Craig’s Friday Countdown - Bad to Worse

Packing for climbing is a never perfect balance of keeping weight down, while bringing enough stuff to deal with what happens.  The dozen things I’ll be schlepping I least want to use: 

12.  Excedrin.  Probably will, given seashore to 10,000 foot (or thereabouts) camp in less than one day.

11.  Knee brace.  50/50 chance.  Or is it 53 (age) / 47?

10.  Both pairs of glove liners.  That means it’s less than ten degrees.    

9.  Tweezers.  Nothing good is ever happening when tweezers are out.  Even worse when it’s cold and fingers are numb.     

8.  Blister kit.  Chances very slim.   

7.  Balaclava and ski googles.  That means the wind is 40mph or more.

(tie)

6.  Flashing Strobe Light.  This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco …   

6.  Map of Mount Whitney.  Not much help on Mount Shasta. 

5.  Imodium.  Not good. 

4.  Emergency bivvy.  Worse. 

3.  Avalanche beacon.  Worse still. 

2.  Any combination of Imodium and emergency bivvy.  Hell, except quite a bit colder, and no one fun around.   

1.  Insurance card.  I hate paperwork.