Thousand Island Lake · 1 night · June
Packing List
Rush Creek Trail · 9,840 ft · target ~30 lb packs
Everything for a one-night trip to the lake, tuned for June in the high Sierra — near-freezing dawns, warm middays, afternoon storms, mosquitoes, and bear country. Tap any item to check it off as you pack; it saves on this device. Items marked shared only need one or two for the whole group — split them up.
The Big Threemost of your weight
[ ]Backpack — 50–65 L
[ ]Pack liner / rain cover — keep gear dry
[ ]Tents sorted — everyone brings their own (one each)
[ ]Stakes + footprint sorted — comes with each tent
[ ]Sleeping bag — 20–30°F rated
[ ]Sleeping pad — insulated, R-value 3+
[ ]Pillow — inflatable or stuff-sack
[ ]Trekking poles — big help on the climb
Clothinglayer for 30°F → 75°F in a day
[ ]Hiking shirt — synthetic/merino, ×1–2
[ ]Hiking shorts/pants — convertible is nice
[ ]Insulating layer — fleece or puffy jacket
[ ]Rain jacket — afternoon storms + wind
[ ]Base layers — merino top + bottom for sleep/cold
[ ]Warm hat — beanie for the cold dawn
[ ]Sun hat / cap
[ ]Light gloves — mornings bite
[ ]Buff / neck gaiter
[ ]Hiking socks — merino, 2–3 pairs
[ ]Underwear — 2–3
[ ]Camp shoes — sandals/Crocs, optional luxury
Footwearbroken in, not brand new
[ ]Trail runners / hiking boots — already broken in
[ ]Gaiters — optional, dust & scree
Kitchen & Cooking
[ ]Backpacking stove open — Tony or Shelden? nobody's claimed it
[ ]Fuel canister open — with the stove; 1 is plenty for a night
[ ]Lighter + backup matches open
[ ]Cook pot open — with the stove
[ ]Spork
[ ]Mug / bowl — insulated
[ ]Biodegradable soap + scrubber shared
[ ]Trash / zip bags shared — pack out everything
Watertreat everything you drink
[ ]Water capacity ~3 L — bottles &/or reservoir
[ ]Filter / purifier Matthew — Matthew's got one
[ ]Backup tablets open — grab a cheap pack as filter backup
[ ]Electrolyte mix — optional, helps at altitude
Trail FoodSat lunch → Sun lunch
[ ]Sat lunch — no-cook, eat on arrival
[ ]Sat dinner — hot meal at camp
[ ]Sun breakfast — Matthew's bringing the group coffee
[ ]Trail snacks — bars, nuts, jerky, ×2 days
[ ]Emergency extra Matthew — bringing extra MREs for the group
[ ]Cooking oil + seasoning + foil Matthew — for a few fish (5/person daily limit, not 20!)
Bear & Wildliferequired in Inyo NF
[ ]Bear canister Matthew — make it a LARGE one: 3 ppl + MREs + all scented items; grab a 2nd if tight
This is not optional. An approved bear canister is required, and rangers do check. Everything scented goes inside at night — not just food, but toothpaste, sunscreen, lip balm, bug spray, and trash — stored 100+ ft from the tents.
Navigation & Electronicsno cell at the lake
[ ]Phone — offline maps downloaded
[ ]Map + compass open — paper backup
[ ]Headlamp + spare batteries
[ ]Power bank + cables
[ ]Satellite communicator open — anyone have one? worth it w/ no cell
[ ]Whistle — usually on the pack sternum strap
Sun & BugsJune mosquitoes are brutal
[ ]Sunglasses — polarized (also helps spot fish)
[ ]Sunscreen SPF 50+ — sun is fierce at altitude
[ ]Lip balm w/ SPF
[ ]Bug spray Matthew — Matthew's bringing some (DEET/picaridin)
[ ]Head net — you'll be glad you have it
Health, Hygiene & First Aid
[ ]First aid kit open — blister care (Leukotape), ibuprofen, antihistamine, bandages, tweezers
[ ]Personal meds — whatever you take
[ ]Altitude meds — Diamox — optional & personal: get your OWN script from a doctor this week; don't share someone else's (it's a sulfa Rx)
[ ]Ortho-K kit — solution ×2 nights, case, backup glasses, hand sanitizer (Tony)
[ ]Toothbrush + small paste
[ ]Hand sanitizer
[ ]Trowel Matthew — bringing a shovel; cathole 6", 200 ft from water
[ ]TP / wag bag — pack out the paper
[ ]Cleaning wipes Matthew — Matthew's bringing some
Repair & Tools
[ ]Knife / multitool open
[ ]Duct + Tenacious tape open — pad/tent/jacket repair
[ ]Extra cord / guyline — optional
[ ]Travel rod + reel combo shared — 2 for the three of you
[ ]Lure box + 4 lb mono shared
[ ]Nippers + forceps shared
[ ]CA fishing license — one each, on your phone
Car Camping — Fridaystays at the car
[ ]Cooler — Fri dinner + Sat breakfast, drinks
[ ]Camp chairs — luxury, why not
[ ]Hackysack Matthew — Matthew's got it; pack in for lake hangs
[ ]Lantern
[ ]Bigger stove + fuel — optional, for the car meal
[ ]Extra water jug
[ ]Real pillow / extra blanket
Saturday morning, clean out the car. Bears break into cars for food. Move all trip food + scented items into the bear canister you carry in, stash any car-camp leftovers in a trailhead bear box if one's there, and leave nothing scented in the car while you're gone.
Documents & Don't-Forget
[ ]Wilderness permit — printed; leader present at pickup
[ ]ID / driver's license
[ ]Car key + a plan — where it lives on the trail
[ ]Cash — parking / gas / emergency
[ ]Tell someone the plan — route + Sunday exit day
Read Before You Pack
Dress for a 40-degree swing. June at 9,840 ft means near-freezing dawns, warm middays, and afternoon thunderstorms. The puffy and the rain shell aren't optional — they're what keep a cold, wet afternoon from becoming dangerous.
Hit the ~30 lb target by sharing. The Big Three plus food and water are most of your weight. Split every shared item — tents, stove, fuel, filter, canister, first aid, fishing — across all three packs, and leave every "nice to have" in the car.
Altitude is real. The Friday car camp is your acclimation night. Hydrate hard, ease the pace on the climb, and don't be shy with sunscreen — UV is brutal up high.