My Gear List - Pick it apart!

[Bigglesworth]

Below is my gear list. Please feel free to give your opinions. I am debating the following, in particular: Should I bring a head net? Can I dump my convertable pants? Maps or guide book pages? Should I switch to a different bear cannister (which I hesitate to do because I own the Garcia and I know how it configures with my pack).

Here it is...



Gear List

JMT 2013





WORN/CARRIED

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Baselayer - top

ss REI top





Baselayer – top 2

REI Sahara ls shirt w/ collar


sun



Baselayer bottom

EMS techwick longjohns


sleepwear



Midlayer top

EMS Ascent down puffy

13




Outer layer bottom

Generic running short





Outer layer bottom 2

Pants - convertable


necessary??



Socks

Darn tough low cut (2)


May switch out 1 long smartwool



Headwear

KAVU (wide brimmed) hat





Eyewear

Adidas sunglasses





Shoes

Asics Gel Fuji Trainer 2

15.8

Crocs too?



OTHER CLOTHING

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Gloves

EMS liner





Balaclava

REI





Hat

None for warmth


Balaclava will suffice



Rain Jacket

Patagonia Torrentshell

12.2

Weight ok for cost



Rain Pants

None


Little snow this year



PACKING

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Pack

GoLite Jam

27




Stuff sacks

Various





Wallet

Ziplocs





Bear Cannister

Garcia machine

44

Miserable, required



SLEEPING

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Bag

Sierra Designs Cal Down 13

28

Replaced old bag L



Pad

Thermarest Neoair

15




SHELTER

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Tent

Zpacks Hexamid solo tent

About 16 total for all shelter items




Ground cloth

Zpacks cuben fiber solo





Stakes

Virgo titanium – 8





Stuff sacks

For tent and stakes – cuben





COOKING

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Pot

Snow Peak titanium 700 ml

4.8

Cooking dinner only



Spork

Snow Peak titanium

.6




Stove

Fancy Feast alcohol stove

.3




Windscreen

Aluminum foil





Alcohol fuel container

8 oz bottle


May need bigger



HYDRATION

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Bladder

Camelback 2L





Bottle

Platypus foldable 1 L

.8

Switch to Powerade bottle?



Sterilization

Tba – steripen or aqua mira





TOILETRIES/FIRST AID

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Contact lenses

10 pair at a time, trimmed





Spare glasses

Rx


necessary



Bug spray

Bens


No head net



Hair Brush

Modified travel w/mirror


A must for me



Tooth brush

Trimmed childs





Tooth paste

Mini travel





Wet wipes

5 cut in half at a time


Necessary w/ contacts



Toilet paper

Mini roll





Blister care

Gell pads (6)





Wound cover

Thin post surgery covers (2)





Duct Tape

Duct tape





Tool

Mini-Leatherman squirt

2




Hand sanitizer

Purell


May not bring



Topical Containers

Sunscreen, chapstick


1 each resupply



Other

2 AA batteries


Camera and headlamp



LIGHTING

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Headlamp

Mammut S-Flex

1.7 w/ battery




RECORDING

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Camera

Canon digital point and shoot


Older, same as AT



Journal

Mini paper notebook





Pen

Generic mini





Other

GoalZero solar panel


Considering bringing



MISCELLANEOUS

ITEM

WT (OZ)

COMMENTS



Map



May not bring



Guide Materials

Paperback guidebook





Cash, Permit, ID, Card






Fire

Bic mini lighter





Cell Phone

Texting and emergency





Trekking Poles

Black Diamond Trail Ergo


My tent pole

[fredmugs]

My only comment is that I fried pretty bad and even with sun screen I had to wear my rain pants to cover up my legs. I hiked the JMT first week of Sept last year. Make sure you can cover your exposed skin if required. I used Halfmile's maps. Even if you don't use them I would still review them before leaving because he lists lots of water and camping places by mile marker. Very useful info.

[markdek]

Consider this hat:

http://www.tahoemountainsports.com/product/chillba-hat

[Lone_Star]

How well do you think your alcohol stove will work in the High Sierras? I've been led to believe that alcohol stoves perform poorly at altitude and in cold/windy conditions. 8 oz is very small. I would carry a whole bottle of HEET (12 oz) if you're going to go that route. I use an alcohol stove regularly here in Texas, but I'm thinking of taking a pressurized fuel (butane) cooking system to be safe. Thoughts anyone?

[Coffee]

Try the Outdoor Research Sun Runner cap if sun exposure is an issue. I wore this hat along with long sleeve smartwool microweight shirt and convertible pants with the bottoms left on during a recent Grand Canyon trip. Also, fingerless gloves used with trekking poles. I only applied sunscreen to my nose and front of my fact and to my fingers which were exposed to sun due to my use of the trekking poles. I had no sunburn issues at all. I find that covering up in areas with lots of sun exposure is better than putting on a ton of sunscreen multiple times per day.

[staehpj1]

How well do you think your alcohol stove will work in the High Sierras? I've been led to believe that alcohol stoves perform poorly at altitude and in cold/windy conditions. 8 oz is very small. I would carry a whole bottle of HEET (12 oz) if you're going to go that route. I use an alcohol stove regularly here in Texas, but I'm thinking of taking a pressurized fuel (butane) cooking system to be safe. Thoughts anyone?

I have not had any issues with using my alcohol burner at a little over 10,000'. I have not used it higher than that though. Some of those times were colder than the temps I expect to see on the JMT. For windy conditions a wind screen is a must.

As far as how much fuel to carry... My understanding is that you can buy alcohol by the ounce several places along the JMT.

My concern with using an alcohol stove is whether, given the minimal snow pack this year, there will be burning bans that ban alcohol stoves. Does any one have thoughts on how likely that is? Since I am planning to drive there I figured I could take both the canister stove and the pop can stove in the car and decide when I get there which to put in the pack.

[Lone_Star]

I originally thought about taking my Trangia alcohol stove and windscreen and resupplying with HEET along the way. I haven't heard of any burning bans, but I'll let others on or more familiar with the trail comment on that. I've decided, however, to go with my butane stove/burner and 4 oz cans, not just because of the cold and wind, but also the higher altitude. Boil times are slow where I'm at (near sea level), and I've heard they can be twice as long at altitude. That means waiting longer for my meals and using twice the fuel. I'm not sure there will be any weight savings is that is the case, so a pressurized system is what I'll likely use. I'd be interested in hearing what others have to say, especially if they've used alky stove on the JMT.

[garyp]

yes burning bans are in place already.

[Kerosene]

Alcohol stoves banned in 2016 also.

[Collin]

My subjective 2 cents: mosquitoes seem to come and go on the JMT- the weight penalty for a headnet is practically nothing, but the downside of not having one is huge. I don't think you are going to save much weight by going with a cat stove (if it is allowed- I did not come across anyone who had one in July) since you'll need a wind screen and fuel for the trip since you'll prob have to assume you cannot pick it up anywhere along the trail (I don't recall seeing heet at Reds or MTR). I whole heartedly second suntan lotion.

[Collin]

Also, I would be leery of a stove you can't turn off out there even if it is allowed. You can have fires below certain elevations in each park you cross in pre-existing fire pits and it was so dry out there that I started my fires by literally just picking up a small twig and lighting one end of it on fire for 5 seconds. It is crazy dry out there. Not used to that from the east coast.