Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion Whitney First Timer, advice/tips/encouragement?

Camp at Outpost instead of TC!

By doing so you get a nicer and cleaner campsite, better protection from the wind, clean water (yes, people do wash dishes in that pond near TC and most folks don't know how to find the little spring) and little more privacy. Plus, you will hike fewer miles with a heavy pack. When hiking light, the difference between Outpost and TC is almost negligible. I used this strategy a few times while guiding inexperienced friends and it always worked great.

Edit to add: forgot to say that another advantage of Outpost is lower altitude, which means a better chance of having a good night sleep.