Colorado Mountaineering Veteran Adventures uses the W.I.S.E layering system. This stands for Wicking, Insulation, Shell, & Extra Layers. It is designed to keep you safe and comfortable in the outdoors. Yellow highlighted items are available from Touch of Nature upon request. Your trip leader will brief you on the importance of what to bring during the pre-trip meeting. If you do not own something personally, check with your trip leader, or purchase them at any local stores. Please feel free to ask questions regarding clothing & equipment at any time. Wicking Layer - Lower Body Material Quantity Checklist Hiking Socks Mid to Heavy Weight socks. Be sure to allow good wiggle room in your boots or shoes. Two pairs need to be expedition weight for sleeping/walking around camp in. 5 Underwear Most adventurers wear undergarments underneath their base layer and rotate every few days for freshness. Long Underwear This will be your base layer and should preferably be lightweight or silk weight synthetic or wool. Dark colors will feel wamer than light colors. Wicking Layer - Upper Body Short Sleeve T-Shirt A short-sleeved (not sleeveless) synthetic T-Shirt to wear hiking, in camp, and sleep in. Consider bringing for the day, for the nighttime. Long Sleeve T-Shirt / This wicking / base layer and should be lightweight or silk weight. Zip- T's are a great option for better temperature regulation. Insulating Layer - Lower Body Fleece / Puffy Pants or Expedition Weight Capilene This mid-weight layer is required is required to stay warm in the late season. If you tend to get cold easily, opt for a slightly warmer and more substantial pant. Insulating Layer - Upper Body Mid-weight pullover This lightweight insulating layer is all most desire while on the move. A wool sweater or lightweight fleece work best. Avoid windproof fleece which are not breathable enough. Insulating / Puffy Jacket A large Parka or Puffy will be essential for nighttime and early morning activities as it will get quite cold. If you tend to get cold easily, opt for a slightly warmer and more substantial jacket. Shell Layer - Lower Body
Hiking Pants Synthetic, non-cotton hiking pants that can be worn over all of your layers. Shell/Rain Pants Waterproof/breathable.This shell should be sized to comfortably fit over your base, second, midlayers, and insulating layer. Look for a shell made of goretex Shell Layer - Upper Body Shell / Rain Jacket with hood Waterproof/breathable. This durable shell should have large pit-zips and be lightweight and packable. It should be sized to comfortably fit over your base, second, mid-layers, and insulating layer. Look for a shell made of goretex. Extra Layer - Head and Hands Warm Hat A warm hat for use anytime the tempurature drops. A warm hat is critical for maintaining proper warmth in the backcountry whether in camp, on the trail or sleeping at night. It will get lots of use. "Buff"/Balaclava Buffs are a multifunctional neck gaiter that can substitute for a lightweight balaclava and wonderful on a windy day. Sun Hat Baseball cap or visor. Insulating Gloves Mid-weight, dexterous and comfortable. These should work solo on dry days or combined with shell gloves on snowy days for extended warmth. Waterproof Shell Gloves Footwear These gloves need to provide serious waterproof protection, and should be able to be worn with insulating glove liners; most shells come with removable liners. These can be mittens or have fingers Camp Shoes Camp shoes should be comfortable, durable and light weight. These shoes will be being worn in snow, so make sure that they don't have holes. Boots Heavy leather backpacking boots or synthetic mountaineering boots. Full ankle support and /4 to 3/4 shank are preferred. These boots will be worn with crampons Boots should be well broken in prior to the trip.
Gaiters Calf/knee height. Check the fit of the gaiter to your boot in advance. Crampons These are an essential tool for navigating in the snowy/icy mountains. We recommend a semi-rigid construction that will work with leather, synthetic, or plastic boots Snowshoes We recommend a snowshoe specifically designed for winter mountaineering. Sleeping Gear Closed Cell Foam Insulation Pad OR Inflatable Sleeping Pad Sleeping Bag (Highly recommend Synthetics instead of down) A basic closed cell foam pad will be used for added insulation on cold thorn covered ground. OR A lightweight inflatable pad. Bring a patch kit for inflatable pads. Minumum rating of 0 F. Down is lighter but requires more care to keep dry than synthetic.and bulk, but more expensive and it requires more care to keep dry. We do not recommend a Goretex shell down bag as these tend to trap too much moisture. Sleeping Bag Compression Sack Used to shrink your sleeping bag into the smallest size possible for packing into a backpack. Eating/Drinking Utensils Eating Bowl with lid A lightweight Tupperware-type bowl is acceptable. Should have a lid. Drinking Mug A 6-0oz insulationed mug with a lid is ideal for hot drinks during class sessions, at meal time and just before bed. Pocket Knife / Leatherman A small pocket knife or multi-tool supports the main tasks of cooking and gear repair. Spoon/Spork Lexan or metal soup spoon. Large spoons are best on hungry evenings. Sporks are even better! Water Bottles Misc. Equipment liters of water capacity minimum. Solid 3oz water bottle, such as a Nalgene, are required. Hydration bladders are not recommended for late seasons due to freezing of drink tubes. 3 Avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel These are the essential tools for safely navigating the mountains in the winter. We recommend brands such as BCA and Black Diamond for these tools.
Backpack A hiking/backpacking specific pack that is at least 75 liters Trekking Poles Trekking poles ease the burden of downhill hiking by taking much of the pressure off of the knees and other leg joints Emergency Whistle An emergency distress whistle is recommended for each person on the trip in case of emergency. Headlamp Go for something lightweight and adjustable. You should have this for seeing at night, cooking, or just hanging out at camp. Extra Batteries You should bring extra batteries for your headlamp. Make sure you purchase the correct size, usually either AA or AAA. Bandanas An adventurers best simple accessory. These have multiple uses in the backcountry. Sunglasses Choose a model with 00% UVA/UVB protection. Note: Those using contact lenses should also bring a pair of prescription glasses in the event that your contacts or solutions are lost or damaged by freezing. Travel Games Personal Supplies Personal Eyecare/Eye Wear Any travel size games that are light weight and could be fun to play around the camp at night. A deck of cards or other small game would work great. Keep these games light so your pack stays light! Bring extra pairs of contacts in case you lose some or they freeze. Bring glasses for nighttime and around camp. Sun Block - Travel Size With a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30. For the fair skinned, the higher the SPF the better. A couple of small containers are better than one large one. Lip Balm Zinc oxide works well (available in pharmacies) as does some models of chapstick that have SPF5 or higher. Personal Toiletries - Travel Sized Any toileries that you may need in the backcoutnry; toothbruth/toothpaste, etc. Hand Sanitizer - Travel Sized Require for use before meals and after restroom visits. Critical for health of group. Recommend small travel size. Toilet Paper Half roll of toilet paper is optional but requires a large zip-lock bag duct taped for reinforcement to carry out waste paper.
Handi Wipes/Baby Wipes For personal hygiene and general use. Recommend one per day. Lighter A regular BIC lighter works fine. Or get a striker. Misc. Extras (Recommendations) Camp Chair A camp chair is excellent for sitting around a campfire, cooking and eating meals, relaxing at camp, and taking notes/journaling. Camera Recommend small cameras that can easily be carried in an outside pocket or small case outside your pack. Note: If bringing a digital camera, consider your battery needs. Waterproof Camera Case This is great for when you drop your camera in the river or your boat flips. Snacks CLIF Bars, PowerBars, etc Which ever you like best to give you a little extra energy and be your comfort food on a long trip.