Winter Sierra Gear List ~ 2016

In a recent post on Backpackinglight someone asked if it was possible to stay safe, warm, dry and well fed in the winter while keeping an Ultralight base weight (10 lbs or less). 

Fortunately the answer is yes! 

Check out my latest gear list from a recent 4 day snowshoeing trip. I stayed warm and even over-slept down to 10 F using the gear below. 

Let the gram gods rejoice.

Taboose Pass ~ October 2015

Sunset on Arrow Peak from Taboose Pass.

Taboose Pass ~ October 2015

Taboose Pass - Center Basin - Lake Marjorie - Bench Lake

With only a few more days of good weather before the first real winter storms hit I headed up Taboose Pass for a five day cross country solo trek. Taboose Pass is one of the four steep passes that provide relatively quick access over the Sierra Crest and directly into the High Sierra. The price for such convenient access are big climbs of around 6,000 feet in under 10 miles. In the summer a very early start is required to avoid the hot temperatures at lower elevations, but by starting in the fall the weather was enjoyable the entire way. 

Once over Taboose Pass the plan was to cross three off-trail passes into some remote basins that have been on my radar for a few years. The fall colors were beautiful but unfortunately there was enough snow lingering on the north facing slopes that I had to avoid my cross country plans and stay in the relative safety of Center Basin, Lake Marjorie and Bench Lake. 

Shoulder Season Gear List - 2015

Let the Gram Gods rejoice! The latest gear list has finally arrived for all of us gearheads out there interested in keeping our packs lightweight while having some fun in the backcountry during the colder shoulder season. Only use lightweight gear if you have the experience and skills necessary to stay safe, warm and well fed in the backcountry:

Mt. Brewer Loop ~ October 2014

Kings Canyon

Earlier this summer I planned on traversing the Great Western Divide during a ten day solo trip through the Sierra, but when bad weather approached I had to cut it short. This time I rejoined the Great Western Divide near Lake Reflection for a four day trip over three cross country passes, three remote basins and an attempt at climbing Mt. Brewer.

The plan was to finish the north end of the Great Western Divide during a 40 mile loop out of Roads End in Kings Canyon. Although the total mileage didn't pose a problem the daily climbs were a challenge. The daily elevation change on trail ranged from the 5,000 foot ascent on the first day to the 6,980 foot descent on the hike out. Ouch.

Thru-Hiking the Trans Catalina Trail

The Trans Catalina Trail.

With a total elevation change of over 32,000 feet and a complete lack of switchbacks the Trans Catalina Trail delivers some challenging terrain. The official trail travels 37.2 miles from one end of the island to other and is made up of a collection of old fire roads and use trails. With excursions to Silver Peak, Ben Weston Beach and Lands End my route covered 62 miles in 4 days.

I decided to start the hike at Twin Harbors. My plan was to take the ferry from San Pedro to Twin Harbors, hike to the official end of the TCT at Starlight Beach then follow the trail all the way to Avalon Harbor and catch a ferry back to Dana Point. 

Summer Sierra Gear List 2014

For this years summer gear in the Sierra I used the lightest and most functional options, except for my sleeping pad. After being uncomfortable using the Therm-a-rest ProLite and other thin inflatable pads I finally decided to use an extra large Therm-a-rest Xlite. It is 2.5 inches thick which provides plenty of padding on hard granite surfaces and the 25 inch width leaves room for my shoulders and elbows. Plus, by only partially inflating it the pad follows the contours of my shoulders and hips which means a seriously luxurious sleep every night!! It weighs about a pound but the extra weight is well worth a good nights sleep. 

Even with the addition of the heavy sleeping pad my base weight was only 7 pounds. Since it would not be possible to resupply in the remote areas I would be exploring this summer, I had to carry everything I would need for the whole trip. With food for 10 days and 1 liter average water carried my pack weighed in at 23 pounds on day one. See below for details:

Seven Day Sierra Snow Gear List ~ 2014

This UL gear list has everything I need to stay warm, dry and well fed for a week long trek into the Sierra backcountry. I have used this setup in temperatures in the low teens this winter and slept like a baby. 

