CLICK HERE for simple printable PDF version

*It is recommended to create zipper pulls on all your zippers to make it easier to use with gloves and mittens on.

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Head 

Beanie/Toque

Wool, synthetic, or Windstopper material. Windstopper will be warmer but makes hearing difficult. This hat will primarily be used while sitting around camp or in very cold and windy conditions. We lose a lot of heat through our head, so it is always important to cover the head when trying to retain warmth.

Examples

- Ortovox Fleece Light Beanie     BUY NOW!

- Arc'teryx Rho LTW Beanie     BUY NOW!

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Examples

- Ciele GOcap     BUY NOW!

- AAI District Trucker Hat     BUY NOW!

- AAI Classic Trucker Hat     BUY NOW!

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*Contact Lens Care Precautions: In our experience, contact lenses are perfectly acceptable for climbing trips at altitude and in very cold conditions. If you plan on wearing contact lenses on Denali, you should be familiar with the intricacies of long-term maintenance and care in these conditions. Plan on bringing at least two spare pairs of lenses and a few small bottles of whatever solutions you will require. Bring a pair of glasses as a backup or to give your eyes a rest.

**If you are buying Julbo glasses, we advise you purchase the Spectron 4 lens.

Examples

- Julbo Shield     BUY NOW!

- Julbo Monterosa     BUY NOW!   

- Julbo Montebianco     BUY NOW!

- Julbo Explorer 2.0     BUY NOW!

 

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Goggles 

 This is a very important pice of gear to protect you from high winds or heavy precipitation. They should be 100% UV rated lenses. It is recommended to have a photochromic lens (a lens that gets lighter or darker depending on conditions) or a replacement lens that is on the opposite side of things of the original lens that you buy. For example, if your stock lens is very dark, then have a replacement lens that is lighter, and vice versa. The reason for this is to be prepared for a spectrum of conditions. For example, for the most part goggles tend to be used in low light conditions, where we still need the UV light protection, but we want a lighter lens so we can see better in those conditions. On the other end of that is if it is sunny and super windy (at altitude the wind chill can be extremely cold, so in those conditions you want every inch of skin protected, and that is where the goggles come in, they help protect a large part of the face) in which case we want a darker lens to protect the eyes. 

**If you use prescription glasses make sure and purchase an OTG (Over-The-Glass) version of the goggles so they fit over your prescription glasses. Or you can visit www.sportrx.com and safetygearpro.com to get prescription lenses for your goggles.

Examples

- Julbo Aerospace w/REACTIV High Mountain 2-4 Lens      BUY NOW!

- Julbo Starwind w/REACTIV High Mountain 2-4 Lens       BUY NOW!

Cheaper options

- Julbo Airflux w/Spectron 3 Lens       BUY NOW!

- Julbo Ventilate w/Spectron 3 lens      BUY NOW!

OTG options

- Julbo Airflux OTG w/Spectron 3 Lens       BUY NOW!

 

 

 

Nose Protection

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Examples

Examples

- Buff Coolnet UV+     BUY NOW!

- Skida Tour     BUY NOW!

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Half Face Mask/Bavaclava



Neoprene half masks are recommended. They are lighter, lower bulk, weather resistant, and cheap. This will be worn in extreme cold or windy conditions to help cover every inch of skin on the face. We recommend the half mask because wearing it in tandem with goggles and hoods from your layers will cover everything. Essentially you can take a half mask instead of a full mask or bavaclava. If you do have a full mask or bavaclava, make sure they are at least wind resistant, windproof is better.

Examples 

- Zan Headgear Neoprene Half Face Mask       BUY NOW!

- Seirus Original Masque      BUY NOW!

Face Masks

Our current COVID protocols require everyone to wear a face mask or face covering when in an enclosed space or within 6ft of someone. While neck gaiters are acceptable, double layer masks are preferred.

Examples

- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Face Masks     BUY NOW!

