I will be doing a 4-5 day hike in the Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park (Mid September).

Here is my gear list so far: http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=4289

The items marked with an asterisk are ones that I already own or that have already been ordered. I still haven't worked on the clothes I'm going to wear and also cooking/bear canister. Any help would be appreciated on that as this will be my first backpacking trip. Let me know what else is missing or that you would change.

Thanks in advance

Edited by justincrabtree on 08/31/2011 16:54:49 MDT.

If you're trying to throw down the miles, read on, otherwise ignore my post.

Eliminate the rain pants. Your legs will stay warm while hiking. Thru hikers sometimes carry them as alternate clothing while doing laundry, but that doesn't apply for you.

Eliminate the thermal bottoms. If you start hiking when it's early and continue until it's late, your legs may only be cold for a few minutes. Also, thermal bottoms take a while to get out of, which means you'll still get cold. Thermal bottoms are nice if you need to urinate during the night, but a potty bottle can be used in your tent without fully exiting your sleeping bag.

Add a hat. The sun up there is brutal.

I wouldn't bother with a tyvek wallet. Just use a ziploc bag. It's cheaper, easier and probably lighter. I'd also leave the toothpaste at home and possibly convert some of that weight into more tp. Only use titanium hook stakes, I think those work better in that area due to the rocky soil...and there's plenty of rocks to put on top of your stakes.

I didn't see footwear on your list. I would wear mesh shoes and not bring any sort of sandals for camp. That does two things: less weight and encourages you to walk straight through the creeks instead of wasting lots of time changing into sandals or looking for a log...especially since the crossings should be pretty easy by now.