It's incredible that I've watched what seems like 2 dozen "JMT Tips" videos and none of them had the majority of your suggestions. Thanks for such a helpful video!
Your videos are a model is what TH-cam video should be. Clear concise no obnoxious intros or background music just good information clearly presented. I hope your channel takes off.
Yes, we need more straightforward videos that we don't have to keep changing the volume on. I appreaciate that you speak clearly and don't let your music drown you out. Great info, thanks!
Pretty good tips for first timers. I totally agree on stopping at VVR, it’s like heaven in the middle of nowhere, that was our only resupply stop going NOBO from Horseshoe Meadows in early September 2019, a high snow year, but there was very little of it left. Weather was almost perfect with just 3 days with a few showers that allowed us to finish according to plan in 14 days. The part that I disliked the most was, like you mentioned, the big crowds at Yosemite on our last day. Congratulations & happy trails!
Excellent tips! In September 2018 I got a walkup permit at Tuolumne Meadows for a southbound hike and then flipflopped back to Tuolumne. Got another walkup to Yosemite Valley and Halfdome. So true that all of the southbound trailheads are worth it. And your suggestion of not missing VVR! I skipped it then to get to Muir Ranch and my resupply. This year we're starting at Happy Isles and won't skip VVR using it for our mid trail resupply. Definitely will get up early to see the sunrise on Mt. Whitney!
Better plan for TP is to avoid it entirely by using a backpacker's bidet. Little lightweight device fits on a water bottle. Spritz and all clean. If you need piece of TP to dry, it's much cleaner than it would be as the primary cleaning device. Also, people need to go well beyond the guideline of 100 yards from water. Go much farther. Make the poop walk a small hike of discovery. And best to do it after you leave camp at some unused place along the trail. Also, so true about fitness and altitude. Altitude is individual. Used to be I could hop up to 13,000 on the second day, no problem. Last summer, at 65 years old, left Horseshoe Meadows after a pleasant night sleeping at 10K. Next night was Cottonwood Lake #4 at 11,200. Woke feeling horrible. As for you, coffee did the trick, so started walking up Army Pass, which tops out at 12K, then dropped packs and started up Mt. Langley at just over 14K. Had to turn back maybe 100 vertical feet from the top and cut my trip short. Stayed at Army Lake that night at about 10,600 but just wasn't acclimating, so bailed back to Horseshoe. I've done Rae Lakes before, so this summer on JMT, might head up 60 Lakes Basin, next door.
Thanks, great video, great tips. About toilet paper strategies: my tip is to you use sticks, grass, rocks and bury those, and clean with water, so you will your use of tp will be next to nothing.
My boys and I did the entire JMT in 2012, tried again in 2018 but bailed out at VVR after having some medical issues with the smoke from the fires. These are great tips. And yes, I highly recommend VVR.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, good and the not so pleasant aspects; the VVR was an unexpected treat--something to aspire to when hiking.. a nice break. I'm hoping to get a permit for 2024.. still hoping to find a hiking buddy since my Colorado buddy is now out of commission---we had done several hikes since just after high school, starting with Mt. Olympus in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.. later I moved to the Denver area where he settled. I'm 64 now, most of our hikes at the age of 40 in Colorado (10 years 1998-2008) every summer, but all the way to 2012; I haven;t done any since then and I'm ready, long passed ready. The Sierras are new to me, but I've always wanted to hike there and explore.. if I have to do day hikes one at a time, I'm going before I kick the bucket. LoL I appreciated the detail account of your trip.. out of all the videos I've watched I could really relate to this one the best for the ins and outs. I'll have to study and figure out food supplies and where and how to send re-supplies to locations that will be most beneficial. 🙂
Resupply options are pretty limited. We did Tuolumne Meadows, Reds Meadow and Muir Trail Ranch. VVR is another that people often use. The main issue is carrying from MTR to the end, which for us was eight days of food. Very heavy pack until you can eat some of it.
