Mount Whitney: Multi-Day Packing List

One of the most incredible hikes in California and the tallest mountain in the lower 48, this is everything you need to know and have to successfully summit Mount Whitney

This is definitely a bucket list hike for many people. Back in March 2023, I received the email with the lottery results and to be honest I didn’t have high hopes when I opened the email. And to my utter surprise, I won! I secured 4 overnight permits to summit Mount Whitney. After celebrating and calling up my friends, the planning began. What gear do I need? How can I prevent altitude sickness? What’s the most direct way to get to the trailhead? I was flooded with questions and I had 4 months to prepare. We almost had to cancel the trip because less than a week before California was hit with rain – record breaking rain and the trail was damaged, the parking area was closed. But we ended up having the PERFECT conditions on our ascent – there was barely snow, just a few sketchy spots and the wind at the summit was a breezy (sorry, couldn’t help the Dad joke). My friends and I joked the whole time about how lucky we were because the day we hiked back, the summit had wind speeds up to 60MPH and the following week the 99 switchback was sheer ice. I typically never have the best luck weather wise and this clearly some kind of fluke and I accepted my good fortune. So let’s dive into some important deals before the gear checklist!

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Where is Mount Whitney

Mount Whitney is located in California, more specifically near Lone Pine, CA in the Alabama Hills – which is a very popular site to take photos. You definitely have seen the Alabama Hills on social media and many movies were filmed there as well (like Galaxy Quest). Mount Whitney is the tallest mountain in the lower 48.

How to Get to Mount Whitney Trailhead

You have options when flying into California:

• LAX (4 hours drive)
• Las Vegas Airport (5 hours drive)
• Fresno Airport (4.40 hours drive)
• Bakersfield Airport (3 hours drive)

You will need to rent a car, we chose to fly into Las Vegas Airport because it was the cheapest option (for us) in terms of flights and car rentals. After making a stop at REI to grab essentials that we could not bring on the plane (fuel, matches, lighters), we drove 5 hours to Whitney Portal. Whitney Portal has 3 campgrounds (Lone Pine Campground, Mt, Whitney Trailhead Campground, and Whitney Portal Campground), a restaurant/gift shop, waterfalls, fishing ponds, bathrooms, and potable water. If you are interested in my itinerary check it out here.

The Best Time to Summit Mount Whitney

I submitted Mount Whitney at the end of August, we had perfect conditions, but again a couple weeks before this area had recorded breaking the record for wettest day by nearly half an inch. Death Valley National Park, which is roughly 60 miles from Mount Whitney TH, recorded 2.20 inches of rain. Whitney Portal was closed and damaged, we could see remnants of the damage alone the trail. You never know with Mother Nature, that being said, July, August, and September are the months where you will be least likely to encounter snow and ice. We did encounter snow and ice; however, not enough where we needed ice axes and I did not use my micro spikes, but my friends did. There was a couple patches of snow towards the end of the 99 switchbacks (it was icy because we started hiking at 2AM) and right before the final ascent to Mount Whitney.

Map via NPS website

How to Get a Permit

The lottery opens every year on February 1st and closes March 1st, you will select your first, second, and third date preferences, but keep in mind only 26% of applicants received their first choice back in 2022 so be flexible. You will apply on Recreation.gov, just type “Mount Whitney” in the search bar and it should pop up. There is a $6 non-refundable fee for the lottery and the permits are $15 per person (as of 2024). For more details, check here.

My Multi-Day Packing List

When I visited the Park in June and September the weather was a bit all over the place. In September we had cold nights and during the day it was high of 70s, sunny, but other days there was snow on the mountains or it started raining. So with the sporadic weather, I encourage you to pack layers so you are prepared for whatever weather may hit when you visit.

What to Wear:

• Hiking Tops – I always start with a non-cotton t shirt, this Patagonia t shirt is the perfect hiking top and I paired it with my REI Co-op Sun Hoodie
• Base Layer – I wore a merino base layer on day 2 during our ascent
• Down Jacket – As we summited, I wore my Cotopaxi Down Jacket, it kept me nice and warm during the chilly morning.
• Outer Layer: I layered my GORE-Tex Mountain Hardwear Jacket over my down jacket to cut down on the wind chill
• Bottoms – I wore my Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants and did not wear a base layer, but would recommend the IceBreaker Layer Leggings if the weather is colder
• Socks – I brought a couple pairs of Smartwool and Darn Tough hiking sock.
• Footwear – Since there was barely any snow and the trail was not very technical, I wore my Dinner boots and found they were perfect for the conditions at the time. I brought my Tevas to wear around camp.
• Buff – Wearing a buff will help block your face from the sun and wind
• Gloves – The summit was windy and these gloves were enough, but if the weather is expected to be colder, I would recommend these gloves if there is snow.
• Beanie – It was nice to have a beanie in the mornings and on the summit
• Hat – Protect your face and wear a hat
• Eye Wear: I wore glacier sunglasses throughout my hike which was extremely helpful since it was bright the whole time during our backpacking trip plus with the windy summit

Interested in my 3-day itinerary? Check out my blog here!

