JMT Gear List End of August- Early September

[Amir Stein]

Hi everybody,

I am planning on doing the JMT this summer. I'll be going from the end of August through the beginning of September heading SOBO. Please tell me where I can lose some weight. I have purchased all of the larger items so far (pack, tent, pad, quilt, poles, bear can, shirt, shorts) but am looking for ways to save ounces on the more miscellaneous gear/equipment.

I appreciate the feedback. Thanks!

Pack- ULA Circuit- 41 oz.
Tent- Tarptent Squall 2- 31 oz.
Sleeping Bag- Jacks R Better Sierra Sniveller- 26 oz.
Sleeping Pad- Exped Synmat Hyperlite MW- 14.6 oz
Pillow- Down Pillow- 3 oz.
Total: 115.6 oz
7.225 lbs

Carried Equipment:
Water Filter- Steripen- 4 oz.
Bear Can- BearVault BV500- 41 oz.
Stove- 4 oz.
Sporknife- Sea to Summit- 0.42 oz.
Pot- Titanium pot- 3.9 oz.
Mug- REI- 1.83 oz.
Camp Soap- 3 oz.
Sponge- 2 oz.
Fuel + Lighter- 5 oz.
Toiletries + First Aid- 6 oz.
Insect Repellent – 3 oz.
Sunscreen- 3 oz.
Multitool- 1.5 oz.
memo pad + pencil- 3 oz.
Amazon Kindle- 5.9 oz.
iPhone- 5 oz.
Pack Cover- 1 oz.
Headlamp- Black Diamond- 3 oz.
maps + compass- 4 oz.
Total 100.56 oz
6.28 lbs

Carried Clothes
Gloves- 3 oz.
Sleeping Socks- 5 oz.
Rain Pants/Jacket- frogg troggs- 9.5 oz.
LongSleeve (underwear) top and bottoms- 7 oz.
Beanie- 1 oz.
Down Jacket- Uniqlo- 8.2 oz.
Underwear -Give N Go- 2.5 oz.
Total Carried 36 oz
2.25 lbs

Worn Clothes
Poles- Black Diamond Trail Back Cork- 18 oz.
Running Shorts- 5 oz.
Underwear- Give N Go- 2.5 oz.
Shoes- Montrail Bajada ii- 14.8 oz.
Orthotics- Custom- 5.71 oz.
Socks- PHD Smartwool mini- 1.5 oz.
Short Sleeve Shirt- Columbia- 4.55 oz.
Total Worn 52.06 oz
3.25 lbs

Total carried 15.76 lbs
Total Worn 3.25 lbs

Grand Total 19.01 Lbs

[Amir Stein]

I also just realized I will be taking one nalgene bottle (easy for measuring out water and can be used instead of a foam roller on the trail) and one gatorade bottle.

[Bean]

Maybe consider changing these…

Pack Cover- 1 oz. : Use a trash compactor liner inside the pack instead. Heavy rain/wind, pack covers don't usually work well.
Camp Soap- 3 oz. : Fill a 1 oz. dropper bottle, grab more at a resupply if you need it.
Insect Repellent- 3 oz. : Pretreat clothing with permethrin, and use a headnet if you go during mosquito seasons.
memo pad + pencil- 3 oz. : Golf pencil and smaller pad.
Toiletries + First Aid- 6 oz. : Maybe break this list out, likely room to shave some weight in here.
Amazon Kindle- 5.9 oz. : Hike until you're too tired to read, or study maps for entertainment. I thought the lightest Kindle like 6.7oz?

[Bean]

I also just realized I will be taking one nalgene bottle (easy for measuring out water and can be used instead of a foam roller on the trail) and one gatorade bottle.

Think about scoring the measurements needed for your food on the inside of your pot. You may have drinking water in your Nalgene bottle and pouring out a specific amount can be difficult to pull off. Like you don't want to be emptying your Nalgene into another container, just so you can use it as a measuring device. At altitude trying to be smart and subtract how much you've poured out can be fun though, "uh, wait… how much was in this before I poured".

[Sam Riggle]

Are you sharing the tent with a hiking partner? If so, share the weight, if not, try finding a lighter option. I know you just bought it, but it's low hanging fruit if you're solo.

Also, you could trim a few ounces off your pack. I wouldn't change your pack, it's a good pack and should carry your loads well. But trimming straps and such can save a few meager ounces. I think there's a few removable accessories on the Circuit as well that you could remove if you find them superfluous.

Lighter bear can is possible. I think you can rent a bearikade expedition for the JMT.

