John Muir Trail Packing List
Posted August 14, 2009
By Kevin
This is my final packing list for the John Muir Trail. I have decided to go without a stove for 3 reasons: 1) I would only be using it for freeze dried dinners and these take up too much space in the canister 2) At the end of a long day, I’d be too lazy to cook, even something so convenient like freeze dried dinners 3) It saves weight.
| Category | Description | Pounds | Kilos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Pack | Packed stuff without food or water | 14.43 | 6.54 |
| Food & Water | 10 days of food and 1 liter of water | 19.70 | 8.94 |
| Total Packed | Packed stuff, food, and water | 34.13 | 15.48 |
| Total Skin Out | Total packed, plus worn clothes and hiking poles | 37.87 | 16.18 |
| Item | Description | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backpack | |||
| Backpack | Osprey Exos 46 (Top Lid Removed) | 33.25 | 943 |
| Pack Cover | 30 Gallon Trash Bag | 1.25 | 35 |
| Shelter | |||
| Tent | Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 1 | 46.85 | 1,328 |
| Sleeping Bag | Mont-Bell Spiral Down Hugger #3 | 19.00 | 539 |
| Sleeping Mat | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir (M) | 12.50 | 354 |
| Packed Clothes | |||
| Waterproof Jacket | GoLite Phantasm S | 9.30 | 264 |
| Fleece | Mountain Hardware | 9.55 | 271 |
| Beenie | Mountain Hardware | 0.90 | 26 |
| Bandana | Bandana | 1.05 | 30 |
| Gloves | REI Performance Liner | 1.25 | 35 |
| Socks | Defeet Cloud 9 | 1.75 | 50 |
| T-shirt | Patagonia Capilene 1 Long Sleeve | 5.00 | 142 |
| Underwear | ExOfficio Boxer Brief | 2.20 | 62 |
| Cooking & Water | |||
| Spork | Light My Fire Spork | 0.40 | 11 |
| Water Filter | Katadyn Hiker Pro | 11.00 | 312 |
| Emerg. Water Treat. | Chlorine Dioxide Tablets | ||
| Drink Tube | Platypus Drink Tube | 2.00 | 57 |
| Water Container | 2x Platypus 1L | 1.80 | 51 |
| Other Stuff | |||
| Headlamp | Princeton Tec Fuel | 2.75 | 78 |
| Lighter | Mini Bic | 0.50 | 14 |
| First Aid Kit | Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight .3 | 2.70 | 77 |
| Pocket Knife | Victorinox Classic | 0.70 | 20 |
| Emerg. Fire Starter | REI Stormproof Matches (8) | 0.30 | 9 |
| Duck Tape | Gear Aid 100" Roll | 1.50 | 43 |
| Maps | Tom Harrison JMT (1st section only) | ||
| Guidebook | JMT Wenk Guidebook (1st section only) | ||
| Compass/Whistle/Thermometer | Coghlan's 4 in 1 | 0.90 | 26 |
| Bear Canister | Bearikade Expedition (Rented) | 37.00 | 1,049 |
| SPOT | SPOT Satellite Messenger (Rented) | 7.35 | 208 |
| IDs | Driver's Lic./Credit C. | 0.50 | 14 |
| Emergency Cash | Cash | 0.20 | 6 |
| Photography | |||
| Digital Camera | Panasonic Lumix TZ-5 | 8.70 | 247 |
| Camera Pouch | Generic | 0.55 | 16 |
| Tripod | Mini Generic Tripod | 1.70 | 48 |
| Camera Batteries | 2x Extra Batteries (0.95z each) | 1.90 | 54 |
| Toiletries | |||
| Toothbrush | Oral B (Sawed Off) | 0.30 | 9 |
| Toothpaste | Dried Toothpaste Dots (4 days) | 0.50 | 14 |
| Floss | Oral B Ultrafloss | 0.15 | 4 |
| Toilet Paper | Toilet Paper | 0.50 | 14 |
| Sunblock | Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 70 | 1.40 | 40 |
| Lip Balm | Dermatone SPF 23 | 0.30 | 9 |
| Bio Soap | Dr Bronners | 0.50 | 14 |
| Purell | Purell | 0.40 | 11 |
| Insect Repellent | Jungle Juice (REI) | 0.40 | 11 |
| Food (10 Days) | |||
| Food | 28oz/day (10 Days for Muir Trail Ranch to Whitney stretch, 4 days or less otherwise) | 280.00 | 7,938 |
| Water | 1 Liter | 35.27 | 1,000 |
| Hiking Poles | |||
| Hiking Poles | Gossamer Gear Lightrek 4 with Straps | 7.90 | 224 |
| Worn Clothes | |||
| Convertible Pants | Mountain Hardwear Mesa (M) | 14.10 | 400 |
| Hat | Outdoor Research Sun Runner | 2.90 | 82 |
| T-shirt | Patagonia Capilene 1 Long Sleeve | 5.00 | 142 |
| Underwear | ExOfficio Boxer Brief | 2.20 | 62 |
| Socks | Defeet Cloud 9 | 1.75 | 50 |
| Shoes | New Balance 875 | 26.00 | 737 |
| Miscellaneous (Not Carried During Hike) | |||
| Maps | Yosemite Valley Map | ||
| Train/Bus Tickets | Tickets to Yosemite | ||
| Resupply Claim Ticket | Muir Trail Ranch Claim Ticket | ||
| Permit Confirmation | Permit Confirmation Letter | ||
This is my planned diet for each day. It doesn’t mean that I ate exactly 4 ounces of dried fruit or 2 ounces of cheese everyday, but it ended up averaging about that.
