Here is a list of everything we will be hauling around with us on the ice. We have added and gotten rid of a few items since our last trip.
Group Gear
This is the amount of group gear we are taking for six people. We will have two rope teams of three people. The gear will be divided up equitably between the expedition.
Stoves (3): Three stoves. One stove per rope team and one extra in case one of the stoves breaks. (Example: MSR WhisperLite Stoves)
Fuel Bottles (3): Three 1L MSR white gas fuel bottles
Tents (2): Two four season four person mountaineering tents with double poles. (Example: Hilleburg Black Label KERON 4 GT tent)
White Gas: 0.17L per person per day x 6 people x 14 days= 14L of white gas. Carried in 2L empty soda containers.
Climbing Ropes (2): Two 7-9 mm x 40- 60 meter semi- static glacier mountaineering ropes
Sleds (2)
Sleds (2): One sled per rope team. (Example: Northern Sled Works Siglin Skijoring Pulk with pole mounts)
First Aid Kit (2): One large first aid kit. (Example: NOLS Med Kit 4.0)
Small Repair Kit: Thread, needles, tape, patches, WhisperLite repair kit, tool for fixing bindings, dutch tape, etc.
GPS: We will download apps on our phones. (Example: Gaia GPS)
Satellite Phone: One phone to use in emergencies. (Example: Iridium Extreme)
Sets of pots and pans (2):
One pot and pan per rope team. (Example: MSR Ceramic Two-Pot Set - 1.5 / 2.5 Liters and MSR Ceramic skillet.)
Maps (2): A map set for each rope team. Printed out and laminated maps from captopo at a scale of 1:630, 600 or 1:25,000.
Food: 1.5lbs per person per day x 6 people x 14 days = 126 pounds of food
Pickets (4): 2 pickets per rope team. (Example: MSR 90 cm Snow Picket)
Solar Charger (1): To charge sat phone and cell phone batteries
Wands (10):Green bamboo garden wands for marking crevasses, perimeter camps, etc.
Personal Gear
Upper Body Clothing
Each three insulating layers, a windproof layer, a rain layer and a lightweight base layer. Make sure your layers fit comfortably over each other. If you get cold easily, take four insulating layers, or three layers plus a vest.
T-shirt: A lightweight wool or polyester top is a great next to skin layer. No cotton.
Long Underwear Top (1-2): One lightweight and one mid- or expedition-weight synthetic or performance wool is best. (Examples: Mountain Hardwear Extend, Patagonia Capilene, Ibex wool, Icebreaker wool)Fleece JacketLight- to mid-weight fleece jacket that fits over your base layers. (Examples: Mountain Hardwear Microchill, Patagonia R1 or R2 Fleece Jacket)
Insulated Jacket: A warm, synthetic-filled jacket that fits over long underwear and fleece layers. (Examples: Mountain Hardwear Compressor, Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody)
Rain Jacket: Your rain jacket should be roomy enough to fit comfortably over all upper-body layers. Coated nylon or waterproof/breathable jackets are acceptable. Ponchos are not acceptable. (Example: Gore-Tex Pro Shell rain jackets.)
Lower Body Clothing
Two to three lower-body insulating layers that fit comfortably over each other and underneath rain pants. Example combination: Expedition-weight long underwear underneath insulated pants.
Long Underwear Bottoms (1-2 pairs): Light- to mid-weight synthetic or performance wool is best. (Examples: Mountain Hardwear Extend, Patagonia Capilene, Ibex wool, Icebreaker wool)Insulated PantsFleece or synthetic-filled pants (Examples: Sherpa Jaaro Microfleece Pants, Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pants)Rain PantsExample: Gore-Tex Pro Shell rain pants.
Miscellaneous Clothing
Sun Hat or Baseball: Capwide-brimmed to protect from sun.
Fleece or Wool Hat: Any fleece hat that will fully cover your ears. A wool ski hat is fine.
Glove Liners: Lightweight polypropylene gloves may be layered with heavier gloves for warmth or worn alone for sun protection.
Fleece or Wool Gloves: Durable gloves made from fleece, ragg wool or midweight polypropylene.
Underwear/Bra (2-3 pairs underwear, 1 bra): Undergarments made from merino wool or polypropylene wick moisture away from your skin and are highly recommended.
Mitten Shells: Nylon shells to cover your mittens and/or gloves. Gore-Tex is acceptable. Modular glove and mitten systems work well and will substitute as your mitten shells and one hand layer.
Buff: Synthetic polyester fabric tube. Use it as a headband, neck gaiter, balaclava, cap, face mask, wristband or scrunchy.
Footwear
Insulated Booties: Polyester-filled insulated bootie. Must fit inside your boot shell and so cannot have a hard sole. (Example: 40 Below Camp Booties)
Sleeping Gear
Sleeping Bag: Temperature rating of 0 degrees F or colder. Due to Alaska’s extremely wet environment, no down and feather bags.