I think you're carried clothing looks good. But You could drop the long johns and sleep in you're hiking clothes. The low humidity out west is conducive of this technique. Not here in the southeast though. If you're hiking outfit is a little too dirty or possibly damp, you can wear your rain gear over top to protect your quilt. Adds warmth and draft protection. I do this with my wind "suit" when I'm a little damp and too lazy to change before bed.

Anyway, just a few options. Enjoy you're trip! I hope to get out west one day. Anyone wanna pick me up from the airport and drop me off on trail?! :)

Edit: I almost forgot. Those sleeping socks are TOO heavy. Cut that weight in half!

[Amir Stein]

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated!

I am hiking with a friend so we will be able to split the tent and cooking supplies which should reduce the weight per person.

What socks do you guys wear for sleeping purposes- what should my target weight be?

Just in general, what should a target weight be for this hike?

[Hudson Farris]

One item that sticks out to me. im like you and have to have something to read at night, or atleast really like to. :) i have the kindle app on my iPhone, and on airplane mode it will last a long time, especially if it is kept off during the day. You could easily get a week out of it this way, but even using it sparingly for photos and whatnot, on airplane mode, should still last you close to a week. you could even get a 2400 mah rechargeable battery for around 2 ounces, which would make it last even longer.

Also the sleeping bag seems pretty heavy. My 20* UGQ top quilt in a long weighs 20 oz. Those ounces along with those of the tent are the most expensive to drop though.

-Hudson

[Sam Riggle]

Shoot for less than two ounces for your sleep socks. If you don't need warmth from them, just take a long a pair of super light dress socks or your normal hiking socks as a just in case back up in case you have a blowout. If for warmth, get a pair of "traditional" hiking socks. The thicker wool kind for use with boots. I have a medium thick smart wool pair that are ~2oz.

Or, just take what you feel comfortable with. :)

Edit: get some low cut for weight savings. Or take scissors to a high pair. Lol

[Keith Fultz]

I hiked the JMT SOBO last year 8/15 to 9/4

I found the Circuit was fine
It only rained on me one evening
I encountered maybe 1 mosquito, I wouldn't bother with repellent that time of year.

I question why a mug is necessary. Pot is adequate.

Nalgene is heavy. I used 3 32 oz Gatorade bottles. Never had more than two full at a time, except for dinner or breakfast prep. the third was helpful for prep and I did lose a lid in the last days of the hike, so the extra came in handy. All still lighter than the nalgene.

Agree on a lot of soap planned. Mostly used smaller hand sanitizer.

First aid seems heavy

I don't use sunscreen, but do keep almost all skin covered.

I like the Kindle as well, but didn't take my iphone. there are plenty of phones on top of Whitney to borrow to make a phone call.

sleeping socks seem heavy.

I don't wear underwear. Pants with mesh work for me.

I wore convertable pants. Walked mostly without leggings for first half of the trail. However, by that time my legs became irritatingly dry and hand lotion helped, but wearing full pants the rest of the trail helped most.

I found gaitors to be a helpful item.

Again, I wouldn't take short sleeve. I wear long sleeve at all times

Rain jacket may be valuable I had very light rain pants that functioned as an evening layer.

I didn't see toilet paper on your list. OK I didn't use TP. I took a smaller thinner plastic water bottle that I cut out an X in lid and squeezed water out to clean up and a small bandana for finishing the job. then use the hand sanitizer in very small bottle from office Max. I found this more hygienic and better than carrying used TP.

For some good money you can lose 10 oz on the sleeping bag or quilt.

I think the pillow is a little heavy, but a pillow that helps you sleep well is worth it to me.

My base weight was 15 lbs or under.

Bearikade is definitely better and lighter. I have one now, but hiked with the BV500 on JMT just fine in the Circuit.

If some of this info is helpful, great, but if not, no problem.

Hope you have a great trip.

[Tom D.]

I didn"t carry a Nalgene for years because of the weight, Then I found I needed a foam roller earlier this year and started bringing one and it's worked out great. At 6.2 oz, it's still heavy, but at least it's multi-purpose as a water container, measuring cup, and water treatment container for use with a SteriPen. As was mentioned, I'd still mark measurements in the pot as well.

The hard part is finding ground suitable for foam rolling. It's not always easy in camp. A tennis ball can work also (about 2 oz, but not multi-purpose), but I find it difficult for areas such as the IT band, especially when your surface is not optimal.

