Clothing
|
 |
Down suit
|
One of my most important
pieces of equipment, this single piece down suits provide good protection
from cold. I will be using is above camp 2. It has full side and
rear zips, and plenty of internal pockets for keeping batteries and drinks
warm. High wear points on the shoulders, arms and legs are reinforced with
Kevlar. There is an internal polar fleece jacket and hood sewn into the
suit, which adds warmth and helps keep it sitting on your upper body without
compressing the down. Weight is about 2 Kg.
|
 |
|
|
Down jackets and vests
|
For when its slightly less
cold, I have a high altitude down jacket and vest as well. These are
extremely light-weight and compress into tiny bags |
  |
|
|
Gortex over-pants
|
Until I'm wearing the down
suit, I'll be wearing my Mountain Bibs when climbing. Mine is an overall
style, helping to keep me warm around the mid-section |
 |
|
|
Gortex jackets
|
For rain while I'm
trekking in and snow protection up higher when I'me not wearing my down suit |
 |
|
|
Fleece jackets
|
For warmth up to base camp
and will be used under my down suit. We each have a couple of these |
 |
|
|
Fleece pants
|
Worn on their own down
low, and under other garments up high |
 |
|
|
Thermals
|
Lots of under-layers
ranging in thickness |
 |
|
|
Synthetic walking pants
|
For hiking into base camp,
these dry fast if they get wet. Some also have zip off sections, allowing
them to be worn as shorts |
 |
|
|
Synthetic T-shirts
|
Again, fast-drying fabrics
are essential (otherwise the sweat from your body quickly gets very cold as
soon as you stop) |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Footwear
|
|
|
High altitude climbing boots
|
Boots like these eliminate
the need for gaiters, and are said to provide the best protection from the
cold. These will be used from base camp onwards. |
  |
|
|
Crampons
|
These are essential for
walking on steep snow or any ice. I'll have them on from base camp onwards. |
 |
|
|
Hiking boots
|
To hike from Lukla
(one hour flight from Kathmandu) to base camp I'll use
my regular hiking boots |
 |
|
|
|
|
Thick socks
|
Most of the
time I will be using normal hiking, explorer type socks |
 |
|
|
High-tech socks
|
I will also have a couple
of pairs of super-expensive/ high-tech socks |
 |
|
|
Thin socks
|
To use in combination with
the thick or high-tech socks, these help with warmth and comfort |
 |
|
|
Chemical toe warmers
|
We have plenty of these
which warm when they are opened from their packaging and stick onto your
toes. They go between the liner sock and the outer sock. |
 |
Head and Hand Wear
|
|
|
Fleece hats
|
For warmth in tent, while
walking, etc |
 |
|
|
Neck warmers
|
Better than scarves
because they don't come off - keep your ears warm too |
 |
|
|
Balaclavas
|
For use up high |
 |
|
|
Ski goggles
|
For use when its cold -
provide warmth and protect the eyes from the very harsh UV light which can
cause snow-blindness |
 |
|
|
Glacier sun glasses
|
When its a bit warmer,
I'll be using something like these to protect my eyes from UV light |
 |
|
|
Sun hats
|
During the trek in and on
some sections of the climb, its likely to be warm with harsh UV light. A
sun hat with a neck covering is essential |
 |
|
|
Fleece gloves
|
Around camp and on lower
parts of the trek I'll generally be wearing fleece gloves |
 |
|
|
Inner gloves
|
We'll be using polar tech
OR gloves underneath My down mitts when climbing high |
 |
|
|
Down mitts
|
I'll wear these while
climbing most of the time. |
 |
|
|
Chemical hand warmers
|
We have plenty of chemical
hand warmers (the type that warm for about 8 hours when exposed to the
air). We'll be using them inside our mitts and especially making sure that
we put them inside our thumb socket this time |
 |
Climbing Gear
|
|
|
Helmet
|
To protect from falling
ice and rocks - especially when climbing in sections where other climbers
are ahead of me |
 |
|
|
Climbing harness
|
Used so that we can use
ropes (rope to each other or clip into fixed ropes). The leg loops
are adjustable to take into account your thick down suit. |
 |
|
|
Ice axe
|
This will be clipped into
My harnesse at all times. On flatter sections, I'll be using it like a
walking stick for balance (holding on where the blade meets the handle) and
