Going up to some of the highest peaks in the United States is always a blast. But, it takes a lot of work, preparation, and skills in order to survive on one of the loneliest and harshest mountain ranges: The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. I only spent 6 days, but at 9000-12000 feet above sea level, things sure are done differently. These are some tips that I collected in order for anyone interested in going to one of my favorite places on earth.

1. Food

When you begin your trips, you are bringing all of your own food. There is no 7-11 up around the corner to help you out if you forgot something. That is why it is so imperative to have a food list before you go up to the mountains and to check it constantly. See, on these trips, everything you bring is brought up by mules. And all of your food has to be put into something called a Bear Barrel or Bear Box, and has to stay there, in order for bears not to get into them, but more so the rangers don’t get mad at you. In addition, you have to realize there are no refrigerators except for the creeks, so there will be many canned and dry good in your future. The best part? Everything, literally, tastes better in the mountains. My five-pound weight gain is a testament to that.

2. Calling Ahead

Alright, so on these trips, I traditionally take horses up the mountain with mules carrying the gear. You find such animals, and a packer to lead you into your camp, at a place called a Pack Station. Make sure to call ahead, because your reservation caused you to drive for six plus hours to the destination and you are dying to go. And when they never call you back, and then tell you that you have too many items to put on the mule, you are going to have a bad day. We had to get rid of a third of our stuff in order to go up the mountain, but in the end, we still made it up. I sure missed my slippers, though.

3. Hygiene

It is very hard to keep clean when you are at such a high altitude. You have to purify all of your clean water, wait for it to boil to become warm, bring up all and any soap, and the zero humidity means the water is very cool sucked off from your body, as well as any body heat. Spritz showers, washing your face and hands might be a rare thing up there. It is important to take care of your skin, so make sure to clean it as much as possible as well as use lotion whenever you have a minute. Also, for the sake of your companions on this trip, bring deodorant.

4. Weather checking

You have to do a lot of studying before you go up the mountain. Even though the weather changes all the time, it is usually good to know if there is going to be a snow storm before your only shelter becomes a canvas tent. Also, preparing warmer weather gear and cold weather gear can affect how much you are packing, and as I mentioned, space and weight are important for travel. So buckle up, and get ready to keep a good eye out. Perhaps bring a barometer if you want to be extra.

5. Tools

You will have regrets if you do not bring certain things up into the mountains. The one tool that saved my butt was my swiss army knife, which had 10 different tools, and I used literally every single one. It was especially appreciated when we forgot a screwdriver and our table had loose screws, and when we forgot our can opener and every dinner was a canned item. Making sure you have the right tools will save you time and energy, but they are very heavy, so you have to be careful about what you pack. We did pack a shovel, which was super necessary when going to the bathroom and finishing a fire.

6. Bathroom

Basically, the packers take you through the mountains, and put you on a flat piece of land near water, and come back to pick you up in a week. No plumbing or electricity allowed. So you really have to have a lot of tools to use the bathroom. Putting your toilet paper in a ziplock bag will save you from the unfortunate disaster of rain soaked toilet paper. You have to bury your excrement, so a shovel is a number one priority. And a toilet seat that has a stand on it, while it may seem extra, is super important to feel comfortable when you have to go alone in the woods far away from your camp. Just please, try to wash your hands afterward.

7. Getting Lost

Always have three things on you at all times: a whistle, a compass, and a map. It is unbelievably easy to get lost in the woods, even when you are on the trails. And if you do not get back to camp before it gets dark, surviving the 32-20 degree nights will be extremely dangerous. Not getting sidetracked, staying to the roads, and asking for help from the very few backpackers in the area could save you a lot of time and stress.

8. Fire

Wake up in the morning: collect firewood. There are three types of wood you need to collect. First, gather small and thin dry twigs, these will be your tinder for starting the fire as well as to keep it going. Second, get more bone sized sticks that are a lot longer and thicker, these will be your general firewood to put on our fire throughout the evening. Finally, gather huge logs that can still fit in your fire, these are your feeder logs. Throughout the night, you will feed in this large log to keep the fire going.

9. Knowledge

Riding on Horseback can be very scary if you haven’t done it in a very long time. So make sure to listen to the instructions the packers tell you when you get on. Horses are beautiful creatures, but they are still unpredictable animals. When you are riding a horse cliffside on stone, with a thousand foot drop into the canyon beside you, you really do not want to fall off.

10. Health

Altitude sickness is a reality up at these altitudes, as well as a number of other injuries and illnesses. Taking a medicine before you go on the trip to altitude could save you because of the effects of altitude sickness, when they start going, means you have to go back down, which nobody wants. Also, for you allergy-laden folks, make sure to take your medicine with you, especially because of the new pollens and the fire ash you will be inhaling. Drinking water and eating consistently will make sure you have enough energy to adventure throughout the day, and to keep your body regulated even though you cannot clean it easily.

11. Shelter

You will pray to the tent gods if it starts to rain, even with a brand new tent. Weather is a serious consideration in the mountains, and preparing your shelter should be the very first thing you do when you get to your campsite. Keeping this space clean and organized will help make packing up a lot easier, and keeping the bugs out will make you feel a lot more calm at night.

12. Responsibility

Unless you are coming up the mountains by yourself (you go glen coco), you are now part of a team. A very strong, team, in which you have to trust your companions completely. I went on this trip with my dad, a trip he has done since he was nine years old, a trip his dad did since he was a teen. I completely trust his judgment as my dad, as a doctor, and as a leader. It is important to take as much time and energy in making the trip easier for the both of you, not just yourself. You will make the most amazing memories with these people, and the more you help your companions, the more they will appreciate you being on the trip as well.

13. Appreciation

Taking into consideration all the amazing things you see and opportunities you have is important to remember when you are shivering cold in your sleeping bag at night. The fact that these national forests still exist, that there is still wildlife to observe and cherish, is inspiring. It makes you feel more like a citizen of the earth, and not an owner of it. With no internet or cell service, you get to disconnect from whatever good or bad is going on for a few days. It becomes the world you feel a part of rather than in charge of. And I would never switch that experience for anything.