- Cotopaxi Teca Face Mask    BUY NOW!

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Hands

CLICK HERE for more info on Alpine Glove Systems

Liner Gloves

Examples

-  Men's Outdoor Research Vigor Gloves     BUY NOW!

- Women's Outdoor Research Vigor Gloves     BUY NOW!

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Examples  

- Mountain Equipment Direkt Glove     BUY NOW!

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Expedition Gloves 

Examples

- Men's Black Diamond Guide Glove     BUY NOW!

- Women's Black Diamond Guide Glove      BUY NOW!

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Expedition Mittens

Examples

- Men's Outdoor Research Alti Mitts       BUY NOW!

- Women's Outdoor Research Alti Mitts      BUY NOW!

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Torso

CLICK HERE for more info on The Layering System

Sports Bra

Examples

- Smartwool Merino Seamless Racerback Bra     BUY NOW!

- Icebreaker Merino Sprite Racerback Bra     BUY NOW!

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Moisture Management Base Layer

Examples

- Men's Patagonia Technical Sunshade Hoody     BUY NOW!

- Women's Patagonia Technical Sunshade Hoody    BUY NOW!

- Women's Bight Gear Solstice Graphene Hoody     BUY NOW!

- Men's Bight Gear Solstice Graphene Hoody    BUY NOW!

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Active Insulation Jacket

Examples

40g/m2 

- Men's Montbell U.L. Thermawrap Parka      BUY NOW!

- Women's Montbell U.L. Thermawrap Parka     BUY NOW!

- Men's Arc'teryx Proton FL     BUY NOW!

- Women's Arc'teryx Proton FL     BUY NOW!

60g/m2

- Men's Patagonia Nano Air Hooded Jacket     BUY NOW!

- Women's Patagonia Nano Air Hooded Jacket     BUY NOW!

- Men's Arc'teryx Proton LT      BUY NOW!

- Women's Arc'teryx Proton LT     BUY NOW! 

Fleece

- Men's Patagonia R1 Full-Zip Hoody      BUY NOW!

- Women's Patagonia R1 Full-Zip Hoody     BUY NOW!

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Soft-shell Jacket/Windproof Layer 

Examples

Thin, light, windproof jackets

- Men's Patagonia Houdini Jacket     BUY NOW!

- Women's Patagonia Houdini Jacket     BUY NOW!

- Men's Arc'teryx Squamish Hoody     BUY NOW!

- Women's Arc'teryx Squamish Hoody     BUY NOW!

 

Breathable, wind resistant jackets

- Men's Mountain Equipment Echo Hooded Jacket     BUY NOW!

- Women's Mountain Equipment Echo Hooded Jacket     BUY NOW!

- Men's Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody     BUY NOW!

- Women's Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody     BUY NOW!

Passive Insulation Jacket

The goal for this piece is to add warmth to an internal layering system. Depending on clothing system/environmental conditions, may be worn underneath or over top of your shell jacket. The weight and design of this piece will vary based on the other items of climbing that you are bringing. Generally, jackets with 60g - 100g of synthetic sheet insulation are adequate. For Down, look for a fill weight of 100g-150g of 700 or higher fill power. If your general layers seem on the lighter side, or you run cold then go for a heavier weight for this piece.

Weight: 10 - 20oz / 283 – 566 grams

Examples

60g/m2

- Men's Arc'teryx Nuclei FL Jacket     BUY NOW!

- Women's Arc'teryx Nuclei FL Jacket      BUY NOW!

- Men's Arc'teryx Atom LT Jacket      BUY NOW!

- Women's Arc'teryx Atom LT Jacket      BUY NOW!

Warmer options

- Men's Arc'teryx Atom AR     BUY NOW!

- Women's Arc'teryx Atom AR     BUY NOW!

- Men's Patagonia Macro Puff      BUY NOW!

- Women's Patagonia Marco Puff     BUY NOW!

 

Down

- Men's Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket     BUY NOW!

