Lighten The Load – 2020 JMT Trip Tips & Tricks

probably the gear list forum would be your best bet

Your list looks very reasonable to me. I don’t think you will drop much weight without getting uncomfortable or less safe. Your pack is heavy for a 30 liter frameless pack. Maybe you should consider an MLD Prophet/Burn or a Zimmer Quickstep?

Also do I hear that the two of you being two cooking setups? Maybe you can consolidate to a single stove… I’m guessing you aren’t doing that because you like the freedom to cook two different dishes.

Hi Mathew,

Thank you for your feedback. I have the SWD 35 Liter with various bells and whistles which makes it a fairly heavy pack for the frameless option. That said, I do also have a Zpacks Nero which can save nearly a pound but don’t find that pack all that comfortable compared to the SWD (plus I found SWD great to work with and generally try to support smaller cottage companies whenever possible).

In regards to our stove setup, we opted to each carry an Evernew 900 pot for simplicity and efficiency while cooking with our Caldera cone. While she can always downsize her pot, we found that it really made boiling water and sharing meals easy and quick while on the trail. I did pick up a Fosters Pot with Caldera Keg which I am hoping to bring which will easily save 2 or 3 ounces by ditching the protective caddy. In the event that the can fails we would still have her Evernew 900 with Caldera Cone as a backup.

Thanks Again!

-Scott

A MODEST PROPOSAL:

USE A UL FRAME PACK

Over all the miles I think  you will find putting the weight on your hip girdle and legs is the most comfortable way to carry a pack, if adding only a very few ounces.

There are packs made with removable stays if you change your mind about using them.

Hi Eric,

Thank you for the suggestion. Last summer on the JMT was my first big trip going frameless. I naturally thought that I would suffer and/or regret the decision after the first few days but really can’t say that I ever regretted ditching a framed pack. My SWD Frameless has a generous hip belt with various bells and whistles which add up to the heavier weight but has always been comfortable for me. This not not to say that the first day or two of a big loadout don’t suck, because they certainly do. My mentality generally tends to lean towards suffering a bit but then starting to see the lower weight benefits after three or four days of a seven or eight-day trip (I especially noticed this with an Esbit cook system).

I am currently playing with the idea of taking my Zpacks Nero instead of the SWD pack. I would save just over a full pound by switching over to the Nero but would also be on the heavier end of the Nero’s weight recommendations. Basically right at 10 pounds and 8 ounces with the SWD and 9 pounds and 10 ounces with the Nero (I include my bear canister in my base weight which is two pounds).

Thanks again for all of the suggestions so far. I appreciate it.

-Scott

The Anker 10,000 is like an anchor. Keep the Garmin turned off unless you really need it.

You’re on the JMT. Ditch the Anker AND the Garmin. Why do you need these? The trail is easy to follow and paper maps are tons lighter. And there are people everywhere if there’s an emergency (there won’t be.)

Less fiddle factor too. Refreshing psychologically to let go of the electronics.

Looking at a similar trip and following this.  One question:

Does the bear canister listed at over 900g (almost 2 lbs) fit inside or on the top of the pack?

Would an even lighter pack work with said bear can?  Think at least a “Y” strap would be needed.

I invested in the Wild Ideas Weekender model which provides 656 cubic inches of space at right around 2 pounds (31 ounces). I have always been able to easily fit this can inside both my SWD 35 and Zpacks Nero vertically. There is not much extra room but totally doable with my typical loadout.

Fitting a bear canister inside my pack has always been a major preference. I find that the pack handles much better and helpful to use the weight of the canister to compress my sleeping bag and clothing. I am sure that everyone has their own favorite setup but personally prefer that canister insider the bag.

There is no question that bringing a phone, battery charger or InReach on the John Muir Trail is totally not necessary. I rarely bring a spare battery charger, InReach or phone while on any solo hikes. That said, I am doing this trip with my wife who likes having the extra insurance of the Garmin and Phone to communicate with friends and family whenever we may have service. She is not hardcore enough to even let me consider using my Pocket Tarp over the Duplex which could easily shed off another pound.

I can probably get away with ditching or downgrading the battery bank but the phone and InReach will be necessary components to making experience also enjoyable (she is not at all into the ultralight scene and generally around the 12-15 pound base weight range). It’s a work in progress!

“That said, I am doing this trip with my wife who likes having the extra insurance of the Garmin and Phone…”

I completely understand. Umm…let your wife carry the phone, the Anker and the Garmin along with her usual load. See how she feels in two days.

It is your hike. Please take whatever you want to take.

Thanks John. I did take my Zpacks Nero out for a 15 mile hike over the weekend to see if the pack load was going to be manageable or not. The Zpacks Nero saves a full pound over the SWD and gets me down to a 7 pound base weight without the bear canister. While my loadout was within the 18 to 22 pound range, I found that it was not very comfortable and probably going to not take it this year on the JMT. I have no doubt that it will be a better platform for solo hikes but maybe just not what I am trying to accomplish for this particular trip. As others have suggested, I might look at the MLD Burn, KS40 or similar pack which can help get the weight down while offering a fair amount of hip support.

Really appreciate all the feedback. Happy hiking!

I think your list looks great, really impressive job on your base weight in my personal opinion. Obviously this is only ounce-shaving, but I second the suggestion to re-think the need to bring a back-up pot. Maybe there is an alternative approach that would be equally convenient but lighter. Very minor point, but I don’t see the need for a clothing bag (I like to stuff clothing into small gaps in my pack). You also seem to have Frogg Toggs listed twice, but maybe one is the jacket and one is pants.

Thanks Dan! I did decide to dump my Evernew 900 in exchange for the Trail Designs Fosters Can w/Titanium Caldera Cone. A lot of folks say that they don’t last without the protective caddy so I incorporated only the lower half and trashed the top cup. This got me down to a system that is moderately protected and below the weight of my Evernew. I can always use my wife’s Evernew w/Caldera Cone in the event that mine totally fails.

As some have mentioned, I can easily dump my SOS, battery bank or phone but these are my luxury items to make for an enjoyable trip with my wife. Thanks for catching my mistake with the duplicate Frogg Toggs; updating now.

I biggest burden right now is my heavier than normal SWD 35 Frameless Pack. This was my first frameless pack and wanted to incorporate a fully padded hip belt which I still prefer. If time permits, I might try to pick up a second hand MLD Burn as long as I can squeeze in some test hikes before our August trip. If nothing else, this experience has confirmed that I am not ready to go without a hip belt. I will give my Zpacks Nero another try but simply did not find it very comfortable even within the recommended 18-22 pound range.

Thanks Again and Happy Hiking!