Basic Gear

Dave Andersen

MITOC Winterschool 2002

8 January 2002

Basic Gear

• Packs

• Stoves

• Lighting

• Little bits:

• Knife, spoon, duct tape

• Map, Compass and Whistle

• Emergency Bits

Packs: Types

• Daypacks– Short trips, minimal waistbelt

• External-frame– Not for winter --- too unwieldy

• Internal-frame– Winter favorite

• Daypacks, I-frames for rent

Packs: Theory

• Hipbelt takes most of weight

• Shoulders mostly stabilize

• Constantly adjust straps to keep fit as load changes

Packs: Packing

• Bottom --- light (sleeping bag)

• High, close to back --- heaviest (water, food, fuel)

• High, far --- midweight (stove, clothing)

• Frequently used items in pockets to avoid opening main pack

Stoves: Use

• Melting snow --- put water in pot to avoid scorching

• Boiling water

• Fancier foods

Stoves: Types

• Butane, Butane/Propane, Isobutane– Pressurized gas canisters– Very easy to use– Poor performance in cold weather

• White gas– Liquid fuel turned to gas just before burner– More difficult to use– Winter favorite

Lighting: Flashlights

• C, D-cell flashlights too big!

• AA flashlights useful, but need a hand free…

• Headlamps! LED or Halogen

• Lithium batteries better in cold

(More on batteries later in WS)

Lighting: Headlamps

• Halogen: bright (2 hours on 2 AA)

• Xenon: long-lasting (8 hours on 2 AA)

• LED (new): absurdly long-lasting (100 hours on 2 AA)

• Separate battery packs can be kept inside clothing

Navigation Necessities:

• Map– Each person carries one in a waterproof bag

• Compass– $10 compass is plenty

• Whistle– Plastic (sold during office hours)

Handy necessities

• Swiss army knife / leatherman

• Space blanket

• Waterproof matches

• Iodine

• Duct Tape (on water bottle, easy)