Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Summer gear for whitney

REI is having a 20% off sale for its members, starting this weekend. I'd like to get some gear for a July 28 - 30 trip up the main trail, along with other spring/winter/fall trips, and would welcome any insight on the weather on the mountain at that time of year so I can get the right gear.

I heard it can be windy and chilly, down in the 20s and 30s in the morning and therefore leaning towards "3 seasons" type gear, tent and bag.

Is a headlamp essential, even if we aren't planning to do any pre-dawn departures on either day? Heard it was nice to have in general.

And I'd welcome any stove or other neat gear recommendations that might not be on the published equipment checklists.

Thanks a mil.

Headlights are esssential, even if you plan on doing your hike during the day. The "what if" factor always comes into play. Plus headlights come in handy at night when your at camp, especially when you have to go to the little boys room in the middle of the night. I have a Princeton Tech Scout LED headlight, it has 5 light settings, weighs next to nothing and cost only $19.

For a stove I would recommend the MSR ShakerJet, it is field serviceable, has a simmer option, is very light and costs only $59.Plus it runs on white gas which is what you want for high altitude.

I have been trying to decide what to spend my dividend on too.I was thinking about buying a pair of Stubai Ultralight Universal crampons for my wife and nephew to use. I already have a pair and love them. But, from what I have heard with the Euro value changing, all European hiking and climbing equipment are going to be going up in price. I heard that the Ultralight Universal will be going from $99 to $145 and that Charlet Moser and Petzl will be going up in price too. That includes not just crampons, it's everything like ropes, biners, nuts, harnesses, shoes, everything! As for the Stubai's, they are the lightest and cheapest crampon at REI, they weigh only 530 grams for the pair and as I said, cost $99.
I was hoping to buy a new pair of MSR Evo snowshoes but REI stopped selling them already. Don't ya know, winter is done in March now?

I was also looking at buying a new air mattress. I could never bring myself to buy a Thermarest since they are so heavy and expensive, but there are some new brands out there like Insul-mat and Big Agnes that offer cheap and light, full length alternatives.
I'm also looking at getting a new pack.In trying to go lightweight the Osprey Aether 60 and the GoLite Trek and Speed have caught my eye. If you need a new pack now is the time, 20% off plus your dividend is a steal.

For your late July hike I would definately recommend a pair of hiking poles, you can get the REI brand for $60.I've had mine for 6 years and they still work great. I would also recommend a pair of light hikers. You don't want to go over board with a pair of heavy boots, you want to create as little fatigue as possible. Vasque and Asolo have a great looking new line of Gore-tex Light hikers that you could use your dividend on.If you don't have some water-proof breathable gear you might want to look into that. The cheapest thing that REI sells is the Marmot Precip Jacket that costs $99. It is 2-ply and superlight.REI sells their own brand of W/B pants for $75.These are both items, that in my opinion, everyone should have.If you don't get an afternoon shower while you at Whitney you can count yourself lucky. I made my W/B jacket and pants myself, this is always an option too. It takes some time but you save a bunch of money and you get a custom fit.

If you don't have a water filter get one. You need one wherever you go now.
That's about it from me good luck.

Hi,

I'll be going from Tuolomene Meadows down to Mammoth Lakes over 5 days in August and I'm trying to get a handle on possible weather to plan for. Rain, temperatures, etc. I've only completed the one-day death march to the top of Whitney and all of my other Sierra trips have been in the winter. That ond day did include a little rain and some nice temps.

I noticed in Buck's JMT photos (Marie Lake Camp) that a couple of folks used tarps instead of tents and I was wondering how they worked out, especially with heavy rainfall and keeping gear dry. I've also been looking at the Mountain Hardware 2 pound single wall tent instead of tarps.

I've got a 20 deg down/dryloft bag that weighs 2.8 lbs and will use my MSR Pocket Rocket as white gas for 6 days gets heavy! For a rain jacket I've got a 15 oz TNF Venture. I started out with a 40 lb (max) budget of which food and water could be 13 lbs with food at 1.5lb/day. That is with 4lbs for a tent so I can save 1 - 2 lbs there.

Totally agree with the hiking poles. Mine are also from REI.

Jim

Headlamp - Yes! - also makes a great lantern inside your tent.

Poles - ABSOLUTELY!

