This pack was my home. It proved invaluable and after 23 days of abuse, it still looks brand new. I loved that there were ample pockets and several ways to get into the main pack with top and side zippers. Huge side pockets that held my layers. A big front pocket with a divider, plus aa bivy pad stashed inside, which was key for sitting around camp. The hip belt was padded perfectly and had gear and sled loops, also loved the big hipbelt pocket. The front panel of the pack is laminated and tougher, allowing me to sit on it. Sitting on it every day didn’t cause any problems to the pack or contents inside. The fit was perfect and the suspension never failed.
This bag was abused, from the plane ride to AK and onto the glacier to being thrown around camp, on and off my sled, sat on every day and buried it for days at 11,000 feet. It worked just great and kept my gear, food and clothing dry, being it is waterproof. It was constantly covered in snow and does look like it has been through the ringer. But it is still ticking and will be with me on my next Denali climb.
I used this bag to transport my Denali 100 and all the gear that did not fit in the Alpaca Duffle to Alaska on the airplane. This bag was great, as it had wheels and a retractable handle so I could pull this around the airports. It stayed in Talkeetna and held my other camping gear that I was going to use after the climb. Love this bag. A great large soft sided travel suitcase.
I cannot shout loud enough on much I loved these boots. I had been climbing in Koflach plastic boots and they were OK. The Spantiks were incredibly warm and comfortable. I never had a rub spot or single hot spot on my foot. The liners removed easily and fit in the bottom of my sleeping bag with no issue. If I did not bring down booties for camp life, I would have worn the liners around. Other teammates did that.
Not much to say about these, as they are the best I have ever used. Simple on and off and I would not use any others on a mountain expedition.
These are the industry standard in my mind and I wore them while climbing above 17,000ft. Paired with my Spantiks, Superfeet Red Hot insoles and Lorpen socks, my feet were never cold. Some people did wear their overboots around camp if they did not have camp booties.
Basic gators that are bit cheaper than other brands. They got the job done and my crampons only nicked them once, so they are still usable!
I thru hiked with insoles, so it only made sense that I would climb with them too. The Red Hots were perfect inside my Spantiks and I could feel the heat penetrating back into my feet. Plus, they are way more comfortable than the original insoles that come with my Spantiks. I wore Superfeet’s Merrino Wool insoles in my down booties as extra protection and to provide more warmth.
This was the first time I used CloudLine socks for a long expedition/hike. The Switchback medium cushion were great for the lower elevations just on their own. I added the light cushion as I got a bit higher. When I sweated, they dried out quickly in the bottom of my sleeping bag. I never put on wet socks. I also slept in a pair of medium cushion socks. CloudLine has expanded their line of socks, so they only thing I would change would be to use a pair of their ski & snowboard socks, and maybe their compression socks for camp time.
Lorpen Technical Expedition Socks
The Lorpen Expedition socks were key above 17,000 ft. They have a lot more warmth with Primaloft insulation in certain parts. They are very expensive, but your toes are too important, and I never felt cold.
I was testing this new product for Exped and was so glad to have them. My team was very jealous of them and I got a lot of compliments. They are a two-part system with an outside liner and warm down booties. I wore the booties to bed paired with my CloudLine socks. Cushy and warm. Actually, check out my detailed review of the booty here.
I started wearing these when thru hiking the AT and have not stopped since. I wear them in everyday life, hiking and in the mountains. If you don’t have a pair, get one now. They are the best. I brought two pairs on the mountain and changed them once, about two weeks in, even though they didn’t even smell yet!
I wore these at higher elevations. They performed like they always do. I have had these for some time. Probably only needed to bring one pair.
Top notch!! I wore these everyday. They were the only pant I brought on the mountain. I still wear them all the time for hiking, climbing, skiing, snowshoeing and just around town and the house because they still look brand new. If I ever need to replace them, I will buy the same ones again. But I don’t foresee replacing them for a long time.
Very useful around camp and I slept in them a lot. I did wear them while climbing above 17,000ft.
Not much to say, but that I have had this short for 15 years. Still going strong and will continue!
This is always with me on mountain expeditions and some sort of hoody is an important piece of gear with the constant sun you encounter. Mine is white and I was glad. Always had it on either as a base layer or sometimes just alone when the sun was at its hottest.
Had this for a back up. Wore it occasionally around camp when I took off my SoCool Hoody.
A super warm insulted jacket that I fortunately never had to wear while climbing. It did make it out for a night or two while sleeping when the temps dipped below -30.
Black Diamond Shell Glove
I’ve had these forever. A very lightweight polyester/spandex glove that I wore a lot on the lower mountain. It was very warm in the sun, but you still need to wear a lightweight glove.
These gloves with removable liners were on my hands a lot over 14,000ft. They dried out quickly and that was crucial since we were constantly using our hands to build our snow walls and tent platform.
