How do I get a permit?

If you are going during the quota season (May 1 through November 1), you must apply online at recreation.gov between February 1 and March 15. The results will be emailed to you on March 23 and you have until April 30 to accept or decline the date(s) you got. Your credit card will not be charged until you accept the date(s). Note: you will also be emailed if you did not get a permit.

1. Create an account on recreation.gov
2. Log in and search for Mount Whitney
3. Select Permits and Wilderness
4. It will give you a choice of Day Use or overnight permits
5. Select the one you want
6. Enter the date or date range you want
7. Enter the group size (max size is 15)
8. You can enter your preferred date and 14 alternative dates
9. The permit costs $15/person. There is a non-refundable $6 application fee when you submit your application
10. Submit application and wait for results

Picking up the permit

Head to the Ranger Station that's just south of Lone Pine, CA.

In there you will pick up the permit. Have your permit number and ID ready. (They give you the permit number in the email) 

If you did not win the Lottery

The ranger station has unused permits available on a first come, first serve basis. IF ANY ARE AVAILABLE. You're best bet would be to call in advance and see what they are saying as far as availability goes. Here is their phone number: 760-876-6222
For example, if you want to start on a Friday, you're best bet would be to show up on Thursday and see if there are any unused permits available for Friday. It is possible to get one the day of but, it all depends on what's available. 

What food should I take?

I find it best to have your biggest meals at the beginning and end of the day. During the day you are going to want to be hiking and only want to stop for snacks and water breaks. If you eat a large lunch, you may have to go to the bathroom mid-hike, meaning you will have to stop, open your poop bag and find somewhere to squat. Also, the higher in elevation you go, the less of an appetite you have.

The night before the big hike, you should carbo-load. Eat some pasta, grilled chicken, etc.

The point is to consume a lot of calories in order to be ready to hike in the morning.

The morning of, you should have a light breakfast.

That means energy bars, oatmeal, dried fruit, bagel/bread, etc.

Breakfast:

Backpackers Pantry Granola with Banana's and Milk (Dehydrated Meal). Just add two cups of cold or hot water, stir it up and you're good to go. ($7.50)

Bananas
Apples
Bagel with Peanut Butter

While Hiking

Be sure to drink at least half a liter of water every hour if not more frequently.

Eat light foods every 1-2 hrs. That is fruits, nuts, energy bars, etc.

Aim for only one 10-15 min break every hour if not less often.

If you are hiking for a while and need to stop for lunch, take something that will not harden as you go higher in elevation. Aka no bread. Carry food that will give you energy to keep you going. Beef jerky is good, trail mix, energy bars, dried fruits, fresh fruits (mango, orange)

Mixed sports drinks are also a good idea to replenish electrolytes.

Oranges

Bananas 

Energy Bars

Apples

Nuts (Almonds, trail mix, etc)

Gatorade powder packs (add to water) Walmart has an 8 pack for around $8-10.

Tuna. ( Easy to eat and can be eaten with bread or chips or on its own)

Dinner

Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki with Rice (Dehydrated meal) $9.00 

Mashed Potatoes with Tuna (so re-moralizing after a long day of hiking)

If you can, have some more fruits so you are not just eating protein and dehydrated meals. You want some natural sugars. 

Drink lots of water (2-3 liters). You have been hiking all day and probably did not drink that much water. Your appetite and thirst go down the higher in elevation you get. Even though you may not feel that hungry or thirsty, drink anyway. Try to get your urine to be clear. 

What gear do I need?

