Packing Lists

This article aims to cover the equipment required for a wide range of alpine trips. For a gear list tailored for previous Winter Club Mountaineering Trips, please see Mount Whitney Winter Packing List.

Being prepared with the correct gear is one of the most crucial aspects of mountaineering and climbing. The following is a sample list of gear for a generic trip. It should be emphasized that

Gear should be chosen to suit the technical challenges, predicted conditions, and possible emergency conditions of the particular trip being undertaken.
Each climber should maintain their own packing list and update it regularly . Only you can determine if you really need those rock shoes, that second pair of underwear, those heavier glove liners, that titanium spork, etc. There is no substitute for experience and this list is only an example.

Climbing Equipment

Item	Type	Notes
Ice Axe	Snow	The mountaineer's #1 tool
Ice Tools	Ice	Not necessary for Mt. Whitney trip
Crampons	Snow, Ice	type (strap-on / step-in, front point style, etc.) depends on type of climbing
Crampon Storage	Snow, Ice	Although they can be strapped to the outside of your pack, it's better to have a purpose-built or improvised container for your crampons. See Crampons.
Ice Screws	Technical, Ice, Group	Not necessary for Mt. Whitney trip
Snowshoes	Snow
Rock Climbing Shoes	Technical	if needed: often climbing is done in mountaineering boots, approach shoes, and/or crampons. Not necessary for Mt. Whitney trip
Helmet	Technical, Ice, Snow
Harness	Technical, Ice, Snow
Accessory Cord	Technical, Ice , Snow	For prusiks. Try 6mm diameter nylon, and two strands of about 8' each, pre-tied into loops using a Double Fisherman's Knot.
Locking Carabiner	Technical, Ice, Snow
Belay device	Technical, Ice, Snow
Rock Protection	Technical, Group	Cams, chocks, nuts, runners, quickdraws, slings, etc. etc. for protecting rock (or mixed) routes. Not necessary for Mt. Whitney trip (leaders will have it)
Rope	Technical, Ice, Snow, Group	Dynamic rope for leading technical terrain, thinner rope for rappels, etc. If you plan to rappel, make sure you have the appropriate slings / rappel rings. Not necessary for Mt. Whitney trip (leaders will have it)
Snow Pickets	Snow, Group	An option if snow anchors need to be built. Not necessary for Mt. Whitney trip (leaders will have it)
Shovel	Snow, Group	An essential tool! Metal blades are preferred.
Avalanche Probe	Snow
Avalanche Beacon	Snow

Clothing

Item	Type	Notes
Boots	Basic	The type of boot (trail runner, hiking boot, single or double mountaineering boot) depends on the type of trip.
Balaclava	Winter	or face mask, scarf, or neck gaiter. Useful for windy situations.
Long Underwear	Winter	Tops and bottoms.
Socks	Basic	At least two pairs of both liners and outer wool/synthetic socks. The weight of the outer sock(s) depends on the temperature.
Gaiters	Snow
Upper Layers	Basic	Merino layers, fleeces, softshells, etc.
Pants	Basic	Society dictates that you should wear pants. Zip-off nylon pant/shorts are efficient.
Waterproof shell pants	Snow	For protection from wind and precipitation and also for glissading
Warm pants	Winter	Fleece or otherwise. Army-surplus wool pants are a cheap way to go, and will keep you warm, but are much much heavier than fleece.
Down Jacket	Winter	or one or more warm layers
Shell Jacket	Basic	Hard or soft shell (or even both)
Warm Hat	Basic	Or even two if it's very cold! A good hat is probably the best way to stay warm, pound for pound.
Sun Hat	Basic	If you burn easily, consider bringing (or improvising) a hat that covers your neck as well
Gloves/Mittens	Winter	Many options exist. Liners can be used under bulkier outer gloves or mittens. Remember that gloves get wet easily so extras are often a good idea.
Sunglasses	Basic	Especially if traveling on snow, make sure your glasses block all UV and block light from all directions, including the sides and bottom. You can modify your glasses with tape to block excess light. The Julbo Explorer is an example of the right kind of sunglasses. For long trips with harsh sun and wind, some people attach nose-protectors to their glasses (some glasses come with these), or make their own.
Goggles	Snow, Winter	Better coverage and wind protection than sunglasses in harsh conditions. Fogging can be an issue, so try ones with double-layers or with anti-fog coatings (or apply after-market anti-fog such as cat crap).

