7 Tips For Completing The John Muir Trail Successfully
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- Опубликовано: 28 июл 2024
- I’ve watched a lot of videos and seen a lot of facebook posts about those who “failed” at their JMT thru-hikes. Most often it wasn’t because they didn’t have a map, a daily hiking plan, the right sleeping bag or rock solid re-supply plan. Folks tend to nail those more tangible necessities. This video is my 7 tips for successfully completing the John Muir Trail based on my observation of others and my own experience completing the trail July of 2022. Some tips are fairly concrete while others are a little more intangible.
If you want to see a full list of the gear I used, go to my lighter pack link. I was just over 13 lbs with bear can: lighterpack.com/r/f9ojh7
Introduction 00:00
#1 Improve Cardio and Strength 3:03
#2 Get Serious About Reducing Your Pack Weight 4:49
#3 Acclimate 12:20
#4 Start Hiking Early 14:20
#5 Hike At Your Pace 18:45
#6 Take Care of Your Feet 22:40
#7 Keep Your Mental Game Strong 26:08 
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Hey Juan. I met you at Crabtree Meadow and Guitar Lake on your HST hike last year and we discussed this channel and my upcoming novel set on the JMT. You asked me to leave a note here when it was published. MUIR TRAIL MAGIC is now available on Amazon as an ebook and paperback. If you or any of your subscribers give it a try, I'd love to hear what you think. Best wishes in your adventures in 2023.
Thanks man!.. I’m definitely going to check it out!
Enjoyed all of your tips and recollections. I am turning 60 soon and am planning the JMT for 2024. I backpack often with my son who is in his mid-30’s. My son usually hikes ahead and waits at break, lunch or camp time or if something is not very clear on the trail. We both have Garmins and this works for us. I THINK I’ve narrowed down my gear, but am planning to purchase a 15 degree quilt for this. I have a 25 degree which I love for the summer months, but I don’t trust it for this. I’m also starting to train NOW. I did the Timberline Trail last year and struggled a bit the terrain and miles, so I know what I have to do. Thanks for sharing.
Thank You, I enjoyed that and appreciate that You shared so much perspective. G-D be with You
Glad you like the videos! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!
#7 is so key! I remember journaling before I did the Tahoe Rim Trail a couple years ago that as hard as the trail may be, the hardest thing I would probably face was the possibility of having to get off trail due to a physical issue I was dealing with at the time. I recently went back and researched my video clip of day 10 when my foot was hurting so bad, I thought I was going to have to quit. I was crying and just felt so down at the possibility. And yet, even then, I turned the camera around and showed the view and said something like "but what a beautiful place to feel awful in." Even in the midst of my suffering, I was able to appreciate where I was and what I was doing. (And just so I don't leave you in suspense, I took a zero the next day at Lake Aloha, and that was just what I needed. My foot felt good enough after that to complete the rest of the trail. 😁)
Thanks so much for relaying your experience…. It will definitely help others who are planning difficult trails like the TRT and JMT… and I’m glad you made it!!!
Amazing, thank you for taking the time to share these wise advice.
Thanks for you kind comments.. much appreciated!
Excellent advise and we’ll spoken! These are the crucial mental preparations that ultimately make backpacking so enjoyable.
Thanks for the positive comments. Much appreciated!
These are awesome and useful tips. Many thanks for this Juan!
Thanks for the positive comments! Much appreciated!
Great review.
Thanks!
Thank you for taking the time for these tips and ideas
Thanks for the positive feedback! Glad you liked the video.
You don't need a 10-pound base weight, but it's a good goal, even if not attainable for everyone. I got down to about 13.5, and I'm comfortable and warm. I could get lower (leaving the stove and fuel at home, but I like hot coffee and dinner) I leave now for 6 days with food and a liter of water at 24.5 pounds, which is really a pleasure to carry. Pack 29 oz; quilt 19 oz; tent is just over 2lbs, could go lower there, losing about a pound; pad is light with a decent r value; plenty for mid-summer Sierra. Make a spread sheet and look at it over and over and think, over and over, do I really need this? Make sure you have no more clothes than you need. And yes, look at the lightweight backpacking forums and RUclipsrs. Finally, aim for 130 cal/oz avg on your food, so it weighs less but still fuels you. Except for rain gear, if you're not using everything in your pack every day, you don't need it. A lot of people take a navigation device, a phone, a camera and a battery pack to charge it all. And they use a mapping app, which drains battery all day. On the JMT, you don't need all that; just a paper map is plenty; if solo, have a nav device, but you can just turn it on in the morning to tell people at home you're hitting the trail, then turn it off, then on again when you check in from camp at the end of the day. You cannot get lost on the JMT. Ultralight stuff is expensive, but it's worth it, and it supports American workers. Start training early, four to five months ahead. Hike uphill with your pack loaded. It pays huge dividends.
