Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Recommended clothing for the newbies

This will be my first ascent on Whitney and I don't want to screw it up.
I'm the VERY prepared type and my husband is the very, ahhh- whatever works-type.
We've both got lightweight, wick-away tops, both long and short sleeve, but what else will we need? One guy said a polartec vest was a God-send; does that sound right? We both have excellent rain jackets, but they don't provide much warmth.
I don't want to pack too much but I definitely don't want to be ill-prepared, especially if the weather turns on us.
Thanks in advance!
P.S. Our hike date is Aug. 22

I suspecct you will receive lots or replies to tell you to be prepared for any type of weather conditions. You did not say for sure, but it appears you have a one day permit, up and down in the same day.

Certainly, pay close attention to the trip (and weather) reports on this board as Aug 22 gets closer.

The best answer is bring layers. Including moisture wicking bottom layer (as you have) and a good outer shell (again as you have). A fleece or other garment that provides warmth if wet is a good idea. Certainly a hat.

Good comfortable shoes/boots that are well worn in. This is not the hike to break in a pair of shoes/boots. I am a big fan of liner socks under your hiking socks. Just my preference.

Some folks make it up and down with shorts and a shirt the whole day. Others layer up as they ascend and the air cools.

Keep your weight down by planning to replenish water along the route by filtering or tablets. Have fun.

I agree completely w/ Friendly Hiker. Layering is key. Heavy is NOT. You might want to add a LIGHT fleece layer for warmth under you outer water/wind proof layer.

It sounds like you're going to do great! Filter water and take your time .. slow and steady wins the race.

God Speed,
...Todd Grace...

Just remember you want to have enough clothes to survive the night on the summit if you get caught up high because of illness or injury. In the summer this means low double to high single digits in the extreme.

For me this means a shell and rain pants; a windshirt, long sleeve top, convertible pants, two pair of wools socks (so I'd have a dry socks)and windstopper gloves and hat.

This is not warm and fuzzy; this so I'd survive the night.

Bill

Question: What have the temps been recently starting out on the trail? Say your starting your ascend at approx 2am, what would you wear to start the hike in?

What are the temps near the summit?

Current7. Based on the Cottonwood lakes sensor station (10150 feet), it was about 45 degrees last night from about 2-6 am at 8200 feet. The temperature on the top of Whitney peaked out at about 47 degrees between 1 - 4 pm. This is based on the 3-4 degree change every 1000 feet. When you start hiking it will be cool but you will warm right up while hiking. Very pleasant hiking temperature. If you start at 2:00 am you need to make sure your flashlight will work for about 3 1/2 hours. You will find the top cooler because of the wind and you will be sitting around not moving as much. Often you will also feel wetter and colder due to perspiration etc.

My list for a day hike of Whitney would include: a camelback or 2-3 one liter water bottles each, a gore tex shell with hood (pricey, but will last you many years of good hiking), trekking poles (will help your knees on the way down, can rent them in lone pine or at the portal store), an LED headlamp, a hat, smartwool socks, light hiking boots or trail runners, synthetic pants, synthetic T-shirt, expedition weight long sleeve synthetic shirt, fleece jacket, lots of trail food, windstopper fleece gloves, glove shells (in case it rains), sunscreen & lip stuff, moleskin, sun glasses, iodine tablets, strong legs, acclimitized lungs and a good attitude.

Zip-off Supplex pants. Those are shorts when you need them, long when you're on top and it's windy and chilly.

Personally, I'd take a fleece pullover, not just a vest...we had them and needed them on the summit and return (in rain/hail) in July, 2001. (See "highpointing" on my <a href="http://www.mtritter.org">WWW site</a>.)

Might want to add Goretex pants in addition to the Goretex jacket, but that would depend on the forecast. (We used ours)

Water pump or purifier chemicals. We used 3-1/2 liters each just from Trail Camp to the summit and back, and you'll need that much again combined between the approach and return. Good idea to carry some Gatorade or Powerade in powder form, mix and drink a liter of that for every 2-3 liters of plain water to keep your electrolytes in balance. (Helps prevent leg cramps!)

Don't forget your camera!!

Basic first-aid stuff...band-aids, moleskin, Neosporin ointment.

Part of my everyday hiking kit is an aluminized mylar emergency bivvy sack...weighs a couple of ounces, would provide shelter from wind and rain in a pinch.

Most of the weight will be in water, at least from Trail Camp up. (There or below, you will find water available so don't have to carry as much, but except for the undependable trickles across the switchbacks, it's dry from Trail Camp to the summit, so fill up at TC and count on having to carry a full load from there up and back to TC.)

Current7,

Only thing anyone can tell you about the temperature is today. Sierra Sam uses the resource that do for the area.

I have left the Portal at near 50 and that was a warm as I hiked in all day. The word depends is the operative word in the Sierra. It depends if a cold front blows through, it depends if it is windy or rain or humid, etal. I've been at Trail Crest at 6:30 AM when the temperature was 12 F in August.

