Layer Stack Calculator
Do I Need a Jacket?
Pick a city and month — get your base · mid · shell stack plus pack-or-skip chips for rain jacket, winter coat, packable down, and thermals. Built for travelers who want a screenshot-ready answer, not another outfit generator.
How to layer for your trip
Do I need a jacket in [city] in [month]?▾
Use the calculator above with your city and month. You’ll get a one-line stack (e.g. “light base · cardigan mid · packable rain shell — skip winter coat”) plus chips that deep-link into our pack-or-skip pages for that exact combo.
What’s the difference between base, mid, and shell?▾
Base is next-to-skin (tee or thermal). Mid is the insulating layer you peel off indoors (cardigan, sweater, fleece). Shell is the outer defense — rain, wind, or real winter coat depending on lows and rainy days.
Does outdoor time change the answer?▾
Yes — set Outdoor hours to “Outdoors heavy” if you’ll be walking all day; the calculator bumps mid and shell up. “Mostly indoors” keeps the stack lighter for museum / office trips.
Is this the same as the packing calculator?▾
No. How Many Outfits counts tops/bottoms/footwear for bag caps. This tool answers the jacket question with a layer stack and pack-or-skip verdicts. Use both — link to your full packing list from the result card.