Blog

For each section I’ve written a short write up and reflections on individual pieces of from my John Muir Trail Gear List. 

Worn Clothing

My worn clothing is pretty simple and I generally hike in a pair of lightweight shorts and a t-shirt. While many hikers will opt for long sleeves or hiking pants in exposed locations like the High Sierras, but because my skin doesn’t burn very easily I felt comfortable with less sun protection gear than most other hikers. 

Sleep and Element Protection Clothing

Given the nighttime temps and the relatively ‘cold’ sleeping bag I brought, I wanted extra clothing in case conditions went south. While sub-freezing temperatures and storms are to be expected this time of year, we really lucked out with the weather. I could have left one or two articles of clothing at home and been okay, however given the conditions of the Sierras, that wouldn’t have been a smart choice.

Pack

I love frameless backpacks, and I’ve used the MLD Exoudus 57L on multiple trips now and am very happy with its performance. My favorite configuration is using a Zlite SOL to provide some internal structure which helps increase the carrying load of ultralight packs.  I was able to comfortably fit the BearVault into my bag, which is a big concern for many hikers. In my opinion, this is only an issue if your pack capacity is 45L and under, although Katie had the Gossamer Gear 4-20 (42L) pack and it worked.

Shelter and Sleep

Katie and I both stayed in the same Mountain Laurel Designs shelter. I’m 6’4″ (which is where I got the name Stringbean) and was able to sleep comfortably in this tent – highly recommended as a lightweight option for all you tall people out there! I was also pleasantly surprised that my quilt was as comfortable as it was.

Kitchen

This was our biggest mistake: alcohol stoves are allowed in California, but the sale of alcohol stove fuel is not. So when we showed up at Red’s Meadow to buy more fuel 1/3 of the way into our trip, there was none. Luckily, we had been hiking with ‘Naughty Scotty’ from Tewksbury, MA, who happened to have an extra stove in his backpack that we could use. For the rest of the trip, we carried two stoves.

Hydration

I love having front-of-pack access to water, which makes it simple and fast to hydrate. In a location like the Sierra, you often don’t notice how much you are sweating so by the time you realize you’re getting dehydrated, you’re already behind. Putting a Sawyer filter on my front pocket ensures that I have easy access to water and will drink regularly. Aquamira is another great option to consider if you are hiking only with a bladder.

Electronics

Electronics account for 15% of my John Muir Trail gear list base weight, isn’t that a crazy stat? Some of these items are luxury items. People have been backpacking for 40 years before things like iPhones, digital cameras, or satellite communicators existed. Nevertheless, I feel that these items add high value to my experience in being able to capture and navigate my surroundings.

Personal

The nitty-gritties. Since most of these items are no-brainers, and you made it this far in my article, I will share a fun story regarding toilet paper. Once you hit Mt. Whitney, the final 16 miles of the John Muir Trail, you are required to pack out ‘all human waste.’ Yep, that includes poop. So, how does one go about doing that? Well, hikers we met on the trail had brought Wag bags with them, the kind you would use to pick up after your dog. Unfortunately, by that point all I had was an old Fritos bag. I’m sure you can imagine how that went.