Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion The Ten Essentials

Not taking sides here, but I'm not sure the authority to prohibit camping outright via Forest Order implies the authority to require possession of a trowel for burying human waste during overnight camping.

Whut??

Wow -- this thread has taken a turn for the worse since I last looked at it!

Actually, it turns out that a lawyer is the 12th essential (the aforementioned duct tape being the 11th). Just pack one in your pack, and bring him or her out for a consult as needed.

How sadly true.

I'll share another "essential" that proved worthy on my last trip. Tire patch kit! I have a super-light 3/4 length Thermarest Neo-Air air mattress. I love sleeping on it.

Second night out, I laid out my garbage bag as a ground cover on what appeared to be a nice pine-needle bed, after digging out a few larger pebbles. But when I lay (laid?) down, the mattress went flat immediately. Fortunately, I had thought to bring along a bicycle tire patch kit -- glue and patches.

I found the hole -- a 1/4 inch rip, caused by the sharp needle on a leaf from a pine cone. Fortunately I found the needle right away, and I then checked the entire bedding area for more.

The tire patch worked! Applied the gooey glue, spreading it a little and allowed it to dry to a tacky consistency. The patches were barely large enough to cover the rip, but fortunately did. Pressed the patch by squeezing it between thumb and finger (no air in mattress). Then to protect the patch, I applied a square of duct tape. It held for the entire trip, and so I think the mattress is good to go on the next.

The hole in the mattress could have ruined a great trip.

Almost everyone I know (myself included) has a popped Neo-air story.

Best nights of sleep that I ever had was a 4 day trip using a Neo-air, alas, the item became too high maintenance for me,though. I eventually returned to using the standard, bomb-proof Thermarest mattress.

Bee,

I had the original Big Agnes Air Core, which would leak at outter edge seams making finding the leak near impossible. Once replace by BA, I have had zero problems.