JMT 2016 thru-hike

[Justin Dong]

I'm aiming to do it next August and here's a tentative gear list so far (still missing toiletries and the like): http://lighterpack.com/r/2v3bcm I'm looking to cut down a bit. The only thing that's not negotiable is the photography gear, since I'm serious about it. I was looking into a lighter camera but don't have the funds for that right now. The tripod is pretty much the lightest I could find. I've tried Gorillapods before but found them to be pretty inflexible. I've taken this tripod and camera and multiple backpacking trips now and am really happy with my photo turnout lately. Some info about me: -Male -5'4" -110 lbs I'm fairly in shape and hike and backpack frequently in the summer months. I did a 230-mile hike across Switzerland with similar elevation gain, but my pack was significantly lighter since I mostly stayed in mountain refuges/guesthouses. The biggest problem for me is that the weight gets to me pretty quickly since I'm very skinny. I did the Teton Crest Trail and Enchantment Lakes thru-hike with a 33-35 lb-pack and it wasn't horrible at all, but I definitely want to cut down so that I can keep a faster pace. I'm hoping to do plenty of backpacking in the spring and summer to help get me in shape, but I'd love to get down to 20-25 lbs

[Jennifer Mitol]

Okie dokie. You seem to be missing a lot of the little stuff, which means your pack is actually quite a bit heavier than this. No need for a sleeping bag liner. I am not at all familiar with the REI Flash as a sleeping bag, so I'm not at all sure how warm that is. You can easily go pretty light for a quilt these days with not a lot of cash. Ditch the liner, make sure your quilt/bag is warm enough as it is (i used a 20* quilt on both of my JMTs and I was super toasty – some guys can get away with 30s but I wouldn't be able to) No need for rain pants on the JMT. Granted, this year might be different, but even on a VERY rainy Colorado Trail thru this past summer I didn't wear them and didn't need them. try a light kilt for thigh rain protection if you are concerned, which doubles as a nice ground cloth for breaks or in the vestibule for your gear, etc. Not sure I understand your clothes, to be honest. You have a lot of shirts, not sure what the mid-layer is supposed to be? Generally speaking you need a long-sleeved shirt for the daytime. and – well, yeah, that's about it. I personally use a Patagonia Cap 4 for sleeping because it's the perfect sleeping layer for me, but I'm really trying to get away from that. Ditch the second pair of undies. You're a guy. Wash and wear, my friend! when are you going? are you wearing shorts? what's the purpose of the ibex leggings??? Again, generally speaking you need a pair of pants, and, well – yeah that's about it. 1 pound for a first aid kit?? literally you need like 3 bandaids, some ibuprofen and maybe a single use packet of neosporin. shouldn't be more than 3 oz tops. It's the JMT, not some remote wilderness. If a few bandaids won't fix it you need to be evacuated anyway. Kitchen is WAY too heavy. Why are you carrying 2 canisters? and ditch the Jet boil for something like the BRS stove for .5 oz and a nice Ti 900 mL pot. done – just saved you more than a pound right there. I'd also say you can get a lot lighter on the tent…4 lbs for a full tent is pretty much overkill on the JMT. most of the time you don't really even need anything – but personally I like shelters. If you can afford cuben you can get a great 2 person shelter for 20oz. If not, even the inexpensive offerings from TarpTent will save you serious weight. Especially if you use trekking poles…don't use a shelter that uses even more poles. And as I said, there is a lot missing from your list: light source, toiletries, power management for your photography gear, etc etc. List out EVERYTHING and see what you can leave behind…as well as what you can replace with even lighter versions. Good luck – it's an AWESOME trip!!!!

