Packing List · Weekender · Aspen, Colorado · Fall
A fall weekend in Aspen: what to pack
Aspen in the fall is dry and bright, with cold at both ends of the day. The town sits near 8,000 feet, so mornings can start near freezing and the sun is strong by noon. The trails are mostly dry. That changes the list from the Vermont one. A light puffy replaces the heavy midlayer, and one wool jacket from Gorsuch does the introducing at dinner.
The carry piece
Gorsuch Filippa Wool Jacket, Brown
$1,998 · Gorsuch, 611 East Durant Avenue, at the Little Nell
The Filippa is an Austrian wool jacket with horn buttons and a leather hunting patch on the shoulder. That patch is the whole idea of this site in one detail: a piece built for the field that now goes to dinner. It carries a $50 cashmere crewneck and a pair of jeans, and it makes both look like they came with it. Try it on at the Gorsuch store by the Little Nell.
For the climb
The morning hike
A cold, dry trailhead and a steep climb in thin air. Everything here breathes or packs small.
- Base layer Patagonia Women's Capilene Cool Merino Blend Shirt, black $75
65% wool, 35% recycled polyester jersey. 3.5 oz. Made in Sri Lanka.
The polyester is there on purpose. It dries faster than pure merino, which matters on a sunny climb at altitude. Machine wash cold, dry flat.
- Warm layer Rab Women's Xenair Alpine Light Insulated Jacket, black $240
Pertex Quantum Air shell, PrimaLoft Gold Active+ insulation at 60 g/m². 9.5 oz in a size 10.
Built to be worn while moving, so you do not have to stop and strip at the first switchback. It stuffs into a daypack for the way down.
- Trail pant Arc'teryx Gamma Pant Women's, black $200
88% nylon, 12% elastane, 186 g/m². Made in Bangladesh.
A softshell with real stretch. It blocks wind at the top and does not bag out by lunch.
- Footwear Lowa Renegade EVO GTX Mid Ws, Espresso/Anthracite $280
Leather upper, GORE-TEX lining, Vibram outsole.
A mid-height leather boot for rocky, dry trail. Espresso sits right beside the brown jacket.
- Socks Farm to Feet American Trail Damascus Light Targeted Cushion, Black/Bunting $26
51% merino wool, 46% nylon, 3% LYCRA spandex, all US-sourced. Lightweight. Made in the USA.
Light cushion is enough on dry trail. The nylon is what keeps the heel from wearing through.
- Sun Kemo Sabe Wool felt hat, fitted in the store
Felt content varies by hat. Ask what you are buying: beaver blends cost more than wool.
Where: Kemo Sabe, 217 South Galena Street
The sun at 8,000 feet is stronger than at sea level. A brimmed felt hat does more than sunglasses alone, and a Kemo Sabe hat is the one local souvenir that does not look like one.
For after
Town, the terrace, dinner
Wool and cashmere for a cold evening on Cooper Avenue.
- Carry piece Gorsuch Filippa Wool Jacket, Brown $1,998
Wool. Gorsuch does not publish the percentage. Horn buttons, leather hunting patch. Made in Austria.
Where: Gorsuch, 611 East Durant Avenue, at the Little Nell
The one real investment on the list. Austrian wool tailoring is the kind of piece people keep for decades and hand down.
- Under the jacket Quince Mongolian Cashmere Crewneck Sweater, Ivory $50
100% cashmere, 12-gauge knit. Quince does not publish the ply. Made in China and Cambodia.
On sale from $148 when we checked. Ivory under brown wool is the quiet version of this look. Hand wash.
- Trousers Khaite Danielle Jean, Prescott wash $620
100% cotton, no stretch.
Khaite's care advice is to freeze them overnight or hand wash cold, which tells you how they want you to treat them. The page does not call the wash black, so check the color in person.
- Dinner shoes Aeyde Lee Calf Leather Boots, black $495
Calf leather upper, lamb leather lining, leather sole with a rubber patch. 40 mm heel. Made in Italy.
Where: Shopbop
A low heel you can walk the brick sidewalks in. The rubber patch helps on a frosty evening.
Where to start. Start with the Farm to Feet socks at $26 and the Patagonia tee at $75. Both come home and get worn all year. The jacket is worth trying on in person before you decide.
In person
Where to see it in person
Gorsuch
611 East Durant Avenue and 419 East Cooper Avenue
Its own label alongside Frauenschuh, Brunello Cucinelli, Etro and Iris von Arnim. The Filippa jacket lives here.
Kemo Sabe
217 South Galena Street
Western hats, boots and belts. The brand says its hats are made in its own factories in Texas.
Pitkin County Dry Goods
520 East Cooper Avenue
Aspen's clothing store since 1969. Lauren Manoogian, Ulla Johnson, Closed, Herno and a deep denim wall.
Brunello Cucinelli
508 East Cooper Avenue
For the cashmere you buy once. Touch it first, then decide whether it earns the price.
Leave it home
What not to pack
The heavy down parka
Too much for a fall afternoon in the sun. The light puffy covers the cold start.
Rubber rain boots
Fall trails around Aspen are usually dry. Leather boots do the job and look right in town.
The logo sweatshirt
It says you bought it this morning. The wool jacket says the opposite.
Before you buy
Where it falls short
The jacket has no care label online
Gorsuch lists neither the wool content nor care instructions. Ask in the store, and assume a good dry cleaner.
Sun at altitude
Cold air does not mean weak sun. Wear the hat and sunscreen on the trail even when your hands are cold.
Unlined denim is cold
Rigid cotton jeans feel colder than cords after dark. The cashmere and the wool jacket make up for it.