My Ultimate John Muir Trail Gear List
Dialing in your gear is one of the most important parts of any long distance trip, and the John Muir Trail is no exception. With its 211 miles of steep, high elevation terrain, you'll feel every ounce on your back and scratch in your clothes. Setting up the same tent and sleeping with the same sleeping pad and sleeping bag every night for 2+ weeks will also make you painfully aware of any major issues.
Here I've outlined my entire gear list, from pack, to batteries, to socks. There are pieces I loved and pieces I would change, but hopefully this post gives you a good idea of what to pack. Alyssa has her own gear list, although we had the benefit of being able to share a lot of stuff. This enabled us to bring things I might not have if I was going solo.
I love gear, but before this trip my setup was pretty makeshift. I figured the JMT was good enough justification for some new purchases, so I really stepped it up for this one and I have no regrets. Here are my picks.
The Big Four (+1)
The classic big four are your backpack, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and tent. They're so named because they're more or less essential, and these together will often make up the majority of your pack weight. Unfortunately, on the John Muir Trail you have to bring along an unwanted fifth wheel: a bear canister.
Backpack: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 3400
Of all my gear items, this might be my favorite. It's a no frills, bomber pack with crazy durability. I can be pretty hard on my gear, but this pack took all the abuse I threw at it. Plus it's super light, comfy, and basically waterproof. I'd never had a DCF pack until this one, but I think it would be hard to go back to regular nylon at this point. The white color gets a little dirty, but that's whats supposed to happen, right?
Tent: Big Agnes Rattlesnake SL2 mtnGLO
This tent is discontinued, but it's great and I'd expect other Big Agnes tents to be awesome as well. I especially love the mtnGLO, which is built in LED lighting along the upper seams. For the extra weight of 2 AAA batteries you get a huge boost in tent comfort and ambience. We used it to read and journal before bed and it worked great. It is a bit on the heavy side, but they make lighter tents with mtnGLO as well.
Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir X-Lite (womens)
Yup, I rocked a womens sleeping pad on the JMT. For the exact same weight as the men's regular, the women's version is shorter but significantly warmer. I'm 5'7", so the 5'6" length isn't an issue for me, and the R-value increases from 4.2 to 5.4. That's a pretty significant jump and since there's no weight penalty it's a no brainer for me. I sleep pretty warm anyway, but the added warmth just adds versatility, which is always good. This is about the comfiest inflatable I've tried and I'll continue to use it.
Sleeping Quilt: Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20°
This another one of my gear items that I absolutely love. The Revelation is a quilt with a footbox you can zip up for when you need the extra toe warmth, and after buying one I can't imagine going back to a traditional sleeping bag. Being able to use it like a regular blanket is huge for me. The best part is it weighs a just little more than one pound (in my custom specs) and packs down super small. The only issue is that the temp rating on the old model is off, so although I used the 20 degree on the JMT and it was fine, next time I buy one I'll go with a 10 degree rating just to be safe. I've used it for over 2 years and it's still warm and fluffy, though, so I might not need one any time soon.
Bear Canister: Bearvault BV500
Ah, the pesky bear canister. As much as it sucks to lug around what feels like dead weight, it's worth it for the peace of mind (and of course, legality). I'd love a Bearikade to save that 3/4 of a pound, but quadrupling the price wasn't worth that for us so went with BV500's. Plus, you can see through the BV500 which makes it easier to find what you need. My only issue with it is that when it's cold the press-in locking mechanism can actually be pretty difficult to open.
Camp Kitchen
Stove: Jetboil Flash +canisters
When it comes to stoves you can't go wrong with a Jetboil. They're self contained, super fast, and easy to use. They might be a little bit heavy, but adding fuel efficiency to the equation evens it out a little bit on long trips. Alyssa and I shared the one Flash(capacity: 2 cups) and didn't feel like it was a hindrance at all. Plus if you use the small canisters you can store the canister in the pot and save a little space (just put it in a ziploc first or the moisture will rust the canister rim and get rust in your pot; I found out the hard way).
Mug: GSI Outdoors Infinity Mug
My go-to mug. It comes with a sipping lid, it keeps drinks warm while letting enough heat out to warm your hands a little, has a handle, and weighs virtually nothing. Plus, you can pull off the outer insulating layer to easily wash the inner plastic part. It's pretty much a perfect mug in every way.