Large Personal Gear

Item	Type	Notes
Sleeping Bag	Overnight	Carry in a waterproof sack (a trash compactor bag works).
Summit Pack	Basic	If also taking a large backpack, you may be able to replace the summit pack with the top of your main backpack, or your main pack itself.
Sleeping Mat(s)	Overnight	Inflatable mats/pads are lighter and very warm. However, they can be punctured. For snow camping, strongly consider bringing a closed-cell mat as well as inflatable one. Closed-cell mats can double as insulated seats for cooking etc. in the snow and many bring a small foam mat for such a purpose.
Large Backpack	Overnight	Internal or external frame. Bring some accessory straps so you can attach bulky items to the outside of your pack.
Hiking Poles	Basic	optional. Snow baskets help in the snow.
Water Bottles / Pouches	Basic	Plan according to availability of water, but 2L is usually the minimum. Be aware that water pouches' tubes freeze easily in the winter!

Small Personal Gear

Item	Type	Notes
Map	Basic
Compass	Basic
Duct Tape	Basic	Always useful. Can be wrapped around a water bottle.
Lighters	Overnight	and/or matches. Probably worth it to bring a couple.
Eating Kit	Overnight	Bowl, Spoon, Titanium Spork, etc.
Sunscreen	Basic	Bring your own, small container with only what you'll need. Surfers will tell you how 'Children's' sunscreen works well. At high-altitude and in snowy settings, you burn much faster than on the beach, so be very cautious and use a lot of sunscreen.
Entertainment	Overnight	Especially if you might be tent-bound for long stretches, a book or other diversion can be worth the weight.
Snacks	Basic	High in carbs, low in fat and protein. Try dried fruit or Gu packets. We have some suggestions at Favorite Backpacking Meals.
Chapstick	Basic	Higher-SPF, less-pungent kinds like Lifeguard's Choice work well. In snowy settings, your lips will burn and puff up if you don't protect them.
First Aid Kit	Basic	Ibuprofen, etc. On club trips, the leaders often have a big kit.
Toilet Paper	Overnight	In some parts of the Sierras, like Mt. Whitney, you will need a "wag" bag from the Forest Service, which you use for waste.
Water Treatment	Overnight	Iodine tablets, steripen, pump filter, or optional if you'll be boiling water (or want to take a risk). Some people use chlorine tables. Pumps can be difficult in winter, when there is a chance they will freeze. A tiny dose of iodine kills all bugs except giardia (for giardia, use the standard dose).
Headlamp + Extra Batteries	Basic	Light-weight enough (some are just tiny!) that it's almost always worth taking, even if there's only a small chance of being caught in the dark. Lithium batteries work well in the cold, and they are lighter than alkaline batteries, but they are expensive and have a lower voltage so make sure they are compatible with your device.
Whistle	Basic	Many backpacks include a whistle, but make sure it actually works!
Watch	Basic	Might include fancy functions like an altimeter. A watch with an alarm is very important for early starts, unless you're the kind of person who naturally wakes up at 5 AM.
GPS unit	Basic	Optional, and again don't depend on it!
Cell Phone	Basic	Optional, and you'll only sometimes get reception. Don't depend on it!
Pee bottle	Overnight	Optional, but it can be convenient, especially for long trips. It saves you from going outside in the cold during the middle of the night. Wide-mouth bottles recommended.
Earplugs	Overnight	Optional.
Camera	Basic	Optional. Extra batteries are a good idea. See Alpine Photography.
Drink Mixes	Basic	Optional. Sweet drink mixes are a good way to increase your hydration. Gatoraid works fine, but there are better mixes like gookinaid, endurox, accelerade, etc. (check out a bike store for options). Some brands claim that a bit of protein speeds up absorption, which may be true, but the mixes with protein make cleaning out the container much harder (the protein sticks to the sides, while sugar does not). As an added bonus, mixes may lower the freezing point of water.
Misc. Toiletries	Overnight	Toothbrush, toothpaste, contact solution, etc.
Plastic Bags	Overnight	Trash bags, their heavier-duty cousins trash compactor bags, and resealable plastic bags are useful for trash, storing wet gear, and the like.
Knife	Basic	Usually a small one (perhaps as part of a multi-tool) suffices.
Blister kit	Basic	Whatever you use to prevent blisters, e.g. moleskin, sticky patches, duct tape, athletic tape, ..

Camping Gear

Item	Type	Notes
Tent	Group, Overnight	Don't forget tie-downs and/or a snow anchoring system if needed!
Stove	Group, Overnight	Many stoves come with aluminum shields to help reflect lost heat and block wind.
Fuel	Group, Overnight
Cooking Pot	Group, Overnight
Food	Overnight	For inspiration, see Favorite Backpacking Meals.
Bear Canisters	Group, Overnight	While heavy, these provide peace of mind that you and your food will not be eaten by not only bears, but marmots, birds, and other creatures.