The standout piece of gear is the Mountain Laurel Designs cuben Solomid. I custom ordered the Solomid with the lighter 0.51 oz/sqyd cuben material to save some weight. Understandably Ron Bell would not provide the normal warranty with this lighter material as he prefers the slightly heavier 0.70 oz/sqyd cuben. Fortunately the lighter material has held up well even in an all night wind storm at 11,000 feet earlier this year.

If you have any comments, criticisms, recommendations or questions please feel free to send me an email at bluewater9@cox.net. 

Winter Sierra Gear List ~ 2014

For 2014 I updated my winter gear to include a few new items while still staying lightweight, safe, comfortable and well fed.

To stay warmer at night and even as part of my sleep system I added a puffy jacket that has a lot more down insulation. The Montbell Mirage puffy jacket has 5.3 ozs of 900 f/p down, which means over 40% of the total weight is in down! It allowed me to stay out after sunset and take night photos while still warm and cozy in the 10 to 20 degree temps.

SUL Trans Catalina Trail Gear List

The Trans Catalina Trail

'SUL' or Super Ultra Light is a category used in the lightweight backpacking community which simply means that the backpackers baseweight is five pounds or less. During the winter months it is usually not reasonable (and at times bordering on unsafe) to go SUL, but in the summer it can be a fun way to increase the enjoyment of longer multi-day backpacking trips.

While planning for the Trans Catalina Trail I decided to try the lightest setup possible. Part of the reason for this is that I like taking a break from civilization and living in a minimalist fashion. This seems to provide a perspective on what is really important that is sometimes difficult to find with the distractions in civilization.

Also, I wanted to finish the TCT and a few side trips in three or four days. Although the actual TCT is a relatively short trail the rolling hillside topography means the total altitude change is an incredible 10,000 feet in just 37 miles. To give some perspective the John Muir Trail has about 40,000 feet of elevation change in over 222 miles!

Winter Quilt with a Custom Trapezoidal Baffled Footbox.

Winter Quilt with a Custom Trapezoidal Baffled Footbox.

Last year I got tired of sitting out the entire winter then having to struggle to get my 'trail legs' the next summer. I decided to get out and enjoy the backcountry in the winter. . . but the last time I camped in the snow I was a Boyscout and my memories include freezing all night in a canvas A-frame tent.

After hearing about the easy way to the snow via the tram to Mt. San Jacinto I was determined to get out in the winter. I figured that if I could do a few nights in the local mountains I would be ready for a real snowshoe trip in the High Sierra. I would need a much warmer quilt if I wanted to actually stay warm and enjoy the cold winter temperatures.

It was time to make a Winter Quilt with a Custom Trapezoidal Baffled Footbox. 

Heavyweight Ultralight Backpack

After completing the first section of the Sierra High Route last summer I realized it was time to build a much more burly backpack. Since there was nowhere to resupply on these remote trips I needed something that would comfortably hold ten days of food and a bear canister. I also needed a pack that could withstand the beating that comes with scrambling through cross country terrain in the High Sierra. I decided it was time to make my first Heavyweight Ultralight Backpack!

The Heavyweight Ultralight Backpack.

Custom Quilt with No Cold Spots!

There is nothing worse than being woken up in the middle of the night by the cold because the down in my quilt has migrated to the sides. 

My latest "ultimate quilt". Finally no more cold spots. 

Minaret Loop ~ July 15th - 17th

I have been wanting to get an up-close and personal look at the Minarets ever since I rushed by them (much too quickly) while thru-hiking the John Muir Trail a few years ago. Their dark volcanic spires are beautiful and striking against the collection of small alpine lakes at the base of the range. 

After spending much of the winter diligently studying Steve Ropers cross country route that traverses the area I was ready to hit the trail. . . or off-trail as much of the route required. 

Fortunately a three day window of time opened up on the way back from another trip in the northern Sierra this summer. . . So with permit in hand I was ready to leave from the Devils Postpile trailhead near Mammoth Lakes. 

The first river crossing near Devils Postpile National Monument:

Sierra High Route 2012 ~ Trip Report

Marion Lake and Cirque Crest on the Sierra High Route.

