This is all the gear we took along
Legend:
a question mark means "unknown"
a dash means "will not bring" or "doesn't have such item".
cooking gear Jim Kees Roberto
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stoves MSR - OptimusTiny
fuel bottles 1 2*0.7l 1*0.7l
lighter 1 - ?
bowl/plate 1 1 1
mug 1 1 1
cutlery set 1 1 1
tin opener - - 1
pocket knife 1 1 1
billy large 1 - -
billies med/small - - 3
pan handle - - 1
plastic water bottles 2*1.0lit 2*1.5lit ?
thermoflask - - metal
repair kits for stoves 1 ? 1
nylon string - - 10m
medical Jim Kees Roberto
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for high altitude diamox+other -
diarrhea tablets tablets
ibuprofen (cramps) lots
real pain killer some
paracetamol lots lots lots [0]
eye balm ?
propolis 1 [1]
propolis spray 1 [1]
throat drops/tablets 2 large tins
first aid kit 1
iodine cream - 1 -
desinfecting soap - 1 ?
sun burn cream - - 1
lip balm (factor) >> 15
sun block >> 30
insurance ? OK ?
heart rate meter - 1 -
toothbrush&paste 1 1 1
toilet paper ? ? - get on the spot ;-)
baby wet towels ? ? 1 box
pencil/paper - 1 1
hand warmer pads - - 2
pee bottle 1 1 1
[0] DO NOT bring aspirine!! It's soo acid it might hurt stomach. Also,
cannot be used with Diamox.
[1] bee's wax extract, excellent for healing wounds, antiinflamatory,
antibiotic; the spray is for sore throats
camping/climbing Jim Kees Roberto
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tent(s) Pheonix - TNFmountain24
ground liner ? - 1
snow shovel - 1 -
rucksack (volume) 80 93 80
pack liners 1 - 4 bin bags
harness 1 1 1
rope - 2*50m -
helmet 1 1 1
head torch & batteries 1 1 1
sleeping bag 900g down -20C down -20C, 750g down
silk liner 1 - -
therma rest 1 - 3/4
carrimat - 18mm 1
bivi bag gore will buy breathable
stiff boots Koflax Scarpa leather
gaiters 1 1 1
rock boots 1 1 1
crampons clip-on strap-on strap-on
ice hammer 1 1 -
ice axe 1 1 -
ice axe long - - 1
hammer ? 1 -
slings (long+short) 3 some 2+2
ice screws 2 2 2
crabs screwGate 4 4 4
crabs normal - 6 2
protection - DMMnuts+tricams+pitons DMMnuts
runners (2crabs+sling) ? ? 5
prusik loops 4 3 3
stitch plate 1 - 1
figure of eight - 1 1
dead man 1 1 -
trekking poles 1 - pair
goggles glacier 1 1 1
goggles skiing - 1 -
sun glasses - 1 1
altimeter - 9000m -
camera + lots of film CannonEMF Yashica+8 mightBuy
wistle 1 - 1
compass - Silva Silva
wrist watch 1 1 1
thermometer - 1 -
binoculars - 1 -
clothes Jim Kees Roberto
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thermals-top 2 3 2+tank
thermals-bot 1 3 2
ron-hill's 1 1 1
fleece trous 1 salopettes will buy
fleece tops 2+light 2 2
down jacket 1 1 will buy
shell goretex 1 1 1
over trousers 1 salopettes 1
walking boots 1 may bring 1
gloves light 2 1 2
gloves heavy 1 1 1
mitts - 1 1
overmitts - 1 1
balaclava 1 1 1 light
hat (thick & hot) - 1 will buy
headband - 1 1
scarf - 1 1
thin socks 2 2 2
woolen socks 3 3 3
sun hat 1 1 1
underware several plenty enough
shorts+tShirt - - 1
cotton towel - - 1
knee supports 1 - -
sewing kit - - 1
Here is an annotated list of my gear
0 not used
1 used occasionally (optional)
2 used occasionally (but not optional)
3 used regularly (not optional)
4 used constantly (essential)
make material what
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1 helly hansen artic polypro long johns
4 helly hansen artic polypro long neck long sleeved top
0 helly hansen polypro long johns
1 helly hansen polypro long sleeved top
1 lowe alpine power stretch long johns
1 lowe alpine power stretch long neck long sleeved top
4 ronhil running trousers
1 home made 100 weight fleece salopettes
2 berghaus goretex salopettes
4 north face windstopper 100 weight fleece
3 berghaus 200 weight fleece
4 north face three layer goretex jacket with hood
3 sprayway down jacket with (removable) hood
3 lowe alpine power stretch gloves
2 north face windstopper 100 weight fleece gloves (long cuffs)
0 dachstein woollen mittens
0 outdoor research goretex overmittens
4 windstopper 100 weight fleece hat
4 100 weight fleece & nylon head band
1 100 weight fleece balaclava
4 helly hansen polypro thin socks (2 pair, 1 pair worn)
