories in my tote bag, which folds for storage or can double as a large purse if needed. The perks of carrying a small purse? It slips right on into my tote as well.

Sunglasses | Here, always and forever. You can’t go wrong with these classic shades. (Also, not pictured: a free pair of sunglasses from a local brewery, which I tossed in my bag to wear skiing).

Tech Gloves* | I bought these gloves shortly after “touchscreen gloves” hit the market, and while I love the shape of them I don’t love the color. I would have brought along a black pair of gloves, but my left glove went missing!

Scarf | I love this simple, luxurious scarf! I received it as a gift two Christmases ago (purchased heavily, heavily discounted!) and I love reaching for it on chilly days.

Beanie* | This wool beanie can be worn slouchy or cuffed and tight to the head, and the marled knit adds a little visual interest to my often all-black outfits.

Tights | Yes, you can get tights anywhere, but I reach for this pair from Swedish Stockings more often than any of my others. They’re responsibly made from recycled fibers, and despite many encounters with jagged fingernails and splintery chairs, haven’t snagged yet (fingers crossed!).

Woolen Socks*| Michael and I both own these socks, and we have absolutely zero complaints about them (except when we’re trying to match pairs – trying to distinguish between sizes is tough!). They are thick, warm, and cushioned right where we need it.

Mini Tablet and Keyboard Case* | My iPad comes along with me on our trips for reading, Netflix-binging, and occasional blog-writing (though I try to avoid any kind of work when we’re away!). A little keyboard makes typing posts much easier.

Camera | I shared this on Instagram recently, but I’m loving this little camera so far. It takes great photos while being relatively compact and lightweight. It’s traveled a lot in the past six months, and I can’t wait to see where we take it next!

Crossbody Pouch* | My favorite bag, ever. I’m no purse snob; I’m all about simplicity and function and I love that this bag has no exterior branding other than on its zipper. It holds just what I need for the day without tempting me to place too many things inside, risking shoulder soreness.

Folding Tote | This bag is on its third trip around the sun, but it doesn’t look any older than day one. I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me it is bulletproof! It repels stains and sticky airplane floors like a champ.

*item is no longer available from the retailer and I've linked a similar product

THE TAKEAWAY: MY THOUGHTS ON PACKING FOR ASHEVILLE IN THE WINTER

With such a wide range of temperatures in the forecast, I really put my small closet to the test on this trip. By pairing light and breathable inner layers with water-resistant shoes and outer layers, I managed to remain toasty and dry for the duration of the trip. Style in the mountain town skews pretty rugged and outdoorsy, and though it differs from my day-to-day personal style, I enjoyed embracing a laid-back look. Taking the focus off the wardrobe meant I had more attention to give to the gorgeous scenery and the delightful food scene (10/10 – highly recommend!).

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Questions for you

Would you ever consider sharing a suitcase with your travel partner?

Is your wardrobe built for this kind of weather?

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2 Comments on “Traveling Light: Winter Packing List for Asheville, North Carolina”

Harriet says:

December 13, 2019 at 9:57 pm

Such an efficient packing list! Thanks for sharing

Rachel says:

February 21, 2024 at 8:26 pm

Layers are KEY! I love this guide cause it makes it so simple to know what to pack without feeling like you had to have the “kitchen sink”