[Matt Smith]

Hey I'm gonna be doing the JMT in late august as well. I'm not sure if I'm looking at a different list than Jennifer or if you modified it drastically in the past few days lol. Everything you have looks pretty good! Your clothing is a little confusing. only need 1 pair of undies, and less shirts. I personally like hiking in shorts, but if i need pants too ill ditch the shorts. As far as long underwear and shorts combo, i support this. It wont look great for an REI advertisement or for an online dating site profile pic, but functions well for warmth if you don't need wind or rain protection. 5 oz. is a little heavy for fist aid, but you don't want less than 2-3 oz, so probably not worth going crazy over. and as Jennifer posted, i think you're still missing some basics. I just did a thru hike at the Enchantments, in some snow, and was carrying around 22 lbs, Aasgard pass could have been tough with 35 lbs in the snow!!! And yeah the only thing really weighing this list down is camera gear, but thats a fixed number.

[Gregory Stein]

Hi there!

Me too very serious about photography on my hiking trips. I was walking with a DSLR + 3 lenses and another stuff that resulted in more than 4 kilos (8lbs). Now I’m totally fine with my 1kilo set which includes pretty much everything including camera, 2 lenses, cleaning stuff, tripod, stickpic, 3 batteries, charger, 2 filters + step-up rings… Here is my gear list, scroll down to photo gear: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kzQnL49FvuSd8-R9vWU829rRaSTJq3-qtCq66y9uLwA/edit#gid=685473672&vpid=A13

Please note the ‘take?’ column – not every item in the list goes to my pack.

[Dean F.]

You must have been updating that list.

I still see two pair of underwear, and agree that it’s not needed.  But if you want to call that a “luxury item” then HYOH.  I tend to just wear running shorts as my underwear- it’s easy to wash and wring out the nylon.

Your stove is listed as consumable, and thus not included in pack weight.  For the fuel that’s reasonable, but not for the stove itself.  (EDIT- Nevermind.  I see that your partner is carrying it.)

Otherwise it all looks fine, unless you want us to get extremely critical and nitpicky.  We can always spend your money on lighter gear.  :)

[Lester Moore]

Hi Justin,

What an amazing trip for photography – you’ll have a blast I’m sure. I’ll be hiking the JMT with a friend next year too. To save weight, you might consider the following:

• How about replacing your zoom lens with a 35mm f/1.8 G (only 7 oz and very sharp)? You can stitch together 2 or 3 images to make wider angle shots when needed.
• Consider a DriDucks 5.5 oz rain jacket (light and works fine with a little care). These are sized way big (about one size bigger than normal).
• Consider a TrailPix trekking pole tripod system (4-7 ounces) to save 1.5 lbs. These set up high and are likely stable enough, especially with a rock tied off to the base of the plate. A great compromise of weight, stability, functionality and easy of use, especially if you use trekking poles.
• For top insulation layers, consider Patagonia light Capilene crew top (3.5 oz.), a long sleeve sun shirt and a light down vest, jacket or parka (Borah Gear 3.7 oz down vest or 5.5 oz jacket, or 8.7 oz MontBell Superior down parka), plus DriDucks top to put over everthing. For legs, consider omitting the shorts and spare underwear and just use one pair of trekking pants. Maybe add the 3.4 oz lightweight Capilene bottoms if climbing Whitney for sunrise summit photos).
• Go under 2 oz for the headlamp and under 2 oz for TP. You can include more TP with resupplies if you like.
• Unless you’re cooking a lot, consider a simple alcohol stove for heating up water and a light titanium mug or pot.
• Definitely keep the DSLR if your serious about photography – you’ll love having it out there. It’s one luxury item you can accommodate fine if the rest of your gear is light. I’m still considering the DSLR, but may opt for a quality compact that shoots RAW with good dynamic range.

If it’s helpful, here’s the gear I’m tentatively planning for the JMT next year. Adding in an SLR with zoom and 1.7 lb tripod would add about 4 lbs to the total weight in this list (base weight of 12 lbs rather an 8 lbs):
http://backpackinglight.com/wp-content/uploads/profiles/76964/64041352dd123454cad41ca0281899ad.pdf

Les

 

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