Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board What to do with valuables? (ie, a laptop)

We're planning an overnight hike to MW as part of a couple of weeks in California in August, and unfortunately one of the members of our group is going to have a laptop in her baggage. (She needs it to stay in touch with work during the next week of our vacation.)

We already figured to be parking a rented van full of the rest of our baggage at Whitney Portal overnight during our hike, but everything else will just be suitcases full of clothes, toiletries, etc. Is there anything better in the area that she could do with her laptop -- rental lockers in Lone Pine, anything?

Thanks much!

Hi Several comments, "California" full van of stuff, last trade show all of the display cases were taken either at the LA convention center, a fast food stop where I watched the truck or when I was driving on the Freeway. Look at POST Bear Boxes by Kurt S. See the Jetta Thanks Doug

Leave the electronics (except for the digital camera) at home and immerse/isolate yourself in the beauty/grandeur of the Sierra Nevada. One week out of the year and you CANNOT do without your laptop? Besides, what makes you think you can get emails/cellphone signal on the MWT?

A vacation isn't just physically getting away, your brain needs to get away too. Besides, none of us are important as we think we are. Tell her to leave the laptop home, the e-mail will be there when she gets back. Or bring it and tell me which van you're in, i need a new computer : )

-lance

Stick the laptop in a suitcase, make sure all sensitive data is backed up someplace else. Chances of it disappearing are pretty slim. And it won't be due to the bears. (I can certainly understand the need to keep in touch. I carried mine on our honeymoon to New Zealand I actually got some work done while sitting in airplanes and airports.)

Just make sure NO food/snacks or scented things like tooth paste, deoderant or other personal items are in any of the baggage! No ice chests -- even empty (could have a food odor).

If you are going in more than one car, leave one with all the smelly stuff in Lone Pine.

I've had my laptop with me several times up there.I leave it in it's case and stash it either under my back seat or on the floor under your other gear so it's out of sight.I've never had a problem with anything being stolen.......yet.

Stick it in a bag filled with smelly perishable food and leave it in the bear box.

Obviously she's not planning to do any work during the half of our trip when we're in the mountains. But she needs her laptop during the next week, when we'll be San Francisco, and that means it'll be in her baggage while we're in the mountains.

Thanks to those of you who provided useful comments. I'll tell my friend that it doesn't sound like that area has a reputation for car break-ins, and she should be okay leaving it in her suitcase in the car overnight.

some laptops have a temperature limit for batteries. My wife says it is 120 F for hers. It could easily get that hot in a car parked in the sun in the Owens Valley or even maybe at the Whitney Portal. Park in the shade.