- Women's Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket       BUY NOW!

- Men's Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody       BUY NOW!

- Women's Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody     BUY NOW!

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Hard-shell Jacket  

Examples

- Men's Arc'teryx Alpha FL    BUY NOW!

- Women's Arc'teryx Alpha AR     BUY NOW!

- Men's Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Jacket     BUY NOW!

- Women's Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Jacket     BUY NOW!

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Expedition Parka

These jackets come in many shapes, sizes and temperature ratings. If you tend to get cold easily, opt for a slightly warmer and more substantial parka. Otherwise, choose a Down parka that is still fully baffled, includes a hood, and offers sufficient coverage over the waist. Stitched through baffle construction is not acceptable, must be a box wall baffle construction throughout the body and arms. One of the main functions of the layering system is to be able to go relatively lighter for this jacket. Worst case all your other layers can be worn to add warmth, with the parka going over everything. Subsequently, the parka needs to be sized to be able to fit layers underneath it.

Weight: 25 - 55oz / 708 – 1560 grams

Fill Materials: Down

Fill Weight: Look for at least 300g of 800 fill Down for size L. If the jacket is using anything less than 800 fill Down, make sure there is substantially more fill weight in the jacket.

Examples

- Men's Mountain Equipment K7 Jacket      BUY NOW!

- Women's Mountain Equipment K7 Jacket        BUY NOW!

- Rab Expedition 7000 Jacket       BUY NOW!

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Compression Stuff Sack for Expedition Parka

Used to compress down the parka to it's smallest possible size. 

Examples

-Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Compression Dry Sack      BUY NOW!

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 Lower Body 

Undergarments

Bring 1-3 pairs depending on personal preference for changing. Synthetic or wool only.

Examples

- Patagonia Women's Barely Bikini    BUY NOW!

- Patagonia Men's Sender Boxer Brief      BUY NOW!

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Base Layer Pant

Light to mid-weight bottoms made from wool or synthetic material. No cotton.

Examples

- Men's Patagonia Capilene Midweight Bottoms      BUY NOW!

- Women's Patagonia Capilene Midweight Bottoms      BUY NOW!

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Expedition Weight Base Layer Pant

A thicker pair of long underwear bottoms that will serve as an additional insulating layer for use in colder temperatures. Windproof/Windstopper pants are heavier and less functional and will not work for this layer.

Examples

- Men's Byrnje Arctic Longs      BUY NOW!

- Women's Byrnje Arctic Longs      BUY NOW!

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Soft-shell Pants

This is your action layer. Should be stretchy, breathable and wind/snow-resistant. They should not restrict movement. A thigh pocket is a useful feature for storing small items.

Examples

- Men's Arc'teryx Sigma FL Pant     BUY NOW!

- Women's Arc'teryx Sigma FL Pant     BUY NOW!

- Men's Mountain Equipment Ibex Pant     BUY NOW!

- Women's Mountain Equipment Chamois Pant      BUY NOW!

- Men's Patagonia Simul Alpine Pant     BUY NOW!

- Women's Patagonia Simul Alpine Pant      BUY NOW!

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Hard-shell Pants 

Similar to the hard shell jacket, these should be uninsulated and have a 3-layer construction. Full side zips are highly recommended.

Examples

- Men's Mountain Equipment Odyssey Pants     BUY NOW!

- Women's Mountain Equipment Odyssey Pants     BUY NOW!   

- Men's Arc'teryx Beta SL Pants     BUY NOW!

- Women's Arc'teryx Beta SL Pants     BUY NOW!

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Insulated Pants

Sized to fit over soft shell pants and long underwear layers, these pants are the last line of defense in extremely cold temperatures. Full-length side-zips are a critical feature. Down or synthetic fill. The warmth of this layer will vary based on the temperatures expected on your program.  Reinforced seat and knees recommended.

