Gear advice/list for partial JMT trip

[Al K]

Have permits for a hike starting at South Lake and exiting Whitney over 9 days (7 full, 2 partial) this summer. My previous long hike was over 5 days (Bishop/Piute pass 3 full, 2 partial). Depending on work/family obligations I might need to cut it short and exit at Kearsarge but planning full steam ahead for the full trail. Given the extra weight in food, I have for the first time weighed all my stuff and as you can see below it’s a bit heavy (I hope this does not get me kicked out of a “backpacking light” forum). Also, I might be going solo (hence the tripod – I want to be in the pics).

Two questions regarding the trail/bears.

1) Are there any stream crossings on this route where the boots need to come off? If none, I think I’ll construct the blue foam flip flops I’ve seen discussed on other threads as my camp shoe; otherwise I’ll need my fake crocs which are lighter than the regulars.

2) I have the Bearvault 450 which is insufficient to fit all the food. Given that I am trying to shed weight, I am not interested in adding another pound and a half (or so) for the ranger station issued larger containers. I think I can probably fit everything in the Bearvault 450 if I keep out the bulky plain pasta/rice/quinoa. Basically, keep all the smelly/sugary/salty/spicy stuff locked up and the rest in ziplock. Of course at a certain point I’ll be able to fit everything in the container. I’ll always be close by to the ziplocks as I will either be sleeping or hiking with it. Good idea or bad idea?

And now the list. Basically, everything on it I need/want. So please direct me to alternative which are lighter w/o sacrificing too much comfort and/or how to use existing items for more than one purpose. Thanks in advance!

WORN CLOTHING
hat with flap – OR Sun Runner
Long Sleeve Shirt – Ice Breaker 150
quick dry underwear
pants – Columbia Silver Ridge
socks
Lowa Renegade GTX
sunglasses
watch
hiking poles – Leki Super Makalu

Lbs Oz PACKED GEAR
4.94 79 backpack – Osprey Aether 70L
0.31 5 raincover (for backpack)
2.63 42 tent – MH Super Mega UL
1.94 31 sleeping bag – Marmot Plasma 15
1.06 17 sleeping pad – Exped SynMat UL 7
0.66 10.5 pillow – Therm-a-Rest Compressible Medium
0.20 3.2 stove – pocket rocket w/o case
0.66 10.6 pot – MSR 1.5L Duralite
0.80 12.8 fuel 8 oz
0.04 0.6 foil windscreen
0.06 1 lighter
0.08 1.3 Swiss army knife classic
0.03 0.5 spork
0.19 3 cup
2.06 33 Bear canister – BearVault BV450
0.13 2 "pee" gatorade bottle
0.79 12.6 water filter – Katadyn hiker pro
0.44 7 water bladder 3L
0.25 4 headlamp w/ fresh battery
0.05 0.8 whistle
1.06 17 tripod
0.06 1 misquito head net
0.13 2 drawstring pack for Whitney summit
0.19 3 fleece gloves
0.10 1.6 ski hat
0.39 6.2 silk PJs
0.18 2.8 underwear (night)
0.14 2.2 socks (night)
0.43 6.9 rain jacket – Montbell Versalite
0.49 7.9 down jacket – MH Ghost Whisperer
0.50 8 water/camp shoes – fake crocs
0.01 0.1 permit
0.01 0.1 trailmaps
0.44 7 camera w/ extra battery
0.09 1.5 car keys
0.02 0.3 paper/pen
0.06 1 bug repellant (100% DEET)
0.13 2 sun screen
0.19 3 toilet paper / wipes
0.19 3 first aid / medicine
0.03 0.4 toothbrush/toothpaste
0.03 0.5 moisterizer/lip balm
0.14 2.2 glasses/case
0.19 3 small wallet / cash / credit card / license

22.48 359.6 PACKED GEAR TOTAL

15.00 240 8 full days of food
4.25 68 Water – average 2 liters carried

19.25 308 FOOD WATER TOTAL

41.73 667.6 GRAND TOTAL

[Link .]

