Titcomb Gear Checklist
Titcomb Basin is a long walk in from Elkhart Park, somewhere between 13 and 16 miles depending on which camp you count, and people who made it describe the same short list of problems: mosquitoes until mid-August, afternoon thunder, cold nights near 10,000 feet and a food-storage choice. The packs they describe run from a 40-liter ultralight setup to a 48-pound load that included an unused canister. They split on bear spray and on whether a canister is worth carrying when the camps are below the last trees.
What shapes your gear on Titcomb Basin
- How far in
- One blogger counts 16 miles from Elkhart Park to the Titcomb Lakes and spread a 40-mile trip over four days. A 2007 writer calls Island Lake nearly 13 miles from the closest trailhead. Two parties day-hiked into the basin, one from Island Lake and one from Little Seneca Lake, rather than moving camp.
From Girl on a Hike, Outside By Nature and Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018
- Elevation
- The Elkhart Park trailhead sits at 9,100 feet and one hiker's high point was roughly 12,500 feet at Indian Pass. The Forest Service says elevations above 13,000 feet keep winter weather always close.
From Girl on a Hike and Bridger-Teton National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Bridger Wilderness
- Season and weather
- Late July through early September is the usual window, and snowpack can push the start into August. A 2007 party met storms in early August, and a late-July 2018 pair got a lightning storm overnight at Island Lake and afternoon cloud over Fremont Peak. Another pair woke to frost in mid-August.
From Girl on a Hike, Outside By Nature and Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018
- Crowds
- A 2007 writer saw dozens of people around Island Lake and about 100 over four days on the trail. A forum poster calls it probably the most crowded part of the Winds. A mid-August visitor still found a camp where the other tents hid behind rises.
From Outside By Nature, Backpacking Light forum and Backcountry Post: Wind River Trip - Day 2 - Exploration of Titcomb Basin
- Smoke
- On one mid-August morning the basin was full of smoke. The writer liked the light it made but said they would rather have clear air.
From Backcountry Post: Wind River Trip - Day 2 - Exploration of Titcomb Basin
- Trailhead
- The Elkhart Park lot holds about 70 cars and the blogger who counted says overnight parking is free. A 2018 pair arrived near 11 pm and slept in the car, and found the lot packed and busy at sunrise.
From Girl on a Hike and Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018
What the agency requires on Titcomb Basin
Bear-safe food storage, March 1 through December 1
A joint Bridger-Teton and Shoshone order requires food, refuse and scented items to be stored acceptably at night and during the day when not attended. Acceptable means an interagency-certified bear-resistant container, a solid closed vehicle, or a bag hung at least 10 feet clear of the ground and four feet from any supporting tree or pole. The alert's title lists the Pinedale district, but the order's map was not readable, so ask the district which trailheads it covers.
From Bridger-Teton National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Food Storage (Blackrock, Jackson, Pinedale, and north portions of Big Piney and Greys River Districts) and Bridger-Teton National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Bridger Wilderness
Different rules across the Continental Divide
Crossing the divide from the Bridger Wilderness puts you on the Shoshone National Forest, where regulations change. The Forest Service tells visitors to check before they cross.
From Bridger-Teton National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Bridger Wilderness
What hikers carry on Titcomb Basin
A head net and strong repellent
Mosquitoes started in the lodgepole forest near the trailhead. At Hobbs Lake a head net made them okay, and at boggy Island Lake the 2018 pair ate dinner with nets on, lifting them for each bite. One blogger says mosquitoes are worst until mid-August and carried 100 percent DEET plus a spray-on clothing treatment applied in two coats.
From Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018 and Girl on a Hike
A canister, or a hang you trust
The 2007 party rented a canister at the Pinedale ranger station because they planned to camp above tree line. They never did and each hauled a canister for nothing. The 2018 pair hung their food bags every night at Island Lake. A Backpacking Light poster suggests renting one from the Forest Service and cooking away from the tent.
From Outside By Nature, Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018 and Backpacking Light forum
A sleep system that handles a cold basin
A hiker with a 45-degree summer bag laid an emergency space blanket under the pad and slept warm enough at Hobbs Lake. Another pair put the rain fly on at night to keep wind out and still woke to frost in mid-August. Indian Pass at about 12,500 feet felt much colder than camp.
From Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018 and Girl on a Hike
Rain gear and a tent that takes thunder
The 2007 trip had repeated storms. One close lightning strike at Seneca Lake sent the party into the woods and ended their day early at Little Seneca Lake. At Island Lake in 2018 a loud night storm brought torrential rain, and an afternoon storm over Fremont Peak sent the pair back to camp in steady rain.
From Outside By Nature and Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018
A water filter
One blogger says water is plentiful from lakes and streams along the way, so a filter was the only water gear needed. The 2018 pair filtered at camp each evening and again after the day trip into the basin.
From Girl on a Hike and Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018
Offline maps and a printed map
A 2017 party followed footprints and cairns toward Indian Pass and checked a phone GPS app, and carried a printed topographic map for the northern half of the range. In 2007 a GPS showed more than a mile of off-trail wandering just to find the first night's site.
From Girl on a Hike and Outside By Nature
A pack sized to the load
One hiker fit a five-day trip and a camp chair into a 40-liter pack. The 2007 writer started at 48 pounds for five nights with the unused 3-pound canister and water. Another blogger says to be comfortable with 30 to 40 pounds for hours at a time.
From Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018, Outside By Nature and Girl on a Hike
Trekking poles
The 2007 writer says they finally learned to use poles properly on this trip and saw how much they help with a heavy load.
From Outside By Nature
Bear spray, if you want it
Forum posters split. Several have hiked the Winds for years without it and saw no bear sign near Titcomb Basin, Island Lake or Indian Basin. One found a bear skull on the first night out and all of that party carried spray. One hiker met a black bear by the small lakes along Pole Creek, low on a loop.
Going as a group? Split this list between you so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Titcomb Basin
A canister that never gets used
The 2007 party camped below the last trees all trip and decided the canisters were dead weight. Another hiker on the same thread argues a canister is the prudent choice, which shows how far people disagree.
From Outside By Nature and Backpacking Light forum
Tired boot inserts
The 2007 writer got a first blister in ten years and suspected worn-out boot inserts. A blister pad did not stop it, and moleskin felt better.
From Outside By Nature
A camera card that fills early
A 2018 hiker with a small camera ran the memory card nearly full by the fourth day and said a 32 GB card would be the minimum next time.
From Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018
A late afternoon start
The 2007 party started in the afternoon, searched for a campsite for longer than usual, and ended up more than a mile off trail just before rain.
From Outside By Nature
Gear questions for Titcomb Basin
Do you need a bear canister for Titcomb Basin?
The Forest Service order accepts a hang as well as a certified container, so a canister is not the only choice. A 2007 party rented one at the Pinedale ranger station and decided it was dead weight, while a forum poster calls skipping one imprudent. Hanging is harder near the last trees, so decide by where you plan to camp.
From Bridger-Teton National Forest (USDA Forest Service): Food Storage (Blackrock, Jackson, Pinedale, and north portions of Big Piney and Greys River Districts), Outside By Nature and Backpacking Light forum
How bad are the mosquitoes at Titcomb Basin?
Bad in July and early August. A late-July pair ate dinner with head nets on at Island Lake, and one blogger says they last until mid-August.
From Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018 and Girl on a Hike
Do you need bear spray at Titcomb Basin?
Opinions split. Backpacking Light posters who have hiked the area for years say they never saw bears near the basin, but one party found a bear skull and carried spray, and another poster notes that grizzlies have moved farther south in the Winds.
Is there drinking water on the way to Titcomb Basin?
Not treated water. Writers say lakes and streams run along the route, so carry a filter. One 2018 pair filtered every evening at camp.
From Girl on a Hike and Backcountry Post: Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018
Sources
- Bridger Wilderness · Bridger-Teton National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Food Storage (Blackrock, Jackson, Pinedale, and north portions of Big Piney and Greys River Districts) · Bridger-Teton National Forest (USDA Forest Service) · Agency
- Titcomb Basin (August 2007 trip report) · Outside By Nature · Trip report
- Backpacking the Winds: From Elkhart TH to Titcomb Basin, July 2018 · Backcountry Post, Yvonne · Trip report
- Wind River Trip - Day 2 - Exploration of Titcomb Basin · Backcountry Post, Blake Merrell · Trip report
- Bear Spray needed in Island Lake/ Titcomb Basin? (forum thread, June 2020) · Backpacking Light forum · Forum thread
- Backpacking to Titcomb Basin, Wind Rivers · Girl on a Hike · Blog