Presidential
Traverse
Gear Selection
 previous |
 next |
| Introduction |
| The Cooking System |
| The Clothing System |
| The Food System |
| The Sleeping System & Miscellaneous |
| The Route |
| The Whiteout Navigation Plan |
| The Escape Routes |
| Camping |
| Emergency Strategies |
This is a huge category and directly relates to pack weight. It is also a subject that has a lot of personal preference involved. The important part of gear selection though is that you look at it from a systematic approach. For instance individual pieces of clothing should fit together to create a clothing system that meets the needs of the environment you will be in. Below is an equipment list we use on a traverse.
Individual
Gear
Ice Axe
Crampons
Snowshoes
Adjustable ski poles
Sleeping Pad
Winter Sleeping Bag -15°F
Expedition Pack
Shovel
Probe
Avalanche Transceiver
2 1 liter water bottles or 1 ½ liter Thermos and 1 liter bottle
Individual
Clothing
Double plastic mountaineering boots
Medium weight long underwear top and bottom
Heavy weight long underwear top
Heavy weight long underwear bottom
Pile jacket
Wind proof/water proof jacket w/hood (Gore-Tex)
Wind proof/water proof pants or bibs (w/full side zips)
Synthetic or down parka
Hats (one should be a balaclava type that can cover your face)
Gloves (pile with a removable outer shell works best)
Spare gloves or mittens (should be as warm as your main pair)
Liner socks
Heavy socks
Gaiters
Goggles
Sunglasses
Individual
Camping Gear
Headlamp
Small Flashlight
Lighter
Toothbrush
Large Mug
Spoon
Sunscreen
Group
Gear
Map
Compass
Altimeter
GPS
Tent
Stove
Cookware
Food
First Aid Kit
Repair Kit
Toilet Paper
Candle lantern
Cell phone
The
daunting task now is to pack all the gear you won't be wearing into
a load that is less than 50 pounds and as close to 40 pounds as possible.
So now we get to the details of the gear. There are many systems out
there and some actually work! We will go over the system we use at Chauvin
Guides to give you an idea of a systematic approach. Remember no system
is perfect, it is important to have experience with the system you will
use so you can adapt to the imperfections and deal with the inevitable
problems any system might have.
© Chauvin Guides International, P.O. Box 2151, North Conway, NH 03860 Voice: 603-356-8919