When it comes to hiking, lighter is generally better. Sure, it's good to be prepared, but keep in mind, you have to carry all of your gear the entire way and the entire way back. Two hikers quickly learned that you probably shouldn't go overboard with gear. They tried to carry 150 pounds of equipment up Mount Whitney and paid the price for it.
Inyo Search and Rescue ended up having to rescue the pair of hikers from Mount Whitney. They also had 5 gallons of water, weighing 42 pounds. That means each hiker was carrying 96 pounds of gear.
Search and Rescue explained, "The subjects had started their summit attempt at 6PM on Friday with 150lbs of newly-purchased gear plus 5 gallons of water. Their plan was to camp at Lone Pine Lake and summit on Saturday. After hiking 2.7 miles until about 3AM, they were exhausted, and one subject had two blisters and a bad headache, so they camped on the trail. Later, they woke up to find it snowing, and their shoes had filled with snow."
That's right, they made it just 2.7 miles before they became too exhausted to continue. They were trying to make it to the summit in two days. But they quickly called for help. Rescue continued, "Using their iPhone's SOS via satellite, they called for help. One reported that she has a mass in her brain that is sensitive to barometric pressure."
Hikers Call For Help
The two hikers sound ill preparedd espite all of their gear. They were missing a map and water filer, for instance. Search and rescue explained what went wrong for the hikers.
"Attempting Mt. Whitney without prior experience, proper preparation, or essential items such as a map, weather forecast, and bear canister. Carrying excess water weight without hydrating sufficiently and lacking knowledge about water filtration options," they wrote. "Not seeking assistance from other hikers. Although others offered to help with their gear, the hikers declined, and could have also considered hiking down and arranging for gear retrieval later by a paid guide service."
The service issued a warning for future hikers. Please pack light. They wrote, "Summiting Mt. Whitney is a serious undertaking that requires research, training, proper gear, and experience. Hikers must have the humility and self-awareness to turn around when weather, personal fitness, or other factors make summiting unwise. Hire a guide service when you are inexperienced and/or don't have the proper gear."