Tent - Check out MSR Missing Link .. 3 lbs. sets up w/ trekking poles.

Stove - I'm not convinced about the white gas thing, though I DO own one. (pain in the @$$) I've had GREAT luck w/ Iso Butane .. even at 12,000+ feet. Also, I'm going to try a <a href=http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/pepsiGstoveinstruct.shtml>lightweight alcohol stove</a> for this summer's JMT attempt.

Marmot Precip Jacket - very light, gotta have one.

LOVE my Osprey Aether 60 Backpack! IT ROCKS! You can attach outboard daypacks, etc. if you feel you need more .. but you won't.

Peace,
...tg...

I'd recommend light stuff.

1. Marmot PreCip Rain Gear - Total of 21 ozs.
2. Therm-a-Rest ProLite X - Whichever one you choose its a lot less the original
3. Princeton Tec Aurora Headlight - 3 oz.
4. Western Mountaineer Flight Jacket or Feathered Friends Hyperion Jacket - 11 oz. of pure warmth less than half the weight of comparable fleece jacket
5. 800 to 900 Fill Power Down Bag - Depending on the features and temperature rating anywhere from 1 and a couple of ounces to 2 3/4 pounds.
6. Osprey Aether 60 Pack - Best of the Class. A 3,6 pounds which will handle 35 to 40 pounds.
7. A Canister stove and Ti Pot - With the fuel canister less than pound and under $100

Hmmm...Am I spending too much of you money...LOL.

Bill

Hey, don't worry about the money. At today's interest rates, I'll just refi the house and get enough gear to qualify as a second home write-off.

Two votes for Osprey. Gotta check that out. Keep 'em coming.

Hi!

If you look at the time stamps there was no reply in the original thread at the time that I posted here. About and hour and twenty minutes is what it looks like that it cam in after. :-) C'est la vie

It was good to read about the tarps so now I am curious about the weather patterns.

Thanks!

Jim

REI isn't bad, but I've gotten some great deals from Campmor.

Audiograce, please send me an e-mail about the lightweight stove you want.
calflav@sbcglobal.net

Sorry folks,
The link to the <a href=http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/pepsiGstoveinstruct.shtml>'Pepsi-G' alcohol stove</a> has been fixed above ... and here too.
...tg...

Most people I know are way too reliant on flashlights when they should just be letting their night-vision take over. I have gotten down off too many mountains in the dark to say that a headlamp is strictly essential, but they are very convenient and they don't weight much, so go for it.

Headlights are great for everything. When you really need a flashlight, you usually need both hands and so handheld flashlights are kind of a pain in the neck.

LED headlamps and LED/HID hybrids are the bomb because they use AA batteries (rather than those big heavy 4.5v batteries) and the batteries last forever. They all seem pretty good and I think it would be hard to go wrong. I have a BD Gemini and it's great. The 2 LEDs provide plenty of light for cooking, reading, trail walking, etc.

As far as a stove goes, I would highly recommend the MSR Dragonfly multi-fuel stove. It is lightweight, will burn just about anything, is very efficient, works well at altitude and in the cold, reasonably quiet, reliable, field-maintainable, shaker-jet cleaner, and fully adjustable flame. Liquid fuel stoves aren't the best if you plan on being in situations where it will be necessary to cook inside the tent though.

In July, you probably won't need a tent. I leave my tent at the trailhead pretty often, but always carry a small tarp that serves as ground sheet, wind block, improvised emergency bivvy bag, shade canopy, and rain tarp all in one. A coil of parachute cord is nice to have. A mosquito headnet would probably be handy too.

In July you'll be toasty in a 20F bag. Down is wonderful, but synthetic is more reliable. I currently use thermarest pads but I am thinking of switching over to z-rest foam.

MANY, many topics being hit, here. I'll try to confine myself to the original question.

Disclaimer: I am an ultralightweight advocate. My weekend Sierra summer packweight is about 12#, including food. When I did an 8 day mammoth-yosemite hike two years ago, it weighed 25#.
I do NOT advocate ultralight for beginners, they don't know where the safety margins are.

Forget the water filter, it is probably not needed, Bob R is actually the authority on this. I may carry iodine tabs. Giardia is not what I'm worried about.

I have been consistantly impressed by the Golite Packs.