 

Weight Recommendation:

                            May                                June

Down:        100-150g 800+ fill            60-100g 800+ fill

Synthetic:         100g/m2                          80g/m2

Examples

-Rab Photon Pants         BUY NOW!

-Women's Montbell Tec Thermawrap Pants       BUY NOW!

-Women's Montbell Tec Down Pants        BUY NOW!

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Feet

Socks

Bring three over the calf complete changes, more if you know you have very sweaty feet. If planning to wear 8000-meter boots or Intuition liners, bring several light to mid-weight socks and one pair of heavy/warm socks. Adjust your sock system ahead of time to perfect your boot fit. It is always nice to have a heavy/warm pair as a back up and to wear in the tent.

Examples

- FITS Medium Hiker Sock      BUY NOW!

Warmer Option

- Lorpen Inferno Expedition       BUY NOW!

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High Altitude Mountaineering Boots 

This is one of the most important items on this list, proper fit, and function with sock system is a MUST. Double boots are required, designed for extended use in extreme temperatures. Modern synthetic integrated boots (those with a built-in overboot/gaiter) are suitable for this climb. For traditional plastic boots, thermo-mold liners are warmer, lighter, and more comfortable than standard liners. If you have heat-moldable liners in your boots already and you have worn them for several trips, you may want to have them re-fit to ensure that the foam has not compressed and the temperature rating has been retained.

Examples

Modern Synthetic Double Boots

- La Sportiva G2 SM      BUY NOW!

- Scarpa Phantom 6000       BUY NOW!

8000M Boots

- La Sportiva Olympus Mons Cube     BUY NOW!

- Scarpa Phantom 8000      BUY NOW!

 

 

Overboots

If you have an 8000M boot then these are not required. If you have the La Sportiva G2 SM, then an overboot is optional, but recommended if you tend to get cold feet.  For any other boot, they are a MUST. Please verify these fit over your boots and that your crampons stay on without fail. 

Examples

- 40 Below K2 Superlight     BUY NOW!

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Gaiters

Optional. Recommended only if you are using boots that do not have an integrated gaiter. Make sure they fit to your boots.

Examples

 

- Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters     BUY NOW!

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Camp Booties

Nice for use in camp, these must be very lightweight and packable. Down or synthetic fill.

Examples

-Western Mountaineering Expedition Booties.      BUY NOW!

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Mountaineering Equipment

Ice Axe - Rentals Available

Examples

- Petzl Glacier      BUY NOW!

- SMC Kobah      BUY NOW!

Semi-Technical Axe

- Petzl Sum'tec       BUY NOW!

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Mountaineering Harness - Rentals Available

Must be UIAA or CE rated for climbing. This harness should be light and packable. Size it to be able to fit over several layers. Having releasable leg loops is a desired feature so you can put on and take off the harness with boots and crampons still on.

Examples

- Petzl Altitude Harness     BUY NOW!

- Petzl Tour      BUY NOW!

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Climbing Helmet - Rentals Available

Must be UIAA or CE rated for climbing. Make sure it is a good fit for your head.

Examples

- Petzl Sirocco    BUY NOW!

- Petzl Meteor    BUY NOW!

- Black Diamond Vapor     BUY NOW!

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Crampons - Rentals Available

Modern steel, 12-point, strap-on crampons are recommended. Step-in crampons are easier to put on with cold fingers but can be harder to work well with overboots. Strap-on crampons provide more reliable attachment to boots with overboots. Regardless, be sure crampon, overboot, and boot combination work well together. Make sure that you get a longer linking bar if your boots are too big for the standard one. You must also bring crampon adjustment tools if your crampons require them. Crampons should be suitable for steep ice climbing. Aluminum crampons are not functional on Denali.

Examples

- Grivel G12 New Classic      BUY NOW!

- Petzl Vasak Flexlock     BUY NOW!

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Carabiners

Must be UIAA or CE rated for climbing.

MUST be easy to manipulate with large gloves on, lightweight is preferred.

