August 1-14ish 12-14 day through hike with 1 resupply. Hit me up with any feedback!

Ryan

Gear List

I did a 14 day JMT hike last year and your list looks very similar, actually You have some better stuff than I had like your canister. I cant see how I would improve it looks like your ready to go and have some fun.

Hey Ryan,
Love the list.
It is very minimal.
The only thing I wish I could do is be able to use a summer lite without getting cold???

The only thing I would use my that isn't on your list is my 4.5oz cuben tarp and probably a lighter pack.
then again you want something that is comfortable for a 12 day trip.
Cheers.

Edited by awsorensen on 02/14/2009 22:22:28 MST.

SWEET! Actually 9 pounds without that camera. I have two suggested additions for you.

You might consider adding a separate wind jacket as the JMT can be very windy. The Gatewood Cape IMO is not well suited for that. I carry an ID Pertex hooded wind jacket - adds 4.6 oz - in addition to my Gatewood Cape. I can wear the wind jacket all day up hill and down, it breathes well, and I don't have flapping fabric obscuring my feet on rocky, uneven trail.

You might also consider adding some wind-proof matches in a waterproof case just in case your mini Bic jumps ship or runs dry.

You are heartier than I am, taking only a vest for insulation. My arms and shoulders like the added coverage of my Micropuff Pullover. (11.5 oz vs. your 6).

Wandering Bob

Edited by wandering_bob on 02/05/2009 22:04:41 MST.

I have a firestarter in the event that my bic dies, although it's harder to light a stove with than a bic or matches. I might add a few, don't see why not.

I find the nylon fabric on the rail riders shirt to be fine for stopping wind. That along with a wool shirt underneath keeps me plenty warm in the arms. In the shoulder seasons I add my thermawrap on top for some added warmth, especially in the arms.

I like wearing long sleeve shirts at high altitudes even though I don't burn very easily. Skin cancer runs in the family. blah.

You're right about the Gatewood doing little for wind protection... I usually pack a windshirt with it too.

A couple weeks before my JMT hike I'm going to do a 50 mile trip in the Clark Range to make sure I have everything dialed in. The last thing I want is to wish that I had brought something with me.

Ryan,

Could you give some insight into how well the Bearikade Weekender fits in the Jam2. I assume it's vertically. How much room do you have left?

I talked to a GoLite rep through Live Chat, and he told me the BV500 (which is larger than the Weekender) fits horizontally in both the Pinnacle and the Jam2. I found that highly doubtful, but I have no way of testing.

If possible, could maybe post some pics with the bear canister in the pack?

Thanks,
jmat

I don't have the weekender yet, but will be picking one up before the trip. I've stuffed a garcia in there, which is bigger and fits okay vertically, but i don't think horizontally.

The bearikade should be much more comfortable than the garcia since it's completely cylindrical. I'll let you know when i've tried it out

Ryan

I would drop the Serenity. If need be, you can pitch the Gatewood to the ground. I would take a different camera and save another 10 ounces, but camera equipment is such a personal choice, and am not debating it.

Other than that, everything looks pretty solid.

Ryan, maybe I'll see you on the trail. I'm leaving on 7/26 and ancient, so you'll probably blast by me around the Rae Lakes. Your list looks fine. I agree with Wandering Bob (no relation) that a separate wind or rain jacket is worth it. Sierra Designs has a nice rain jacket for 5.5 oz. You will rarely need to take 2L of water. Your camera is certainly weighty, but the picture quality will probably justify it. Perhaps an additional pair of socks is worth considering. Our lists are very similar. Will post mine as soon as I make couple of decisions. - BobR

Edited by BobR on 02/27/2009 21:46:44 MST.

A couple of comments. You're fairly late in the season, and we are in drought conditions so the nettent may not be necessary. If you wanted you could probably get by with a headnet. I did the hike a couple weeks later in '08 and never used any bug protection. I would carry some deet though.

The frontier pro is a pretty minimal filter. Here's what Roger Caffin had to say in another thread:
> One concern I have is the large, 3-micron pore size.
Yeah, right!
That pore size should stop Giardia and Crypto. It will NOT stop any bacteria, like E coli. Imho, if this really is the rating, it is of strictly marginal value. I would not trust it myself.
That being said the water on the JMT is pretty clean. I didn't use anything after my aqua mira bottles sprung a leak and lived to tell the tale.

