My JMT gear list
This is the gear I took on my JMT hike (Late-July through mid-August). Although I aimed for a base weight of 15 pounds, my base weight (excluding all consumables and worn/carried items) ended up being 16 lbs, 10 oz. I plan to post a more detailed review of my experience with these items on the trail sometime in the near future.
Gear
| Category | Item | Weight (oz.) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backpack | Gossamer Gear Mariposa (M, Small Hipbelt) | 27.4 | Comfortable. Can put my tent in the long side pocket. |
| Backpack liner | Gossamer Gear pack liner | 1.44 | Clear, can see contents. |
| Tent | Zpacks Triplex | 24.4 | Can comfortably fit two people plus gear. I added micro line locs to the guy lines. |
| Stakes | MSR Mini Groundhogs (8 stakes total) | 2.84 | Light. |
| Sleeping bag | Zpacks 20 degree sleeping bag (tall) | 18.6 | Warm, and I like that it doesn’t have a hood. |
| Sleeping bag dry bag | Zpacks medium pillow dry bag | 1.85 | It’s very important to prevent sleeping bags from getting wet, especially down ones. I wish I had the normal, lighter dry bag though (I don’t use it as a pillow). |
| Sleeping pad | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm (Regular) | 16.13 | Comfortable. The repair kit is included in the weight listed. |
| Pillow | Big Sky Dreamsleeper | 3.56 | Perfect size and surprisingly comfortable. Can use with or without the pillowcase (it’s under 2 oz. without the pillowcase). |
| Stove | Jetboil Sol Titanium (0.8L) | 10.38 | Boils water quickly. (Weight includes both the stove and pot) |
| Spoon | Optimus Titanium Long Spoon | 0.7 | Long enough to eat Mountain House meals. |
| Water filter | Sawyer Mini | 3.03 | Light and works well. (weight includes filter and cleaning plunger) |
| Water filter bags | Sawyer Squeeze 32 ounce bags (2 bags) | 1.96 | |
| Backup water treatment | Aquamira tablets | 0.28 | Very light! |
| Water bottle (soft) | Platypus Platy Bottle (2L) | 1.4 | Light and durable. Used for water storage. |
| Water bottle (disposable) | Smartwater bottle (1L) | 1 | This is what I drink out of. |
| Stuff sack (clothing) | Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack (8L) | 0.87 | Big enough for my clothes. |
| Stuff sack (electronics) | Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack (4L) | 0.73 | Protects important items (electronics, money, etc). |
| Headlamp | Black Diamond Spot | 3.97 | Very bright, and can adjust the angle of the light. |
| Camera | Sony RX 100 | 8.53 | Takes high quality photos. Love it. |
| Camera strap | Gmarket | 2.42 | Allows my camera to be easily accessible all day long. |
| Tripod | Pedco UltraPod Lightweight Camera Tripod | 1.81 | Has a velcro strap which helps it attach to branches, railings, etc. |
| Camera charger cord | (no brand) | 0.55 | |
| Camera Extra Battery | Sony | 0.88 | |
| Phone | iPhone 6s | 5.27 | I like to download maps and then use them along with my phone’s GPS signal while on the trail. |
| Phone case | (no brand) | 0.97 | |
| Phone charger cord | Apple | 0.66 | |
| Wall charger | Apple | 2.35 | |
| Headphones | Sony | 0.43 | |
| Portable battery | Anker PowerCore 10,000 | 6.32 | With 3 devices that need to be charged (phone, camera, Inreach), this is a necessary item. |
| Solar charger | Suntactics sCharger-5 Portable Solar Charger | 8.64 | Works well, but takes time to charge something. Weight includes two mini carabiners that I can use to attach it to my backpack. |
| Trowel | Qiwiz Cathole Trowel (Original) | 0.61 | Very light, but works well. |
| First aid kit | (“Handmade”) | 2.5 | Ibuprofen, Imodium, Diphenhydramine, band-aids of various sizes, Leukotape (blister prevention/treatment), Neosporin, Curad antiseptic swabs, safety pin |
| Toiletries | 7 | Toothbrush, toothpaste, cleanser (repackaged), Sawyer sunscreen (2 ounce bottle, refilled through MTR resupply), shampoo (repackaged, used night before hike & at Red’s Meadow), tweezers, nail clippers, Aquaphor | |
| Memo pad & pen | Generic notebook and pen | 1.3 | |
| Bear canister | BearVault BV500 | 39.67 | Affordable, and big enough. |
| Multi-tool | Leatherman Style CS Multi-tool | 1.48 | The scissors are particularly useful. |
| Satellite Messenger | DeLorme inReach SE | 6.75 | Allows me to send and receive messages on the trail, and can allow me to send out SOS messages as well. |
| Compass | Suunto A-10 Field Compass | 1.08 | Cannot adjust declination. May upgrade to a Suunto M3 someday. |
| Map | National Geographic map | 3.27 | I bought this map because it shows elevation profiles and campsites, and seems to be the preferred map by many hikers. |
| Map | Tom Harrison JMT Map | 0 | Scanned them and put them on my phone. Can never have enough maps! |
| Guidebook | John Muir Trail (ebook) | 0 | Can view on my phone (the paperback version is too heavy… weighs 12.46 oz). |
| Waterproof passport case/wallet | Zpacks Passport Zip Pouch | 0.34 | I like that it has a waterproof zipper. |
| Toilet paper & Baby wipes | 1.5 | I put extra in resupplies. |
*For those viewing this list on a mobile device, be sure to scroll left/right to see the whole list.
