How to Prep for the John Muir Trail: A Comprehensive Guide

On July 6th my friend Katie and I are planning to hike the John Muir Trail which is a 211 mile trail through the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. We will be hiking northbound starting from Whitney Portal to Yosemite valley. This post is a break down of everything you should consider if you are planning a similar journey. Please note that both Katie and I are active, regular hikers and in relatively good physical shape which is an important factor for consideration as there is a lot of elevation gain (14,000 foot mountains to summit), technical aspects of the trail and severe weather that you could encounter if you are attempting this route. I have done one previous long distance that was 100 miles, while Katie has only done weekend backpacking trips until now.

GEAR WE RECOMMEND

1) Osprey Aura 50L backpack

The Osprey Aura is extremely lightweight at 4.1 pounds. It fits me especially well and I like how many pockets and special features it has. Katie uses REI Flashpack 65.

2. Big Agnes, Fly Creek 2 person tent.

My tent is a dream, extremely lightweight and durable.

3. Big Agnes inflatable air mat

I've found that all of my air mats always get a hole in them and slowly deflate. If this annoys you, you can always get a foam roll out mat though they are heavier and not as comfortable. Air mats are repairable and if you blow them up and put them in water you can more easily find where the tear is.

4. Make your own first aid kit.

I use bandaids (plasters), gauze, clothing pins, hand sanitizer, disinfectant cream, muscle cream, rubber bands, hair ties, ibuprofen, camomile lotion, toilet paper.

5. Multitool

6. Hiking Poles

7. Headlamp

I have a black diamond spot.

8. Lantern

9. JetBoil Stove

10. Two extendable bowls

11. Small Plastic Cutting Board

It sounds bougie but honestly it makes all the difference. Also if you cut up garlic and thinly slice potatoes and add it to any can of soup or ramen it really bulks up your meal.

12. Bear Canister

Essential for the John Muir.

13. Spork/can-opener/bottle-opener

I have a heavy duty all in one utensil.

14. Small plastic bottles for dishsoap, soap, facewash, shampoo.

15. Quick Drying Towel

I use the large one.

16. Pillow

Katie uses an inflatable one and I have one that rolls up.

17. Rain cover for pack

18. Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter

19. A slip on shoe with toe cover and waterproof

20. Hiking Socks (Darn Tough is a great brand)

21. Nike shorts with inbuilt mesh underwear x 2

22. North face long sleeve top

23. Sports bras x 2

24. Trail Runners, I use Brooks Cascadia and Katie uses La Sportiva.

25. A 3-Litre Camel Pack

26. Ziplock bags

27. A Diva Cup (if you're a woman)

28. Patagonia Micropuff with a hood

This is the most important clothing item you'll have.

29. North Face Rain Jacket Shell

30. Patagonia Better Sweater Fleece

31. Pepper Spray and/or taser

32. Knife

Good for chipping wood.

33. Sunglasses

34. Moleskin Notebook

35. Pen

36. Deodorant

37. lightweight fanny pack to keep money in

38. Hiking permit

39. Waterproof case for your cell phone

40. Solar Powered charger for phone

41. Phone Charger

42. Cell Phone

43. Burt's Bees Lip Balm

45. Bandana

46. Baseball Cap

47. Fuel for Stove

48. A lighter

49. Waterproof maps

50. Waterproof matches

52. Toothpaste & Toothbrush & Hairbrush

You can shop for gear more economically by using second hand websites like Outdoor Geek, Gear Trader, PoshMark (for the clothes) and eBay.

FOOD

There is one instance of the JMT where you'll have to hike for 5-7 days without a resupply so prepare for this by ensuring you carry enough food.

In addition to buying food in shops en route, you can also send prepackaged resupply boxes to several post-offices along the trail and pick them up as you go. Note that you cannot store food caches ahead of you. The resupply places we've sent our boxes to are:

1. Independence Post-Office in Onion Valley

The reason we chose this and not the hotel that is closer is because the hotel charges a 185 dollar fee to reserve your box.

2. Vermillion Valley Resort

We skipped Muir Ranch as you have to send this box three weeks in advance and it costs 85 dollars to store it there.

3. Reds Meadow Post Office

4. Tuolumne Meadows Post Office

Food we would recommend would be things high in calories, dry goods, starchy and sugary foods. Also, focus on protein for the energy. We are both vegetarian so we focused on pasta, beans, lentils, and rice based dishes. We also made sure to pack things like hot sauce, soy sauce, and lemon juice for flavor.

You can make your own energy bars to save money by buying walnuts and dates and blending them in a food processor and them mashing them together to form bars. You can also make your own trail mix by buying peanuts, M&Ms and raisins and combining them in ziplock bags.

If you have a food dehydrator you can prep your own meals ahead of time and package them in your resupply boxes. You can send your food in flat rate boxes or in paint buckets.

Getting to the Trailhead

We will be catching a bus from Los Angeles to Lancaster, California and then catching another bus to Lone Pine, California. From Lone Pine you can either road walk to Whitney Portal, arrange a ride or hitchhike. This will cost about 36 dollars. There are also busses that run from Yosemite Valley to San Francisco and trains that go up and down the Pacific coast.

Time

If you hike 12.5 miles a day you can finish the trail in 18 days, which is our goal. But it's important to hike your own hike and take your time. It's not a race and there is value in going slowly to take everything in appropriately. Most people plan for about three weeks on trail.

Cost Break Down

Buying all the gear and food costs about $1000 per person. But of course depending on what you buy and how you do it it can be a lot more or less expensive.