Need advice for JMT this early July

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fishmonger
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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

Post by fishmonger »

Nepal wrote:... these legs just support 6 lbs which is very close to the the weight of my camera body + one lenses with L-plate and quick level release clamps. With my type of photography which often involves exposure time over several minutes to an hour or also, I doubt these legs can hold. But I will certainly do more research on this.

I only have to support a D90, so I went for the lightest legs. Amazon is selling other sizes as well, almsot the same price. Saw some Benro legs for 40 pound loads for $219 - $470 off list blowout price

http://www.amazon.com/Benro-C-358M8-BEN ... 592&sr=8-2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

but now we're at 4.4 pounds

In between there are these legs - $120, so you won't worry about scratching them up in the talus:

http://www.amazon.com/Benro-C-158M8-BEN ... 687&sr=8-4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

full specs here
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/6 ... ripod.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

17.6 pound load, weight 2.6 pounds. I went with the lighter one because I only have a D90 and cheap plastic glass when I hike, so weight does overall remain in check.

Benro isn't Gitzo, but when I strap these things to my pack I don't want top worry about a $700 set of legs getting beat up the next time I put the pack down. Can't beat the Amazon prices right now, and Benro is definitely a notch above the no-name Chinese stuff. Been looking for a used Gitzo on ebay for months, and when I saw these prices on Amazon, I changed my mind.
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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

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Nepal wrote:
So what's the weight of your pack with photo gears when you backpacking?
I think if I went out this July, I'd be hauling about 50 pounds including food. Photo gear about 8 pounds total. But I doubt I am going this summer. I was just out there in March and plan another trip in October and with gas prices going ballistic, I may need to skip the summer trip (4000 mile round trip for me each time). However, I'd LOVE to go in July - my favorite time of year usually is late June, but this year we'll get that in July. Maybe my kids will talk me into it again.
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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

Post by East Side Hiker »

I agree with previous posts and say wait for Aug. My equipement is all Mtn Hardware, and VERY light. Its the food, stove, and fuel that will make your pack heavy. I've been trying to come up with food that doesn't need to be cooked, because I don't want to carry a stove or fuel. I know it can be done. I don't drink coffee on the trail (though I do desire it). Last spring and summer, I didn't bring a stove or fuel. It was my first time, and I got through the 7 weeks. It was fine; not the best, but fine.
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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

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East Side Hiker wrote: I've been trying to come up with food that doesn't need to be cooked, because I don't want to carry a stove or fuel. I know it can be done.
Brent Maune ate this on his JMT record run (this is all he ate from Whitney Portal to Happy Isles)


~ 8k calories of Hammer raspberry gel, with 2 5.5 serving squeeze bottles
~ 10k calories of clif bars (21 chocolate brownie, 21 chocolate chip cookie)
~ 1.5k calories of Recoverite (in a nearly full powerade bottle)
~ 400 calories of sausage (for efficient tasty salt ingestion)
~ 22 ibuprofen,
~ full bottle (120 capsules) of endurolytes,
~ 8 S!caps,
~ 8 caffeine pills (used 2),
~ 6 vitamins,
~ 2 emergen-C packets (didn’t use)



I don't mind hauling the stove - it's half the fun up there to eat semi-civilized meals. Nothing like a hot soup when it's cold on Muir Pass:

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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

Post by Wandering Daisy »

I do not see that it has to be all or nothing with cooking. My stove weighs 3 oz. Fuel cannisters come in three sizes and weigh from half a pound to pound and half. I can choose to use fuel only for hot drinks, cook only 1 meal, cook 2 meals, "cook" by boiling water only, or real cooking. I find that the more I cook from scratch, the more compact I can keep my rations. Ready-to-eat food is bulkier and you may end up with having to take a larger bear can or heaven forbid, two bear cans. A lot of ready-to-eat food also weighs more per calorie than dry food. The key is simply not to take too much food. I can cram 2,400 calories per day into 1.3 pounds per day of food and fit it all in a Bearikade Weekender for a 9-day trip. It is not the stove and fuel, but the food that is the majority of the weight. With today's light stoves, there little reason to elimiate hot food alltogether.
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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

Post by Nepal »

fishmonger wrote:
Brent Maune ate this on his JMT record run (this is all he ate from Whitney Portal to Happy Isles)
This guy does look like crazy to me. :)
What I normally do is dehydrate my own food (beef, chicken, fish, rice, noodle, veg, fruits, etc) and vacuum seal them into one meal size. At the camp I just boil some water in my titanium 1.3 liter pot and open 1 bag mix with hot water for 5 minutes and I am happy! The weight is not that bad.
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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

Post by Nepal »

Peter:

another question I want to ask you is from your website gear list, it seems you just have 2 lithium batteries for your GPS for the whole trip? How often you normally turn on your GPS?
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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

Post by Nepal »

Thanks for everybody's suggestion for later trip this year! I successfully changed my starting date to July 25th, moved back for 23 days compared with my original plan. Not exact one month but close enough.

I really appreciate your kind help and suggestions, especially from Peter, and Maverick, almostthere, Gary C, etc.

Peter, if I see a guy with twin boys on the JMT this summer, I know who they are!!! :p
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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

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Nepal wrote:
fishmonger wrote:
Brent Maune ate this on his JMT record run (this is all he ate from Whitney Portal to Happy Isles)
This guy does look like crazy to me. :)
anyone who moves like he does qualifies as crazy - he did the entire JMT in 3 day, 9 hr, 58 minutes, unsupported, starting at the Portal heading north, carrying 28 pounds (including the above menu). I think he slept less than 9 hours on that entire trip.
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Re: Need advice for JMT this early July

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Nepal wrote:Peter:

another question I want to ask you is from your website gear list, it seems you just have 2 lithium batteries for your GPS for the whole trip? How often you normally turn on your GPS?
the rest is in the resupplies. The lithiums last longer than the regulars, about 3 days before you have to replace them. They do die without warning (full charge indicated, 10 minutes later you look at it and it is dead).

I run the thing all day long, but only to record progress. I rarely ever look at the map on it - too small to have any real overview, plus I've been there so many times, I don't need a map. So only if you're not really sure where you are, or if you want to see something nearby on the map is it useful.
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