My 2011 JMT Gear List

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Could save a little on your water storage. You like the tube thing? A respectable list non the less though.

You know Ken, I have been thinking abou that….Maybe a Gatoraide bottle????

So I am assuming that I am pretty dialed due to the lack of response???? I hope so! Just wanted to share. If anyone has a suggestion I would love to hear. Thanks all!

Maybe I'm reckless, but I don't think you need a steripen. I drank most water untreated and otherwise used aquamira. I don't know what a water scooper is, but I found enough flowing creeks to fill my bottles without ever having to resort to scooping anything shallow. I also don't think you need so much water capacity. I think I brought two liters of capacity on my August section hike and only ever used one, and mostly I just would fill up my little Naked Juice bottle from time-to-time.

I'm also a little more reckless than you on all the safety and first-aid stuff. I don't think I've ever hiked anywhere quite so populated as the JMT. So easy to find your way, so many bail out places, rangers everywhere. I can't see needing much of anything survivalish. I can see you say no spot, no trip, but honestly, the JMT is like hiking in a shopping mall there are so many people.

Your list looks like a nice balance between comfortable and light. Here's the questions I have:

The minimalist has floor- why the ground pad (4.1 oz)? or a lighter one.

First aid at 5.1 oz seems high- a selection of pain pills, imodium, needle, benadryl, moleskin, topical antibiotic a couple bandaids. What am I missing?

Emergency kit (8.7 oz) this seems high – a couple mini bics, knife, photon, tape, maybe a fire starter tab, spare line, piece of wire maybe 4 oz. You have rum stashed in here somewhere don't you.

Toothpaste etc (4.5 oz)- I assume this includes soap, toothpaste dots, sunscreen, deet, washcloth/towel maybe razor,comb.

Rain gloves (3.6 oz)- even necessary? maybe trade for something like NRS G2 socks (bag tex)?

Some redundancy in lighting would be nice- perhaps the iTP EOS upgrade AAA at 0.7 oz (20$ at goingear.com)

Every time I am filling my pack anymore I can hear Mike C. saying "nix this","what for?"…

You look ready

First a few possible additions to your list:
*Map
*Compass
*Whistle (although I assume this is already in your emergency kit or sewn onto clothing or pack)
*Camera – not a must have but we'll all want to see pics in your trail report when you get back
*Cup – I always bring one so that I don't have to take shifts eating my oatmeal and drinking coffee in the morning.
*Dedicated wool sleep socks.

Then some suggestions:
*Why a ground sheet?
*Looks like the 20 degree Western Mountaineering sleeping bag is mismatched with the clearview pad. I wouldn't take the clearview below 40 degrees. Take a different pad or supplement with a small piece of foam on top of the clearview.
*Skip the pillow, at most bring a silk pillow case and use your down jacket inside. The silk pillow case can be used as you "stuff sack" for your sleep clothing.
*Water treatment / storage. This seems a bit heavy. Do you need the scooper and funnel? Is a 7 ounce water bottle necessary? On the JMT I used an Aquafina bottle weighing about an ounce for water while I was hiking and a two liter platy also weighing about an ounce in my pack to use in camp.
*Keep the toilet paper, skip the trowel.
*What are rain gloves? I can see needing sun gloves, particularly if you use poles. It looks like you are also bringing a second set of gloves. I'd leave it at one set of very light gloves that can be used for sun protection and slight warmth, it could be bike gloves or liner gloves, no more than an ounce in weight.
*Sleep clothes. As these are shorts and tshirt they are not used for warmth. You can find something a bit lighter than what is on your list, silk maybe?

"*Keep the toilet paper, skip the trowel."

What do you dig your cat hole with?

What are you doing to shade your noggin?

