What to pack in August?

Greetings!

I%26#39;ll be visiting Boise in mid August. Won%26#39;t be doing anything that requires dressing up. I%26#39;m guessing shorts will be the mainstay with your heat. How about evening concerts in the park though? How early do the temperatures drop? How early in the day does it get uncomfortably hot? I%26#39;m also wondering about my side trip to Stanley. Will jeans and a jacket suffice?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

What to pack in August?

Because Idaho has the greatest variance in temperature from high to low of the lower 48 states, it is possible that Boise could get up in the high 90%26#39;s and Stanley down to 32 at night. Expect to change clothes or add/subtract layers throughout the day. Jeans and a jacket or sweatshirt are great for the Sawtooths (and you might throw a pair of shorts in for mid-afternoon, as it is forecast to reach the 80%26#39;s in mid-August). Shorts and t-shirts will be fine for Boise, even at night.

What to pack in August?

Of course if you need something you didn%26#39;t bring, you can probably find it here. Boise has Cabela%26#39;s, REI, Eddie Bauer, The Benchmark, and Sports Authority, and there is a Sportsman%26#39;s Warehouse in Meridian.

Idaho is mostly sunny, and a hat and sunsceen are a good idea.

Mosquito populations can be quite variable. There are often a few getting hungry around sunset. A few locations have some pretty high concentrations. Bruneau Dunes near the Snake River, and Montour Bridge on the Payette River are a few locations with high concentrations of mosquitos. So it is a good idea to have some repellant, which you can find in any supermarket, drugstore, and quickie mart.

We%26#39;ve just had the hottest July on record, and August is shaping up the same. But just in case, I would pack a long sleeved shirt in addition to the jacket. Jeans are always tres chic!

It will be hot in the evenings until the sun goes down, but then it should be great. Remember, it%26#39;s a dry heat!!!

If it gets really hot, float the Boise River. You can rent tubes or rafts and life jackets. A lot of people wear a swimming suit or shorts and river sandles. It%26#39;s about a 2-hour float, so be sure to use waterproof sunscreen, especially on your feet and ankles!!

Stanley is a great place, but be sure to check the fire situation before you head out. It%26#39;s about a 3 hour drive on mountain roads, and it%26#39;s a well traveled road all summer.

The first thing to do when you get to town is pick up either the Boise Weekly or the Scene--weekly papers that list all the events for the week. If you need more information, visit the Boise Visitors%26#39; center on Vista Ave--the street you will come down if you%26#39;re flying in to the Boise Airport.

Another unique thing to do if you%26#39;re into the great outdoors is visit the World Center for the Birds of Prey.

Or, for even more stuff, go to the Idaho Tourism site:

www.visitidaho.org

That site lists a lot of the museums, art shows, etc that are ongoing.

I hope your visit is wonderful.

Cathy

Boise is starting to get some lows late night/early morning below 60° F. It can get lower, and at Stanley nighttime lows have been getting into the 30%26#39;s. If you are going to be hiking into the woods with the possibility of getting caught outdoors after dark, it%26#39;s a good idea to have some extra layers in your pack.

The last couple of weeks have been a lot cooler, and I doubt you%26#39;ll have a problem with the temps coming from VA (much drier out here). If you do end up in the mountains in early morning cool may be a problem, so bring along a sweater or light jacket.

Most importantly, don%26#39;t forget to pack your fly rod. ;-)