on steep sections I'll be holding the handle and swinging it above my head
to dig into the ice I'm climbing. However, the main purpose of the ice axe
is that if you fall and are sliding down the slope, you "self-arrest" by
digging the blade into the ice as a brake |
 |
|
|
Climbing rope
|
For roping up to climbing
partners while climbing. the idea is that if one guy starts to slide or
fall, the other guys on the rope can catch him |
 |
|
|
Carabiners
|
For clipping into fixed
ropes, and attaching ropes in general. I'll have both locking and snap-lock
types |
 |
|
|
Figure 8
|
For rappelling down steep
sections |
 |
|
|
Ascender / Jumar
|
Used for climbing a fixed
rope - they slide upwards but not downwards, allowing you to pull yourself
up on the rope |
 |
|
|
Head lamp
|
For climbing at night, a
strong head lamp with a long-life battery will be used. |
 |
|
|
Oxygen Mask & Tanks
|
Once I'm up high, and
especially on my summit push, I'll be using supplemental oxygen. The system
has been developed by International Mountain Guides. (Oxygen tanks also
accompany the mask and regulator shown here.) |
 |
Camping and Carrying Gear
|
|
|
Climbing / trekking packs
|
I will be using normal
hiking packs on the hike into base camp, and then smaller climbing packs as
I go further up the mountain. Although I won't need to carry everything as
our tent, oxygen, etc will be carried in ahead of us by sherpas, I'll still
be carrying my personal equipment, clothes, etc. On summit day, I'll need
the packs to carry my oxygen tanks |
 |
|
|
Tents
|
Tents like these will be
used above base camp. At base camp they'll probably be bigger, less sturdy
versions |
 |
|
|
Stove
|
Above base camp, I will be
using a stove like this to cook my dinner and more importantly, to melt
water |
 |
|
|
Ski poles
|
We find them handy for
climbing and walking in snow (in conjunction with our ice axe) |
 |
|
|
Giant duffle bags
|
These will contain all of
my gear and will be flown into base camp |
 |
Sleeping Gear
|
|
|
Down sleeping bag - heavy
|
These bags will be used
for camps 2, 3 and 4. They are enormous!!! |
 |
|
|
Down sleeping bag - light
|
These ones will be used at
base camp and camp 1. These are similar to what many people would have for
hiking in winter |
 |
|
|
Silk sleeping bag liners
|
These are supposed to
increase the body temperature by 5 degrees |
 |
|
|
Therma-a-rests
|
These provide the most
comfortable night's sleep when camping - but can be a bit cold so will
probably only be used at lower camps |
 |
|
|
Foam Mats
|
Not as comfortable but
much warmer for high camps - will possibly use in combination with the therm-a-rests
at lower camps for extra comfort |
 |
Miscellaneous Items
|
|
|
Nourishment
|
Although the food for my
meals will be supplied by climbing organizers, I am taking various snacks
and supplements for use when climbing. A big part of this will be Energy
Bars and Sports Drinks as they provide both fast and slow release energy, as
well as replacing electrolytes to aid in hydration
|
|
|
|
Water bottles
|
For the hike in |
 |
|
|
Thermoses
|
For water up high -
otherwise it freezes |
 |
|
|
Camel back
|
System for having water
inside a cask that you can suck from without having to worry about taking a
pack off, undoing lids etc. Hydration is really important at altitude so
this is a necessity |
 |
|
|
Altitude watches
|
Shows how high I am using
the air pressure. These also let me monitor our heart rates |
 |
|
|
Digital cameras
|
I'll be taking two with
me! |
 |
|
|
Satellite phone
|
I'll be accessing a
satellite to use the internet and communicate with home and sending
dispatches to all of you! |
 |
|
|
PDA
|
The mini-computer I'll be
using to update this website. I'll also be accessing email using this |
 |
|
|
MP3 Players
|
Can't be without some
tunes! Maybe the theme from the movie "Rocky" for the climb to the summit!
|
 |
|
|
Pocket knife
|
I'm going to whittle a
duck out of a stick in my down time |
 |
|
|
First aid kit
|
Blister tape, asprin,
Ibuprofin (aches and pains), Imodium (diarrhea), anti-biotics, bandages,
Iodine (for purifying water), sunscreen, lip balm, etc |
 |
|
|
Spare batteries
|
For everything - cameras,
MP3 players, lights, satellite phone, PDA etc |
  |
|
|
Toiletries
|
Wet ones, face wipes,
toothbrushes, soap, hair brush, shavers, towels, etc |
