Late July JMT

[Cameron Gregg]

Probably going for two weeks in late July. Not really trying to cut weight as much as making sure I have the correct stuff for the weather, bugs, etc. I still haven't made some purchases on a few items and would love to have get some input.
1) I'm still shopping around for a shelter and right now i'm leaning toward borah gear's tarp/bivy set-up but still haven't decided for sure.
2) Wondering if a wind shirt would work for a shell.
3) Choosing between long sleeves and short as well as long bottoms or running shorts given the weather and amount of bugs.
4) Lastly, looking for a bear canister, we are shooting to finish in 11-13 days so I need something that can fit 5-6 days of food.

So those are the main things, here's the rest of the list:

Big Four

Pack- GG Gorilla 26 oz
Quilt- EE revolution 30 long 19.5 oz
Pad- Therm-a-rest 11 oz
*Shelter- Borah gear bivy, tarp, stakes, guy lines, tyvek ground sheet 17 oz

total- 73.5 oz (4.6 lbs)

Clothing Worn

*base-layer top- l/s zip cap 2 (maybe) 3.6 oz
underwear- ex officio bottoms 2.5 oz
bottoms- running shorts 3.8 oz
socks- icebreaker low cut 2 oz
shoes- Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 19.5 oz
watch- generic 0.5 oz

total- 31.9 oz(2 lbs)

Clothing Carried

*Shell- EMS jacker (or Houdini) 15.1 oz
*extra bottoms- Mesa v2 pant (maybe) 9.3 oz
mid-layer- patagonia down sweater 12.1 oz
hat- Mtn hrd dome 0.4 oz
gloves- generic synthetic 2.1 oz
extra underwear- ex officio bottoms 2.5 oz
extra socks- icebreaker low cut (x2) 4 oz
sunglasses- generic ~7 oz
bandana x2- 2.4 oz
visor- 5 oz

total- 59.9 oz (3.7 lbs)

Cooking

stove- cat can 0.2 oz
pot, lid, wind screen- 2.7 oz
fuel canister- 0.9 oz
utensil- spork 0.1 oz
water- platy 1 oz
gatorade bottle 0.5 oz
stuff sacks- generic 3.2 oz
lighter- bic mini 0.5 oz
*bear canister- not sure which yet
water treatment- aqua mira 3 oz

total (without bear canister) 12.6 oz (0.8 lbs)

Other essentials

maps 3.4 oz
headlamp 3.4 oz
batteries 3.6 oz
knife 5.1 oz
bug spray 1.2 oz
hygiene 7.5 oz
camera 5.1 oz
poles 20 oz
medical kit 12 oz

Total: 61.3 oz (3.83 lbs)

***Without bear canister
Total Carried: 207.3 oz (12.96 lbs)
Total Skin-Out: 239.2 oz (14.95)

[Bob Gross]

Your shell seems very heavy.

You said, "we". How many of you in the group? Can I assume that each person carries their own filled bear canister?

Carbon fiber bear canisters are nice and light, but they are very expensive. I don't see many backpackers with them except for the guys who live and operate in bear country a lot.

A Bear Vault 500 seems to be the next choice, especially for volume. I have one that I use, but only for long trips.

A Bear Vault 450 is another good choice. I have one that I use for medium trips.

A Bear Boxer is a small and lightweight one, and it is good for only two or three nights out.

Garcia bear canisters are still around, although they are too heavy to be a good choice.

–B.G.–

[Andrew F]

No way would I wear a Capilene 2 shirt and running shorts in late July. That's the peak of the bug season. That time of year I wear nylon pants and a nylon long sleeve button-up shirt both of which are mosquito-proof. I would also add a headnet if I were you, particularly since you are using a bivy and not a shelter with netting.

Lots of weather in July too. I'd bring a real shell in addition to the Houdini.

Renting a Bearikade is a nice option for a light canister without spending a lot of money. Wild Ideas has special rates for JMT hikers I think.

I know you said you weren't looking to cut weight but you could easily ditch the 5 oz knife, cut your medical kit down to 3-4 oz, hygiene down to 2-3 oz, ditch the spare batteries and an extra bandana and save yourself at least a pound. Keep in mind you can buy any small stuff (batteries, some toiletries, etc.) at multiple locations on the trail so you don't have to bring a huge amount (or any) spares or extra.

[Tony Wong]

+1 on bug protection

Get a head net, it will save your sanity in camp if the bugs are out.

When I did the JMT in Aug 2011 the snow conditions were more like July and the bugs were out with the thaw. We had to wear our rain gear at Sunrise High Sierra Camp in Yosemite to protect ourselves.

In July, if the snow levels are normal, expect patches of snow to deal with….make sure your pad will handle some cold weather. (I had a 1/8" Gossamer Gear thin light pad and their torso pad…too thin. Moved up to 1/4" pad since then).

I took the Bear Vault 500, worked fine, but I am now in the market for a Bearrikade. Unfortunately, an expensive investment.

Again, know you are not looking to cut weight, but why two underwears?

Knife, I am a razor blade type of guy…only used a blade or scissors for medical and duct tape for patching up my trail runners, which were falling apart because I made the mistake of taking older shoes with 50% tread vs. breaking in new ones. You probably can get a lighter blade or skip using one.

+1 on what Andrew was saying….you have a number of duplicates/extras.

Your kit looks great, but in some areas you have extra clothing/duplicate stuff and some items that are more traditional vs. light weight.

Good luck to you on your trip…going to be epic for you!

Tony

[M B]

I dont think you need 2 extra pr socks, one is enough often.
I wouldnt bring extra underwear either, but thats me.

7 oz sunglasses??? Holy Crap!

One bandana is plenty.

Plan on a real hat that gives shade to neck and face, or use lots of yucky sunscreen.

Have a backup stove plan , if fire danger is high alcohol wont be allowed. Best just to PLAN on a cannister,and then bring the alcohol if can.

only need 1.25 oz worth of AM and bottles for a week. Get more at resupply.

ditch the huge knife
ditch the bug spray, use lotion. You lose a lot of spray, and miss spots too. pumps will also LEAK with pressure change due to altitude. 3m ultrathon is one of the best
20 oz for poles is heavy
you only need a 3 oz medical kit, not 12

As of a coupld days ago you could get a BV500 shipped from backcountry.com for $63. You wont beat it if you need that size.

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