[Adam White]

Comments are bold to make life easy:

Pack- ULA Circuit- 41 oz.
Tent- Tarptent Squall 2- 31 oz. Is the tent for two of you also? You don't need the netting, so consider something lighter. I know you bought it already, but for late-fall Sierra, it's not optimal weight-wise. You could easily shave a pound here.
Sleeping Bag- Jacks R Better Sierra Sniveller- 26 oz.
Sleeping Pad- Exped Synmat Hyperlite MW- 14.6 oz
Pillow- Down Pillow- 3 oz.
Total: 115.6 oz
7.225 lbs

Carried Equipment:
Water Filter- Steripen- 4 oz.
Bear Can- BearVault BV500- 41 oz.
Stove- 4 oz.
Sporknife- Sea to Summit- 0.42 oz.
Pot- Titanium pot- 3.9 oz.
Mug- REI- 1.83 oz. leave, just drink hot beverage out of bottle
Camp Soap- 3 oz. leave, you don't need soap
Sponge- 2 oz. leave
Fuel + Lighter- 5 oz.
Toiletries + First Aid- 6 oz. pretty heavy–can you post an itemized list of this? Surely a few oz here
Insect Repellent – 3 oz. absolutely leave. Skeeters are already done for the year.
Sunscreen- 3 oz.
Multitool- 1.5 oz. Use a single razor blade for 0.07 oz, or a small swiss-army knife for 0.8 oz
memo pad + pencil- 3 oz. necessary? You have your iPhone. Dictate to Siri.
Amazon Kindle- 5.9 oz. read from iPhone. Read maps. Immerse yourself in nature.
iPhone- 5 oz.
Pack Cover- 1 oz. as others have said, use a liner instead. Are you sure your cover is only 1 oz?
Headlamp- Black Diamond- 3 oz.
maps + compass- 4 oz. Get a button compass. You have a compass in your iPhone, so this is backup. Which maps?
Total 100.56 oz
6.28 lbs

Carried Clothes
Gloves- 3 oz.
Sleeping Socks- 5 oz. HEAVY. As someone above (sorry, can't remember who!) mentioned, get lighter sleep socks.
< HEY, WHERE ARE THE SPARE HIKING SOCKS? BRING A PAIR OF THOSE! Or bring two, and sleep in a pair.
Rain Pants/Jacket- frogg troggs- 9.5 oz. I'd get wind pants and leave the rain pants
LongSleeve (underwear) top and bottoms- 7 oz.
Beanie- 1 oz.
Down Jacket- Uniqlo- 8.2 oz.
Underwear -Give N Go- 2.5 oz. Leave. Don't need spare underwear.
Total Carried 36 oz
2.25 lbs

Worn Clothes
Poles- Black Diamond Trail Back Cork- 18 oz.
Running Shorts- 5 oz.
Underwear- Give N Go- 2.5 oz.
Shoes- Montrail Bajada ii- 14.8 oz.
Orthotics- Custom- 5.71 oz.
Socks- PHD Smartwool mini- 1.5 oz.
Short Sleeve Shirt- Columbia- 4.55 oz. Personal preference, but I prefer a long sleeve shirt–save a lot of sunblock.
Total Worn 52.06 oz
3.25 lbs
Comment: Your outer top layer will be either a t-shirt, or a down jacket, or your Frogg-Toggs. There's a pretty wide range between T-shirt weather and down jacket weather, imo. You might consider adding a wind shirt, or better yet, a light rain shell (Marmot Essence or similar) instead of the Frogg Toggs.

Total carried 15.76 lbs
Total Worn 3.25 lbs

Grand Total 19.01 Lbs

[Keith Fultz]

Just want to say that Adam White comments were very helpful to my planning for last year.

Thanks again, Adam,

However, I prefer the Kindle with one month battery life to the iPhone which seems to me to need solar charger etc. You can move documents, itinerary, equipment manuals right into Kindle. Several JMT guides can also be loaded into the Kindle. I found it very helpful, personally.

Just MHO, agree with all else with Adam.

[Adam White]

Keith,

Thanks for the kind words!

For me–philosophically–backpackinglight is about scrutinizing our gear lists, and consciously deciding whether or not a certain piece of gear is likely to be needed, or whether or not lighter or multi-functioning alternatives could be a suitable substitute. It's that act of scrutiny that's the important part–it's the critical thinking. It's really not the ounces in an absolute sense; it's weighing the very certain physical cost of those ounces against our perceived benefit of those ounces.

That weighing is always a personal decision–we each have different priorities, and most importantly, it's you who will be out there, not me. You need to scrutinize and decide, not me. I hope nobody on here is heading into the wilderness with kit they're uncomfortable with because "a guy on the internet said so"–I don't think they are.