Bidet bottles are great a alternative to TP when there is ample water sources. What really sucks is when you run out of water on a long carry, and all you have left is that bidet bottle and a No2 brewing...a hard choice at first, hahaha
I too had some problems with altitude when I used to live in the midwest and then would travel to the western states to backpack. I found that a prescription for Diamox helped quite a bit. Its a well established medication used to minimize the effects of altitude sickness. It does require a doctor visit and prescription.
TP tip: bring doggie bags to pick up and tie off your used TP. With bag pulled back around hand, pick up TP, pull bag back over it, squeeze out all air and tie off. Done. Also, digging your cat hole the night before will save you time breaking camp.
Stop giving away the trade secrets! It's much more fun watching noobs running out of the woods fighting off puke because they touched crap for the first time in their lives! Hahaha
9:18. I had the same feeling when I went to burning man in 2015. I was dead tired and couldn’t find a spot. The next day I finally realized that the other side was pretty open.
I was at Rea Lakes this August....I was the only one there that I saw. I could hear somebody across the lake but never saw them. I always here about crowds but I just never seem to experience them. based on a trip out of Bishop in July - one thing that shouldn't have to be added to your video. On that trip I was heading out at the last day of a rain storm....heading in were many many JMTers quitting the trail. To say it was a rain storm is an understatement...it was a hurricane. 5 days of torrential rain from an actual hurricane. What was amazing for me to hear from several of them was "this is california, its not supposed to rain here" They carried nothing for rain. No pack cover, maybe a light jacket, no pack liner...insane. Soaked to the bone through and through. Miserable. So the bottom line for the Sierras is that you have to be prepared for everything on every trip at any time of year. Thunderstorms, freezing cold, snow in August, and insane heat....I swear it can all happen in the same day. So you have to have a complete kit that is dialed in to avoid "avoidable" problems. The trails hard enough and the trip is too costly to screw it up, so head at least some of this advice. Peace to you....is it June yet?
Preparing for JMT NOBO this summer. Great info in this video. I actually like the low tech, not lots of production vibe. Very nuts and bolts. Feels authentic.
I love this video Jon! Your advice is specific but that's the best part about this video. The testament of your hike is awesome. :) My husband and I are starting our JMT hike on August 22nd. We're worried about wildfires this year but crossing our fingers that we get lucky. We're also coming from the MidWest (Cincinnati). Luckily we're going to acclimate at a family members house in the mountains of Colorado in the weeks leading up to our hike.
I used to live in Cincinnati when I was a kid! Wildfires were an issue for us in 2018. I recommend a mask as that can help and it weighs almost nothing.
Excellent tips. Thank you! I hope to get a lottery pick hiking SB for early Sept. I believe the odds are best then as many younger people have to go back to school and/or work then. If not picked after 2 or 3 years I will apply for a NB permit, which should not take more than 1-2 tries to get picked. I have all my gear incl. bear vault and will be entering the lottery in a few weeks. Please wish me luck!
I appreciate your TP tip Jon, and your plea that we no be "that guy" that tries to dodge the rule. Relatedly, is it possible to properly dispose of our used TP at the various re-supply points?
Amy got so sick at Rocky Mountain National Park. She had no problem when we were there a decade earlier, but our trip a few years ago really messed her up with the same symptoms you mentioned. Not fun.
Me and my dad just finished the Long Trail today, and we’re thinking about doing the JMT next year. I heard it was a lot easier than the long trail, what’s your opinion?
Congrats!!! The JMT is easier in terms of hiking, but still tough due to all the elevation. Resupply logistics are harder than the LT though. Scenery is waaaaaaay better on the JMT.
Hi - thank you for your video! I've entered the JMT drawing, on my second entry now. Any pointers on getting selected? I put it in in for two people. Did you ever hike the Yosemite to Tahoe trail?