David-
+ yep I sure can ditch the ground sheet. It is more for when I am not using my tarp.
+ The first aid kit has been stripped down to minimal for me. Some of this are meds for me.
+ My emergency kit also has my headlamp, whistle etc. If I were to take out the headlamp and list it seperately then it would go down 3 oz. Which I should really do. I just store it in the bag.
+ Rain glove wise, I know there are lighter options…MLD??? But I don't know if I can afford to purchase those yet. This I can ditch and will.
Thanks for the suggestions!

Piper-
+ I know you have done some thru hiking and water treatment is much different in approach with that community. I would rather play it safe. I have used AM and I hate the chemical taste. Plus it gives me real bad gas for some reason.
+ First Aid? I am VERY self sufficient and having that kit is nescessary for me. I will add this one to personal choice.
Thanks for the suggestions!

Kristin-
+ Map? Doh! I forgot to list that. I have the Tom Harrison JMT map. I am only taking the sections that I will be hiking. The maps are great because it covers bail out trails heading east
+ Compass is in my Emergency kit. Though with the JMT, it is pretty easy to navigate
+ I won't skip the pillow, I like sleeping as comfortable as possible. Though your suggestion for using my jacket with a stuff sack is a real good one, and I will consider that!
+ Water treatment. I have a Nalgene bottle and a Nalgene collapsible. By using the steripen I need a wide mouth bottle to work with it.
+ Yeah I am leaving the rain gloves behind!
+ Sleeping clothes are what I am not hiking in. I have 3 WM bags and have spent a lot of money on them and baby them. No dirty clothes while sleeping.
+ Trowel..it weighs an ounce. Keeper
Thanks for the suggestions!
Ken-
I want the hat that Jack Elliot wore at Coe!! That thing is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!
Since I am a skin cancer kid, I have to be very careful and a hat is mandatory for me!
Thanks for checking in my friend!

"+ Rain glove wise, I know there are lighter options…MLD??? But I don't know if I can afford to purchase those yet."

Layer 1 is a pair of synthetic glove liners. Layer 2 is a pair of disposable vinyl gloves. In my size, that adds up to 1.6 oz, and it is fairly cheap.

You can substitute cotton inspection gloves (used in electronics manufacturing) for the glove liners. Then Layer 1 becomes 0.36 oz.

Normally I don't wear much all-cotton apparel, but these gloves are OK when covered by the vinyl.

–B.G.–

Good suggestion Bob. Since you have extensive Sierra travel, let me ask you this.
You have been a veteran of many thunder showers and you know full well how the temp drops. The reason I listed rain gloves was that when I am wearing my liner gloves, while raining they get wet and my hands get VERY cold. I want to avoid hypothermia and by choice, using rain gloves keeps me dry, and keeps me warm. Am I making sense and should I find a lighter option and continue keeping rain gloves in my kit????
I mean it can go from heavy rain, to hail to sleet in a matter of minutes.

I've never carried a pillow, always used clothes in stuff sack. And it's always kinda sucked (lumpy, not much cushion–I don't have a nice down layer yet).

Last time out, I knew I'd need most of my clothes for sleeping, so tried a "pillow" with partly inflated 2 liter platy, wrapped in trash bag pack liner, wrapped in rain shell. All in 0.8 oz silnylon stuff sack. Very comfy.

Ken, we are talking about mid-summer in the Sierra Nevada, right?

Let me state that I also get cold hands, depending on how my shoulder straps are pressing on my shoulders to constrict blood flow. For me, thin synthetic liner gloves (acrylic?) are inexpensive and lightweight. They are semi-OK in cool weather with no wind. When the wind blows, I need a better windproof barrier there, and that is where the disposable vinyl gloves are handy.

I would not really expect thin synthetic liner gloves to be terribly warm once they get wet. Nor would I expect the vinyl gloves to provide much warmth, but they are waterproof. I keep my glove combo tightly wrapped and stored in one corner of my daypack or my backpack.

I thought about making some fabric rain mitts, but they do not provide enough finger dexterity, so I can't operate my camera with them.

–B.G.–