SHR Pack Shakedown

[simonisflying]

Hi y’all,

I’m planning on linking the Yosemite High Route, Sierra high route, and Southern Sierra High Route from Sonora Pass to Cottonwood Lakes Pass SOBO this summer starting around early to mid August and finishing around mid September. My daily average will be around 12-15 miles, and I plan on resupplying at Reds Meadow (into Mammoth) and Bishop Pass (into Bishop). Here’s my lighter pack link.

https://lighterpack.com/r/1guhpa

All of the listed items are picked from my PCT gear from last year, and I could swing another $300 on gear for this year. I didn’t include any worn weight because I feel comfortable with what I have and don’t plan on switching it up.

Any feedback/suggestions on gear are appreciated! I wonder what it takes to get my base weight down to 13lbs. Items not on the list that I’m particularly interested in justifying are a tarp and bivy system, UL water shoes, micro spikes, and a smart watch.

[Harlen]

Hi Simon,
Your gear kit looks great, and pretty Spartan. My only idea would be to look at lighter (~1lb) tarp tents. Even my 2 person Beta-light is just over 1 lb.
All the rest of my points are petty ones, re. the need for toothpaste, and toilet kit. I am still way heavier than you-- where are your books, and brandy bottles?! Good Luck, Ian.

[Wandering Daisy]

I am confused. What is a "alt" camera and tripod? Why duplicate? or do you mean you will take one or the other, not both?
Too many electronics, in my opinion. Do you mean to not cook? Anyway, your list is a bit hard for me to figure out. Food is a big weight item. How many calories are you planning on each day? What water treatment are you using? Are you sure your resupply points will be open this summer? I was under the impression that Reds Meadow may be closed (not sure of that). Your pack seems really tiny- how to you fit a BV500 in it?

Harlen- those few personal hygiene items give a big benefit for little weight. But then, you know what a clean-freak I am.

By the way, I have found some really great clothing at Goodwill. I think fancy expensive backpack clothing are not really needed, if you are on a budget.

Ignore this comment if it does not apply; your daily mileage seems a bit much for off-trail travel. OK if you have done a lot off-trail and that really is what you can do.

[simonisflying]

Thanks Ian! Appreciate your response. The black diamond tarp tent looks like Taj Mahal for how spacious and lightweight it is. What do you do for big protection?

In the spirit of UL, I’m downloading some audiobooks for intellectual stimulation and CA grass for spiritual entertainment I’m sure nature will have plenty to offer to help me forget about the other goods.

Thanks again!

Simon

Hi Simon,
Your gear kit looks great, and pretty Spartan. My only idea would be to look at lighter (~1lb) tarp tents. Even my 2 person Beta-light is just over 1 lb.
All the rest of my points are petty ones, re. the need for toothpaste, and toilet kit. I am still way heavier than you-- where are your books, and brandy bottles?! Good Luck, Ian.

[shawnterustic]

Welcome to the boards, Simon!

I agree that you have a pretty tight packing list here, but if I was looking to shave it down even more, you can easily halve your shelter weight, whether that's by using a tarp setup or an ultralight 1P tent (I use Gossamer Gear's The One, for instance, which clocks in at about 17.5 oz, and is on sale - significantly! - at the moment).

A few other smaller notes - tiny things that can add up to some weight savings when taken altogether...but then again, is it really worth cutting a few ounces here and there? Up to you!

- you can probably cut the rain skirt depending on how you feel about walking off wet legs; I'm a shorts hiker, so I tend to just keep moving in the rain, but even when wearing pants, I find they dry decently fast in the Sierra

- Seems like a lot of camera gear - that's an easy place to shave, especially since it looks like you're taking two cameras (plus a phone)? Even when taking photographs for a book, I ended up using my tripod a grand total of...twice...in the Sierra on the PCT. I tend to get creative with rocks & logs if I really need to rely on stillness to account for a slow shutter speed for a shot. That said, if you're looking forward to, say, astro photography, that's a different story!

- I admire the wet wipes and used to carry these myself, but honestly, now I just go for a wade or dip if I need to feel clean in the Sierra. Then again, I get the appeal of feeling cleaner from time to time

- You could skip the ground sheet if you're using a full tent - just be thoughtful about site selection so you're not setting up on a bunch of sticky pine needles or sharp rocks

"Items not on the list that I’m particularly interested in justifying are a tarp and bivy system, UL water shoes, micro spikes, and a smart watch."

My 2 cents is that if you really want to bring something...bring it The watch is on your wrist, so who cares about weight! Microspikes might be a real help even that late in the summer / early fall, given our deep snowpack and the likelihood of significant patches remaining at high elevations / northern aspects. Water shoes are such a personal preference - I am bringing my UL sandals for a month-long mosey this summer, since I anticipate lots of swamped trail, and I will likely swap out and hike in them for long stretches. Tarp & bivy - do you have a bug net or will you be okay with just your head net if the mozzies are wild? That might be the deciding factor, depending on reports as we get closer to your departure time.

