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Packing Checklists

Boots, bandanas, britches, and more

Overpacking Allowed... and Encouraged

Here are some suggestions on what to pack for your retreat. These lists are by no means all-inclusive — so feel free to add whatever will make you most comfortable. Keep in mind that it is not unusual to experience all four seasons in one day in Montana. No kidding. Anything can happen at any time of the year (including snow). Our advice: PACK LOTS OF LAYERS! That way, you’ll enjoy being outdoors no matter what Mother Nature has up her sleeve during your stay.

Also included here are packing suggestions for our retreats in Argentina, France, and (coming soon) Sweden and Costa Rica.

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Packing Checklists

Dude Ranch Cowgirl Yoga™ Montana

Yoga & Other

  • Dinner clothes: you’ll probably want a fresh change of clothes for almost every evening. Feel free to get dressed up, especially Cowgirl-style! (Dress-up night is usually the last night, when we’ll also have photos.)
  • Yoga clothes: enough for 5 vinyasa practices, 3-4 restorative/yin. Amount you bring depends on how much you typically sweat and your tolerance for re-wearing. Our yoga space will be warm but not hot. Bring layers so you don’t get cold during meditation, warm-up, savasana, and restorative practice.
  • Hiking boots or other outdoor shoes and socks, pair of casual shoes, flip flops, dress-up cowgirl boots (optional).
  • Waterproof rain jacket, fleece/sweaters/sweatshirts, a warm hat, short-sleeve tees, shorts, pair of non-jean outdoor pants, lots of layers. Did we mention that we can get all four seasons in one day?!
  • Pair of lightweight gloves.
  • Small backpack/bag for carrying small items around the ranch.

NOTE: No need to bring your own yoga mat unless you want to. We have eco-friendly JADE mats you can borrow.

Horses & Riding

  • Soft & supple gloves with some dexterity intact.
  • Comfortable riding boots, with smooth sole and defined heel, flexible enough to get your heel lower than your toe when flexing ankle. Ariat boots are made for women by women and are our favorite for riding. Please do not bring tennis shoes or boots with very high heels for riding!
  • Jeans or riding pants, enough pairs for 4 riding days, 2x daily if you choose – and depending on your tolerance for dirt, dust, and horse sweat. Jeans should be loose enough to mount and dismount easily and to allow you to be able to BREATHE while seated. Wrangler Aura for Women and Q-Baby “Ultimate Riding Jean” are good choices. Look for flat inner seams that will tend not to rub. We also like Kerrits riding pants if you prefer a non-jean, more yoga pants-like option.
  • Non-chafing underwear (highly recommend Patagonia brand), and sports bras.
  • Sunglasses, sunscreen, lots of lip balm & moisturizer (it is DRY here), and natural insect repellant.
  • Baseball cap and/or Cowgirl hat. Keep in mind that we require the use of helmets during riding; helmets will be provided or feel free to bring your own.

NOTE: If you are arriving early, you can easily pick up riding gear in Bozeman at Murdoch’s, a favorite Cowgirl shopping spot!

Cowgirl Yoga™ Argentina

Let the packing games begin! We highly recommend buying a set of compression packing cubes, they are a game changer on a trip like this. Think yoga and riding clothes, and some “regular” options for any time in Buenos Aires. It’s usually warm in BA, and more temperate in Córdoba. And good news: you can have laundry done at the estancia (and it’s included!), but keep in mind there is a 24 hour turnaround and clothes are line-dried. Regarding toiletries: there is soap, shampoo and conditioner, and hair dryers in all bathrooms. If you are particular about these items, please bring your own. Let’s break it down into categories:

Yoga

  • We will be practicing yoga almost every morning, and some afternoons and evenings. The morning practices will be vinyasa flow (more vigorous and potentially sweaty), and the afternoon or evening practices will be more restorative. How many yoga outfits you bring depends on your capacity for rewearing.
  • Bring yoga layers so you don’t get cold during meditation, warm-up, savasana, and restorative practice.
  • PLEASE PACK YOUR JADE TRAVEL MAT, as we will not have extras!

