This is the first list I've compiled. Without buying anything new I could drop 10oz by switching out the sit pad and neoair for a torso ridgerest, but I'm leaning towards comfort at this point.

The only thing on my list I dont really like is the rain jacket as the fabric doesn't breath well, but it does have enormous pit zips.


Pack
Ray way Backpack- 14oz
Ridgerest Sit Pad/ support for backpack- 5oz
Trash bagLiner- 1oz
Total- 20oz

Sleep
Ultra 20 Quilt- 22oz
Neoair regular- 14oz
Total- 36oz

Shelter
Tarptent Contrail- 26oz
Groundsheet- 4oz
Total 30oz

Cooking
Caldera cone- 2.5oz
Bpl 1350ml Pot- 4oz
Accessories- 4oz
Bearvault 500- 41oz
Total- 51.5oz

Hydration
Platy 1.8L- 3.5oz
Platy 2L- 1.5oz
Steripen Journey- 4oz
Total- 9oz

Clothing carried
Montbell UL parka- 8.5oz
Sierra Designs Hurrican rain jacket- 12oz
Beanie- 2oz
Extra socks- 1oz
Sunhat- 2oz
Total- 25.5oz

Miscellaneous
First aid- 4oz
Contacts case- 1oz
Dropper bottles- 2oz
Knife- .5 oz
Rope- 1oz
Headlamp- 3oz
Camera- 6oz
Bandana-1oz
Other(maps and things I haven’t though of yet)-5oz
Total-23.5

Total carried-195.5oz or 12.2lbs


Clothing
Icebreaker 150 longsleeve- 5.5oz
Convertible pants- 10oz
Running shorts- 4oz
Watch-2oz
Treking poles- 19oz
Totally worn- 42.5

The things I notice are:
A 150 wool top might be too warm depending on the weather. It can roast up there especially when youre working hard. Maybe bring a synthetic tee?

Also, not sure if the skeeters can bite through your shirt, but youd be surprised what they can chew through. I might take a wind shirt since they cant bite through those.

And after youve been out for a few nights, a ridgerest gets very easy to sleep on in my experience.

Edited by dharmabumpkin on 03/12/2010 16:17:29 MST.

I thought that 150 was one of the lighter merinos. I know its really thin anyways. I haven't used it in the summer yet, but i figured I could just roll up the sleeves and that the shirt would provide good sun protection.

I agree with Brandon, that 150 can get a lil toasty depending on conditions. Also, depends on what color. If its a zip T style, you can definitely vent a lot and get away with hotter temps. For me, I pretty much wear 140 weight all year round.

I do find the 150 perfect for wearing to sleep, and I usually wear 150 tops and bottoms when temps are either in the lower 50's or below

I don't think its a bad idea to throw in a 4 ounce synth tee into your current mix. Gives you some options/backup if you get soaked by rain, want to do laundry, etc

Edited by Konrad1013 on 03/13/2010 18:01:22 MST.

Replace your rain jacket with a Dri Ducks. Saves six ounces and the thing breathes better too. Ugly, but you're in the woods so who cares. The sizing is weird, as in huge, but in rain jackets I find that coverage over your butt is a good thing. In a pinch DriDucks works well enough for a wind shirt or mosquito shirt too.

Speaking of mosquitos, bring a headnet and make sure your sunhat has a wide brim to keep the headnet off your face.

Add me to the list of people who find wool a bit hot and uncomfortable in the summer. I wore an Ex Officio Air Strip Lite for the first time this past summer and loved it. Made of very light nylon that keeps the sun off and dries in a flash. Again, this is a seriously ugly item, much like the above mentioned DriDucks. I sprayed the thing down with some long-lasting mosquito stuff and it kept the bugs off pretty well.

Bring three pairs of socks: one to wear, one to wash, one to sleep in. Same with undies.

Bring a small pillow case to put your down jacket in for a perfect pillow. The lightest are made of silk (hard to find) and thermarest makes a one ounce fleecy kind that is pretty good.

The hardest section is when you come out of Muir trail ranch and have one hundred and some miles to go with no easy resupply. Depending on your hiking speed this is a 5 to 10 day section. Even though your base weight is only about 12 pounds, your fully loaded weight could push 30 or more for a few days - make sure your backpack can handle it.

Use a smaller pot...The BPL 550 is perfect at 2.6 oz--
Its a pot, bowl, cup and water scoop and you can store just enough stuff in it too...I only had one hot meal a day on the JMT and I did not need to boil more then a cup and a half of water and any given time--- Smaller is better IMHO..

Edited by Creachen on 03/13/2010 23:40:16 MST.

Truth be told I havent worn merino anything I was just basing my conclusion that 150 is too hot on the fact that the Beartooth Hoody is 150g wool and in the product description they talk about hiking in it at 4degree temps! No personal experience whatsoever, so may work with sleeves up and zip down.

BTW, everyone talks about how bad the bugs are, but its more their presence than their bites in my mind. The skeeters are so small that the bites go away after a day or two. I did the jmt last year w/o headnet or DEET and I lived.

A few non gear suggestions:
-camp somewhere around Evolution or Sapphire Lakes. Beautiful.
=If you camp at upper palisade lakes (also beautiful) you can bag Mather and Pinchot Passes in the same day which is kinda cool.
=if you happen to go into Mammoth (super easy), make sure you eat at Angel's. The BEST comfort food I have ever eaten.

1 oz. rope?

Sunscreen, sunglasses

liner gloves, waterproof overmitts...for hiking in hailstorms...cold evenings, cold numb fingers get useless fast.

Why converta pants and running shorts, ie. why 2 pairs of shorts?

Aren't glasses easier than contacts?

(I think you switched the weight of the platy bottles)

Beware of trying to reach Palisades Lake at the end of a long day. It's a steep climb up. It's an easier climb in the morning when your legs are fresh.

Weight of fuel? Carefully try to estimate the exact amount of fuel (alcohol?) you will need, so you won't end up carrying the extra weight.

Edited by rambler on 03/14/2010 21:42:44 MDT.

Ok.
So the pot I'm hoping to share with whoever comes with me to lower their weight.

Gloves might be a good idea. I've never had liners or waterproof gloves, just keep my hands in my jacket I guess.

The rope is 50ft and might be useful?

Sunscreen and sunglasses are on my excell sheet, I just included them for other but probably underestimated the weight.


Glasses are something I'm really debating. They would be so much easier, except that I hate a dirty lens. Also, I'm so blind that with glasses I have zero peripheral vision which I think might really take away from the experience.


Oh yeah. And as for the shorts, they have webbing and I use them instead of underwear. I like it because it gives me options in case I hop in the water.

Edited by callmeammo on 03/14/2010 22:15:20 MDT.