Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

I love it. it breathes extremely well! Zippers for the arm pits too.

I also had a frogg toggs suit and had to dump it. Same situation, sauna situation inside the jacket.

 

You can count me in. Im also in california..

 

i figured the California guys would like this lol

 

Let me know your thoughts after giving it a shot. I'm always open to various opinions before I consider going another route. My hydration system is truly one of my most critical parts of my kit.

Just start piecing it together and eventually you'll have it

Nice looking list especially for a JMT trip. Things to consider removing to trim some weight without having to buy anything:

• Deet isn't necessary. It also totally destroys synthetics so be careful about its exposure to your sleeping bag/pack/clothing (it's a plasticizer). Consider a small spray bottle of Picaridin instead. I had great luck with it this year, and I also treated my clothing with Permethrin before my trip, too. Permethrin doesn't repel, but it kills them if they come in contact. I watched skeeters land on my long sleeves and do some weird things and just fly off. They don't want to even try to bite you through it. I used my Picaridin maybe 3 different times in 2 weeks, and it was only in the late afternoon as a "just in case".
• Headnet is optional unless you're sure you'll be dealing with bad gnats, skeeters, black flies, etc. Picaridin on bare skin does a lot to keep most of them away. I literally only used my headnet once in 2 weeks and it was the last 2 miles on my way down to Happy Isles where the little black flies were incessant! Keeping moving during the day keeps the skeeters off, and at sundown I just got in my tent and zipped up the screen.
• Headlamp or flashlight. Pick one. I just converted over to a micro flashlight (Fenix) for the short trips and just carry a spare battery. If I KNOW I'll be night hiking for a few hours, I'll take the headlamp only. My Fenix light with fresh battery only weighs .99oz and on the low setting and lasts for many hours.
• Trim your med kit. A ziploc with just some leukotape and Neosporin can fix a lot of things. Use one of your dried wipes as a gauze patch and cut to just cover the wound and you can fix lacerations, abrasions, and any sort of blister or cut. Throw a few Ibuprofen or other pain meds in there and call it done.
• Don't forget to add your fuel canister to your weight.
• Ditch the flip flops. If your feet hurt at the end of the day because of your boots/shoes, consider better shoes that breathe. Just loosening your laces at the end of the day works wonders and will save you that 7 ounces

I'm being very picky, but I love this stuff. Not sure what your pants situation is, but if you go over passes on a windy or stormy day, you'll need to keep moving to stay warm. Expect to hike in shorts every day though

 

-I forgot to add my fishing kit too to my JMT list. I remember when I did the rae lakes loop and even dinkey lakes wilderness, while just standing around and casting, i was bothered and bit by bugs like no tomorrow. Im def going to still be bringing the headnet.

-Most of my gear is also treated with Permethrin, The deet is mainly for my hands/arms and legs when im in short sleeves. Ill have to take a look at Picardin.

-Pants will be convertible pants for sure, thats what ive been hiking in usually.

-the flip flops! I love them while hanging around camp too, but youre right, its 7oz i dont need. its one of my creature comfort things haha

-and the secondary light, its been in the pack but ive nver used it LOL. Ill drop it too.

- ive trimmed the med kit, but from your description, seems like i can do a little more. I will def look more into it.

Thanks for the critiquing!

 

Also, How did the "SunLabz 7W Flexible Solar Panel" work for you? And the Dirt girl gaiterz? (ive heard good things about these).

 

You can buy the Befree filter by itself and use it on different bottles and bags.

I use mine with a 2 liter bag thats lasted longer than any of those proprietary befree bags.

 

You definitely have a great list for a JMT hike. Your base weight is excellent. Plenty of time to refine it between now and next year. The camp shoes are definitely a luxury, and one that I also brought with me this year thinking I'd use them for water crossings and more. I think I wore them 3 times in 14 days. I only used them if I was going to have a significant water crossing within 2 hours of being at camp for the night. Otherwise, I'd just cross in my trail runners and stop occasionally throughout the day to swap to dry socks. I'd take my shoes off in a sunny area, pull the insoles out, and let the sun dry them for a good 10 minutes while I ate a snack. Fresh wool socks would go on, and it worked great. Ideally I'd rinse the wet socks so that they would dry clean, and my feet did great. The only issues I had is when I got lazy about swapping socks, and my feet got a little soggy. Just don't get lazy on that part!

I love that thing. So much that I have 3 of them now (backups for the future). As long as you're getting enough sun during the day, I had no issue charging a 5000mAh battery pack at least every other day with it (attached to the top of my pack while I hiked). I never ran out of juice with my phone and my inReach.

*edit* The Dirty Girl gaiters are one of my favorite pieces of gear. They weigh nothing, dry fast, aren't hot, but they keep dirt and debris out of your shoes like a champ. My feet are so much cleaner when I use them, and that's just good hygiene for keeping your feet healthy. It makes washing socks in the field a breeze, too! You can also use them with shoes that don't have the velcro "gaiter traps", too. Just use some Shoe Goo and some small squares of the loop half of Velcro to glue some on any shoes. Clean the back of your heel area really well and scuff it up a bit, let it dry, then glue on the velcro tabs. The front of the gaiters have a small hook that fastens to your shoe laces close to your toes. You want full coverage across most of the top of your foot, and obviously over the entire opening of the top of your shoes around the ankles.

 

Isn't it hard to deal with those bags when you're on the move? I find it much easier to just have the Sawyer on my bottle so that I can quickly just grab it from my pack's water bottle pockets, and quickly re-stow them without having to stop. Those soft bags don't have the rigidity to do that. Just thinking out loud here.

 

I see what you mean, but I got used to it. I'm a very patient person, so I probably never noticed it takes longer than other options

 

I'm the guy that drives 55 in a 70 zone.

 

It's all about what works for you. That's all that matters, right?

 

70 Series LandCruiser life. 1HZ doesn’t care what the speed limit is. You arrive when it lets you.

 

Now that's drool-worthy

 

Reminds me of a time, (around 1990) a buddy and I both had 4x4 Ford Rangers and snuck into a section of a park that was closed for the season (Oct/Nov). We went off the beaten path and put up camo tarp walls to hide the trucks and small fire pit. We could hear the Park Rangers doing their rounds, but they never saw us.

The good 'ol days......

 

Sale at Exofficio...

25% off sitewide, use code “FRIENDS”

 

Boner alert.

 

Anyone try this brand?

 

Absolutely. They make some of my favorite backpacking meals that money can buy. I relied on about 6 different recipes on the JMT this year because they were very appetizing and added new variety to the menu. Flavors and texture are like real food should be, and they don't use preservatives.