High Sierra Backpacking Gear List for Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall

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Web Construction Note

The gear section, like the whole website, is under Active Construction. I have just finished the guide between Lake Tahoe and Highway 4, where the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails meet Lake Alpine and Ebbetts Pass, respectively.

I am celebrating this milestone with a full edit of all the content online, including this draft Gear Section. So watch out for a better organized gear section.

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Note: My Summer Gear is the basis of my year-round gear kit. I just add or replace gear elements with heavier pieces to accomodate the transition to Fall and Winter Conditions. Thus the gear list below is additive, and starts with the Summer base gear, and adds heavier layers as the weather cools into Fall and Winter.

On This Page

Al's Basic High Sierra Gear List
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Upper Body
Base Layer Shirts: (This is your "wear all the time" Layer against your skin)	Two 100% poly thin insulation layers: Thin Poly Tank Top Thin Poly Long Sleeve
Insulation Layer: (These layers are added and subtracted depending on temp)	Medium Weight Fleece Coat *Option:* Medium Poly thermal	ADD:Medium Poly thermal	ADD: Quality Down Coat
Shell Layer: (This is your outer protection)	Very Light weight water/wind proof shell upper Option: Medium weight shell upper	Medium Weight Shell Upper	REPLACE: Lightweight Shell with Heavy Winter Mountain Jacket
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Lower Body Base Layer: Insulation Layer: Outer Layer:
	100% Nylon zip-to shorts-Pants	Option: Add Thin Poly thermal Pants. (These are worn below zip-to-shorts pants)	Add: Thin Poly thermal pants (winter base layer)
	Medium Weight Fleece Pants	Option: Add Medium Poly thermal pants	Add: Medium Poly thermal pants (winter base layer, over poly pants, under zip-to-shorts. Very Cold Weather Base Layering)
	Lightweight wind/water proof shell lower		Replace: Lightweight Shell with Heavy Winter Mountain Pants
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Head	Breathable Nylon Hat, big rim 100% poly skin-tight head cover Fleece ear warmer head band		Add: Full Coverage Tank Commander's Hat.
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Hands	Light weight wool gloves		Add: Heavy Insulated Gloves. Add: Poly Glove Liners
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Boots, Feet	Light to Medium Boots Light/Medium Wool Socks Poly Sock Liners Fleece Socks Camp/Fording Shoes	Replace: Light to Medium Boots with Medium to Heavy Boots Medium to Heavy Socks	Replace: Medium boots with Zamberlin Mountain Boots Replace: Light Wool with Heavy Wool Socks Add: Down Booties
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Sleeping Gear	Micro Tent 2 50' lengths of parachute cord, 5 MSR Ground Hog Stakes 40° Sleeping Bag, with Killer Water Proof stuff sack Option: 20° Sleeping Bag Closed Cell Foam Pad	Replace: Micro Tent with Half Dome. (I use a big tent for rain) Replace: 40° bag with 20° bag.	Replace: Half Dome with Micro Tent. Replace: MSR Stakes with Snow Stakes. Add: Extra Tent tie-downs. Replace: 20° bag with 0° bag.
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Travel	Balance-Rhythm-walking Stick optional. I am not impressed with two sticks, but each to their own style...	Add: Snow Sticks. Add: Snow Shoes. Add: Gaiters (If necessary)	Add: Snow Sticks. Add: Snow Shoes. Add: Gaiters Add: Crampons, if required for route. Add: Ice Axe, if required for route.
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Food Prep	MSR Stove & Gas One Med. Alum Pot Plastic Spoon-Fork Insulated Mug Garcia Bear-Proof 2 Water-proof nylon food hanging bags 100' length parachute cord	Garcia Bear Proof may be optional, depending on snow.	Note: 5 days of fuel becomes 3 in snow. Remove: Garcia Bear Proof.
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Water	Pur Hiker Hand Bottle 1-gal light plastic jug		Remove: Pur Hiker Note: 5 days of fuel becomes 3 in snow. Replace: Gal. Jug w/ 2 hand bottles.(3 total)
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Miscellaneous	Sunglasses Optional First Aid Two Djeep Lighters Waterproof matches Fire starter: Wax, old MRE fuel tab, or Magnesium sparking block Flash light Shit Trowel, (tip: USE SNOW STAKE) Toilet Paper Camera/Batteries Ass Pack, pen, pencil Swiss Army Knife Thermometer Compass	Sunglasses Required	Sunglasses Required
Gear Type	Drugs	Braces and Bandages	Bandages and Infection Control
First Aid Your first aid kit should be custom tailored for your own personal physical needs. The number of each type of drug and bandage depends on the length of the trip, how sensitive your feet are to blistering, and objective dangers.	Ibroprofen Codeine Aspirin	Knee brace Wide ace bandage Two or three rolls of sports tape large Telfa Gauze pads: 3 in x 8 in Large self-adhesive bandages: 4 in x 3 in Medium Self-adhesive bandages: 4 in x 2 in 10 band aids	3M steri-strips, 1/4 x 4 in Band Aid Butterfly closures, medium Triple antibiotic creme Domeboro: Burn Dressing Hypergel wound dressing Sterile wipes
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Personal	Moisturizer Baby Oil Mini-toothpaste & Brush Comb Lip Balm Suntan Lotion Option: Square Piece of backpacking towel Bandana Nature/tree guide, doubles as journal Balls: Don't freak out. Ibuprofen and Codeine
Gear Type	Summer	Spring and Fall	Winter
Pack	5 lb external frame pack, with 2 bungee cords, two fabric straps, one webbing strap.	Option: 5 lb internal frame pack (mine was stolen from the person I loaned it to. funny story.)	Option: 5 lb internal frame pack (mine was stolen from the person I loaned it to. funny story.)
	This kit composes my basic HOP setup: The Harness Of Pain!	This kit has proved adequate for all High Sierra early Spring, late Fall conditions.	This kit has proved adequate at 10° with a 50 mph standing wind, properly set, mid-Winter

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Backpacking Lake Tahoe to Mount Whitney: Your guide to the High Sierra Crest, including the Tahoe to Yosemite, Pacific Crest, and John Muir Trails