How to Pack for a Successful Climb on Mount Shasta

Climbing Mount Shasta is no easy feat, even with the right equipment and supplies. If you’re looking to make your next climb successful, it’s important to pack carefully. Focus on comfort and packing light. To help you get started, here are some tips on what to bring and how to pack your backpack effectively in preparation for your next climb on Mount Shasta.

What to Bring

Here is the equipment checklist that Shasta Mountain Guides uses for 2-4 day climbs on nearly all routes. Click on the image to the right to access and download the checklist.

This list is property of Shasta Mountain Guides and is provided here for your convenience.

Any reputable guide will conduct a thorough gear check before setting out. It’s an all important step in a safe, fun, and successful trip on the mountain. There might be slight differences between the gear presented here and the gear your guide recommends. This would be because of current route and weather conditions. When in doubt, default to your guides’ recommendations and advice.

If you’re climbing the mountain without the services of SMG it is only a partial list. Here are a few more things that you’ll need to add to list;

• Mountaineering skills, ability, and a good plan

• Wilderness Passes and Permits

• Knowledge of your planned route and of current hazards

• Pot, stove, and fuel

• Nutritous food for breakfasts and dinners

• First aid kit, first aid training, and a good emergency plan

How to pack your backpack

When it’s finally time to pack your backpack be mindful in how you pack. A well packed backpack is safer and less fatiguing than one that is loose, unbalanced, and unwieldy with all sorts of shit dangling on the outside. There is always a way to pack a load so that it’s conducive to efficient travel.

Here are a few simple principles to help you pack in a way that won’t leave you exhausted from poor equipment management. Let me tell you about the, “A-B-Cs” of packing;

A: Access; keep items that you know you might need accessible near the top of your pack. Usually these items are food, water, an extra layer, sunscreen, and athletic tape (or your blister kit).

B: Balance; A well balanced backpack is more comfortable and less fatiguing than a pack that is out of balance. Pack heavy and bulky items low and centered in your pack. If your pack stands upright on its own without tipping over your pack is balanced.

C: Compression; Compressing your loaded backpack will tighten the load within. This actually reduces the mass that you must carry and eliminates any shifting that might happen inside the pack. These factors make your load easier to pick up, shoulder, and carry.

D: Dry; If there is precipitation in the weather forecast pack to keep yourself and important items like your sleeping bag and extra clothing dry. This can mean lining your pack with a heavy trash bag and keeping your weather proof shell handy.

E: Everything Inside; Packing nearly everything safely inside your pack ensures that there is no possibility of losing gear or dropping it on people below you. It also reduces fatigue and improves your balance while carrying the pack by eliminating the swing and rotational force of externally packed equipment.

A Virtual Gear Check & Packing

In this video I take viewers through a quick and basic gear check that includes everything one needs to climb the mountain with Shasta Mountain Guides.

The video also includes instructions for packing your backpack. At the end I weigh the fully loaded backpack (with full water bottles). The weight might surprise you.

Wether you’re planning on climbing the mountain guided or independently I hope there’s something here that you find helpful.