What Equipment should I take?
This is a common question asked when going on any type of walking or caving expedition, this is the personal equipment you should take. I will try and answer this but do not take this as a definitive list. For group equipment, it depends on where you are going and what else you are doing as to what you need.
'Pick and Choose' the items you need and remember this is a generic list so there are several items that you will never need but I have put them here for completeness. Many people can offer lots of advice on these, just pop into any outdoor shop and ask. If they do not know they will put them onto someone who does.
Unfortunately, although I can give some advice on this, I cannot recommend specific brands as I haven't had a chance to try them all out.
Click on the hyperlinks below go to the appropriate location below
Camping Sleeping Bag 3/4 Season (~ +10 to -10) as a minimum, it gets very cold at night up in the hills Tent Lightweight and waterproof (>3000mm hydrostatic head) advisable if you are taking up the hillside Roll Mat To keep you insulated from the ground and add a degree of comfort Soap Sanitary is vital Tooth Brush and Paste Keep these small for space Travel Towel Staying dry gives you a good feeling Cooking Stove Anything will do but the cheaper the stove the longer it will take to cook your food. A bog standard camping gaz stove is probably not advisable and Alpine stove or better is advised Cooking Pots Two sizes of pots and a frying pan Plate, Bowl, Mug Sturdy but light weight Knife Fork Spoon Set Goes without saying Matches & Lighter Waterproofed is advisable Pan Cleaner Obvious I know but frequently forgotten Clothing and Footwear Walking Boots Good, sturdy and waterproof walking boots Socks Thick, warm walking socks Waterproofs Proper waterproofs! In my experience, cheap ones are not worth it Fleece Jacket Keep you warm Trousers 2 pairs of Walking Trousers or sports bottoms Shorts 2 pairs - it is likely to be very hot during the day T-Shirts A minimum of 2 Jumpers 2 is probably advisable is gets cool in the evenings Gloves For when it gets very cold Warm Hat Also for when it gets very cold Sun Hat A must while walking during the day or you may end up with Heat Stroke Sun Glasses To protect your eyes Orienteering Equipment Compass Goes without saying! DO NOT walk without one Map Highly advisable (1:50,000 or better suggested) You can sometimes buy one where you are going Map Case To keep your maps dry and clean General Equipment Rucksack 70 Litre is probably the minimum size Whistle To attract attention if anything should go wrong Penknife An absolute must! There are so many uses for this and I NEVER walk without one Water bottle There are many on the market to choose from but get one so you do not dehydrate on your walks Torch Up to you what you use here a Petzel Tikka or MAG-Lite is suggested First Aid Kit An absolute necessity. DO NOT rely on others! Sun Cream Factor 25 minimum Survival Bag If the worst should happen it makes a great emergency shelter and packs really small Spare Boot Laces If yours break Strong String Always a good idea Candles Reasonable sized to give several hours of light Watch You'd be amazed how many people forget this! Brew Kit Tea Bags, Powdered Milk and Sugar - a great moral booster Pencils These can write on almost anything Notepad Waterproof ones are highly recommended Optional Extras Walking Poles Can be nice but are not necessary Insect Repellent Nice but not necessary Binoculars A nice extra GPS These are useful but are not necessary and there are hundreds on the market - choose one wisely. They tend to drain batteries but can pinpoint your location. This is more of a toy than an Expedition Tool. Survival Equipment - You don't need all of these, get some advice on what you should get Flairs Good safety equipment and packs small Survival Kit Always advised. It packs into a tobacco tin so takes up no space - see below for contents Snap Sticks For emergency light but hopefully you have enough back-up lighting so don't really need these Pocket Survival Book Useful when all else fails but not a necessity Personal Locator Beacon 406 MHz (with GPS) PLBs can be useful but may need permits in some countries - these were designed for marine use but can be used for a lot more (for EXTREME expeditions) Strobe Light Not necessary but can be seen for miles in the even of a rescue - can be part of a Personal Locator Beacon Serious Expeditions Winter Mittens To keep your hands warm in extreme conditions Jacket Very warm, windproof and waterproof for extreme conditions Crampons If you want to walk on the glaciers Ice Axe Useful for both ice and snow Harness Needed when ropes are necessary and good for rescue situations Cows Tails 2 short lengths of rope with a karabiner on the end - useful for wire climbs and traverses Rope 50 metres of 9 or 10mm dynamic rope Machete Or similar sharp blade is absolutely invaluable
Survival Kit Contents (in a waxed Tobacco Tin) - The SAS Survival Handbook, John 'Lofty' Wiseman Matches Waterproofed with Candle Wax Candle Cut square to fit better Flint To help light fires Magnifying Glass To light fires and assist in the removal of splinters Needles and Thread To do minor repairs to clothing and equipment Hishing Hooks and Line Fishing Weights are also advisable Button Compass Small Compass for emergancies Snare Wire For catching rabbits and hares Flexible Saw For cutting firewood and making shelters Medical Kit
- Analgesic - Pain Reliever
- Intestinal Sedative - For diarrhoea
