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Mount Whitney Overnight permit

Mt. Whitney Overnight Gear Checklist

An overnight Mount Whitney trip means carrying a full camp up the same 22-mile trail that day hikers run light. Most backpackers split it with a night at Outpost Camp, 3.8 miles up, or at Trail Camp, 6 miles up at 12,000 feet. What shapes the pack is a mandatory bear canister, a pack-out kit for human waste, bedrock and wind at Trail Camp, and a freezing night before a summit push. People who have done it say the tent, the gloves and the water filter are where plans go wrong.

What shapes your gear on Mount Whitney

Quota and permit type
From May 1 to November 1 the Forest Service limits overnight entries on the Mount Whitney Trail to 60 people a day. The two permit types are not interchangeable. An overnight permit does not cover a single-day hike, and a day-use permit does not cover passing through on a multi-night trip.

From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Mount Whitney

Where people camp
The Forest Service lists Lone Pine Lake, Outpost Camp, Consultation Lake and Trail Camp as the usual choices. Outpost Camp sits 3.8 miles up at 10,300 feet with relatively sheltered sites. Trail Camp is 6 miles up at 12,000 feet, above tree line and exposed to wind.

From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Mount Whitney and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Hiking the Mt. Whitney Trail (trip planning guide, PDF)

Water
Lakes and streams carry water up to Trail Camp. Once the snow is gone there is no surface water above about 12,400 feet, and the Forest Service says to carry 3 liters from Trail Camp to the summit and to treat everything you drink.

From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Hiking the Mt. Whitney Trail (trip planning guide, PDF)

Night temperatures
A May backpacker measured overnight lows of about 15 to 20°F at Trail Camp, and a September group had nights in the high 30s to low 40s.

From Outdoor Pilgrim and Outdoor Brooke

Weather swing
One backpacking group had a breezy summit on the way up and learned that wind on the same summit hit 60 mph on the day they hiked out. The same group came back to camp to find one tent flattened and another blown down the trail.

From Outdoor Brooke

What the agency requires on Mount Whitney

What hikers carry on Mount Whitney

  • A freestanding tent that holds up on bedrock

    Trail Camp is mostly bedrock and in the wind, so one May backpacker chose a freestanding tent over a trekking-pole shelter that needs deep stakes. A September group's tents were tested by 30 mph gusts, and they say to secure the tent before you leave camp for the summit.

    From Outdoor Pilgrim, Outdoor Brooke and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Hiking the Mt. Whitney Trail (trip planning guide, PDF)

  • A warmer sleep system than the forecast suggests

    One backpacker took a 10°F quilt plus a liner and was glad of the liner when Trail Camp dropped to about 15 to 20°F. Another group slept in bags made for 30°F with nights in the high 30s and low 40s and had no complaint in September.

    From Outdoor Pilgrim and Outdoor Brooke

  • A rented or borrowed bear canister, sized to the trip

    A small rented canister held one backpacker's whole two-day trip. A three-day group said theirs had plenty of room. A third backpacker says the canister also keeps marmots out of your food while you are up on the summit.

    From Outdoor Pilgrim, Outdoor Brooke and Voyages with Val

  • A small daypack for summit day

    Backpackers who base-camp at Trail Camp leave the big pack at the tent and climb with a small bag for water, snacks and a first aid kit. One trip carried a collapsible daypack just for this.

    From Voyages with Val and Outdoor Brooke

  • Microspikes

    In May the little streams crossing the trail froze overnight, and a backpacker starting up at 5:30 am found them slick. A late August group still used spikes on short stretches near the summit. A September group found icy patches on the 99 switchbacks after a 2 am start.

    From Outdoor Pilgrim, Voyages with Val and Outdoor Brooke

  • Real gloves, plus a beanie and a puffy jacket

    All three backpackers dressed much warmer above Trail Camp than below it. One hiker's liner gloves failed in the wind above 13,000 feet. Another put on gloves mainly to hold trekking poles near the top.

    From Outdoor Pilgrim, Voyages with Val and Outdoor Brooke

  • Matches as well as a lighter

    One group found their lighters struggled at high elevation and needed matches to get the stove going. With no fires allowed, the stove is the whole kitchen.