thanks for posting this great information.... good tips for sure!!
Pack weight is a moving target. It's something that you have to know for yourself. Ultralight backpacking has gotten to the point where it's seen as gatekeeping for the outdoors. If you can spend the money great, but there is no reason you can't do the trail with a 80lbs canvas rucksack on your back... just make sure you do enough training so your shoulders and back and hips are ready for it. Train with your pack and your gear that you can afford or manage and you'll be fine. Don't let the idea of being too heavy keep you off the trail.
Reduced pack weight helps in so many facets. You don’t need much out there.
Very true. Personally, the less pieces of gear I have to manage the more I enjoy my backpacking or thru hiking.
Great attitude, excellent video!
Thanks for the positive feedback.. much appreciated!
Thanks for the tips Juan! I'll definitely keep them in mind when I hike the JMT this year
Awesome! Good luck on your JMT thru this year!!!
@@juanbackpacks Thank you! Got a permit from Happy Isles in August, I'm so stocked! Just praying that the wildfires aren't too bad in the region this year ... Considering how dry it is so far, that's by far my main concern sadly
@@arrrriba I found that the facebook group was good for learning where fires are but the best source of good ACCURATE information was the park service. I called them about a fire that was going on around our start time because the intewebs had it whipped up into a frenzy..... and found in speaking to the park ranger that is wasn't going to effect our hike.
From the National Geographic Map, they suggest a 22 Day hike. Has anyone actually followed their plan to see if it works?
And the map fails in describing the Mount Whitney ascent & descent as strenuous and long a portion of the hike it is. It may take one day for ascent & another day for descent with an overnight at Trail Camp at Mount Whitney Trail to Whitney Portal.
@steven Torrey I don’t know anyone who followed the plan but 22 days makes for some pretty easy hiking so it could work. We used that map because it had some additional info not available on our FarOut map or even another paper map of the trail I had purchased.
You are correct. We went from Guitar to the Summit and then out the portal when we did the High Sierra Trail. It can definitely be done in a day but it is a slog for sure. When we did the JMT we did in NOBO so we did an out and back from Crabtree Meadow. If I had to do that one over again, I’d keep going to Guitar Lake the day before summit day. .. but thats just me.
@@juanbackpacks Thanks, the National Geographic suggested 22 days makes the days of 7 miles or 12 miles, within that range. But then the hiker is carrying a 25 lb. pack on rough terrain.
These were some great tips. I’m going to try to stop earlier as you suggested. Everything goes smoother when you have gas left in the tank. Thanks for your tips.
Thanks for the positive feedback on the video!.. I really do appreciate it and good luck on your trip!!
Great video Juan and very different from all the other JMT video's people post. I am restarting - make that "finishing" the JMT in August to '22, starting from DPP and exiting at Mt.Whitney. Some of your pointers I had arrived at myself from experience (i.e. lighter pack, starting early each morning, etc.) but I picked up some important "others" from you. So thank you. And remember the mantra: "If you think you might need "it" LEAVE IT AT HOME". You also mentioned fishing along the trail. Would you describe your tackle, it's total weight, and in general what worked and what didn't?
Thanks for the positive feedback! Much appreciated. I used a Tenkara set up. It’s really all you need to have a lot of success and it is light. I’ll make a video next weekend about my setup for backpacking. It’s only a few ounces total.
I forgot… there is a video in my JMT play list of my Tenkara fly set up. Not mentioned in the video but my #1 fly was a size 12 Elk Hair Caddis. The trout are uneducated and we didn’t have any trouble at all catching tons of trout.