You ask about 4 seasons of travel: very different gear needed, generally. One tent consideration: REI's own Half-Dome Plus 2. It is almost a 4-season durable tent. Two doors, two vestibules, guy-out points. You can also leave the tent itself home, and use just the fly in a "fast pack" mode. Quite light for summer use.

One can use bivies and tarps, but I think that the newest generation of ultralightweight tents are nearly equivalent in weight, there is no comparison in comfort.

I use a LaFuma 30 down bag for fall/summer/spring, 1-1/2# $99 at Gordon's Easy Trails in Fullerton (specializes in lightweight gear). Used for 2 years, a good deal.

Can't stand gas stoves (portable bombs). *generally better for snow camping, although the newer Peak 1 special fuel stoves work great there.
I think it is a mistake to buy something, because REI has it, rather than get a better thing elswhere.....of course, that is the brilliance of the dividend.

I'm old school. I weigh in at 225 and I really don't mind the extra few pounds of pack as long as it is comfortable. I have tried the ultra-light packs and they carry wrong for me, especially with the dreaded can along. I still love my Gregory Shasta for any long treks- 7-9 days. I agree WG stoves are bombs, but my MSR XGS has never failed me in the past and I am a bit reluctant to give it up. After reading Giardia posts, water filters are not necessary in our Sierra, but fishing gear is- 2 lbs. I carry a North Face pebble tent for the two of us- 4 lbs, and a 3/4 length thermarest. Even with this, I can get out for a week in under 45 pounds and have a lot of comfort features along. Head lamps rock and are much preferred over flash lights. Titanium pots are expensive but cut weight. REI is a great place to see what you want in person but eBay is where the action is. A great sleeping bag (under 2 1/2 lbs) is essential and even though it cost me $300, I consider every penny well spent. I also carry a silver flute- 2 lbs. but I made a custom holder to cut that weight down. It all depends what you consider necessary to give you the most enjoyment while you are out there. Cutting out the toys decreases my enjoyment. I may not be as fast as some, but who cares. Did JMT last year in 28 days and enjoyed every step. What are your priorities?

I'd pass on the headlight. I use a 2 battery (AA) swivel head clip-on light. There are many types, quite inexpensive and most hardware stores carry them. They clip on your belt (position it in front on your naval). It is slightly less directional than a headlight but far, far more comfortable. They are so small and lightweight that I bring an extra light rather than just extra batteries. If you are camping they also will clip to fabric inside your tent.

Thanks to all for the many insights, perspectives, shared wisdoms, and all that. Our gang went to REI in Northridge last night and I was right: I will have to refi the house to get some good gear. Been way too long since my backpacking days in Alaska 25 years ago. Maybe I can dust off the "Alpenlite" and make it work!

My two cents on gear topics raised here:

1. One issue I had with the Osprey Aether 60 was that the bottom of that pack is very narrow. I either couldn't get a bear canister to go in horizontal at the bottom or it was so hard to wedge it in that I decided against that pack.
2. I switched to a single-walled silnylon tent (2lb 4oz) last year and was happy with it. It is a Europa (older model) from <a href="http://sixmoondesigns.com/">Six Moon Designs</a>. Slight problem with condensation on one cold still night (~25°F) due to insufficient venting, I think; no problem on colder but windier nights.
3. I also switched to a <a href="http://brasslite.com/">Brasslite alchohol stove</a>. Perfect for solo 3 season trips.
4. One other item I recommend: a GoLite Coal jacket. Just over a pound and keeps me warm as toast. Discontinued but you can <a href="http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=golite%20coal&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p">find these for cheap</a> (~$30), if they have your size.

Bill

On a lot of gear lists I see this item (and I don’t know what it is for):

PARACHUTE CORD

Can someone explain what it is used for?
Thanks - Talus

PARACHUTE CORD

Can someone explain what it is used for?

This is one item I never leave home without. Camping or not. I use it to tie lumber etc. on top of my van and countless other uses. Camping it turns a tarp into a tent, becomes a clothesline, replaces broken shoelaces, tent guy lines, hangs things out of reach of small critters, the list goes on and on. Just in case you're unfamiliar with parachute cord. It's fairly cheap, about 1/8" diameter, and nearly unbreakable (I think I read a 600 lb. breaking strength somewhere). Since my Boy Scout days (20+ years) I've used it for countless things and never had a break.