Not to stray too far on a tangent, but ...
The Whitney wag bags are far better than any others I've seen on other mountains which require them, like Shasta, Rainier, Hood, etc. Having done Whitney multiple times without needing to use the bag, I've accumulated a bit of a stash in my gear bin. I use these spares on trips to other mountains, and sometimes will bring one on a Whitney hike. After all, they're not really "free" - our tax dollars bought them.
Am not clear why some are so resistant about carrying one even if they're "certain" they won't need it (how can anybody be that sure?). After all, an un-used bag weighs almost nothing and takes no virtually no space.