And for the items at the bottom of your list...I LOVE having a fanny pack, personally. I think of it as worn weight, just like the watch. I also love my EE Enigma quilt, although mine is a 10-degree because i'm a cold sleeper. I also love a super lightweight pillow as my "luxury" item...I have arthritis in my neck thanks to a car accident, and it really helps with a comfy sleep. That said, Zpacks and Hyperlite Mountain Gear make fancy pillow stuff sacks that cost an arm and a leg, but have dual use - shove your sleeping bag in one during the day, then turn it inside out and sleep on the fleecy side. Of course, you'd have to have enough extra clothes to shove inside to make it comfy. And the camera...again, depends on whether you feel like that extra weight is going to bring you extra joy for years to come when you look at your photos...I've gotten less particular about my photos, unless they're being used for a book or story, so I tend to leave the heavy stuff at home for most trips!

(Thus concludes my likely useless commentary - thanks for the opportunity to be a total gear nerd for a moment!)

[Harlen]

Hey again Simon,

Thanks Ian! Appreciate your response. The black diamond tarp tent looks like Taj Mahal for how spacious and lightweight it is. What do you do for big protection?

This ties in with my complete lack of concern with hygiene-- Mosquitos seem to give me a wide berth. I am either self-cleaning, or lack body odor... it seems to me.

[Gogd]

I am probably not the best to review your list, as my extra underwear probably outweighs your entire clothes list

Ditto, the shelter comments already posted.

Micro spikes:
Traction devices should be considered mission critical, if they are needed at all. Micro spikes are designed for walking on icy parking lots at the resort, not traversing a 25⁰ slope. Micro spikes are not designed for sustained travel over steep, inclined snow and rock. Therefore they do not meet this need. They may roll off your foot on the steeps because the rubber rands were not meant to take high lateral force loads, especially those encountered on steep traverses, and PCT hikers have reported broken rands and broken chain mail connecting the spikes, while doing on-trail hiking.

Clothing:
No brimmed hat or chap stick?! Do bring extra socks, this year you will get your feet wet! I'd bring more warm stuff. The High Sierra Route generally stay higher (cooler) than the PCT and are more exposed. Your camps will more often than not be 10⁰F+ cooler that those along the PCT and more exposed to wind. You also lack back up clothes should your primaries get sodden. I recommend having solid rain gear for that reason, plus a full hard shell top and bottoms will make your layering system more efficient, given the hard shell reduces heat lost to convection.

Tech:
Given the gear you list, I question the need for a power bank and cords. A conventional UL head lamp is just as light as a rechargeable, and you can replenish batteries when you resupply. Likewise one camera has always sufficed for me, and as long as I am not wasting juice reviewing my shots, the battery lasts several weeks. Pack fresh batteries in your resupplies and recycle or mail home the spent ones.

Water treatment:
Lions, tigers, bears - and giardia! Oh my! The Fear Mongering Industrial Complex has sold us the perils of bad water. What they don't tell you is only specific locations in the Sierra pose a risk to water borne pathogens (large streams and rivers, stagnant waters, sources with bovine or equestrian activities upstream, and sources with high concentrations of human activity up steam). In other words Dorothy can pretty much leave her filter back home, along with the bear spray, taser and hand gun. The entire High Sierra Route can be hiked without having to avail to any at risk water source. Just choose a flowing source that lacks any upstream trails or livestock activity. In fact most Sierra water has less giardia and generally fewer pathogens, than tap water. I've been drinking unfiltered water meeting these guidelines over 50 years with no incidence. But I do carry the (much lighter, less bulky than filters) two part chemical treatment, in case I end up camping where water sources do not meet the above criteria. In fact the vast majority of alleged bad water illnesses are actually caused by poor kitchen and personal hygiene habits. (Wash your hands before cooking and eating!) Lastly, prevent any pathogens from reaching a significant level of concentration in collected water, by discarding any water stored 12+ hours.

Daily mileage:
I assume you are soloing, and based your profile, this is your first significant XC trek. No biggie to me, XC soloing, but consider lowering the risk by avoiding excessive fatigue, and limiting scheduled daily miles. The distances you intend to cover have been accomplished by others, but virtually everyone doing this does so as a group. Nevertheless a significant number of these trekkers sustained injuries sufficient to disrupt the trip. Would you be willing to take this risk if you had no InReach device or other means to contact the outside world? SAR is not a responsible back up plan.

Ed
(edited for grammar)

[simonisflying]

You are of a special breed which I envy greatly. Meanwhile, I will insist on seeking refuge in a bug net of sorts. Thanks again.

Hey again Simon,
This ties in with my complete lack of concern with hygiene-- Mosquitos seem to give me a wide berth. I am either self-cleaning, or lack body odor... it seems to me.

[Wandering Daisy]

I carry chlorine water purification tablets even though I do not regularly use them. I consider them part of my first aid kit, in case forced to obtain water from a questionable source. They weigh nothing, although cost about $15 for 30 tabs.