Riding

  • Soft & supple gloves with some dexterity intact.
  • Comfortable riding boots, with smooth sole and defined heel, flexible enough to get your heel lower than your toe when flexing ankle. Ariat boots are made for women by women and are our favorite for riding. Please do not bring tennis shoes or boots with very high heels for riding!
  • Jeans or riding pants, 2-3 pairs, depending on your tolerance for dirt, dust, and horse sweat. Jeans should be loose enough to mount and dismount easily and to allow you to be able to BREATHE while seated. Look for flat inner seams that will tend not to rub. We like the Goode Rider brand. We also like Kerrits riding pants, if you prefer a non-jean option.
  • Jackets worn while on horses are safer if cinched up to hip joint height while riding. If your zipper zips up from the bottom, that works, too. Snaps are better than zippers when possible (for safety reasons).
  • Non-chafing underwear (highly recommend Patagonia brand), anti boob-bounce devices (aka sports bras).
  • PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN RIDING HELMET! No, a bike or ski helmet is not appropriate. We are riding in some remote and rugged territory, and remote and rugged is not where you want to fall off and hit your head.
  • Half chaps are a fabulous idea – on long rides, the slightest tack rub can produce impressive bruises. However, the fluffy sheepskin saddles usually don’t cause a lot of friction. Better yet, shop for some at Arandu in BA, or on our Córdoba city shopping day mid-week (at the Arandu we’ll be visiting there).
  • A lightweight bandana or two, to wear on your face like a bandito – seriously. It can be windy and dusty, so this helps protect your nose and mouth.
  • Sunglasses, sunscreen, lots of lip balm & moisturizer.

Other

  • Passport. (duh.)
  • ATM card: usually, one of the best exchange rates is the inter-bank one, which you get if you use your ATM card. Read Fodor’s Exchanging Your Money Abroad: 10 Simple Tips. With that said: the economic situation in Argentina has been unstable for years now. The best option is to bring US$ in larger bills ($50s and $100s). We will have a detailed, pre-retreat discussion about this on the FB group. I personally would never use an ATM in Argentina – and even if you try, you might not get anything out of it.
  • Outlet adapter for Argentina (220 volts).
  • Street clothes/dressier items: so you have a few options besides riding or yoga clothing! For dinners, exploring, and especially if you are adding on any time in Buenos Aires. Remember that BA can be hot n’ sweaty, and Córdoba more temperate. #ThinkLayers
  • Pair of casual shoes, flip flops or slippers for yoga/your room.
  • Bathing suit for pool and spa day.

Yoga, Hiking & Spa French Alps

Aaahhhh, early summer in France. However, do keep in mind that we won’t be in Paris or Provence, but the mountains at 3400 feet+. The French Alps, like Montana, is famous for its constantly changing weather. All four seasons in one day is entirely possible. We highly recommend buying a set of compression packing cubes, they are a game changer on a trip like this. (Oui, there is a washer and dryer in the chalet…but they are European sized – très petite – and the priority is kitchen and other day-to-day staff laundry needs. Also the French dryer doesn’t usually have the industrial hot air we are used to in the US, so you have to plan on some air-dry time.)

Regarding toiletries: there is soap, shampoo and conditioner, and hair dryers in all bathrooms. If you are particular about these items, please bring your own.

Let’s break it down into categories:

Yoga

  • We will be practicing yoga every morning, and some afternoons and evenings. The morning practices will be vinyasa flow (more vigorous and potentially sweaty), and the afternoon or evening practices will be more restorative. How many yoga outfits you bring depends on your capacity for rewearing, and your intention to do laundry on vacation.
  • Bring yoga layers so you don’t get cold during meditation, warm-up, savasana, and restorative practice. Also, the shorty shorts you wear to hot yoga probably won’t be necessary. Yoga layers are especially key since we hope to practice on the outdoor decks with mountain views when weather permits.