@@jonallenoutside thanks Jon, they allow for 21 window i believe. and you rank the trail heads 1-4. Just curious - did you get selected right away? if so maybe you can let me know your secret -)
@@scottslotterbeck3796 Thanks Scott! (sorry i missed this a couple weeks ago) my email is rayallenmarks@gmail.com if you have any pointers on Tahoe to Yosemite routes. I live in Folsom.
It's incredible that I've watched what seems like 2 dozen "JMT Tips" videos and none of them had the majority of your suggestions. Thanks for such a helpful video!
Glad it was helpful!
Your videos are a model is what TH-cam video should be. Clear concise no obnoxious intros or background music just good information clearly presented. I hope your channel takes off.
Thank you! I try to cut out the fluff and just provide the info people want. Glad someone noticed!
Yes, we need more straightforward videos that we don't have to keep changing the volume on. I appreaciate that you speak clearly and don't let your music drown you out. Great info, thanks!
Awesome comment! We’ve all seen too many 38 minute videos to review a bowl of Ramen noodles!
Pretty good tips for first timers. I totally agree on stopping at VVR, it’s like heaven in the middle of nowhere, that was our only resupply stop going NOBO from Horseshoe Meadows in early September 2019, a high snow year, but there was very little of it left. Weather was almost perfect with just 3 days with a few showers that allowed us to finish according to plan in 14 days. The part that I disliked the most was, like you mentioned, the big crowds at Yosemite on our last day.
Congratulations & happy trails!
A very good collection of tips for hiking the JMT. I don't think you mentioned which state you and your son came from.
Wisconsin
Great info! I’m taking notes! Thanks so much!
Excellent tips! In September 2018 I got a walkup permit at Tuolumne Meadows for a southbound hike and then flipflopped back to Tuolumne. Got another walkup to Yosemite Valley and Halfdome. So true that all of the southbound trailheads are worth it. And your suggestion of not missing VVR! I skipped it then to get to Muir Ranch and my resupply. This year we're starting at Happy Isles and won't skip VVR using it for our mid trail resupply. Definitely will get up early to see the sunrise on Mt. Whitney!
Enjoy your hike!
Another valuable video! Thank you!
Thanks for the tips. Won't do the whole trail but will section and hope to get permits!
Better plan for TP is to avoid it entirely by using a backpacker's bidet. Little lightweight device fits on a water bottle. Spritz and all clean. If you need piece of TP to dry, it's much cleaner than it would be as the primary cleaning device. Also, people need to go well beyond the guideline of 100 yards from water. Go much farther. Make the poop walk a small hike of discovery. And best to do it after you leave camp at some unused place along the trail. Also, so true about fitness and altitude. Altitude is individual. Used to be I could hop up to 13,000 on the second day, no problem. Last summer, at 65 years old, left Horseshoe Meadows after a pleasant night sleeping at 10K. Next night was Cottonwood Lake #4 at 11,200. Woke feeling horrible. As for you, coffee did the trick, so started walking up Army Pass, which tops out at 12K, then dropped packs and started up Mt. Langley at just over 14K. Had to turn back maybe 100 vertical feet from the top and cut my trip short. Stayed at Army Lake that night at about 10,600 but just wasn't acclimating, so bailed back to Horseshoe. I've done Rae Lakes before, so this summer on JMT, might head up 60 Lakes Basin, next door.
It sounds like that vvr was a great deal! Great memories!
I think I’ll learn to use a backcountry bidet if I ever hike in the Sierra Nevada’s.
Thanks, great video, great tips.
About toilet paper strategies: my tip is to you use sticks, grass, rocks and bury those, and clean with water, so you will your use of tp will be next to nothing.
My boys and I did the entire JMT in 2012, tried again in 2018 but bailed out at VVR after having some medical issues with the smoke from the fires. These are great tips. And yes, I highly recommend VVR.
