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2019 JMT Gear Feedback!
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear Lists › 2019 JMT Gear Feedback!
- This topic has 10 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 3 months ago by
Daniel W.
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Sep 17, 2018 at 3:32 am #3556176
Hey everyone, I’m a long time lurker who is looking for some feedback. I have been a weekend backpacker for about six years now and have been on dozens of trips all through northern CA ranging from two days to a week, mostly with a group but a few solo jaunts mixed in when revisiting certain areas. I want to do my first through hike next summer starting with the JMT.
Over the years I’ve purged quite a lot of equipment and am currently upgrading all kinds of different things to get closer to the UL lifestyle. I’m not a wealthy person by any means and CF stuff is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my price range, I’m just looking for feedback on what I got right now.
I’m aiming for a July through September window and obviously won’t know if I’m going to go Sobo or Nobo until the dreaded lottery has had its final say.
Any and all opinions or questions are welcome!
Sep 17, 2018 at 3:48 am #3556178You are doing pretty well but there are plenty of places to shave ounces which will add up without spending much money.
Tarp is heavy. I’d think you could get a silnylon tarp that would cut 6 or 8 ounces for a small amount of money.
No need for a Mora on the JMT. A mini SAK or tiny scissors will save you three ounces for $10.
Thats a ton of battery. 10,000mah is a better size imo. You can recharge at MTR/VVR.
An Imusa 10/12cm mug would would save almost 4 ounces for $5. I question the need for pot and cup but some people do that… There are very light plastic cups you can use for coffee
BRS stove is ~1 ounce at ~$13
Will you night hike? If not a single AAA batter flashlight with a hat clip will save 2+ ounces for $13 and will save another ounce or two of you carry spare batteries. You could also do a Nitecore NU25 or whatever it is called for about an ounce and $25. It recharges from your big battery.
Carry two miniBics for redundancy rather than one big one.
Don’t bring cotton thermals! Hypothermia is bad. Synthetic or wool please. Synthetic can be very inexpensive.
8 ounces is a lot of medical kit however I carry a med/repair kit that large. I guess it depends what’s in it!
Sep 17, 2018 at 5:51 am #3556190Thank you for all the suggestions Matthew,I will definitely check out some of those items! The med kit is a little heavy I’ll admit but to clarify it’s more of a survival bag with a space blanket, spare bic, quick clot, nylon webbing to make a splint, and other aid stuff. It gives me peace of mind to bring on day hikes off trail in case something happens.
The feedback on the battery bank is appreciated. I was going to watch a movie every couple of nights and I’ll have my gps on for guthooks, do you think a 10,000 mAh one will still be okay? Even with one of those Nightcore headlamps?
I hear you on the cotton, those will get replaced.
The tarp was a gift from my family, and it helped me ditch my old tent which was about 4 lbs. Maybe down the road I’ll get a new one but for now I would like to keep this one to be polite. I will gladly carry some extra weight to avoid the remote chance of hurting their feelings by ditching it. I have a great family : D
Again, thank you for the feedback it helps to talk about these things with other folks
Sep 17, 2018 at 8:29 am #3556195Looks like you have your hiking shirt/pants/hat listed, you could pull those off the list for a more accurate base weight.
I suggest looking on eBay for a cheap Granite Gear Crown 2. They often sell for under $100 and will save you over a pound.
Sep 17, 2018 at 12:21 pm #3556198Regarding the battery, how many days can you get with your phone in airplane mode while hiking? How many full charges can you get out of the battery? The answer to those questions will tell you how large of a battery you need.
You and I are not the same person but I was very tired on the JMT. I fell asleep at 7.30 or 8.00 most nights and there were a couple days I was out before 7. No movie watching for me. YMMV.
Have fun!
Sep 17, 2018 at 2:50 pm #3556213Daniel, Welcome to BPL! Here is a link that I give to new members looking to lighten their load LIGHTENING UP . watch Mike Clelland’s videos on the The Dinky Stuff Part 1 and 2 for sure and there are many links on going lightweight cheaply. And for some reason in my newbie help link the Oregon Field Guide Ultralight Hiking video link is down so if you want to watch it(it is worth watching) HERE is another link for you so you can( it starts 8 min 30 sec. into the episode). Hope this will help with getting the weight down for you although you are doing well so have fun.
Sep 17, 2018 at 3:12 pm #3556218The MOUNTAINSMITH SCREAM 55 BACKPACK – 2017 is on sale for $99 and weighs 2lb 4oz and would save you a pound but I understand if you would rather wait on replacing your pack and save your money for something else.
Sep 18, 2018 at 5:39 am #3556321Thank you for the links I can get lost in these forums! I appreciate you all taking the time to reply 😁
Sep 18, 2018 at 5:42 am #3556323A quick off topic question though, is it okay to revisit and post on older threads? I’ve been reading older threads and come up with questions for the OP but wasnt sure if it’s good etiquette to revive a dead thread.
Sep 18, 2018 at 6:53 am #3556325No harm done as there are many long term threads going.
Sep 19, 2018 at 5:44 am #3556462Awesome, thanks Ken!
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