This is a long-winded and soap-boxy way of saying: absolutely take the Kindle! If it adds enjoyment, and that outweighs the 6 oz, do it, absolutely! I wouldn't, but that's because my priorities are different. There is no wrong way–but I think a pretty wrong way is to do it without the scrutiny that I described above. If you've applied the scrutiny, and decide it's worth it, take it! That's how this process is supposed to work.

Well, in my opinion, anyway. And that's one of the things I like about this site. We all have opinions, and they're (almost all of the time) voiced respectfully. I can post a question, receive a number of opinions, absorb and internalize them, compare them against my experiences, and make a decision I'm comfortable with.

[Scott Bentz]

I haven't commented on a gear list in a while.

I have a hard time getting more than 12 lbs. in my base weight; including a canister. So. looking at your list at 19. lbs. I think it boils down to the BIG 3. Pack, Shelter, Sleep System. The ULA pack you are using is real common and popular. I am surprised it is 41 oz, but, it is a big pack and has great reviews. I use an older Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus and it weighs in at 20 oz. I don't use a large shelter and can choose between a 7 oz. tarp or a 11 oz. Gatewood Cape. I use a 20 degree quilt which weighs in at maybe 19 oz. (I think) with an air mattress (Gossamer Gear Air Beam Wide) at 10 oz. Finally, I use a Bearicade Weekender and can get 6 days crammed in there if I repackage real well.

That is where the majority of the weight can be saved. The BIG 3. Also, others have made suggestions to help you cut the fluff, like:, extra clothes, wash cloths, sleep socks, toiletries, large sunscreen, etc, etc.

So, what to do? You already have this stuff and are leaving soon. Also, you want to be comfortable with what you are using to feel safe. So, cut out what you can, what you feel comfortable with, and then go for it.

One mistake I think people make on the JMT is to overthink the hike. If we boil it down, it's just waking, hiking, cooking and sleeping. Just boil it down to the basics to what you are doing. That will help guide.

It's an awesome trail. Carrying a lighter load can make it more enjoyable. You are already light years ahead of so many people you will see on the trail. It will surprise you.

Have a great trip.

[Jim MacDiarmid]

+1 for the Kindle, even though you may be too tired for more than a few minutes of reading a night, or too busy staring at the stars, which is what happens to me. This is coming from someone who doesn't own a Kindle, but carries an Ipad mini in an Otterbox(22oz!) just in case I need something to read.

The only things I have seen mentioned yet is that you are carrying the Sierra Sniveller, which is designed to be worn as a serape, but then you are still carrying a half-pound of down jacket? I know the Sniveller doesn't have sleeves, but for the seasonal temps, you could wear your rain jacket over/under it(depending how it's sized) for more warmth, and if your core is warm, your arms shouldn't be too much a problem. And you can tuck them inside the quilt most of the time.

Unless you run cold, or just want a backup layer.

Edit: and unless you have cold extremities, I'm not sure why you sleep socks wouldn't just be another pair of 1.5oz minis?

[Amir Stein]

Thank you all very much for the comments.

It is hard to believe that my trip is coming up within just a couple weeks.

As many of you have said the majority of the weight is coming from the big 3- unfortunately I reweighed these items and they have magically gotten heavier than what the manufacturers claim the weight to be. Granted they include the carrying cases for all items and stakes for the tent. I will post an updated list in the next couple days with my gear re-weighed, and with the input of your comments.

Again, thank you all for the help. It is very useful and much appreciated!

Edit: My current geargrams link- https://www.geargrams.com/list?id=25096

[Tom D.]

I also carried both the Sierra Sniveller and a packable down jacket (Montbell UL down) on the JMT. I tossed around the same pros and cons regarding the need to carry both, but in the end I decided to. The main reasons were that I thought I may need to do some hiking with the insulation layer on, which I did end up doing, and I didn't want to wear the quilt for hiking (even for short periods) and then sleeping. I also had heard of cold sleepers being cold on the JMT with just the Sierra Sniveller with base layer clothing, and (being a cold sleeper myself) I saw the jacket as as extra layer in case I wasn't warm enough with just the quilt. It turns out that the only place that I was actually cold and needed the jacket for sleeping was the last night at Guitar Lake, where it dropped into the mid-high 20's. But I was glad I brought the jacket for the extra margin of safety. In looking at the date just now, I realized that that night was exactly 3 years ago to this day.

Congratulations, you are going to have fun.

[Alexander S]

I would second Adam White’s post.

Beware of Frogg Toggs leaking at the seams of the neck and shoulder in heavier rain. Seam seal like you would a tent. Personal experience.

[Author]

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