The Sierra High Route is a cross-country hiking route, 195 miles long, through the Sierra Nevada. It was scouted by Steve Roper and described by him in his book Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country. 

Six Moon Designs Cuben Haven Tarp and Inner Net Tent

After years of searching for a lightweight two person shelter I finally settled on the Big Sky Evolution 2P/2D/2V free standing tent. I thought it was great, but at 3 pounds it just seemed like there should be a better option. . .

Big Sky Evo 2 person/2 door/2 vestibule free standing tent on the JMT.

 Then I found the Six Moon Designs Cuben Haven Tarp & Inner Net Tent.

Cross Country Loop Around Mt. Darwin via Haeckel Col & Darwin Col

After finishing a section of the Sierra High Route a few weeks ago I met a guy named Donn while hiking out through Sabrina Basin. We talked nutrition, gear, exercise, footwear and world politics while hiking a few miles to the parking lot. I rarely meet somebody who shares so many similar common interests, including a passion for cross country backpacking in the High Sierra.

I couldn’t believe it when he showed me a map of the cross country passes he had been scouting out for the past week. They were the same passes that I had been researching all winter. We decided to take one last trip of the season together, weather permitting. 

During the next few weeks we had to delay the trip due to the mid October storm, but we lucked out and took advantage of an unusually warm break in the weather last week. 

We started out by acclimating at Midnight Lake the first day. It's only a few miles to Midnight Lake from the Sabrina Lake TH so I was able to leave home in the morning and still get there in time to have dinner at the lake.

Sabrina Basin Trail Head.

Gould Pass ~ Cross Country to Rae Lakes

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea".

That's what I was thinking at the end of the first day of this loop hike out of Onion Valley last weekend. Although there were some challenging moments it was a fun trip. Thanks to Maverick at High Sierra Topix for the route suggestion, I would not have been aware of this alternate route into Rae Lakes without his recommendation. 

I started out leaving home at 3:30 am on Friday after working till midnight. This seems to be my routine when trying to leave town for a long weekend, but I was feeling good and the excitement of a new adventure in the High Sierra kept me going. The ranger sent me on the way at 8:30 am and with a walk-in permit in hand I headed up to the Onion Valley TH.

Onion Valley Trailhead

John Muir Trail Thru Hike: Day Ten

Tyndall Creek to tarn above Guitar Lake: 13.5 Miles

Sept. 21st, 2011.

This was a relaxing day with low mileage and easy terrain. I stopped to clean up a bit at the Tyndall Creek crossing and made my way through some lightly forested areas toward the Big Horn Plateau. The amazing views of the Kaweah mountain range started to open up through the trees. . .

and soon I was on the plateau. . .

Cuben Kindle Dry Bag

Some good ideas are simple. The first time her Kindle gets dropped in a stream my wife will be hoping this was one of those good simple ideas.

The Cuben Kindle Dry Bag is made from 0.51 oz/sqyd cuben fiber and is made to fit a Kindle. All of the seams are taped with double sided cuben tape. The roll top is water tight and is attached to the body of the dry bag using hook and loop (velcro).

The total weight barely registers on my scale, but it looks like 0.1 oz (2 grams). . . and at that weight how can any of us leave home again safely without a custom Cuben Kindle Dry Bag?

The Cuben Kindle Dry Bag.

Ryan Jordan would approve!

0.1 oz.

Half Ounce Cuben Roll Top Dry Bag

Most of the lightest dry bags and pack liners that I've found are around 2 ozs, and that just seems way too heavy. So I made a simple roll top dry bag that weighs a half ounce using 0.51 oz/sqyd that is large enough to hold a 20 degree winter quilt and a puffy jacket. To some people it may seem a little extreme to go to all this trouble to save 1.5 ozs, but in this case the weight savings is 75% over the lightest alternatives.

This roll top dry bag is 26" x 18" and is made using a triple stitched flat felled seam that is taped on the inside. I used small 1/2" clasps attached to the bag using 1/2" gross grain webbing. The attachment points are reinforced with 0.51 oz/sqyd cuben fiber and cuben tape. 

Cuben Fiber Roll Top Dry Bag.