Hiking

  • We will be doing 1 longer hike and 2-3 shorter hikes. Waterproof jacket, 1-2 fleece/sweaters/sweatshirts, both long and short sleeved tees, pants that convert to shorts, pair of non-jean outdoor pants (our fave are from Kuhl), fleece vest that zips high around the neck is a staff fave. Lots of layers. Consider warm base layers: we recommend Patagonia and REI, Lululemon and Athleta also have some good options. Eddie Bauer has great outdoor clothing, too. If you’re shopping in Chamonix before the retreat, there are some great stores for outdoor clothing; but keep in mind it’s not cheap.
  • Hiking boots. A word about hiking boots: we definitely recommend the most lightweight, waterproof hiking boots you can find that have ankle support. Unfortunately, most of the waterproof boots are not that lightweight, but soggy boots are not fun so it’s worth the tradeoff. Goretex is good.
  • Multiple pairs of non-cotton socks. SmartWool is a good brand.

  • Pair of lightweight gloves, a hat for warmth, and a baseball cap.

  • Water bottle and lightweight, small backpack to carry lunch, camera, personal items while hiking. If you have a Camelback for water, that is much more convenient than messing around with a bottle on a hike. These items are very important, please don’t forget them! And make sure your water carrying options aren’t wimpy (super small bottles aren’t going to help you hydrate enough on all day hikes. Or even half day hikes.).

  • Sunglasses, sunscreen, lots of lip balm & moisturizer.

Other

  • Passport. (duh.)
  • ATM card: one of the best exchange rates is the inter-bank one, which you get if you use your ATM card. Make sure to call your bank to let them know you are traveling to France. Read Fodor’s Exchanging Your Money Abroad: 10 Simple Tips.
  • Outlet adapter for France (230 volts).
  • Street clothes/dressier items: so you have a few options besides hiking or yoga clothing! For dinners, exploring, sightseeing, and since Europe is a bit dressier than our US “athleisure” style. And the French are pretty much always exquisitely dressed. So even if you don’t want to go for the Euro look, bring your leather jacket, a sweet scarf, and some nice boots for a dressier accent or two.
  • Pair of casual shoes, flip flops or slippers for yoga/chalet.
  • Bathing suit for hot tub and spa day.

Restore & Reboot Yoga

Yoga & Other

  • Dinner clothes: you’ll probably want a fresh change of clothes for almost every evening. Feel free to get dressed up, especially Cowgirl-style! (Dress-up night is usually the last night, when we’ll also have a group photo.)
  • Yoga clothes: Amount you bring depends on how much you typically sweat and your tolerance for re-wearing. Our yoga space will be warm but not hot. Bring layers so you don’t get cold during meditation, warm-up, savasana, and restorative practice.
  • Hiking boots or other outdoor shoes and socks, pair of casual shoes, flip flops, dress-up cowgirl boots (optional!).
  • Waterproof jacket, fleece/sweater or sweatshirt, short-sleeve tees, shorts, pair of non-jean outdoor pants, lots of layers. Did we mention that we can get all four seasons in one day?!
  • Small backpack/bag for carrying small items around the ranch.

NOTE: No need to bring your own yoga mat unless you want to. We have eco-friendly JADE mats you can borrow.

Horses – Equine Coaching 

  • Comfortable closed toe boots, hiking boots are fine. Tennis shoes ok, but not the best. No sandals or other open toed shoes around horses.
  • Jeans or long yoga pants for horse time.
  • Sunglasses, sunscreen, lots of lip balm & moisturizer (it is DRY here), and natural insect repellant.
  • Baseball cap and/or Cowgirl hat.

NOTE: If you are arriving early, you can easily pick up riding gear in Bozeman at Murdoch’s, a favorite Cowgirl shopping spot!