4 woolen tick socks (3 pair, 2 pair worn)
4 white cotton hat (against sun)
0 fleece scarf
1/2 mountain range goretex bivy bag
4 mountain equipment down sleeping bag (-20C)
4 18mm thick karrimat
0 Grivel Geronimo 2 * technical ice axe
0 snow shovel
0 mixed terrain strap-on crampons
2/3 outdoor research goretex gaiters
4 scarpa vega plastic boots
4 ray ban & zeiss glacier glasses
2 spare sun glasses
2 silva compass
4 suunto altimeter/barometer/compass/watch
3 binoculars
4 yashika T5 36mm camera & film (about 8)
4 spoon, knife, pocket knife
4 mug
4 plate
4 2*1.5 liter plastic water bottles
0 pee bottle
4 sigg 2 0.7 liter fuel bottles
0 2 ice screws
0 2 ice screws (for Roberto)
0 dead man
0 2 * 8.6mm 50m rope
0 slings
0 1 set of DMM nuts
0 1 set of tricams
0 6 sets of carabiners
0 6 locking carabiners
0 6 pitons
0 hammer
0 harnass
0 helmet
0 rockboots
90 liter rucksack
4 40 liter rucksack
3 Karrimor
4 bogrol
4 sunblock SPF40
4 lip balm (also with sun block)
2 anti-diarrhea tablets
2 paracetamol/asperine
2 diamox
2 the other altitude medicine (forgot what it's called)
4 desinfecting soap
0 toothbrush & toothpaste
4 pen/pencil & paper
Notes, in random order:
-
Under more severe conditions (such as storms that do occasionally
occur) the category 'no used' would be very small!
If you assume good weather you could leave out lots of clothes; this is not
something _I_ would do (but perhaps I'm biased to Scottish conditions!).
-
My sleeping bag was too warm except when bivvying at 4000 meters, and in
the tent at 5000 meters.
I loved my extra thick karrimat: sleeping on scree the extra comfort rather
than insulating properties were most important.
-
If you bivvy you can leave your tent at home. We bivvied one night, mostly
for fun. Hanging around for a few hours filtering water, cooking, and so
on, you get very cold. I was very glad, therefore, for the tent at higher
altitudes because it provides shelter when you're tired and hence get cold
much more easily.
-
We did not use any of the glacier gear because the glaciers were very open
(large crevasses spanning the width of the glacier, with lots of loose
rock). This apparently was due to the effects of El Nino (in the valley it
snowed half a meter instead of the usual five meters). We had to change
our plans because of this; lesson: be flexible.
-
We did not use the climbing gear because we did not have time to go
climbing. In the Gordo valley there was a lot of nice, climable rock that
we would have liked to have played around on.
-
If you use petrol for your stove, filter it thoroughly before use.
Even a supposedly any-fuel-will-do stove like the MSR will
block. Faffing around with a stove (aka using that handy field repair kit)
at 5000 meters is no fun.
-
The Suunto wristwatch/altimeter/barometer/thermometer/compass was useful,
especially the time, altimeter, and barometer. Navigation was no problem,
so that I didn't need the compass. I have since used the compass in
semi-white-out conditions when it proved useful on non-critical terrain to
get a quick fix for the rough direction.
-
We used none of the altitude medication.
I felt no direct effects of the altitude, such as shortness of breath.
The other two did, at starting at 4000 and 4500 meters as I recall.
That didn't stop them going up though.
-
Only dehydration was significantly more pronounced than at lower-level walks.
Force yourself to drink enough. Finding water (i.e. clean water must be
obtained from galcier melt water, or by melting snow or ice) probably took
two hours a day (and some fuel!).
-
I had no trouble eating, or losing my appetite until 4500 meters.
Then the effects were bad: not having enough energy when you need it badly
made going down the last day unpleasant (this was one of the reasons for
not continuing up).
-
Be fit, very fit. Although the altitude did not affect my breathing
directly, it did slow me down considerably. 1000 meters up took about 5
hours every day. At sea level this doesn't take more than an hour and a
half. Both the terrain (scree) and altitude were debit to this.
(06/09/99)