In a normal to dry year I would question the need for traction devices. This year is unusual! I did an August trip in the 1997 and did not take crampons. It was a high snow year and I found snow particularly dangerous in talus due to post-holes. I went in nearly waist deep in a melt-out on a steep slope and had to jettison my pack to get out; thankfully it did not slide into the lake below! When I did the SHR in 2010 in August, another high snow year, I had to wait a few hours to go over the pass from Iceberg Lake to Cecile Lake because it still was covered with hard snow. That north facing slope does not even get sun until about 10AM and it is a fall-you-die slope. The case for traction devices is that you can do longer days with early starts and not have to wait for the snow to soften. Personally, I prefer to wait or detour rather than carry crampons; but I am seldom in a big hurry and generally do 6-8 miles a day if totally off-trail. I never found crampons very compatible with UL hiking shoes. On another mid-August trip in a high snow year, I did use crampons while wearing tennis shoes (injured Achilles tendon so could not wear boots) on Harrison Pass (worked but very painful), also had an ice axe which I absolutely needed.

Seems like by the time you go, there should be some good information on current conditions. Also, make a list of all the passes you will go over and look them up in Secor's Sierra climbing guidebook. That should help you decide if you need crampons.

[simonisflying]

Hi Shawnte,

Thanks so much for your pointers! I agree with your assessments here - definitely upgrading the shelter system now; rain skirt, gone; I like to play around with different camera gear, keeps me feeling creative when walking all day, but agree that the tripod is an extra weight to bare, will do more test hikes to decide if it is absolutely essential; wet wipes are for cleaning the feet at the end of the day as I get blisters from virtually everything that sticks on my footbed, but totally could shed some weight by bringing compressed wipes that expand with a few drops of water, easy peasy; I choose to cowboy camp most nights unless there is weather or bugs, so the ground sheet gets more use than the tent system, prefer that one to stay on the list.

Totally dig your nerding out! Blessed to have a community like this on the internet.

Simon

Welcome to the boards, Simon!

I agree that you have a pretty tight packing list here, but if I was looking to shave it down even more, you can easily halve your shelter weight, whether that's by using a tarp setup or an ultralight 1P tent (I use Gossamer Gear's The One, for instance, which clocks in at about 17.5 oz, and is on sale - significantly! - at the moment).

A few other smaller notes - tiny things that can add up to some weight savings when taken altogether...but then again, is it really worth cutting a few ounces here and there? Up to you!

- you can probably cut the rain skirt depending on how you feel about walking off wet legs; I'm a shorts hiker, so I tend to just keep moving in the rain, but even when wearing pants, I find they dry decently fast in the Sierra

- Seems like a lot of camera gear - that's an easy place to shave, especially since it looks like you're taking two cameras (plus a phone)? Even when taking photographs for a book, I ended up using my tripod a grand total of...twice...in the Sierra on the PCT. I tend to get creative with rocks & logs if I really need to rely on stillness to account for a slow shutter speed for a shot. That said, if you're looking forward to, say, astro photography, that's a different story!

- I admire the wet wipes and used to carry these myself, but honestly, now I just go for a wade or dip if I need to feel clean in the Sierra. Then again, I get the appeal of feeling cleaner from time to time

- You could skip the ground sheet if you're using a full tent - just be thoughtful about site selection so you're not setting up on a bunch of sticky pine needles or sharp rocks

"Items not on the list that I’m particularly interested in justifying are a tarp and bivy system, UL water shoes, micro spikes, and a smart watch."

My 2 cents is that if you really want to bring something...bring it The watch is on your wrist, so who cares about weight! Microspikes might be a real help even that late in the summer / early fall, given our deep snowpack and the likelihood of significant patches remaining at high elevations / northern aspects. Water shoes are such a personal preference - I am bringing my UL sandals for a month-long mosey this summer, since I anticipate lots of swamped trail, and I will likely swap out and hike in them for long stretches. Tarp & bivy - do you have a bug net or will you be okay with just your head net if the mozzies are wild? That might be the deciding factor, depending on reports as we get closer to your departure time.

And for the items at the bottom of your list...I LOVE having a fanny pack, personally. I think of it as worn weight, just like the watch. I also love my EE Enigma quilt, although mine is a 10-degree because i'm a cold sleeper. I also love a super lightweight pillow as my "luxury" item...I have arthritis in my neck thanks to a car accident, and it really helps with a comfy sleep. That said, Zpacks and Hyperlite Mountain Gear make fancy pillow stuff sacks that cost an arm and a leg, but have dual use - shove your sleeping bag in one during the day, then turn it inside out and sleep on the fleecy side. Of course, you'd have to have enough extra clothes to shove inside to make it comfy. And the camera...again, depends on whether you feel like that extra weight is going to bring you extra joy for years to come when you look at your photos...I've gotten less particular about my photos, unless they're being used for a book or story, so I tend to leave the heavy stuff at home for most trips!

(Thus concludes my likely useless commentary - thanks for the opportunity to be a total gear nerd for a moment!)