Gear to Bring:

• Multi Day Backpack – My 60L Ariel Osprey Backpack fit all my gear perfectly, though this bag it on the heavier side, it is my go-to multi-day bag
• Summit Bag: I highly recommend bringing a summit bag to store your snacks, first aid kit, water, etc. while ascending, I wore the Mystery Ranch 19L Day bag
• Tent – My tent was the NEMO 1P DragonFly and it got put to the test on the last night with 30MPH winds – this tent is durable and weighs a little over 2lbs. I highly recommend NEMO products.
• Sleeping Pad – I tried out the new NEMO Tensor Lightweight Sleeping Pad it weights around 14oz and it was extremely comfortable. My last sleeping pad slipped around at night, but this sleeping pad didn’t move at all (I sleep like I am fighting crime).
• Sleeping Bag – The temperatures at night were low 40s/high 30s so I brought my NEMO Sleeping Bag rated for 30 degrees Fahrenheit
• Pillow – This is optional, but I like to bring my NEMO inflatable pillow
• Headlamp – My favorite headlamp is the BioLite Rechargeable HeadLamp
• Trekking Poles – I will always be a trekking pole girlie, these were extremely helpful on the ascent and descent
• Water Filter – I used the Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter and used Smart Water bottles to filter
• Safety – the Garmin Mini is a satellite communicator in case of an emergency. A couple of weeks before our trip, someone was airlifted out after showing symptoms of HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema).
• Camp Stove – I brought my JetBoil to share with my friends since we brought dehydrated backpacking meals and remember to bring fuel
• Utensils – I use this spork and a mug if you are a coffee drinker. We did not bring plates/bowls because we ate straight out of our backpacking meals
• Bear Canister – The rodents are no joke around this area, place all your food and anything with a smell in your bear canister. I found that the 450V had plenty of room for my 3-day trip.
• Wag Bag – It is required to carry out your poop, so make sure to bring enough Wag Bags
• Sunscreen – as always, lather up in sunscreen and remember to re-apply! The sun is strong up at this higher elevation
• First Aid Kit – You should always have a First Aid Kit with you. This includes lip balm with SPF, bandaids, advil/ibuprofen, bacitracin, blister specific bandages, matches, etc.
• Multi Tool – A multi tool is a smart item to bring
• Gaiters – I didn’t need any gaiters, but if there is quite a bit of snow, definitely bring them!
• Microspikes – There were some icy spots towards the end of 99 switchbacks and on the final ascent to the mountain summit, my friends put their micro spikes though I felt comfortable without them.
• Bring a print out of your permit and bring your ID
• Ice Axe – This is seasonal, we did not need an ice axe, but always keep an eye on the conditions before you head out because you may need it
• Cell Phone – I used my phone for navigation along with a print out. Remember to bring your charging cord
• Power Bank – Since I was using my phone for photos, videos, and navigation I brought a Power Bank
• Electrolytes and Energy Gels – We stopped every hour to have an energy gel and water as soon as we started the 99 switchbacks which helped immensely to prevent altitude sickness. I continually put electrolyte tablets in my filtered water (I also use Liquid IV).
• Kula Cloth – I am a Kula Cloth fan, I have two and use them for every backpacking/hiking trip

Extras

• Deodorant
• Hair brush
• Handkerchief (I always get a runny nose while hiking)
• Camera
• Toothbrush and Toothpaste
• Wipes/Toilet paper
• Ear plugs
• Bug Net (we didn’t have any issues with bugs, but you never know)
• Insect repellent
• Rain Cover for your bag (mine came with one)
• Camping Chair or Seat Pad – I chose not to bring a chair/pad to save on weight

Snacks

It is important to bring enough food especially to prevent altitude sickness, not feeling hungry is a sign of altitude sickness so snack as much as you can, here are some snacks I brought

• Apple sauce (squeezable)
• Fruit snacks
• Dried Fruit (cherries, mangoes, bananas, berry mix)
• Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews)
• Small squeezable peanut butter
• Jerky
• Small cheez-its
• Cliff Builder Bars
• 3 Backpacking Meals
• Two tortillas for the backpacking meals
• Chocolate
• Sour Patch Kids (of course lol)
• Fruit Strips
• Ramen
• Tuna Packets
• Hard candy
• Electrolyte packets
• Energy Gels

Things to Know Before You Go

• Wildlife – As always, keep your distance from animals and do not feed them. Keep your food and any scented items stored in your bear canister 100 yards downwind. Rodents have been known to chew through tents in this area, some people opt to keep their tents open and store their bags away while you leave camp.
• Weather – As I said above, Mother Nature is unpredictable, make sure you are tracking the weather and be prepared for any kind of conditions. When we arrived back at camp from summiting Mount Whitney, we saw someone’s tent had flown down the trail and my friend’s tent was blew down. Make sure to secure your tents before leaving. Be prepared for snow and potentially ice, you will most likely encounter snow if yo are summiting before July and after September (some times earlier).
• Mules – Rangers will use mules for trail maintenance purposes, they transport equipment for trail work. We encountered mules about 2 miles in from the TH. Mules have the right of way so move off the trail on the downhill side.
• Follow Leave Not Trace (LNT) Principles – Let’s keep our trails clean and follow the seven principles of LNT
• Carry out your poop – as I stated in my list, you are required to carry out your poop so please plan accordingly
• Service – We did not have any service at Whitney Portal or along the trail. Download all your maps and any other important information before you head out.
• Altitude Sickness – We encountered many people who had to turn around due to altitude sickness. Be aware of ways to prevent altitude sickness and signs, I did a significant amount of research since this was my first 14er, here is a great article to start.
• No wood fires are allowed