Utensil: Sea to Summit Alpha Light Long Handle Spork
Light, durable, and a nice long handle for those of us who like to regularly eat out of bags. I might like the polished bowl of a TOAKS better, but I can't complain about it.
Water Storage and Filter
Filter: Sawyer Micro Squeeze (w/ cleaning kit)
Having once labored with a Sawyer Mini for a week-long trip, I can definitively tell you that the Micro is miles ahead in terms of flow rate. It should be fine for one person, but Alyssa and I shared one and it ended up being a little tedious. If we share one again, I'll go with the full size Sawyer Squeeze. Check out my post on backpacking hydration for a detailed look at our system.
Water Bottle: Smartwater 20oz (2x)
The de facto thru-hikers water bottle. They're very light, BPA free, and recyclable. Best of all, sawyer filters screw right onto the lid, so you can drink straight from the bottle if neccesary (like it ended up being for us).
Water Bladder: CNOC Vecto 3 Liter
The water bags that come with the Sawyer filters suck, so we switched to these. They're super strong, and Sawyer filters screw onto the lids of these too, so you can roll them up and squeeze water through those things surprisingly fast. We used the bladder as a dirty water bag to filter into the water bottles quickly. It also works as extra water storage for dry stretches (which in the record snow year that was 2019, we didn't even come close to experiencing).
Emergency Gear
Compass: Suunto A-10
We didn't use the compass and would hope to not need to for this trail, but it's light and a good backup for navigation. This is an inexpensive model but it does have declination adjustments.
Multitool: Leatherman Squirt
We didn't really need this at all and I probably wouldn't bring it again. A good knife can do just about anything this can in a pinch, and the things it can't aren't really essential. As small multitools go, though, I really like this one and use it often
Pocket Knife: Buck Bantam 285
This has been my favorite fold-out pocket knife for a long time and will continue to be. It's lightweight, durable, and functional. What more could you ask for?
Emergency Fire Starter: Light My Fire Firesteel 2.0
Luckily we didn't have any situations where this warranted use, but for its minuscule weight I like the security of having it around. The two pieces are linked with a little cord so you can't lose one, and you can strike a spark very easily.
First Aid Kit: Adventure Medical Kits .7
This kit worked out fine, but there's quite a bit of stuff in here we didn't need and wouldn't expect to. This was one of the last things we thought about in planning so we just opted for a premade kit, but in the future I'll put together my own kit with some band-aids, gauze, moleskin, disinfectant, ibuprofen and leukotape.
Electronics
GPS System: Garmin inReach Mini
I had never used a dedicated GPS system before this, but I was very impressed with this one. Battery life was good, two-way messaging worked flawlessly, and linking my phone with the Earthmate companion app gave us all the features we needed. I highly recommend anyone who regularly ventures into the backcountry get one of these. It's not only great for your peace of mind but your families as well.
Camera: Sony Alpha a6000 (compact mirrorless)(w/ Peak Designs Capture Clip)
I know very little about cameras. Someday I want to get better (hopefully), so I bought this entry level Alpha series camera and it worked great. It takes great pictures and was worth the extra weight even for someone who doesn't know what he's doing. If you're a photographer and you have a mirrorless camera, definitely bring it. With the capture clip (which also works extremely well), you can attach it to your shoulder strap for quick access and get all the photos you want.
Action Cam: GoPro Hero7 Black
The last GoPro I had before this one was a Hero3, and holy crap did they get better. That Hypersmooth stabilization is buttery smooth and the footage turned out amazing. After seeing how great our video turned out from this JMT trip I wish we would have taken triple the amount we did. It also takes great stills and the touchscreen makes it super easy to use.
Battery: Anker Powercore (1x 13000mAh+1x 26800mAh)
These things are heavy but with multiple cameras, phones, and a GPS we needed them. The capacity of these two together ended up being just about perfect (with short charges at resupplies). Anker makes some of the most reliable portable power packs out there, and they also provide a super fast charge. I would definitely go with Anker again.
Clothing
Baselayers: 32 Degrees LS Shirt and Pants
32 Degrees is definitely a budget option, but they do the trick. Ideally I'd have Icebreaker wool or Patagonia Capilene for weight and comfort but they were out of budget for this trip. For being nearly as cheap as you can find, 32 Degrees (mostly a Costco brand) is great.
Socks: Darn Tough Hiker 1/4 Cushion
Darn Tough is the best of the best when it comes to socks. I own some other brands (including the highly regarded Smartwool) and I always come back to Darn Tough when I need the absolute best sock for the job. They're plenty breathable and super comfortable while somehow being the toughest socks out there. You also can't beat that lifetime guarantee.
