Top layering early Sept JMT thru hike

We finished at the end of August 2014, and with all the changes in elevation (and going from wooded areas to above tree line) one could feel cold one minute and hot the next.

I think your list may be a bit of overkill, but you could certainly layer up/down to address every possible eventuality.

You can face anything from hot weather to being snowed on. It can snow pretty much every month of the year. I have seen snow in every month but August (and others have told me they've seen it in August). On a trip this past September, when a large thunderstorm moved in during the afternoon, the temperature dropped over 30F in just a few minutes as it dumped 2 inches of hail. It never really warmed up after that for the rest of the day. Mainly because the rain never stopped for long until after midnight. The coldest September I experienced was on Sept. 19th (I think it was 2004), the temperature dropped to 17F at night when a snow storm hit and dropped a few inches. The next day was coooold.

September, most of the time, during the day you'll have pleasant weather where it isn't too hot or too cold. Just beware that the lows may drop below freezing.

From June through September, when going to the Sierra beyond a weekend trip when you can no longer depend on accurate weather forecasting I always carry: lightweight thermal top and bottom, a warm hat, rain jacket, rain skirt or pants, and my Montbell Extremely UL down jacket (6.5oz and makes for a nice pillow). I normally wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt (permithrin treated for the bugs, but in September the bugs won't be an issue. I also like it for the sun since you are often above treeline so I don't have to wear sunscreen) along with a sun hat.

Roger,

You are going to be in for one great adventure!

I did the JMT in 2011 in August/Sept over 15 days.

The coldest that we had was maybe 28 degrees F on one or two of the total nights.

I had a Montbell Thermawrap Jacket….BPL Merino Hoody, Wind shirt, and O2 Rain Gear…synthetic hat/beannie….even had BPL merino wool long johns and top. All the BPL stuff is uber thin, not very durable.

Anyway, I was fine most of the trip, could have been a little warmer with my Thermawrap jacket.

I agree with the other poster…..given the weight of the items you have listed, think you will be fine.

Most nights, I recall as being relatively pleasant at 35-45F.

My biggest issue was that my Gossamer Gear Torso pad and thin light 1/8" was too thin and I felt ground chill on those colder nights.

So did my friend, Jeremy, who used the same pad setup.

Since then we both have moved to a 1/4" full length foam pad after our JMT experience.

Remember, if it gets really cold at night, time to layer up and jump into your sleeping bag/quilt.

My only advice would be to consider a long sleeve vs. short sleeve shirt for warmth and sun protection.

The two items of clothing that I have switched since my JMT experience was replacing the Montbell Thermawarp with the Down EX Light jacket, which is lighter and warmer than the synthetic Thermawarp, and I picked up a Black Rock Gear Down Hat, which is a luxury of warmth.

That said, I only encountered maybe one afternoon of sprinkles/rain on my trip, so I decided to move to an all down insulation layer.

Oh, another optional luxury….1.7 Oz Monkey Pillow Case/Stuff Bag:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/120432337/monkey-pillow-for-camping

http://sticksblog.com/2013/02/06/monkey-pillow-by-hike-bike-dale/

Warmth for your neck while sleeping, light, and dorky cool…..Wallace, the owner, is great to work with.

Enjoy your trips….a stop at Vermillion Valley Resort is a great experience and welcome rest stop along the way to wash up and have someone else cook you really food. 1st beer was free to thru hikers!!!

Tony

Roger, that sounds like a good set up. The long sleeve shirt as a light mid layer is a good idea… just a light mid layer over a t-shirt while moving can get you through any late season storms without being too warm.
T-shirt + rain jacket= too cold to keep moving safely.
T-shirt + mid layer + rain jacket = comfortable enough to keep moving safely.

Thank you all for your responses. This forum has been great as i have been preparing for next summers hike. You are a bunch of well informed and kind people.
Thank you!

That list looks good but you don't say what you'll be wearing on your lower body. In camp it will make a big difference to have some warmth for the legs as well. My personal preference for the Sierra is shorts, wind pants, and expedition weight long johns/powerstretch tights. I almost never walk in anything more than the shorts, but if I need anything else the wind pants do the trick. Then the cozy tights are great for in camp, under the wind pants if it's particularly chilly, and of course they make nice cozy jammies.

Roger,
Looks good to me.
Be sure to have some repair tape for the Duck.

Where did you find the weight on the Ampere?
If it had a deep zip it would have an incredible temperature range.

Thanks,
I weighed the Ampere on a scale at home. Hope I got it right!