Great advice! That wonderful campsite.... were you still in Evolution, or was it near Star camp on the Kings River? That whole area is so gorgeous.....
We where NOBO and it was past Evolution.We had dropped a lot of elevation and were purched on rock above a meadow. I"ll have to look up the exact spot on a map to see what meadow it was.
oh... that's right, NOBO... so maybe McLure Meadow......
@@vickihubach4388 I think you are correct., We were above the Meadow quite a bit but we found a way to hike down from out tent through the rock off trail to fish in the meadow. It was an incredible spot… but of course all the views are incredible on the JMT!
@@juanbackpacks aren't they though.... what an incredible place!
Great tips Juan! Hoping to do the JMT for my 50th bday in 2 yrs! 👍
Thanks for watching the video.. and good luck on your hike… doing the JMT is an incredible experience!
Hi Juan, it was great meeting you at Crabtree, your son caught some beautiful fish. Great advice!
This is awesome hearing from someone we met on trail! We had such an incredible time doing the JMT… I could do it every year and never get tired of it. I kept the beard I grew on the trail just so I could have a constant reminder of that experience. We we are doing the HST in early July this year… maybe ww will run into you again on trail some day!!! Take care, Juan
@@juanbackpacks We started on the same day, I am the guy who went to Crabtree on day one. You will enjoy the high sierra trail , there are some awesome places. I will be back in the Sierra this summer, getting older and packing light 😆
Everyone does their own thing but I found training hikes to be very helpful especially when included summiting local peaks. Great video.
Thanks for the positive feedback and suggestion! Yes.. training on steep terrain is really important. Hard to do though in some parts of the country that are flatter.
@@juanbackpacks totally understood. we are lucky to live where there are lots of peaks and I have found there is nothing like climbing hills (if you have them) and experiencing real trail conditions wherever with ruts and rocks rather than a treadmill deck (:
@@chili1593 We have mountains that are more like "hills" here but I definitely train on them by doing laps up the mountains. Definitely wish I had "real" mountains to train on. The Sierra is a whole different world for sure.
@@juanbackpacks I hear ya! But seems like you manage to get in excellent shape for your treks!
Great video Juan! Were you able to post your lighter pack link? Would like to get some ideas from your kit. Best, Chuck
Thanks for the positive comments!… My base weight with bear can was just over 13 lbs. Here’s a link to the lighter pack for that trip: lighterpack.com/r/f9ojh7
@@juanbackpacks Thanks Juan!
Older gal here lived your advice, tips. Thank you very much NOBO mid July this year. Will put all this into place.
Thanks for the positive comments. Have a great time!! My son and I are going back out in July this year again to do the High Sierra Trail from west to east! Maybe we will cross paths in the Mt. Whitney area!
@@juanbackpacks will keep my eyes open. We will be by guitar lake, summit bid 7/16 on paper, will see …
That’s cool! We will actually get to Crabtree Meadow Early on the 16th… then on to Guitar Lake to stage on the 17th. We will definitely cross paths if our itineraries hold. We would be going to Guitar on the 16 as well but we wanted to stop for almost the entire day of the 16th to fish at Crabtree Meadows… great golden trout fishing there!
@@juanbackpacks so exciting, son going? I used to fish lots. Look for two Texans. I’ll have 4 nights acclimating prior.
Yes my son will be going along with one of my long time travel buddies. I’ll be listening for that Texas accent on the mountain!
Good tips! How many miles did you do per day typically and how many hours did you hike?
Miles ranged from 7 to 18 depending on the day. We planned our days around finishing at creeks or lakes good for fishing… generally though we did around 15 miles a day. We are very fast hikers so finish timers ranged from 1-3 pm most days. One day we did 11.5 miles by 10 am.
Started hiking each day around 6-6:30 am.
How did you make out tenkara fishing?? Did you catch quite a bit??
We caught tons of trout. Those mountain trout are plentiful and hungry!
@@juanbackpacks right on Juan. Were you guys fishing mostly for sport? Or did you supplement your meals with some good fresh cut protein as well we are planning on taking some 10 card gear and hoping to have some fresh meals as well.
@@JakeDoingStuff We fished for fun every day. planned our camp sites around fishing. I like fish but I just wasn't into the extra work of preparing the fish we caught. ... too lazy! LOL