Underwear: ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxer Brief
The Give-N-Go's are pretty much universally recommended, and for good reason. They feel cool without being plastic-y and they stay in place even when you're moving a lot. I've been wearing the 32 Degrees boxer briefs that are the same fabric style, though, and they give ExOfficio a run for their money at 1/3 the price.
Shorts: Cheapo Russel (Walmart) pair
Last minute I decided to not take my North Face Better Than Naked shorts (which I love for running) in favor of shorts without liners so I could bring multiple pairs of underwear. That was a great decision, but it meant buying a 10 dollar pair of shorts at Wal-mart in Stockton before we headed in to Yosemite. I got lucky and they were actually very comfortable, but I wouldn't recommend doing that. Just pick your favorite pair of lightweight, unlined shorts and go with it.
T-shirt: Basecamp Thailand Synthetic Tee
I have no idea what the actual brand is on this shirt, but I figured I'd use this section to give a shout out to one of the coolest little outdoor/coffee shops I've ever been to. It's called Basecamp Thailand and it's located in Chiang Mai. The owner is a badass who is a trail coordinator and athlete, whose resumé includes multiple Ironman's and at least one UTMB. Anyone reading this who happens to be visiting Chiang Mai should definitely check it out.
Sun Shirt: Patagonia Tropic Comfort II Hoody
I know I have a lot of "favorite _____ ever" items here so my credibility might be dwindling, but this is hands down the single best clothing purchase I've ever made (I'm not counting my first pair of Darn Tough socks, since they were a gift). If you're like me and you're so pale that ghosts look at you funny, you'll love this shirt too. It's plenty lightweight to wear when it's hot and the fabric is super comfortable. I wore it pretty much all day every day and while I didn't get a tan (as if I could have anyway), I also didn't get burned. This thing is worth every penny.
Puffy Jacket: Patagonia Nano Air Hoody
I don't want to make too strong of a recommendation on this one since I've heard the new model isn't as good, but I was very happy with it. The fit is perfect and although it's not down, it was more than warm enough for what I needed it for. It's very light for the warmth and its breathability is noticeably better than down. Plus, no geese were harmed in the making of it (always good).
Shoes: Altra Lone Peak 3.5
To be honest, I can't keep up with all the minor changes that happen with each shoe model upgrade. All I know is I've been wearing Lone Peaks since the 1.5 model and they're still doing something right. They're perfectly comfortable and durable, and the wide footbox provides plenty of room for the inevitable expansion of your feet that happens when you hike long miles at elevation. The traction on them is great, too (they're my current go-to snow running shoe).
Toiletry Stuff
Bug Spray: Ben's 100 DEET and Sawyer Picaridin lotion
Sawyer Picaridin is fine for our (apparently) weak hometown mosquitoes, but these are Sierra mosquitoes we're talking about. We quickly realized that the Picaridin lotion wouldn't be effective enough for those monsters so we switched to DEET and never looked back. It feels like the kind of thing that'll give you cancer (though it's supposedly safe), but I don't even care when it comes to getting eaten alive by mosquitos.
Anti-chafe: Ruby's All-Natural Anti-Chafe Balm
I was given some Ruby's to use a few years ago when running a race, and it worked so great I never even bothered with body-glide. Plus, I'm hoping that it's all-natural, 5 ingredient formula might counteract the copious amounts of DEET I used (logical enough, right?).
Trowel: TheTentLab The Deuce #2
Everybody's gotta use one and this is what I went with. It's definitely the best out there when it comes to digging power, but it can cut into your hands if you need to use much force. Just wrap your buff or sleeve around it and you're good to go.
The Rest
This list isn't completely exhaustive, but I'm not going to go into full detail on the rest. You probably should bring a toothbrush and toothpaste, a little soap or sanitizer (follow Leave No Trace), and toilet paper. I also definitely wore sunglasses and used a sunglass retainer, but that's totally up to personal preference and mine were cheap. Also if you want to charge your stuff, cords might be a good idea, and I brought a lightweight journal and pen as well.
That's it! Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Nice list! It’s nice to see a list that isn’t only the best (Most expensive) or only the cheapest but one that uses a common sense approach.
Thanks! Sometimes the most expensive stuff really is worth it, but a lot of times you can find great items for reasonable prices if you do a little hunting for them.