Equipment List Alaska Backpacking

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1 Alaska Backpacking Welcome to NOLS! We look forward to having you with us this summer in Alaska. This list will help you decide what to bring with you to Alaska. The NOLS Alaska outfitting department can provide you with all the equipment on this list other than those items designated must bring or bring if you want. We recommend that you only bring gear that you already own. The actual gear needed for your course may vary slightly, depending on instructor judgment, course location, season and recent weather. Here are three options to help guide your gear purchasing process: ) or rent from us. We have a full retail store with experienced staff that can outfit you completely, tailoring your options according to route, weather and time of year. You will get only the equipment you need with no extra purchases. 2) Already have items? them along! Your instructors will inspect your gear and determine if it is suitable for your course. If an item is not approved, you can leave it with your luggage in our storage lockers. 3) Want to shop before your course begins? Browse the NOLS online store at store.nols.edu Or you can find Preferred Retailers in your area at We recommend renting gear from NOLS rather than purchasing expensive gear specifically for your course. While you do not have to rent gear from us, there are several reasons why we suggest it. Our rental gear is high quality, chosen and maintained specifically for the use it receives on our courses. The rental prices are reasonable given the wear the equipment receives. Also, if you plan to eventually purchase gear, you will have a better understanding of your future needs and preferences after the course. Finally, even if your equipment is appropriate, it will receive lots of hard use. Students are often surprised at the amount of wear put on their personal gear during a course. If you still wish to buy gear before your course, please read our equipment descriptions carefully and contact us if you have any questions. NOLS Alaska strives to find appropriate lightweight gear for our courses. If you purchase gear before arriving, you should strongly consider the weight of each article. Every ounce counts towards the total weight of your pack. Do research, read labels and ask questions. You ll have a lighter pack and a more enjoyable trip by bringing only necessary items while hiking. In addition to your course tuition, you have been billed an equipment deposit, which will be applied to the charges you incur for rental, cleaning, purchase of personal items and any loss or damage to our gear. Total charges will vary depending upon the amount of equipment that you rent or purchase from us. Please note that rental prices in the table below cover the entire course. Please note that ALL PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. If you have any questions, or if you would like more information regarding any of the items in the equipment list, please contact our staff in Palmer at (907) ; or [email protected]; or visit our web site at The availability of each item is indicated as follows: the item can be rented from NOLS. the item can be purchased from NOLS. the item is not available from NOLS, but is required. the item in not available from NOLS and is optional for your course.

2 Upper Body Clothing You need at least three insulating layers, a wind-proof layer, a rain layer and a t-shirt. Make sure your layers fit comfortably over each other. If you get cold easily, we suggest that you take four insulating layers, or three layers plus a vest. Base Layer (Long Underwear Top) Fleece or Insulated Vest Fleece Jacket $30-$00 2 $50 Insulated Jacket $30 $90 T-shirt $60 Wind Shirt $20 $65 Rain Parka $30 $95 Mid- or expedition-weight synthetic or performance wool is best. (Examples: Mountain Hardwear Extend, Patagonia Capilene, Ibex wool, Icebreaker wool) A vest can supplement other upper layers, which is good for folks who get cold easily. (Examples: Patagonia Synchilla Vest, Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech Vest) Light- to mid-weight fleece jacket that fits over your base layers. (Example: Mountain Hardwear Microchill) A warm, synthetic-filled jacket that fits over your base layers. (Examples: Mountain Hardwear Compressor, Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody) To wear on warm days. We strongly recommend a lightweight wool or polyester top (not cotton). We have Icebreaker Wool for sale with the NOLS AK logo. Nylon wind shell, roomy enough to fit comfortably over your base layers. Excellent protection in dense bushes and from bugs. Your rain parka should be roomy enough to fit comfortably over all upper-body layers. Coated nylon or waterproof/breathable parkas are acceptable. Ponchos are not acceptable. We rent Gore-Tex Pro Shell jackets. Lower Body Clothing You need two to three lower-body insulating layers that fit comfortably over each other and underneath your wind or rain pants. Example combination: Mid-weight long underwear + fleece pants. Base Layer (Long Underwear) Bottoms Insulated Pants $30-2 pair $50-$200 pair Mid- or expedition-weight synthetic or performance wool is best. (Examples: Mountain Hardwear Extend, Patagonia Capilene, Ibex wool, Icebreaker wool) Fleece or synthetic-filled pants are usually only needed on early-season courses when the weather is especially cold. Expedition weight long underwear bottoms are also acceptable. (Examples: Sherpa Jaaro Microfleece Pants, Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pants) Rain Pants $30 $95 pair We rent Gore-Tex Pro Shell rain pants. 2