Here is some general info to help you, not specific to the JMT
Mike Clelland(NOLs instructor and author, his books are very good),he has some great free videos on lightening up be sure to watch(his clothing system,the entire contents of his pack,water treatment and part 1 and 2 on the dinky stuff for ideas),this is an article he wrote The fastest way to backpack weight loss ,this is pmags Lightweight Backpacking 101 and The Frugal Backpacker – The $300 Gear Challenge .These are some other articles and videos for you to check out

Backpacking for Cheap: Gear for the Gearless

Backpacking Checklist (Gear List): 3-Season, 3-Day

Lightweight Backpacking 101: An Introductory Manual for Lightening Your Load Today (1st Edition – August 2001)

Cheap Ultralight Gear List

Oregon Field Guide: Ultralight Hiking

Lightweight Testimony: Lighter, Farther, Faster
Jamie Shortt talks about his progression and shows his gear list for each stage, Lightweight Testimony: My Journey into Lightweight Backpacking
CleverHiker Light weight Basics
CleverHiker Trail Skills

Andrew Skurka has a very good website with trips and gear lists for you to check out, here is a talk he gave at google
Ultimate Hiking Gear & Skills Clinic
His book is worth checking out also
The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide: Tools & Techniques to Hit the Trail
HERE is member Jennifer Mitol's trip report with photos from last year, on the second page of the thread she gives her gear list Total base weight pounds 11.6625
Do you really need boots and waterproof ones, read this Why “waterproof” shoes will not keep your feet dry
And Minimizing the effects and aftermath of wet feet

[George F]

I have done stream crossings barefoot, in socks, sandals, trail shoes and boots. (Okay, I was tired that day and they were already wet.) In my experience the more you have on your feet the easier and safer your stream crossings are going to be. For your gear I would go ahead with the UL camp flip flops and just plow through your stream crossings with your shoes on. They will dry quick enough and your footing is a lot better.

For your bearvault, I did the same thing, sorting out all the dry pasta etc into a stuff sack and the interesting stuff in the vault. It worked fine.

[Valerie E]

There is only one water crossing on your route where you'll need to remove your shoes (Evolution Creek). You said you're going "this summer" but didn't say exactly when, which is very relevant to determining if the crossing will need shoes. If you're going in July or August, you will be easily able to cross in bare feet (May/June, maybe not); there is also an alternate crossing via Evolution Meadow, which can also easily be done in bare feet.

Personally, I wouldn't have any food outside my bear canister. It's not worth the risk to me.

You have a lot of very heavy stuff. In particular, your pack is very large/heavy. If you possibly can, you should lighten up there (that, alone, would more than make up for the weight of a larger bear canister).

Other suggestions:
– Unless you're planning on night hiking, trade your 4oz headlamp for a Photon Microlight (or similar)
– Trade your pack cover for a trash compactor bag pack liner. Huge weight savings.
– Pillow — 10 1/2 oz??? Really? That's absurd. Get something in the 3oz range.
– Water filter — how about switching to a Sawyer full-sized (cheap and light)? Or drops?
– Water bladder — just use a cheap Platypus 2L or 3L.
– Night undies — if you're wearing silk PJs, do you need undies as well?
– Tripod — how about a Stickpic or a little gorilla-type tripod?

Edited to add — I assumed you were entering over Paiute Pass, given the 9 day trip length…but if you're skipping Evolution Basin and going in via Bishop Pass, you won't have any difficult crossings at all.

[Brian B]

If you have successfully used and are happy with your Lowa Renegade GTX, rock on. But waterproof shoes aren't really necessary. For one, you're right, you'll need something else to cross streams in because they'd take quite a while to dry on their own. They also tend to be pretty warm, which depending on the weather could lead to foot sweat, which can lead to more blisters. Typically people hike in non-waterproof, tons-of-mesh shoes and just hike straight through streams, walking their shoes dry on the other side.

[Edit to add:] If you like Lowa's lasts, an alternative might be the S-Curve or S-Cloud but generally a trail running shoe.

[Mitchell Ebbott]

I'll pile on to the shoes train here. The JMT isn't in a rainy area, so the Gore-Tex isn't going to do you any good and it's going to do a fair bit of harm. Mesh is the way to go—I prefer trail runners myself, but when I did my own partial JMT with my dad he used non-GTX mid-height boots. So take your pick, but breathable is the key. Besides being drier and more comfortable, it'll solve your stream crossing problem.

Ok, now on to areas where you could save weight:

– Pack. That's a more expensive upgrade, but it's something to think about. 5 lbs is a lot.
– Pillow. 10.5 oz is more than a lot of sleeping pads. Plenty of options out there, but aim for no more than 3 oz. Myself, I just use my down jacket in its stuff sack. Weight savings: 7.5 oz
– A Stanco Grease Pot is 3.7 oz with the lid and costs $10. 1L is enough for solo cooking (not much less than your MSR). Weight savings: 6.8 oz
– Ditch the 12.6 oz Katadyn filter for a Sawyer Mini (1.4 oz). Lighter, no moving parts to break, and filters more bugs. Weight savings: 11.2 oz
– Do you need the tripod? Maybe replace it with a Trekmount? Savings: 16.3 oz
– Ditch the camp/water shoes in favor of breathable shoes. I didn't bring camp shoes and didn't miss them once. Savings: 8 oz

Total weight savings: 49.8 oz (3.1 lbs) without spending much money. Another 3 lbs if you swap out the pack for a ULA/GG/Zimmerbuilt/etc.