Clothing
| Category | Item | Weight (oz.) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain jacket | Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket | 5.47 | I like to wear my sun hat under the hood for better rain protection. |
| Rain kilt | Zpacks Rain Kilt | 1.93 | I generally do not like wearing rain pants in the summer, so a rain kilt is a great alternative. |
| Insulating jacket | Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket | 5.89 | Warm enough. Got the version without the hood. |
| Wind jacket | Patagonia Houdini Jacket | 3.26 | I wear this even I’m not hiking, as it’s light and easy to bring wherever I go. |
| Sleeping top | Icebreaker Oasis | 6.2 | |
| Sleeping bottom | Smartwool midweight bottom | 5.9 | These are much more comfortable and soft than my Icebreaker baselayer bottoms. |
| Sleeping socks | (no brand) | 1 | |
| Extra socks | Injinji Trail Midweight Mini Crew Socks | 1.94 | I never get blisters when I wear these. (UPDATE: I got blisters on the JMT, mostly because of debris that got in my shoes.) |
| Extra underwear | ExOfficio | 0.88 | |
| Shorts | Arc’Teryx Kapta Shorts | 3.96 | Perfect length. |
| Warm hat | Original BlackRock Hat | 0.89 | Light and warm. |
| Gloves | Possum Down Gloves | 1.34 | Light and warm. |
| Rain mitts | Sandwich gloves (8) and rubber bands (2) | 0.1 | They fit over my possum gloves, and are something I already have (free is good!). Brought several since they are not very durable. Only used them once to roll up my wet/dirty tent on a very cold morning. I would definitely use proper rain mitts when hiking somewhere truly rainy or snowy, or in the shoulder season on the JMT. |
| Buff | Original Buff | 1.3 | Can also be used as a small towel. |
| Mosquito headnet | Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net | 0.96 | Perfect for when you want to rest in a bug-filled location. |
Worn/Carried
| Category | Item | Weight (oz.) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiking sticks | Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles | Love using them, and they’re long enough to hold up my tent. | |
| Hat | OR Sun Runner Cap | 2.88 | Not very fashionable, but offers protection from the sun. There are snaps that allow you to add/remove the sun skirt when necessary. |
| T-shirt | Icebreaker Tech Tee | 3.9 | Reduces odor. Not as durable as a synthetic shirt, however. Mine had a few small holes and was a little faded by the end of the trail. |
| Hiking pants | Airwalk | 8.24 | Stretchy, comfortable, slim-fit. |
| Sports Bra | |||
| Underwear | ExOfficio | 0.88 | |
| Socks | Injinji Trail Midweight Mini Crew Socks | 1.93 | |
| Hiking shoes | Brooks Cascadia 11 | Toe box is smaller/’pointier’ than previous versions (not a good thing). | |
| Gaiters | Dirty Girl Gaiters | 0.84 | Helped keep rocks and dirt out of my shoes (not entirely successfully, however). |
| Watch | Suunto Core | 2.31 | I like the altimeter on this watch, but it needs to be adjusted daily. I adjusted mine whenever I reached a known elevation (such as a pass or lake). |
| Sun sleeves | (No brand) | 1.3 | Love these! They protect my arms from the sun without making me too hot. |
*For those viewing this list on a mobile device, be sure to scroll left/right to see the whole list.
See Also:
