We bring a spotting scope on All Tours except long and strenuous hikes
When You Drive
We bring one pair of binoculars and trekking poles to share
When We Drive
We bring binoculars and trekking poles for personal use for up to 5 people. Trekking poles are for adult use or children with special needs
We bring loaner raincoats, fleece jackets, fleece hats, ball caps, sun hats, and gloves.
Bring good shoes, wool-blend socks, and sunglasses
Do not wear cotton clothing if there is a chance of rain or snow, generally we have warm sunny weather in July and August
Wear hiking boots or the most supportive shoes you own
Please bring sunglasses, sun hat, and sunscreen
Additionally, please be prepared to carry a minimum of a liter of water.
Long hikes and tidepooling tours
Do not wear cotton clothing (especially jeans)
Wear hiking boots with full ankle support
Bring extra wool-blend (non-cotton) socks.
Wear wool or synthetic (nylon) pants
Parents of young children: Please bring age-appropriate outdoor gear for your young nature lovers as we might not have appropriate sized equipment, especially for children under the age of six.
Best practices when touring with us
Bring your medication(s), even if you think you don't need them.
Drink plenty of water and snack often, even on cool, wet days.
Take many short rest breaks, not long breaks where your muscles begin to stiffen up.
Moderate your temperature by using appropriate layers of clothing.
Watch out for other tour participants getting fatigued and take appropriate action and care.
Dress in layers - tshirt, long sleeve shirt, puffy, and rain jacket
Olympic National Park weather can change rapidly and many people are caught unprepared.
We encourage you to learn to dress in layers. We wear lined pants or long underwear under light weight pants in the late fall, winter, and early spring. We bring rain pants to put on as an extra layer.
If we are not driving, we do not provide loaner gear use so please make sure you bring extra warm clothing in your vehicle.
Make clothing choices to avoid fall foraging wasp attention
In general, there are very few nuisance insects that impact how you pack for a trip to Olympic National Park. Please don't bring toxic repellents unless you are camping next to a high lake in the summer.
However, certain clothing and scented choices can help to minimize the likelihood of contact with wasps, especially during the fall. Bring close-fitting white or tan clothing and avoid loose-fitting bright-colors especially light blue, pink, red, or orange. Also minimize use of scented body products like perfumes.
Enjoying the outdoors safely
Experience Olympic maintains a registered Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) allowing for 911 satellite communication. We are therefore not dependent on cell phone coverage, which can be inconsistent on the Olympic Peninsula.
The Experience Olympic vehicle (for tours that include transportaiton) comes equipped with a first aid kit and other emergency equipment.
Your hiking guide carries the PLB in their backpack along with an additional first aid kit and has Wilderness First Responder training.
Binoculars - don't leave home without them!
Our relatively lightweight binoculars are 8 x 42, waterproof, excellent close-focus capability (5 feet), and come equipped with a shoulder harness for enhanced comfort while hiking (lack of neck strain).
We will share our binoculars if we are not driving but consider bringing your own binoculars. If there is one piece of bonus backpacking gear I would never hike without, it is binoculars
Personal use of high-power binoculars can be a transformative wildlife viewing experience and an exciting addition to your Experience Olympic tour.