Great video!! My 14yr old daughter and I hiked NOBO in 2019. Trip of a lifetime! I look forward to watching your trip videos.
Being from the Midwest as well, I have to admit that elevation has not been something I have ever had to worry about. Thanks for the tips!!
Thank you for sharing your experiences, good and the not so pleasant aspects; the VVR was an unexpected treat--something to aspire to when hiking.. a nice break. I'm hoping to get a permit for 2024.. still hoping to find a hiking buddy since my Colorado buddy is now out of commission---we had done several hikes since just after high school, starting with Mt. Olympus in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.. later I moved to the Denver area where he settled. I'm 64 now, most of our hikes at the age of 40 in Colorado (10 years 1998-2008) every summer, but all the way to 2012; I haven;t done any since then and I'm ready, long passed ready. The Sierras are new to me, but I've always wanted to hike there and explore.. if I have to do day hikes one at a time, I'm going before I kick the bucket. LoL I appreciated the detail account of your trip.. out of all the videos I've watched I could really relate to this one the best for the ins and outs. I'll have to study and figure out food supplies and where and how to send re-supplies to locations that will be most beneficial. 🙂
Resupply options are pretty limited. We did Tuolumne Meadows, Reds Meadow and Muir Trail Ranch. VVR is another that people often use. The main issue is carrying from MTR to the end, which for us was eight days of food. Very heavy pack until you can eat some of it.
Bidet bottles are great a alternative to TP when there is ample water sources. What really sucks is when you run out of water on a long carry, and all you have left is that bidet bottle and a No2 brewing...a hard choice at first, hahaha
I too had some problems with altitude when I used to live in the midwest and then would travel to the western states to backpack. I found that a prescription for Diamox helped quite a bit. Its a well established medication used to minimize the effects of altitude sickness. It does require a doctor visit and prescription.
TP tip: bring doggie bags to pick up and tie off your used TP. With bag pulled back around hand, pick up TP, pull bag back over it, squeeze out all air and tie off. Done. Also, digging your cat hole the night before will save you time breaking camp.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing.
Stop giving away the trade secrets!
It's much more fun watching noobs running out of the woods fighting off puke because they touched crap for the first time in their lives! Hahaha
I say burn the paper
9:18. I had the same feeling when I went to burning man in 2015. I was dead tired and couldn’t find a spot. The next day I finally realized that the other side was pretty open.
I was at Rea Lakes this August....I was the only one there that I saw. I could hear somebody across the lake but never saw them. I always here about crowds but I just never seem to experience them. based on a trip out of Bishop in July - one thing that shouldn't have to be added to your video. On that trip I was heading out at the last day of a rain storm....heading in were many many JMTers quitting the trail. To say it was a rain storm is an understatement...it was a hurricane. 5 days of torrential rain from an actual hurricane. What was amazing for me to hear from several of them was "this is california, its not supposed to rain here"
They carried nothing for rain. No pack cover, maybe a light jacket, no pack liner...insane. Soaked to the bone through and through. Miserable.
So the bottom line for the Sierras is that you have to be prepared for everything on every trip at any time of year. Thunderstorms, freezing cold, snow in August, and insane heat....I swear it can all happen in the same day. So you have to have a complete kit that is dialed in to avoid "avoidable" problems. The trails hard enough and the trip is too costly to screw it up, so head at least some of this advice. Peace to you....is it June yet?
Preparing for JMT NOBO this summer. Great info in this video. I actually like the low tech, not lots of production vibe. Very nuts and bolts. Feels authentic.
VVR is a gem, and well worth the few miles hike off the trail.
i know I'm kinda randomly asking but do anyone know a good website to stream new movies online?
@Antonio Steven flixportal xD
Great video!
I love this video Jon! Your advice is specific but that's the best part about this video. The testament of your hike is awesome. :) My husband and I are starting our JMT hike on August 22nd. We're worried about wildfires this year but crossing our fingers that we get lucky. We're also coming from the MidWest (Cincinnati). Luckily we're going to acclimate at a family members house in the mountains of Colorado in the weeks leading up to our hike.