[Kenneth Keating]

You won't have any major water crossings other than small creeks. You'll be entering the JMT south of Evolution Creek, so no worries there. Tydal Creek, south of Forrest Pass may be an issue, but if you look around you should be able to get across. Now all of this is dependent on thunderstorms. Last year there were some serious thunderstorms that raised the creek levels substantially, so just be aware.

For carrying water, look at the maps and plan accordingly. Carrying two litters, IMHO is way too much for the majority of the route. There's quite a bit of water, however, if you're going mid to late August that may be a different issue with this years drought.

[Link .]

Here is Member Steve's TRIP REPORT , his sons pack weighed 9lb and Steve's pack(he carried the tent and a few more things for the both of them)weighed 15lbs. You can see from the photos no one wore boots and I will bet you they were not waterproof.

[Al K]

thanks for all the advice. I knew there was some "low hanging fruit". I'll ditch the boots for trail runners, carry less water based on sources ahead (starting June 28), swap filter/pillow/pot plus consider a couple of the other suggestions (flirting with backpack but is more expensive to swap out). Tripod comes – I make a photo book at end of trip and I want to be in it. I carry it in my trecking pole holder and whip out all the time for poses (also keeps my fellow hikers happy from being asked to take a picture too often as well as taking the picture exactly as I want them). The much lighter weight alternatives look like I'll have a broken camera before long. Or taking pictures from too low down.

[Mitchell Ebbott]

Have you looked into the TrailPix? It's gotten really good reviews and is designed to hold DSLRs, so it should be fine with a 7 ounce camera. HYOH of course, but that's just a lot of weight to carry.

[Al K]

Trailpix looks nice, though for my needs I’ll stick with the tripod. I am constantly using it and in fact I keep it fully extended and stored like trekking poles in my Osprey pack “Stow & Go”. I slip it out and screw on the camera in 15 seconds and have the ability to adjust the leg heights on uneven terrain.

[David Thomas]

>"Have you looked into the TrailPix?"

Better, in my mind, than the TrailPix would be the Gorillapod Micro 250. 0.6 ounces, $20 at REI, $13 on Amazon with free shipping, holds 9 ounces, no trekking poles needed.

http://www.rei.com/product/831273/joby-gorillapod-micro-250-camera-tripod#tab-specs

You gotta get closer to the ground, but you save a pound.

I understand if photography is the point of the trip, you'd want a full-sized tripod, but maybe others who aren't taking a photo every 20 minutes might prefer it.

I'd add 2-3 velcro straps (as are sold at the home center to wrap up hoses and extension cords – those are thin and light), so I could strap that tripod down on a branch or sign post. $5 for 50:

[Andy Blackwell]

Please let me know how it goes with keeping the plain food out of the bearvault. I purchased a bearvault 450 also before I figured out exactly how much of a detour the Onion Valley Trailhead into Independence is so I'm considering doing the same thing. I'm lugging my 2.5 lb DSLR, batteries, charger, and a Trailpix for the tripod so I'm trying to keep my weight light as possible in the other areas.

[Andy E]

You should have ALL your food inside the bear can. Those are the rules.

[Bruce Tolley]

I will also be that guy.

The conditions of your permit is that all food must be stored in an approved bear resistant container.

The 500 is just 6 or 7 oz more in weight than the BV450. Ditch the pillow, get the 500 on sale, and sell the 450 on BPL.

And the more bears are accustomed to human food, the more they bother humans.

A fed bear is a dead bear.

[J R]

All food AND smellables need to be in the bear can…

[Lori P]

Food, hygiene products, trash. Some instructions include medications.

There are bear lockers, but they get absolutely packed with trash despite the labels on the doors that ask them not to leave it. And, I had a couple of guys waltz up to a locker in Middle Vidette and start going through it – they had totally run out of food and were scrounging. Bears and filthy, skinny, can't plan ahead people are the risks of the southern half of the JMT.

I prefer the freedom of finding campsites farther off trail.

[Cameron M]

"A fed bear is a dead bear."

Most inexperienced people will be challenged to fit 9 days of food in the BV500. Consider renting a Bearikade, you can save weight, and not struggle to fit everything:

http://www.wild-ideas.net/rent-a-bearikade/

[Author]

Posts