3 Nylon Pants $20 $65-$75 pair Nylon Shorts Lower Body Clothing (Continued) Nylon hiking pants are recommended for protection from bugs and dense vegetation. We rent durable nylon shell pants. pair Light hiking shorts. Pockets are nice to have. Sun Hat or Baseball Cap Miscellaneous Clothing Fleece or Wool Hat $8 $30 Glove Liners Fleece or Wool Gloves Underwear/Bra $20-$25 Should be wide-brimmed to protect from sun. $0-$20 pair $5 pair $35-$ pairs of Underwear; Bra Any fleece hat that will fully cover your ears. A wool ski hat is fine. Lightweight polypropylene gloves may be layered with heavier gloves for warmth or worn alone for sun protection. Durable gloves made from fleece, ragg wool or mid-weight polypropylene. Undergarments made from merino wool or polypropylene wick moisture away from your skin and are highly recommended. Footwear Mid-weight Hiking Boots Hiking Socks Camp Shoes Gaiters pair $5-$ pairs $35 pair $60 pair Please read the Boot Selection Guide at the end of this list. be 75 to 00% wool, merino wool, heavy ragg type or thick polypropylene. No wool/cotton blends. The ground around camp is often wet, soggy tundra. We sell Crocs Specialist. (More examples: Holeys Coastal Boot, Crocs Bistro no vent holes) Full gaiters provide good leg protection while bushwhacking. We sell Outdoor Research Verglas. (Low gaiters are also acceptable, such as Outdoor Research Flex-tex.) 3

4 Sleeping Gear Sleeping Bag $50 $220 Sleeping Pad $5 $60-$00 Sleeping Bag Stuff Sack $8 $28-$35 We stock synthetic-filled sleeping bags with a temperature rating of 20 degrees F or colder. Due to Alaska s extremely wet environment, down and feather bags are not recommended. We rent closed-cell foam pads; however, we recommend and sell ¾ length self-inflating sleeping pads. We do not rent self-inflating pads. (Example: Therm-a-rest Pro-Lite Small or Regular) A compression stuff sack makes your sleeping 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 & Bags Internal Frame Pack $90 $300-$500 Small Stuff Sacks $-$4 $5-$5-2 Waterproof Bag Liners Zip Duffle $ $5 Internal frame backpack with a volume of 75 to 85 liters is ideal (4,600-5,200 cubic inches). 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). 3mm durable, sturdy, plastic trash compactor bags. These can be found in most grocery stores. Used to organize and store food while at camp. (example: Outdoor Products 2x24 Deluxe Duffle) Bandana Lighter Eating Gear Eyeglass Retainer Insect Repellent Miscellaneous Items $3-2 For multiple uses. $.50-2 Used to light stoves. Do not bring a zippo. $5-$0 Bowl Spoon Tupperware type bowl, -2 pints, with a lid. Lexan/plastic spoon. $5-$0 Good brands are Chums and Croakies. $6 A small bottle, 2-3 oz. 4

5 Mosquito Headnet $5 $2 You can rent this if bugs will be a problem on your course. Lip Balm Notebook and Pen/Pencil Prescription Glasses and Contact Lenses Sport Sunscreen Sunglasses Toilet Articles Watch Water Bottle or Water Bladder Miscellaneous Items (Continued) $2.50 Stick or cream with sun protection. $6-$2 of each $5-$7 NA tube or bottle $60-$70 pair $2.50-$6 NA $0-$25-2 A small spiral notebook is fine. Avoid hardcover. We sell a durable notebook with waterproof pages. 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. A tube or bottle of 2-4 oz. should be plenty. A sun protection factor of 30 or greater is necessary. A physical sun block such as zinc oxide is strongly recommended for people who burn easily. Durable with 00% UV protection. If you wear prescription lenses, bring your own prescription sunglasses or look for a quality pair of clip-on shades. We sell Optic Nerve. (Other good brands: Julbo, Native) Toothbrush, toothpaste, comb/brush, moisturizer, prescription meds, tampons. Sample sizes of 2 oz are preferable. No deodorant or excessive items. We have basic toiletries for sale if you forget something at home. a waterproof watch with an alarm even if you do not normally wear one. Wide-mouth quart- or liter-size. A lightweight bladder system also works well. We sell Platypus SoftBottle and Nalgene. Optional Items Camera Book Vitamins Knife Headlamp or Flashlight a small, durable camera with plenty of extra batteries and memory cards. A small book for pleasure reading. NA Some folks prefer to supplement their diet with a multi-vitamin. A small pocketknife or multi-tool. Good idea for August courses, unnecessary for June or July. Should be lightweight. 5