I used to live in Cincinnati when I was a kid!
Wildfires were an issue for us in 2018. I recommend a mask as that can help and it weighs almost nothing.
@@jonallenoutside So cool! Cincinnati is an awesome city. We will definitely bring some! Thanks for the recommendation.
I've never had a problem with altitude, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. I've hiked part of the JMT, the scenery is spectacular.
Excellent tips. Thank you!
I hope to get a lottery pick hiking SB for early Sept. I believe the odds are best then as many younger people have to go back to school and/or work then. If not picked after 2 or 3 years I will apply for a NB permit, which should not take more than 1-2 tries to get picked. I have all my gear incl. bear vault and will be entering the lottery in a few weeks. Please wish me luck!
Best of luck!
Wish I could do this someday before I’m too old
Acclimatization is key forsure! Great vid, we start our SOBO trip in mid July!
Have a great trip!
I appreciate your TP tip Jon, and your plea that we no be "that guy" that tries to dodge the rule. Relatedly, is it possible to properly dispose of our used TP at the various re-supply points?
Yes, just toss it in a trash can. I’m pretty sure they all have one, but not 100% on MTR.
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Again , really, thank you ,
Glad to help.
Amy got so sick at Rocky Mountain National Park. She had no problem when we were there a decade earlier, but our trip a few years ago really messed her up with the same symptoms you mentioned. Not fun.
Yeah, it’s weird how our bodies react differently to what seems like similar circumstances. Not something to mess with though.
Thank you
How old was your son when you completed the JMT? Any tips for bringing kids on this trail?
@@audreytesoriero9475 He was 15. He had several years of backpacking experience before we did it, and I feel that was essential.
Me and my dad just finished the Long Trail today, and we’re thinking about doing the JMT next year. I heard it was a lot easier than the long trail, what’s your opinion?
Congrats!!! The JMT is easier in terms of hiking, but still tough due to all the elevation. Resupply logistics are harder than the LT though. Scenery is waaaaaaay better on the JMT.
Hi - thank you for your video! I've entered the JMT drawing, on my second entry now. Any pointers on getting selected? I put it in in for two people. Did you ever hike the Yosemite to Tahoe trail?
Apply for as many days as possible and be open to any trailhead. I have not done the Yosemite to Tahoe trail.
@@jonallenoutside thanks Jon, they allow for 21 window i believe. and you rank the trail heads 1-4. Just curious - did you get selected right away? if so maybe you can let me know your secret -)
I love the Tahoe south. Hiked everywhere from Highway 50 south.
@@jonallenoutside thank you Jon
@@scottslotterbeck3796 Thanks Scott! (sorry i missed this a couple weeks ago) my email is rayallenmarks@gmail.com if you have any pointers on Tahoe to Yosemite routes. I live in Folsom.
How old was your son when he hiked the JMT? What did he do to train for it? I have four kids and have just started backpacking with them and my wife.
He was 15. He did almost no training. Kids can get away with it, but I couldn’t!
We did our first multi-night trip when he was 10 and he did great.
Hiking Bidet gang has entered the chat
What is the youtube channel of Mile Mile and a half? I cannnot find it. Can you give me the link? THank you.
It used to be free on TH-cam but it looks like you need to pay for it on Amazon now. Still worth it though in my opinion.
Don’t use TP, use water 💦
@@itsacorporatething You don’t get peanut butter out of shag carpet by sprinkling a little water on it…
@@jonallenoutside true you have to use soap and dig into the carpet a little bit.
@@jonallenoutside not saying it’s pretty but the alternative of carrying around your own “peanut butter” in 3 bags for days isn’t pretty either.
@@itsacorporatething Too funny! I seriously laughed out loud. Thanks for the suggestion and the follow up.