what do you carry on trips?

????? for cleaning hands after going pooopy? You guys are way too fastidious.......handful of snow...rub vigorously.. then wipe hands on back of pants= invigorating!

they say most people that get sick while hiking is from not washing after dropping a load.. not from bad water

Saxybrain , sorry for my fellow TAyers condescension and eye rolling just because you are from Texas. I'm afraid you are going to have to get used to that for a while as these young, super smart urban-mountaineers are going to act very superior for a while until you get acclimatized.

Only 120 days or so until you come over the pass like some Mormon pushing his hand cart to the promised land with all your boyish enthusiasm I've come to appreciate.

Shortly thereafter you'll be skinning up to Muir ( make sure you actually get to Muir..Amar is checking) with your pack overflowing with ibuprofen, iodine tablets, hand-sanitizer and condoms; your pack festooned with Voile straps.

A few more months here and you'll be driving at 10 mph below the speed limit in the left lane and pontificating on TAY with the rest of us.

bwaahhahahahah!~!!

Now i'm debating to push back my move a year, and pay off all my debt. Or move, love it and pay off debt a year later. Hmmm.. Damn my priorities. I think, i'll end up there this coming year just because I can't do another 100+ days of 100degree weather.

On a side note, don't forget a map of your area you're skiing as a compass will do you almost no good w/o one and chords. Don't always count on a GPS or a phone either.

Also remember light is right, but not always the best thing. Always take 1 cold weather item with you that you know you WONT need. Such as a parka in June/July, you just never know if one of those freak storms will blow through.

Also I may suggest a large hefty trashbag may be a good thing incase you get stuck and have to sleep outside to avoid getting wet, you can sleep inside one of those (I've done it in boyscouts before) and they insulate very well with heat and would keep you pretty dry

they say most people that get sick while hiking is from not washing after dropping a load.. not from bad water

you CAN'T get sick from your own poop, just the poop of your SICK climbing partner (or Marty Marmot, or Pete Puma)

it's best NOT to shake hands with people on the trail

How about a PLB.  Like the newer ACR ResQLink.
Lets say you're solo, or even if the two of you head out into the backcountry.  Been a long day and you are behind schedule.  You're now out of cell phone range, and you or you buddy breaks his leg.  You get him situated and go for help.  There he sits, hoping you made it out alright,  wondering if you got off route, swept in an avy, skied into a tree well, etc.  Night falls.  If all goes well sometime the next morning help arrives.  What if help does not arrive?  
Carrying the 5.4 ounce PLB would take a lot of the "hoping" out of such an adventure.

I have to add on a vital piece of equipment to the list, I can't believe nobody else carries it... BEER! More and more delicous micro's in a can are available...

And I always carry both GPS + map/compass.