Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1297975
24 | FALL 2020 Prepping for a trekking trip can be an uphill battle, especially when it involves flight travel. Here are a few quick and easy packing pointers. GO LIGHT: The cardinal rule of outdoor travel starts well before you hoist that backpack for real. Painstakingly shaving off every dispensable ounce or square inch and opting for the ultra-lightest, space-saving, layer-friendly gear (e.g. not all windstopper jackets and tents weigh or compress the same) before hitting the luggage scales and mountain trails isn't just a good idea. It's a dollar and shoulder saver. CHECK AND PROTECT YOUR GEAR: Most non-flammable camping gear can be checked. Save your indis- pensable tent stakes by not trying to pass them through carry-on. Protect your backpack by cinching all straps, buckling all belts and placing it inside a durable plastic bag to prevent carousel damage. Sheathed camp knives and trekking poles need to be in checked baggage. Consult TSA.gov and your airline for the latest packing regulations. BUY AND RENT STUFF THERE — OR GO WITH A GUIDE: Stove fuel and bear spray aren't going on the plane. Research on-site outdoor retailers ahead to know exactly where to get any necessary flight-ver- boten or larger liquid items (like biodegradable soap) at or near your destination. Consider rent- ing camping gear when you get there — or sign onto a guided trip with a local outfitter who'll take care of all the big stuff and logistics for you. Let's say you want to notch a bona fide "highest" mountain in America and it's not going to be Alaska's chilling Mount Denali anytime soon. Here's your asterisked, impressive enough summit. Mount Whitney — the tallest mountain in America's Lower 48 states — may be the most doable hill in its height class for any non-technical climber with a healthy pulse, loads of stamina, proper acclimatization and reliable footwear. Looming above California's Sierra Nevada range on the edge of Sequoia National Park and Inyo National Forest, Mount Whitney welcomes more than 20,000 summit seekers in any given year. Not all make it to the very top, but plenty do — and the vast majority up their chances during the mountain's temperate window between July and early September when the 11-mile Whitney Trail (the mountain's most accessible "walk-up" route) likely isn't pummeled with snowy conditions yet. What's the scene like along the way? An Ansel Adams- worthy canvas of granite peaks, mirror-like alpine lakes, scattered wildflowers and waterfalls. Waiting at the top is an eternal view of California's Owens Valley, two vertical miles of thin-ish air below you. JORDAN RANE is an award- winning travel writer. His work has appeared in Men's Journal, CNN Travel and the Los Angeles Times. HIGHEST MOUNT WHITNEY SUMMIT ELEVATION: 14,505 feet LOCATION: Central California — 225 miles from Los Angeles OPTIMUM CLIMB TIME: Summertime, before that eight-month winter abruptly arrives PACKING PRIMER Editor's note: Before you visit, please check with local resources for closures due to recent wildfire closures.