Sleeping Pad: (2)One closed-cell foam pad and one full length self-inflating sleeping pads. (Self-Inflating Example: Therm-a-rest Pro-Lite)
Sleeping Bag Stuff Sack: A compression stuff sack to make your sleeping bag smaller to pack (example: OR Ultralight Compression Sack). A no-compression stuff sack is fine too and weighs less (Example: Granite Gear Air Compressor Stuff Sack).
Packs and Bags
Internal Frame Pack: Internal frame backpack with a volume of 90 to 115 liters (5,500-6,000 cubic inches).
Small Stuff Sacks (1-2): Used to organize items in your pack. Lightweight drysacks are convenient (example: eVent Sil DrySack). Non-waterproof are fine too and they weigh less (example: Outdoor Research Ultralight Stuff Sack).
Waterproof Bag Liners (2-3): 3mm durable, sturdy, plastic trash compactor bags.
Miscellaneous Items
Bandana (1-2): For multiple uses. 1 is highly recommended for feminine hygiene use.
Lighter (3-4): Used to light stoves.
Eating Gear: 1 Bowl with a lid and 1 plastic/Lexan spoon or metal spork
Eyeglass Retainer: Good brands are Chums and Croakies.
Lip Balm: Stick or cream with sun protection with zinc.
Prescription Glasses and Contact Lenses: If you wear prescription glasses or lenses, you should bring a spare set. Even if you wear contact lenses daily, plan to carry a pair of glasses into the field.
Sport Sunscreen: A tube or bottle of 2-4 oz. should be plenty. A sun protection factor of 30 or greater is necessary with a physical sunblock such as zinc oxide.
Sunglasses: Durable with 100% UV protection.
Glacier glasses: Dutch tape on the sides of non-glacier glasses also works. If you wear prescription lenses, bring your own prescription sunglasses or look for a quality pair of clip-on shades. (Good brands: Julbo, Native)
Toilet Articles: Toothbrush, toothpaste, comb/brush, moisturizer, prescription meds, tampons. Sample sizes of 2 oz are preferable. No deodorant or excessive items.
WatchWaterproof watch: One with a barometer is super helpful for weather stuff.
Water Bottle or Water Bladder: (1-2)Wide-mouth quart- or liter-size. A lightweight bladder system also works well. (Examples: Platypus SoftBottle and Nalgene 2 lite)
Camera: (optional) Small, durable camera with plenty of extra batteries and memory cards.
Knife: A small pocket knife or multi-tool.HeadlampShould be lightweight.
Climbing Gear
Carabiners (5): Climbing carabiners come in two general types: locking and non-locking; the lock is a cylindrical jacket that twists up over the gate of the carabiner to stop it from opening accidentally. Bring three locking and two non-locking (standard) carabiners. At least one large, pear-shaped locking carabiner is recommended. A good way to personalize your carabiners is to use various combinations of colored tape on the side opposite of the gate, or use some other method to mark your name on your carabiners. Carabiners must be designed and approved for climbing use.
Ice Axe: 50 to 70 cm mountaineering ice axe suitable for steep snow and ice climbing.Crampons10- or 12-point crampons with horizontal front points. Either strap-on or step-in types are fine. Example: Petzl Vasak Leverlock crampons. Other good brands: Grivel, Black Diamond, Lowe and Charlet Moser)Climbing HarnessA sit harness designed specifically for alpine mountaineering. (Examples include BD Couloir Harness and BD Alpine Bod Harness.) Helmet: lightweight climbing helmet. (Example: Petzl Elios)
Cordelette/Perlon Cord: 50 ft. (15m) of 4-6 mm diameter perlon cord. This is available at any shop that sells climbing gear. This cord is used for making prussik loops, constructing snow and belay anchors, and other mountaineering purposes.
Backcountry Ski or Splitboard Set-Up: SkisBackcountry touring setup (Examples: Coalition Snow La Nieve Backcountry Ski, Atomic Century 109 Ski, and DPS Tour Wailer 112s )
Boots: Light touring or plastic telemark boots (Examples: Scarpa Gea RS and Scarpa T3)
Bindings: Lightweight telemark or tech binding. (Examples: G3 Ion 12 Alpine Touring Ski Bindings with Brakes, Fritschi Tecton 12 Binding, or 22 Designs Vice Telemark Bindings)Splitboard (Board and Bindings)
A lightweight splitboard set up: (Examples: Venture, Never Summer and G3 splitboards with Sparks bindings.)
Ski Poles: A sturdy pair of adjustable poles with medium to large baskets. (Example: Black Diamond 2 and 3 piece adjustable poles)
Climbing Skins: Synthetic hair, adhesive climbing skins. The skins need to be as wide as the skis or snowboard. (Example: Black Diamond Ascension STS Climbing Skins)
Transceiver: Avalanche transceiver (Example: BCA Tracker transceivers)Shovel A sturdy, collapsible snow shovel. (Example: Black Diamond Evac Shovel)
Probe: A sturdy, collapsible avalanche probe. (Example: Black Diamond QuickDraw Tour Probe 280)
Skin Wax: A necessary life saver. Also works on bases of sleds (Example: Black Diamond Glop Stopper Wax) - Mary