Any interest in fishing? Trout on the JMT are easily available and are a delicious addition to the diet.

I may as well throw mine up here too:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pZnisKn1oCwIi9ZFetwEgTA

Still on the fence on my precip vs. just an emergency poncho

Are gloves necessary?

Also might swap in my bushbuddy, but an alchohol/esbit setup sounds like it might be best.

True that skeeters will be fewer in mid-August this year barring major March storms. But beware the killer ants. A larger 3 oz bug net may be a good alternative to Serenity and provide better creepy crawly protection than a head net.

I figure i'll be using the net tent without the tarp most nights, so it'll be nice to have something so easy to put up. I'm sure there are lighter solutions, but I like the idea of not having to worry about something finding its way in and not being able to get out.

I do hear the ants are ferocious.

I think it is good choice. I will use the same with an MLD tarp when needed. I love looking at the stars at night. I leave 8-5 on the JMT.

ants are definitely everywhere in the wooded areas, althought that is really a local thing. I've been up there 8 summers now and I can't recall ever really having a problem in camp with those critters (ok, I use a real tent, though, still, can't recall ant issues)

Not sure if you've been up there, but the sleeping bag you're bringing would be something I'd find too cold for nights above 10,000 feet even in August.

I bring them - they come in handy when things get ugly, like with a 7 hour hail storm in the middle of July, leaving 6" of hail/slush/running water outside your emergency shelter

I use some fingerless wool gloves - not much weight and just great on cold mornings when you need to grab cold things to get breakfast going. Warm enough in summer anywhere, even on cold/wet days.

Ponchos suck when it gets stormy unless you sit down and use it as a tent - but it better be waterproof. Mine wasn't last year and that was the last time I chose poncho over head-to-toe goretex for the JMT

I agree entirely about always carrying light gloves and WP/B overgloves - very light.

But ponchos ...


In both cases we were experiencing some 'weather'. The one on the left started as torrential rain, but changed to snow as we went over the pass (~2,500 m). The one on the right - it was just snowing (also ~2,500 m). All we had on was a Taslan smock under the silnylon poncho. In each case we were fine, but we did keep moving!

The latest silnylon is not so good however as the old stuff.

Cheers

Edited by rcaffin on 03/10/2009 21:45:18 MDT.

If storm worthiness was the only factor I would carry a W/B suit, top and bottom. But a poncho is lighter, vents better, and has more uses. When I last did the JMT in Aug of '06 I only got rained on hard twice and a poncho was fine. But when I did the HST with a poncho last year I got rained on hard for 4 consecutive days. I was sometimes mildly uncomfortable but never miserable. But had I known what was to come I would have opted for the suit.

Are 'ya feeling lucky?

This year on the JMT I'm going poncho again. I have to balance an unknown but most likely small chance of extended hard rain against a 100% chance of carrying the extra weight and bulk.

Don't forget the poncho is also a pack cover.

Never felt a need for gloves on the JMT in August but that's just me. My hands were a little cold a few mornings but spare socks warmed them up.

i can't think that a real rain jacket would likely be needed in August in the High Sierra. most likely it's afternoon thunderstorms, and even if it rained for two days, a light poncho would still be fine (if you have a real shelter, especially). it's unlikely to be cold enough to wear much more than shorts and a poncho and a coupla insulations layers.

gotta love the Sierra in summertime. you need to be prepared, but (in general) it's also a great time to go pretty dang light.

"head-to-toe goretex for the JMT"
i dunno about that. goretex doesn't work very well, and i'd never think it would be cold enough to worry about rain pants (but my legs never really get cold if my torso is fine). i'd be thinking about a very light poncho, or a light rain jacket (but then you need a pack liner/cover probably), for "usual" summertime weather on the JMT. worse case scenario, you hike on, warm and wet-ish, under your poncho or jacket, and set up a shelter early if necessary. i know there's always a chance for "weather" but man the summertime Sierra is almost always seriously mild in the big scheme of things.

have a great hike! i hope to be somewhere south of there off trail on the granite for a long hike in September!

Edited by DaveT on 03/12/2009 01:03:34 MDT.

Although I've only used it for a grand total of 2 hours hiking, my ULA Rain Wrap seems the perfect lower body raingear for the JMT. It keeps your legs dry from below the knees up, it keeps your shorts dry, but it doesn't trap the heat.

Regarding Ponchos- Roger Caffin isn't using a mere mortal poncho!