What would I wear to start? Whatever it would be I would be slightly chilled. It's better to under dress that over dress at the start. This trip is a series of clothing adjustments all day.

Bill

Current7-

All of the previous adivce regarding layers and being prepared for anything is very good. My first bit of advice is to avoid cotton like the plague. In this age of synthetic materials cotton has little place in the mountains. It takes forever to dry, does not wick moisture from the skin, and provides no warmth when wet. My goup summitted a couple of weeks ago and we encountered all of the major weather conditions that day. At 4:00 AM there was not a cloud in the sky and the tempatures were in the high 40's. We started hiking wearing an outer layer of fleece and long pants. The canyon started to warm up in a couple of hours and we started to strip off some of the outerlayers. By 11:00 AM we were down to t-shirts and shorts (Cool Max or other wicking material in the t-shirts). It was quite warm sitting in the sun, but it was not too hot. We've heard that it can be very hot at times and we felt lucky to have cool weather. The tempature dropped as we approached trail crest and we started layering back up. The summit was rather chilly and a few more layers came out of our packs. We encountered a few scattered snowflakes and we did not linger on the summit long. By the time we hit the switchbacks on the way down it was raining and hailing. Our shells came out at this point and we alternated rain gear and fleece about every 30 minutes for the next several hours as rain storms chased us out of the canyon. Our fleece came back on for good during the last two miles as the tempature dropped into the 50's. I felt I was well prepared, but I would have liked to have gloves as my hands did start to chill during the last mile. Here's the clothing I packed or brought.

Coolmax T-Shirt
Nylon Shorts (quck drying, not seams to chafe)
Fleece Sweater
Loose Fleece tights
Goretex Rain Jacket
Goretex Rain Pants
Balcava
Wide Brimmed Hat
Synthetic Socks

The only clothing I did not wear was the Balcava and the Goretex pants. Had it rained a ittle harder the pants would have come one and I was glad I had them.

Good Luck

Current7: From what you have said, you will be heading up around August 12-14th. Fortunately the moonsoonal flow has changed, bringing projected better weather to the Sierra area. Weather.com and 395.com projects those three days as mostly sunny with a 10% chance of moisure on the 12th (in Bishop & Lone Pine). That improves your chances of nicer weather. Having said that Sierra Sam and other are correct that you always need to be prepared for unsettled changing weather. Two pictures lately show one day clear and sunny and one day clowdy and snowing, all within the last week or so. Be thankful you didn't go a few weeks back when every day brought crazy weather.

I will only add a bit. I fully agree that you need to be prepared and using layers provides the best flexibility.

I would re-emphasize having a pair of gloves/mittens along. When camped at Trail Camp, the party next to me suggested gloves as once they crossed to the west side at Trail Crest, it got really chilly in the shadow. I replied that I had gloves and that they were in the car! But I mentioned that I had a pair of clean socks and got them out. I see someone else mentioned that option. I was not worried about looks and they worked reasonably well. The main reason - I was hiking with poles and could not put my hands in my pockets and the breeze and temps really chilled my fingers.

Have a great climb.

Since some of you have brought up water, electrolytes, and food stuffs...I'm a little curious about the "Right amount" of food type things to carry up there. We're doing the 1 day on Sept. 4 and are heading up probably somewhere between 2 and 3. That means we aren't having BREAKFAST. Are energy bars, trail mixes and all that enough to get you through a 10-15 hour hike? Also, if all goes according to plan, the only place we should be filtering water is at Trail Camp. This is probably a dumb question...but what are we getting our water from at that spot? Stream, pond, and is it right at the camp? Thanks

Trail Camp has a large pond about a block or two past the high tech toilet which apparently people do not see on first arrival. I could not miss the, ahem, aroma. You will probably notice the tents. The pond is off to your right.

Now be aware that it provides not only drinking water but also appears to be the swimming hole and bathtub! Filter or treat or maybe both your water.

There were on July 15th plentiful creeks along the way where you could also get water.

Food - whatever suits each person's fancy. But heavier stuff (as in fats/oils) may be too much for a digestive tract already dealing with altitude issues. I got queasy going between Mirror Lake and Trail Camp on a backpack. But was fine the next day on the way to/from summit.

Have a great climb.

To rudyray, this topic seems to have evolved to food and water. First: have breakfast, cereal milk and banana takes 5 minutes. I took energy bars, gels, trail mix, dried fruit, but the most satisfying food was the turkey sandwich I made the night before that I had for "lunch" at 6:00a.m. at trail camp. For water; carry less. Fill yourself at trailhead and 1 liter will get you to the stream sized spring that flows under you from the left at Bighorn Park (filter if you wish). 1 liter will get you to trail camp. Go to the inflow end for good water.