Comments on: John Muir Trail Packing List

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:57:29 +0000

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.

By: Kay

Kay — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:55:22 +0000

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!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 22:47:24 +0000

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.

By: David

David — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:00:54 +0000

Hi Kevin,

Excellent journal, really enjoyed reading that.

Could you tell me where you rented your SPOT messenger and Bearikade from?

Regards,

David

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:32:57 +0000

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.

By: Jaime

Jaime — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:07:33 +0000

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.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 08 May 2011 07:37:01 +0000

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.

By: Jed

Jed — Fri, 06 May 2011 02:37:35 +0000

Where did you rent your bear canister from? If you say Yosemite Valley, did you have to return it back there?

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 04:12:26 +0000

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.

By: Patric

Patric — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:07:56 +0000

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!!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:35:38 +0000

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.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 02:03:34 +0000

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.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:38:05 +0000

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.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:22:55 +0000

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.