3x large, pear-shaped locking carabiners 

4x wire gate non-locking carabiners   

Carabiners are considered group gear and will wind up changing hands while on the expedition. Label/tape them well if you want your exact carabiners back at the end of the trip.

Examples

Locking carabiners

- CAMP Nimubs      BUY NOW!

- Petzl Attache     BUY NOW!

Non-locking wire gate carabiners

- CAMP Photon Wire Gate     BUY NOW!

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2 Shoulder Length Slings

Must be UIAA or CE rated for climbing.

We require two 60cm (24in.) “single-length” pre-sewn slings, used to attach your ascender to your harness and for other uses throughout the trip. We supply the ascender. Thinner spectra/Dyneema slings are not recommended because they are hard to remove knots from with gloves on.

Examples

- Black Diamond 18mm Nylon Runner      BUY NOW!

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Prusiks

 CLICK HERE for more info on Prusiks

 

Examples

 -Tendon 6mm Accessory Cord      BUY NOW!

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Trekking Poles - Rentals Available

Examples

- Black Diamond Expedition 3 Poles     BUY NOW!

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Snowshoes - Rentals Available

Equipped with an integral crampon and/or aggressive traction on the bottom of the snowshoes. Snowshoes can be sized smaller than is typically recommended by manufacturers since deep snow is not common on the climbing route. Large profile basic models made by Tubbs, Atlas, and Sherpa do not work well and are not recommended. Models by MSR are proven and quite durable. Many climbers rent these from AAI as they are hard to travel with. Length should not exceed 25-28 inches.

Examples

-MSR Evo Ascent       BUY NOW!

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Expedition Internal Frame Pack- Rentals Available

Large internal frame pack should fit your body type. This pack must be at least 5600 cubic inches in size; larger is better if possible. Avoid bells and whistles like large, full-length zippers, separate sleeping bag compartments, etc. It is very important that your pack be in good working order and not prone to failures of any sort.

Size Range: 90-100 Liters / 5600 + cu in.

Examples

- Mountain Hardwear AMG 105     BUY NOW!

Shorter-torso option

- Osprey Xena 85   BUY NOW!

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Large Duffel Bag

Your large duffel (120L-140L) should have a full-length zipper and be of durable construction for use on the mountain to transport gear in your sled. Longer, low height duffels are recommended as opposed to shorter, taller ones because they hold a lower center of gravity in the sled.

Examples

Mountain Hardwear Expedition Duffel 140       BUY NOW!

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Small Duffel Bag

A second duffel (40-60L) or travel bag will be needed to store your town clothes and personal items while on the mountain. This bag will be left in a secure storage area at the glacier flight service base.

Examples

Patagonia Black Hole 55L       BUY NOW!

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Camping

  

Sleep System

Sleeping Bag - Rentals Available

Down only. Synthetic bags are not acceptable due to their size and weight. Rated to -30F (-34C) for the early and mid-May expeditions; to at least -20F (-28C) for expeditions in June. If you know you sleep cold, consider a -40F (-40C ) for early season trips and a -30F (-34C)for June trips.

Examples

-20F  Mountain Equipment Iceline       BUY NOW!

-30F  Rab Expedition 1200      BUY NOW!

-40F  Mountain Hardwear Phantom -40F      BUY NOW!

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Compression Stuff Sack for Sleeping Bag

Used to compress down the sleeping bag to it's smallest possible size.

Examples

-Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Compression Dry Bag     BUY NOW!

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Inflatable Sleeping Pad - Rentals Available

Required. Really important piece of gear here: This is the difference between a good nights sleep and a bad nights sleep. When you lay down in your bag, whether it be on your back, side, or stomach, you are compressing the down and mitigating the insulate properties immensely. That is where the sleeping pad comes in, it not only is there for comfort, but it is also pivotal to insulate that side you are sleeping on properly. Being high in the mountains and sleeping on snow can make things fairly cold, even in the summer months. A winter rated inflatable pad is recommended with an R value of at least 5 being ideal. Pads with an R value of at least 4 are acceptable. Since using bulkier sleeping bags and clothing, going with a bigger sleeping pad, like the rectangular shaped ones instead of the mummy (tapered) ones, can be nice for comfort.