I am going to separate the list between essential and optional. (This is the gear I have)

Essential:

• Water bottle. 1 -1.5 Liter Nalgene. ($5-10) 
• Water Bladder. 4 Liter MSR Dromedary ($30)
• Water Filter. MSR Hyperflow ($100)
• Stove. Snow Peak GigaPower Stove with Piezo (built in starter). $50
• Lighter. Any cheap brand will do ($1-3)
• Cookset. Snow Peak Hybrid Trail Cookset. Includes 1 pot, 1 frying pan, 1 spork, and 1 bowl. ($56) 
• Compass. Suunto A-10 Compass ($10)
• Sunscreen 
• Sunglasses. Target brand. $20
• Hat. Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat ($38)
• First Aid Kit. REI Day Pack First-Aid Kit ($13.50)
• Headlamp. Black Diamond Revolt Headlamp, 90 lumens ($60)
• Knife. Gerber Big Rock Serrated Knife. ($40)
• Multi-tool. Gerber Crucial Multi-tool. ($40)
• Backpack. REI Crestrail 70 ($239)
• Day/Summit Pack. REI Flash 22 ($50)
• Sleeping bag. Marmot NanoWave 45 ($80)
• Sleeping pad. Big Agnes Air Core ($60)
• Tent. Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 1 ($350) but I got it for $25 at an REI used gear sale.
• Bear Canister is required if spending the night on Whitney. Rent them at Ranger Station for $2.50/day.
• Sports Watch. Pyle Sports Weather Master VII w/altimeter, barometer, thermometer, compass ($50)

Optional

• Chair. REI Flex Lite Chair. ($70). 
• Sleeping Bag Liner. Cocoon Silk Mummy Liner, adds 9.5 degrees of warmth ($60)
• Footprint (goes under tent). REI Half Dome 2 Plus ($30)
• Pillow (hint: you can use your jacket as a pillow)
• Collapsible bucket for water
• Sandals to relax at the camp (if you're not too cold)
• Trekking Poles. Help distribute weight. Almost tempted to say they're essential. BAFX Products Anti-shock poles. (Amazon $25.50)
• Ice Axe
• Crampons
• Microspikes. Kahtoola MICROspikes (Amazon $50-60)

 

 

What clothes do I need?

This is the list of clothing that I have used (from late May to mid October):

At the time of my writing this post I just climbed Mt Whitney on Memorial Day weekend (May 25, 2013) and below is the exact clothes I wore: 

Footwear

ASIC Mens Gel-Trail Attack 7 Trail Running Shoe ($60 USD)
They are light weight and give your feet more mobility. However, if you have a heavy backpack, they do not absorb the weight very much and it can hurt your knees. More on backpacks later. 

Socks

I only use smart-wool socks. You can get them at REI or any other major sporting goods store. They are great because they do not absorb moisture and they keep your feet dry. Very important when hiking. They also keep your feet warm at night because they help retain heat. Range from $10-20.

Underwear

Again, smart-wool is the best for underwear ($50-100). Keeps you dry and it's easy to layer over it. If you cannot or do not want to get smart wool, you can buy under armor type underwear. I've used that before on my hiking trips and it works just fine. Does hold some sweat so it can get cold when you're not moving. I got them at Target for about $15.

Pants/Shorts

I use REI's Sahara Convertible Pants with No-Sit Zips ($65). They are great because you can zip it off from the knee down and they become shorts. And if it gets cold, you can easily zip the bottom back on. They are lightweight, easy to pack away, and dry fast. 

Take a warm pair of pants to sleep in. REI Polartec 100 Teton Fleece Pants ($60)

Shirts

You want a base-layer that does not absorb your sweat. Smartwool is the best. But I have used running shirts from Target that cost me about $15-20. You will have to layer up over this base layer but more on that later.

Jackets

You want two of them:

1. Mid-layer: something that will act as a warm liner such as fleece. 

2. Outer-Shell: something that is waterproof and breathable that will protect you from the elements (rain, wind, etc)

I use Columbia Men's Bugaboo Interchange Jacket. ($190). It has two jackets in one and you can attach them via zipper. It comes in very handy when it's cold, and if your're too warm, you can just use one of the jackets.

Take one pair of each item above (except shoes) for each day you will be hiking. Unless you just want to be really lightweight and use the same clothes again the next day.