6 Trekking Poles $8 $65-$80-2 Single or double telescoping poles are best. We sell adjustable trekking poles and rent heavyduty ski poles. Compass Buff Fly Fishing Gear Neoprene Socks Optional Items (Continued) $25 set $25 pair We provide two compasses per hiking group. However, if students bring their own more map reading practice is possible for everyone. Synthetic polyester fabric tube. Use it as a headband, neck gaiter, balaclava, cap, face mask, wristband, or scrunchy. If you want to bring your own gear, you re welcome to. Note, however, that fishing opportunities are very limited and route dependent. NOLS has basic fly fishing equipment provided free of charge for routes with fishing. Neoprene socks may be worn with camp shoes or as hiking socks. (Example: SealSkinz All Season Waterproof Socks) Shared Group NOLS will supply Expedition members share both the use of and the responsibility for the group gear that NOLS issues. NOLS charges only for group equipment lost or damaged. Keep in mind that NOLS evaluates gear from a number of perspectives beyond those that an individual user might consider. Performance, durability and simplicity are all contributing factors towards our gear selection. Tents Compass Trowel or Shovel Stoves, Fuel Bottles & Fuel Maps Fishing Gear Bear Spray GPS Repair Kits Cooking Gear/Spice Kits Reference Books Soap and Hand Sanitizer First Aid: Our instructors carry adequate first aid kits. There is no need to bring you own. 6

7 Boot Selection Guide NOLS has been outfitting people with boots for many years and our priorities have remained the same: We want you to have footwear that provides adequate protection for your feet, that is durable enough to withstand weeks of rugged wear and that provides reasonable comfort. Many boots and shoes available on the market do not meet these criteria. When considering footwear, remember that your course will travel mostly off trail, and your feet will get wet. You could be in snow for days. You will cross rivers and boulder fields. The type of footwear that you need will depend on how heavy your pack is and how strong your ankles and feet are. Here are some features to look for in and hiking boots: A sole that provides good traction like Vibram or other lugged sole. Some form of nylon shank to provide foot support and protection. Durable uppers that will withstand hiking among sharp boulders and dense vegetation. A Gore-Tex liner is fine, but unnecessary. Your foot will get wet when the river comes in over the top of your boot. A Gore-Tex liner will slow drying time once the boot is wet. A comfortable fit with your preferred hiking socks. Boots that are too small are a common cause of blisters. Please see the Boot Fitting Guide in your enrollment packet for instructions on how to properly fit boots. The following list of acceptable footwear is not exhaustive. It is to be used as a guide to the general type of footwear acceptable for your course. It is fine to substitute a similar boot or shoe for one of the types listed here. If you are considering a lighter boot or shoe, you will have to be committed to trimming your pack weight to below 40 lbs which takes prior commitment to weighing each ounce of your personal gear. You have to factor in almost 25 lbs of group gear, fuel and food. Mid-weight hiking boots: Asolo: TPS Series, Power Lite Series, Matrix Series, Radiant Series, Energy Series, FSN Series Lowa: Terek GTX, Tibet Pro GTX Garmont: Dakota, Synchro Gore-Tex La Sportiva: Thunder II GTX, Garnet GTX, Omega GTX Scarpa: Himavan GTX, Mangali GTX, Bhutan GTX, Kailash GTX, Terra GTX Vasque: Wasatch GTX, Summit GTX, Sundowner GTX, Clarion GTX, Taku GTX, Talus UltraDry Oboz: Wind River, Sawtooth Mid 7