John Muir Trail Gear List
This gear list was used for my 15 day thru hike of the John Muir Trail. I encountered temperatures ranging from 30-100 degrees. In late July it is generally warm and dry and you can expect afternoon thunderstorms. On my hike I experienced an unusual 2 1/2 days of rain, but had much luck with my clothing and gear choices with this unexpected weather. Water is abundant throughout the hike so carrying 1.5-2 liters of water at a time was typical. The biggest concerns among hikers preparing for the JMT are altitude and bears. My heavy, but necessary bear canister was the only solution needed for the latter concern. Going lightweight made it possible for me to cover more miles and have a really enjoyable hike.
| Category | Gear Selection | Weight (oz) | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packing | Gossamer Gear Mariposa | 23.7 | Removed aluminum stay and sit pad. |
| Sea to Summit Ultra Sil XS Stuff Sack | 0.5 | for packed clothing | |
| Gossamer Gear Q-Ditty Small | 0.2 | ditty bag for small essentials | |
| Bear Vault 500 | 41 | Mandatory on the JMT- BV500 carried 7 days of food well. Heavy but it's a good price plus it's see through and waterproof | |
| Shelter | Six Moon Designs Wild Oasis | 13 | |
| Gossamer Gear LT4S Trekking Poles | 9.2 | weight for two poles | |
| Sleeping | Western Mountaineering UltraLite 20 Degree Bag | 29 | |
| Klymit Inertia X-Lite | 6.1 | ||
| Polycryo Groundsheet | 1.6 | Use 1 medium for shelter groundsheet. Also doubles as my pack liner | |
| Worn Clothing | Smartwool NTS Micro 150 T-Shirt | 3.2 | very comfortable and does not smell after daily use |
| Smartwool Maybell Skirt | 7.1 | Will never go back to hiking pants! | |
| Injinji Run Socks | 1.0 | ||
| Moving Comfort Women's Fiona Bra | 3.2 | ||
| Patagonia Barely Hipster Underwear | 0.8 | ||
| Brooks Cascadia 8 | 9.8 | wore Salomon Sppedcross 3's on my JMT hike. I felt they were too narrow for me. These shoes fit better for my feet. | |
| Dirty Girl Gaiters | 1.1 | ||
| Packed Clothing | Backcountry Hadron Down Anorak | 8.0 | packs small to keep in my pack for cold summits |
| Icebreaker Everyday Leggings | 5.0 | for cooler days on the trail | |
| Columbia 1/2 Zip Baselayer Top | 6.0 | ||
| UV Buff | 1.3 | versatile- comes in fun patterns! | |
| Rain Jacket | 4.2 | Mine is a discontinued EMS brand jacket. | |
| Smartwool Hiking Socks | 1.6 | worn at night | |
| Hydration | Sawyer Mini Water Filter | 2.0 | used with Platypus for inline filter. Great for refilling on really long day hikes. |
| Platypus Hoser (2L) | 3.0 | ||
| Electronics/Small Essentials | Sony Alpha a5000 | 13.7 | Heavier than my old camera, but great photos are worth the weight! |
| Light My Fire Spork | 0.6 | Stoveless on the trail. Planned no-cook meals. | |
| Smartphone | 4.4 | Used Guthook's JMT App | |
| Delorme InReach SE | 6.9 | Great for giving folks at home piece of mind. Much more reliable than the SPOT. | |
| RAVPower External Battery | 7.9 | ||
| charger cords | 1 | ||
| Petzl Tikka Plus Headlamp | 3.0 | Great for in camp or night hiking | |
| ditty bag | 4 | first aid, repair kit, sunscreen, bugspray, wet wipes, etc. | |
| Diva Cup | .5 | For dealing with "that time of the month" on trail | |
| Tom Harrison Map Pack | 1.0 | carried only the sections I needed. Sent future pages in resupply. | |
| Rite in the Rain Notebook | 2.2 | ||
| Leatherman Multi Tool | 1.4 | ||
| Weight Summaries | In Ounces | In Pounds | |
| Base weight | Not including items worn, food, and water | 202 | 12.6 |
| worn clothing | 26.2 | 1.6 | |
| Skin Out Weight | Not including food and water | 228.2 | 14.2 |
erica
Great gear list! I'm doing the JMT hopefully in 2016 and was curious about the Mariposa. I think I'm going to go with that pack. I also liked that you included your clothing as it's been hard for me to find the right stuff. Thanks!!
Niamh Walsh
Hi, I notice you did not bring a stove, and this is what I am planning to do. Would you recommend it? Are there any good meals you discovered?
Tom McCullough
Why did you remove the aluminum stays in FOMA insert on your pack?