| Item | Calories/Oz | Ounces/Day | Calories/Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Total | 96 | 28.2 | 2,708 |
| Bear Valley Bars | 107 | 3.75 | 401 |
| Salami | 90 | 4 | 360 |
| Cheese | 105 | 2 | 210 |
| Trail Mix | 151 | 2 | 302 |
| Peanut M&Ms | 146 | 2 | 292 |
| Dried Fruit | 78 | 4 | 312 |
| Chicken | 35 | 3.5 | 123 |
| Bacon Bits | 140 | 2 | 280 |
| Tortilla | 75 | 3.5 | 263 |
| Hummus Powder | 115 | 1 | 115 |
| Mayo | 112 | 0.45 | 50 |
The table below describes the food I brought to begin the trail, and the food I sent and picked up at each resupply point. The weight for each item is in ounces. The totals at the bottom is in pounds.
| Item | Start (4 Days) | Toulumne (3 Days) | Reds Meadow (5 Days) | Muir Trail Ranch (10 Days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section Weight (in Pounds) | 7.05 | 5.29 | 8.81 | 17.63 |
| Bear Valley Bars | 15 | 11.25 | 18.75 | 37.5 |
| Salami | 16 | 12 | 20 | 40 |
| Cheese | 8 | 6 | 10 | 20 |
| Trail Mix | 8 | 6 | 10 | 20 |
| Peanut M&Ms | 8 | 6 | 10 | 20 |
| Dried Fruit | 16 | 12 | 20 | 40 |
| Chicken | 14 | 10.5 | 17.5 | 35 |
| Bacon Bits | 8 | 6 | 10 | 20 |
| Tortilla | 14 | 10.5 | 17.5 | 35 |
| Hummus | 4 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| Mayo | 1.8 | 1.35 | 2.25 | 4.5 |
Comments
Leave a Comment
Kevin,
I will be attempting the JMT this August and was wondering which sized Bearikade you ended up taking on your trip (your packing list says expedition but on your planning page it says weekender)? I’m most likely going to rent the canister but am not sure what size is best.
Thanks for posting your trip log! Its been fun reading it.
Hi Paul. I made a mistake on my planning page, it should say “Expedition”, which is the one I ended up taking. I was able to fit up to 10 days of food in there. Remember to ask for the JMT through-hike fixed rate for the rental, which last year I believe was $55.
Where did you rent your bear canister from? If you say Yosemite Valley, did you have to return it back there?
I rented it from Wild Ideas. They send the canister to you by mail and once you get home from the hike, you mail it back to them.
Where did you find dried tooth paste dots? I would like to have that to save space, I am doing the JMT in about 3 weeks.
Hi Matt,
You dry them yourself. Just put small dabs of toothpaste on aluminum paper and let them dry at least 1 week. If you have a food dehydrator, you can also use that too.
Kevin, I am preparing for a backpacking trip, have most all the higher quality ultralight equip. and wondered if your filtration system, other than the tablets was worth having along.
Is it worth it given the added weight, and how often did you come across water sources?
What about any type of repair kit for quick fixes to equipment?
Would you suggest bringing along some kind of multi-strand paracord for multiple uses?
Any additional suggestions would be helpful as well.
Thanks!!
Hi Patric. Purifying tables should be enough for the JMT. Alternatively you can get the liquid version of Aquamira too. A filter is not really necessary.
Water sources were plentiful on the trail except for a few spots. I didn’t find any water (late August) on the stretch from Little Yosemite Valley to Clouds Rest Trail Junction. If you are doing Half Dome, get plenty of water at Little Yosemite Valley. Another one was between Deer Creek and Duck Pass Junction (about 6 miles), south of Reds Meadow.
For the JMT, you really don’t need a cord since your food is stored in a canister. As for repair kits, I only brought some duck tape, but if you use Platypus water containers, you might want to bring some repair patch stickers for them (if you can find them online, I haven’t been able to). If you use an inflatable mattress, you might also want to bring a repair kit for it.
Let me know if you have other questions.
Hi Kevin, I just finished reading your entire JMT journal, I found it very inspiring and informative. My wife and I will be hiking the JMT this summer and are just finishing up purchasing all of our gear. I bought a Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 tent and we are trying to decide if we should take the foot print for the tent with us. Did you pack a foot print for your tent? If not, did the tent hold up fine without it?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Jamie. Thanks for the comment. No footprint necessary on the JMT. Most camping spots have pretty smooth surfaces, just make sure you clear out any sharp rocks or tree branches. You’ll have a great time out there. We might run into each other. I got a permit to do it again starting 8/22, but still not 100% sure I’ll be able to go.
Hi Kevin,
Excellent journal, really enjoyed reading that.
Could you tell me where you rented your SPOT messenger and Bearikade from?
Regards,
David
Hi David.
I rented the SPOT Messenger from http://www.trackme360.com . You should shop around to see if you can fin a cheaper rate.
I rented the Bearikade from the manufacturer. Their website is http://wild-ideas.net , it’s best to call them instead of using the web rental form, so they can give you the cheaper JMT rate.
Hi Kevin,
Do you consider the JMT to be easy to follow? Were there any sections that are confusing where you could potentially veer off and take the wrong trail? Did you encounter any spots where the trail seems to disappear or fade away so that you’re not sure which way to go?
Thank you!
Hi Kay. The JMT is very well maintained and pretty easy to follow. There are a lot of signs on the trail and if you bring a good map, you won’t get lost. The best map is the Tom Harrison one. The Elizabeth Wenk JMT guidebook also has the same maps inside the book, but they are much smaller and in black & white.