- Antibiotic - For general infections
- Water sterilizing tablets - Guess what these are for
- Anti-malaria Tablets - Essential when travelling in malaria areas
Potassium Permanganate - Antiseptic
Surgical Blades These have many uses Butterfly Sutures Immediate treatment for gashes Plasters For minor cuts Condom Don't laugh! These are very good for collecting up to 2 litres of water Pencils For notes and leaving messages Small Folding Knife Just a backup
Suggested Items in include in a First Aid Kit - This is NOT a definitive list - seek advice Antiseptic Cream To keep wounds clean Antiseptic Wipes To clean wounds (x6) Butterfly Sutures For quickly closing cuts and lacerations Crępe Bandage To provide support for strains, sprains and weak joints Fabric Plaster Strip For many different types of cuts Latex Gloves To keep infections out while dressing wounds Melolin™ Dressings To stop bleeding and keep the wound clean (at least 3 of 5cm*5cm and 3 of 10cm*10cm) Plasters For small cuts Safety Pins To hold dressings together amongst other uses Sam Splint Optional as it is big but very usefull for fractures Scissors To cut dressings and tape Stretch Bandage For holding the Melolin™ dressings in place and dirt out Surgical Tape To hold dressings Triangular Bandages 2 for numerous slings and bandages Tweezers To remove splinters and for delicate work Wound Dressing Ready prepared wound dressing with bandage for fast wound dressing on cuts and lacerations Medical Drugs These can be included in your First Aid Kit at your discretion eg. Paracetamol, Aspirin, Anti-Diarrhoea tablets. WARNING some people are allergic to these so ensure you are not if you decide to include them. Always follow the instructions.
Under Clothing Undersuit Fleece is the most commonly used as it allows the water to dry off more easily however some alternatives are alpinex or buffalo suit (Sub Zero) Thermals It is very cold underground, Austrian caves are approximately +2 degrees centigrade Socks Wet socks or fleece socks are advisable as they remain warm even after getting wet Warm Gloves For extra warmth whenever you stop Balaclava A thermal Balaclava is strongly suggested Underwear Comfortable flexible gear (for females I would advice against an underwire bra - it would be very uncomfortable to get prodded by the wire and has been known to cause serious injury) Protective Clothing Oversuit The more waterproof/windproof the better as it will keep you warmer but it will tear more easily Boots Wellingtons or lace up boots, walking boots or army boots are not suitable Belt Belay belt Kneepads These are highly advised, the caves are very sharp in places. There are two options Miners Kneepads (highly durable but not very flexible) and Neoprene (less durable but very flexible) Elbow pads Once again these are highly advised Hard Wearing Gloves Protection for your hands as the rocks are sharp underground Helmet and Lighting Helmet Builders helmets are not suitable on expedition, a proper caving helmet is necessary once again get advice on this Carbide Light Does not need an electric point to recharge the light (I would suggest you get advice on which model to buy, I have a Fisma Generator with a Petzel head piece) Backup Light I have a Petzel Zoom but there are many alternatives. Extremely useful in a waterfall as your carbide will go out! Carbide To fuel the light. Generally bought as a group item. SRT and Rope Equipment SRT Gear One of Two rigs, the Frog Rig and the Rope Walker Rig - I cannot advice one over the other although the Frog Rig requires less equipment so is lighter and cheaper SRT Gear Bag Always useful as sometimes it is necessary to take your gear off and carry it underground Emergency Ascending Gear Very useful if you loose a jammer. A Tiblock (Petzel), Rope Walker (Wildcountry), two oval karabiners is all that is necessary and I would always advise a prussic knot. Whistle To communicate on long or wet pitches Hanger and Mailons (*3) If you get in a sticky situation a spare hanger might save the day Knife Small sharp knife to cut rope if neccessary Useful Suggestions Karabiners A couple of these on your belt is always a good idea Pulley Highly advisable as you need to carry any gear you may need for an emergency Sling Very useful to carry on you at all times. It has many uses (even an emergency harness) First Aid Kit I cannot stress how important this is - you will be totally responsible for your own safety, DO NOT rely on others to provide you with their First Aid Equipment Hotpacks To give you a little extra heat when needed Tackle Bags With a suitable 'Donkey Dicks' Carbide Containers One for spent and one for unused carbide. Must be waterproof! Underground Camping Kit Sleeping Bag The smaller it packs, the easier it will be to carry it Bivi Bag To keep the wind out. Make sure it is breathable or it will get soaking inside and will not make for a comfortable night sleep Stove Small, light and clean-fuel stove Mug Small mug for your tea Pan Doubles as a cooking pan and a bowl Dry Undersuit It's not pleasant sleeping in wet cloths, but the more you take, the heavier and more awkward it gets Spoon It can be interesting cooking and eating without it Darren Drums With plastic bin bags for toilet use Tin Opener If you are planning on eating tinned food! Backup Light And lots of it. If you are several days from the entrance it could be a long trek in the dark Water Container Can be useful if you are not camping right by a stream (although you can use your pan for short distances)