Emmon’s Flats campground sits 340 feet above Camp Shurman. Emmons Flats is entirely on the glacier, and is completely surrounded by crevasses. This makes solo travel quiet difficult (most parties rope up even when traveling back to Camp Shurman). I have to admit that I was quiet disappointed with our location - first, we did not bring a tent, but only a simple shelter without a floor. Luckily, the wind did not blew it off in the middle of the night. (We left our tent at Glacier Basin campground since our packs were very heavy. We had a hard time deciding what type of tent to take. 4-season tents are wonderful, but too heavy, and I believe that 3 season tent is just fine. Vestibule is a great plus since it can get quiet windy up there, and the vestibule can protect stuff from being blown away).   Then, Emmon’s Flats is relatively empty. The action is going on at Camp Shurman. Emmon’s is a short stop over, most people come, climb, sleep, and leave.

You definitively need a shovel to improve the campsite. The campground is sloped, and most of the campsites need to level the glacier. You can even build a wall around your tent (I have seen this in the Alps). The wall can help on windy day....

I forgot the blue-bag waste disposal system. It actually worked really well. Emmon’s Flats has an area (=somebody dug a hole in the glacier) where you could defecate. The bags froze overnight, and there is a container at Shurman where your can dispose of it. It is funny to walk back the Shurman with this load in your hands!