    From Voyages with Val and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Hiking the Mt. Whitney Trail (trip planning guide, PDF)

  • A filter you can keep from freezing, and a fallback

    At Trail Camp one backpacker kept the filter in the sleeping bag as usual and still found it would not flow at dawn. The stove was the only backup, and boiling several liters would have cost the early start.

    From Outdoor Pilgrim and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Hiking the Mt. Whitney Trail (trip planning guide, PDF)

  • A satellite messenger

    All three backpackers carried a satellite messenger or GPS device. One group reported that someone was airlifted out with signs of cerebral edema a few weeks before their trip, and there is no cell service at the portal or on the trail.

    From Outdoor Brooke, Voyages with Val and Outdoor Pilgrim

  • Camp sandals and a sit pad

    Backpackers who stay two or three nights bring light sandals for camp and a sit pad for time in camp. One backpacker with a short trip left the camp shoes in the car on purpose.

    From Voyages with Val, Outdoor Brooke and Outdoor Pilgrim

15 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.

Plan a trip here

What hikers regret or leave behind on Mount Whitney

  • Thin liner gloves for the summit

    The one clothing item this May backpacker called woefully insufficient was a pair of wool liners with hand warmers. Fingers froze above 13,000 feet, and plastic newspaper bags worn as mitts over the gloves saved the day.

    From Outdoor Pilgrim

  • A heavy GPS watch

    The same backpacker swapped a cheap digital watch for a chunky GPS watch for the trip and called it overkill, since the jacket sleeve would barely go over it.

    From Outdoor Pilgrim

  • Only one night of acclimatizing

    One backpacker camped near the trailhead for a single night and wished for two. Another group saw many people turn back with altitude sickness and tried to snack every hour, starting at the 99 switchbacks.

    From Voyages with Val and Outdoor Brooke

  • Bug gear and a camp chair

    A May backpacker left insect gear home because most of the trip was above tree line, and had no trouble. A September group skipped a camp chair to save weight and did not miss it.

    From Outdoor Pilgrim and Outdoor Brooke

Gear questions for Mount Whitney

Do I need a bear canister to backpack Mount Whitney?

Yes. The Forest Service requires one for overnight trips here from Memorial Weekend until November 1. Food, trash and toiletries all go inside it. You can rent one in Lone Pine at the Interagency Visitor Center or at sporting goods shops, or at the Whitney Portal Store.

From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Hiking the Mt. Whitney Trail (trip planning guide, PDF)

Where do people camp on an overnight Mount Whitney trip?

Most backpackers pick Outpost Camp at 10,300 feet or Trail Camp at 12,000 feet, with Lone Pine Lake and Consultation Lake as other options. Trail Camp puts you 6 miles up and above tree line, so it is cold and windy. Outpost Camp is more sheltered.

From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Mount Whitney and Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Hiking the Mt. Whitney Trail (trip planning guide, PDF)

Can I use my Mount Whitney overnight permit for a day hike?

No. The Forest Service treats overnight and day-use permits as separate products, and the overnight one does not cover a single-day hike. The overnight permit also covers only the Mount Whitney Trail, not climbing routes such as the Mountaineers Route.

From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Mount Whitney

Do I need a stove or can I have a campfire on Mount Whitney?

Bring a stove. The Forest Service guide lists no campfires among its rules, and groups who backpacked the trail cooked dehydrated meals on small stoves and carried matches as backup.

From Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Hiking the Mt. Whitney Trail (trip planning guide, PDF), Outdoor Brooke and Voyages with Val

Sources

  1. Mount Whitney · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
  2. Hiking the Mt. Whitney Trail (trip planning guide, PDF) · Inyo National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
  3. Mt. Whitney Packing List (2021) · Outdoor Pilgrim, Paty · Blog
  4. Mount Whitney: Multi-Day Packing List · Outdoor Brooke · Blog
  5. Backpacking Mount Whitney: Trail Guide, Packing List and How to Train · Voyages with Val · Blog