 

CLICK HERE for more info on R-Value

Examples

- Thermarest Neoair XTherm MAX      BUY NOW!

- Mountain Equipment Aerostat 7.0 Down Mat       BUY NOW!

 * MUST HAVE an inflatable pad patch kit with you in case of a puncture.

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Closed-Cell Foam Pad - Rentals Available

Examples

-Thermarest Z-Lite SOL     BUY NOW!

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Utensils

Bigger is better. Long handle preferred. Plastic and high temp nylons are not recommended as they break easily in cold temps.

Examples

- Sea to Summit Alpha Light Long Spork       BUY NOW!

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Insulated Eating Container

A lightweight tupperware container with insulation is recommended. Avoid small bowls that are prone to tipping and more fragile (plastic). Metal containers conduct heat more rapidly and lead to colder food and drinks faster than other materials.

Examples

- GSI Fairshare Mug II       BUY NOW!

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Thermal Mug

 12-32oz with a lid.

Examples

-Zojirushi SM-LB 48     BUY NOW!

-Zojirushi SM-LB 60     BUY NOW!

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Water Bottles

Examples

- AAI Nalgene Ultralight HDPE Wide Mouth Bottle       BUY NOW!

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Water Bottle Parkas

These insulating jackets are for your water bottles to help prevent freezing. Bring one for each bottle.

NOTE: Please write your initials on the outside of the parka, making it easy for your guides to fill up and return them to you.

Examples

- 40 Below Bottle Boot 1L      BUY NOW!

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Other Essentials 

Toothbrush and Toothpaste

Travel size recommended.

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Hand Sanitizer

Required. COVID considerations, as well as general use before eating and after going to the bathroom.

Examples

- All Good Hand Sanitizer Gel       BUY NOW!

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Face and Wet Wipes

The mountain shower. For personal hygiene and general use. Allot for at least 1-2 a day while on the mountain. Using makeup remover pads have been found helpful for taking off sunscreen.

 

Examples

Women's Specific

-Combat Wipes Gaia      BUY NOW!

Generic

-Combat Wipes Active       BUY NOW!      

 

 

Pee Bottle 

Examples

Foot Powder/Antiperspirant

A very small bottle will allow you to treat your feet daily, keep them drier, extend the life of your socks, and help you avoid blisters/rashes from chronic wet feet.

Examples

-Gold Bond Medicated Powder

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Women’s Specific Items

Female Urination Device

CLICK HERE for more info!

Examples

-Freshette       BUY NOW!

-TinkleBelle       BUY NOW!

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Menstruation Collection Cup

CLICK HERE for more info!

CLICK HERE for even MORE info!

Examples

-Diva Cup       BUY NOW!

-Intima Lily Cup       BUY NOW!

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Sun Protectioni

Sunscreen

SPF 30+, zinc based is preferred. Small travel size tubes are recommended so you can put them in a pocket for easy access.  Stick applicators allow you to apply without exposing fingers. Only your face and, at times, your hands will be exposed. Several small containers are better than one large one. Sunscreen is prone to freezing in the cold and smaller containers fit well into pockets for warming.Example

- All Good Mineral Sport Sunscreen        BUY NOW!

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Lip Balm

Bring 2 containers/applicators with the highest SPF available. Zinc oxide also works well (available in pharmacies) as do some models of “chapstick” that have SPF25 or higher.

Examples

- Dermatone Medicated Lip Balm     BUY NOW!   

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First Aide/Repair Kit

 

Personal First Aid Kit

Repair Kit

Your guides will have a full-featured repair kit. You will want a small personal repair kit as well with the following items:

 Optional Items