John Muir Trail Without a Resupply?

[Wandering Daisy]

It is totally feasible; the question is do YOU want to do it? Only you can decide that. As for being miserable carrying a heavy pack, the proper pack makes for less misery, but you have to slow your pace and take more rest breaks. It is a matter of mind, too. Your weight would probably be less than what we used to carry in the 1970's and that did not stop us from backpacking or enjoying it. The good news is that your pack weighs less every day! And is not handling a heavy pack part of the "challenge"? Any "challenge" is going to involve some discomfort. Let's say, you stop at Reds Meadow one night. If you were to eat dinner and breakfast at the cafe, would that ruin your "challenge"? Same with Tuolumne Meadows. And for walking most of the day, some people like that, others do not. Some of us get a bit itchy just sitting in camp and welcome long days. Others do not.

Seems nowadays a lot also will depend on getting a permit. If you get a permit, however you decide to do it, I wish you the best.

[Lumbergh21]

I went from Tuolumne Mdws to Whitney Portal in 13 days with no resupply. Half of my dinners were trout I caught when I got to the evening's camping spot. I used an old Kelty and it was comfortable despite the 50 pound starting weight. I didn't know about filtering so that saved a pound. I took a side trip into the Kern headwaters so my final milage was probably about the same as if I had started at Happy Isles.
Trip report at: http://www.sierrahiker.com/JohnMuirTrail/index.html

Great trip report. In 2015, I camped at or very near some of the sites that you also camped at. You did some big miles those first 2 days with your heaviest pack of the trip. It was interesting to read about the bear problems back then (glad bear cannister requirements have helped with that issue) and how crowded the trail was.

[Lumbergh21]

It is totally feasible; the question is do YOU want to do it? Only you can decide that. As for being miserable carrying a heavy pack, the proper pack makes for less misery, but you have to slow your pace and take more rest breaks...

I didn't mean to make it sound like misery. Actually, I think Plan 2, basically 3 weeks wandering through the Sierra, hiking 7 hours per day, fishing and relaxing the remainder, sounds like great fun. I figure my pack with food and 2L water will be about 58lbs to start (maybe a couple of lbs less if I were to start after mossie season). I've carried as much as 56 lbs in my 85L Deuter pack before I lightened up back in 2015.

Let's say, you stop at Reds Meadow one night. If you were to eat dinner and breakfast at the cafe, would that ruin your "challenge"? Same with Tuolumne Meadows.

Some might say getting any calories along the way would violate the challenge proposal, but since it's my challenge I can rule that beer, soda, and chips are exempt. I would plan a couple of hours at Reds for refreshments (TM is less reliably open but also on the table).

Just some off-season musings that I thought I would share with the community for a change.

[druid]

Some might say getting any calories along the way would violate the challenge proposal, but since it's my challenge I can rule that bear ... is exempt.

But only if you kill it by hand in a fair fight.

[Snowtrout]

People have hiked the whole trail in 4-6 days unsupported. Doubt they enjoyed the sights or talked with others but the challenge is what drove them.

Also, what is meant exactly by the term "resupply?" Is getting a burger at Edison, Red's Meadow or Tuolumne Meadows considered a resupply or just grabbing food for that meal? Having areas to order food can help greatly in one's quest

Good questions for off season banter.

[giantbrookie]

Whereas hiking long trailed routes isn't my flavor, if I were to take on this challenge I would certainly opt for option 2=heavier and larger capacity pack, shorter hiking distances, time to fish for dinner. With some planning it is feasible to hit a high percentage fishing target (ie one with very high probability of catching dinner) pretty much every day. If supplying food was the object, some of the premium fishing lakes that I normally target would be second priority. In other words there are plenty of lakes along the JMT that are overpopulated with small brookies, rainbows, or goldens, whereas the catch-something-big-or-skunk sorts of places would be fished only if there was time after catching a meal. Normally when I do trips I budget food as if I will skunk every night, which means I pack out food on every trip I take. If I were doing this challenge I would in fact gamble on my ability to catch fish .

[Lumbergh21]

Some might say getting any calories along the way would violate the challenge proposal, but since it's my challenge I can rule that bear ... is exempt.

But only if you kill it by hand in a fair fight.

Oops, edited to

[rormisto]

I managed to fit 10 days of food in a BV500 once, by dehydrating all my own stuff and crushing oddly shaped items with a hammer, and-- well, this is maybe cheating-- channeling my inner PCTer and bringing an entire plastic bottle of olive oil, which I carried in a water bottle pocket. Ranger asked me if I was "just sipping on it."

So, between audacious food prep and quick hiking, it could be possible without fishing. Or, to cut out quick hiking, simply double down on food ingenuity. Gasoline beats out fats by 1 kcal/g, so we can improve there. Lots of little tinkering to do.

[Lumbergh21]

I managed to fit 10 days of food in a BV500 once, by dehydrating all my own stuff and crushing oddly shaped items with a hammer, and-- well, this is maybe cheating-- channeling my inner PCTer and bringing an entire plastic bottle of olive oil, which I carried in a water bottle pocket. Ranger asked me if I was "just sipping on it."

Lol

My fast plan would still end up being 11 days, but I think that I could have food that I enjoy eating and still pack enough food for 2,700 calories and 120 g of protein per day. Doing 20 miles/day, you would lose weight but hardly starvation. I have fit 6 days of food into a BV450, so 11 seems reasonable for a BV500.

[Wandering Daisy]

Olive oil in a water bottle is a great idea! Use an opaque or metal bottle and nobody would be the wiser. It however would cause a big calorie deficit if a bear were to get it. I take a mix of olive oil and "Smart Balance" margarine and would not have any problems with using all olive oil.

I am not clear on how 6 days in a BV 450 indicates you can get 11 days in a BV500 unless the BV450 was considerably under-packed. Is the BV 500 the largest one? I have put 11 days food in it, without toothpaste, etc "smellies". But I was able to get those items inside, after the 2nd day. Once my fishing stuff fits, it too goes inside. Otherwise outside the tent. Not sure that really matters because I smell like a fish anyway.