The original post was in the context of heavy packs on the backs of southbound JMT hikers. I thru-hiked the PCT this year, and got started into the Sierras on June 7th, averaged about 18 miles per day on full hiking days in that portion, 4 - 5 miles per day less than my average overall. Snow melted on the early side this year, as it did last year, but of course there was still a lot of snow on the passes in June, lots of big snow patches lower down, melting snow streams, mud, and of course the usual stream crossings.

I hiked mostly alone in the Sierras, and the few northbound hikers I encountered were other thru's or the occasional JMT'er that I'd pass, while most or all of the southbounders were doing just the JMT. The difference was striking. It just seemed (not just to me, but various other thru-hikers commented) that all the JMT hikers had huge packs, seemingly equipped as if for the Arctic or something, while most of us had mailed our ice axes home fairly early when we realized we wouldn't need 'em, along with other stuff. Everyone has a bear can on the JMT these days, which is somewhat of a leveler, and another levelling factor is that thru-hikers eat something like twice as much food and thus have more food weight per day. Offsetting that is more distance done per day, though that definitely goes down in the Sierras per above.

Sorry to be so long winded here; I guess my points are that:

(a) JMT'ers (at least in June) might be carrying heavier packs because the Sierras are considered by many to be a somewhat more severe, difficult environment, but that

(b) a person nevertheless doesn't necessarily have to have a super heavy pack. I felt safe and a lot more comfortable with less weight on my back, and sufficiently comfortable in camp; I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be loaded down with more gear.

Note that I'm not an ultra-lighter; my base weight was normally something like 17 - 18 pounds these last few months, 5 pounds or so heavier than that at the start of the Sierras, but I lightened back up when I mailed stuff home from two different places in that section. I'm not advocating an extreme ultra-light approach for everyone, everywhere, but my sense from the JMT portion in particular is that folks sometimes overcompensate for what sounds like a more scary and dangerous trip than it might in fact be.

And/or, of course, they carry more general crap that they just don't need ... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


Brian Lewis
http://postholer.com/brianle