Outdoor Research Alti Mitts
These were meant for the extreme temps that would perpetrated my gloves and potentially given me frostbite. Important to have, but I only wore these once at 14,000ft camp while digging out camp. I was glad to know I had these with me for emergency. You never know…
I also brought a no name sensor glove that I bought a Costco for $10. These were great for inside my tent while looking at my iPad or Kindle!
Ball Cap with Brim
I wore my Gregory Trucker hat everyday while climbing. With the sun always beating down on you this was a must. I wore it in combination with every jacket and my SoCool Hoody.
I wore this hat when the tempts dipped mainly around camp and sleeping at night. I lost this hat around 18,000 feet when the wind took it! 🙁
I wore this on bitter cold days at higher elevations and under my helmet when I had it on.
Only used these twice during driving snow and wind. They worked great, plus inexpensive. Just bought a pair for Patrice.
This is a closed cell foam pad that I used under my inflatable pad for extra warmth. You need this. People also used theirs in the cook tent to sit on if they did not have a bevy pad. It is also good for emergency and a quick setup if need be.
This pad is, in my opinion, a leader in the industry. Made for extreme temps it has a R Value of 5.7 and a weight of 15ozs. Kept me ultra warm. I probably didn’t even need the foam pad with this.
Love me a pillow and this was great. People say you can use clothes for a pillow but when you are wearing all your clothing, you really can’t. My pillow is my luxury item on every overnight trip.
I battled with myself for months about what sleeping bag to bring. Being one of the testers for sleeping bags for Backpacker magazine, I have seen my share of successes and failures. I had four bags at my disposal to choose from. I am very fortunate to have Big Agnes as a gear partner and they paired me with his bag. My only worry was that the space inside was not big enough for me and all my possessions. You have to sleep with everything (clothing, boot liners, water bottle, sun lotion) so it doesn’t freeze. My worries were erased after the first couple of nights. I fit everything I needed to and the bag kept me very warm. Too warm on the lower mountain. It packed small enough and is still in great shape.
I always praise the long handle spoon that attaches to chopsticks. But I only brought the spoon and it did fine.
Great water bottles. Had these for a while.
Necessary to keep your water from freezing.
Very important while snowshoeing up to 11,000ft. No need for ice ax this low. The poles provided great support and helped with staking out my tent. Make sure to add aftermarket snow baskets to your poles. I continue to use these poles every day and love them.
Not much to say about this. A great ice ax that has served me well over the years.
Not the newest, lightest or most expensive helmet, but it gets the job done. I only wore a helmet on a couple of sketchy sections where some could drop something on you and around windy corner wear rocks could coming flying at you.
Never leave home without this. I went through an 8-ounce bottle on the mountain and was so glad to have enough. Applied several times a day and it does not bother my skin or get in my eyes when sweating. You are going to get burnt no matter what, but I feel like my color was minimal.
This is a nose guard that you attach to your sunglasses to protect your nose from the sun and wind. I never used it, but it’s so lightweight, it’s easy to bring. Instead just made sure I had plenty of lotion on.
I used Sawyer’s kit and added what I needed for my personal needs to it. I suggest you make your own kit too.
Great to keep contact with Patrice and the rest of our friends/family to let them know each day that I was safe. It sends out a pre-typed message that shows my location and says “I am safe and climbing on.” I would typically send it out later in the day because sometimes we didn’t know if the team was moving on or staying put. Patrice and I discussed this and next time I will bring a device like the Delorme inReach Explorer that allows for two-way communication (limited characters, but sheds a little more insight on how I am doing).
I really didn’t need to know the time when climbing, sleeping and resting, but it was nice to track mileage and see my elevation gain and loss. nix (1st generation)
Not the best. This panel would freeze over and not get charges to my devices or battery banks. I was not too happy with this Goal Zero panel, but other people had better experiences. I would definitely recommend bringing solar power.
A great case to hold all my electronics and the Joey power bank that when fully charged could power back my iPad.
Entertainment is key!! You never know how long you will just sit around and wait out storms. We did for too long. Having movies and games was great. I even took some videos with it and kept notes on it. But I actually wish I had more (I only loaded 2 movies on my iPad).
Another must! I read 4 books and had more downloaded. I got this just for this trip and have continued to use it.
This camera is meant for the elements. I brought 4 batteries expecting them to freeze up. I always kept 3 in my pocket to stay warm. The first one lasted almost the whole trip. I love this camera!
That's an insane amount of gear. I would never have guessed. Interesting – thanks for sharing for the armchair adventurer!
I'm glad to see I am not the only one with a Paperwhite. I don't see how anyone can get in a tent and immediately fall asleep. Also, TMI, but ex officio makes the best underwear ever. Although, I do change mine more frequently, ahem.
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Excellent information. Love the way you explain your experience