MAKING IT HAPPEN. EXPEDITIONS 105: GEAR

AHHH GEAR. IF IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE GEAR K2 WOULD HAVE BEEN CLIMBED IN WINTER NOW AND THERE’D BE NOWHERE LEFT TO EXPLORE. PERHAPS THANKFULLY, THROWING MONEY AT GEAR AFFECTS EXPEDITIONS NOT HOW PEOPLE EXPECT, AS HISTORY SHOWS US WITH HARD STUFF BEING DONE IN THE CANVAS-AND-LEATHER ERA THATS NEVER BEEN REPEATED. THE RIGHT GEAR MATTERS ENORMOUSLY, BUT WHAT THE RIGHT GEAR ACTUALLY IS ISN’T ALWAYS APPARENT.

THE ‘RIGHT’ GEAR FOR AN EXPEDITION IS THE GEAR THAT ALLOWS IT TO HAPPEN. UNLIKE ROAD-SIDE STUFF WHERE THERE’S NO RECOURSE TO COME BACK THE NEXT DAY IF SOMETHING FAILS, GEAR FOR EXPEDITIONS PUTS RELIABILITY TOP OF THE LIST. YES, A 100G SHELL JACKET IS NICE FOR A QUICK ASCENT, BUT IF IT WONT WORK FOR 3 WEEKS APPROACHING THROUGH MONSOON IT IS JUST EXTRA WEIGHT.

EXPEDITION GEAR NEEDS TO BE FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE EXPEDITION AND IT NEEDS TO BE TRANSFERABLE, MEANING THAT NICE 50L PACK YOU HAVE WILL FIT ALL YOUR GEAR – BUT IT WONT FIT MUCH OF THE TEAMS GEAR THAT INCLUDES LITRES OF FUEL, A LOT OF FOOD NO MATTER HOW LIGHT YOU MAKE IT AND 2 SLEEPING BAGS. IT ALSO NEEDS TO SURVIVE THE MANY STAGES OF THE TRIP; WHERE WEEKEND CLIMBING MEANS YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY STAY IN THE SAME CLOTHES THE WHOLE TIME, ON A BIG TRIP THERE CAN BE WEEKS ON FOOT, HORSE OR BOAT BEFORE THE FINAL TECHNICAL STAGE. ACROSS A WHOLE TRIP, THE STRESSES ON GEAR CAN OFTEN BE MORE PRONOUNCED ON THE APPROACH. THE RIGORS OF THIRD WORLD TRAVEL DESTROYS GEAR MUCH FASTER THAN ANY ACTUAL CLIMBING WILL, AND WEEKS OF HIGH ALTITUDE UV CAN DEGRADE MATERIALS PREMATURELY.

COMFORT TOO PLAYS A ROLE; A FEW NIGHTS WITH A CHEAP SLEEPING MAT IS FINE, BUT WEEKS IT ALL ADDS UP AFFECTS PERFORMANCE. AN EXTRA SPOON, DOUBLE WALL TENT, INSULATED BOOTIES OR STRONGER STOVE ARE ALL WORTH THEIR WEIGHT WHEN EXTRAPOLATED ACROSS WEEKS AND HALF THE GOAL IS JUST STAYING OUT THERE.

ANOTHER FEATURE OF EXPED GEAR IS USING IT IN REMOTE AREAS. MOST PLACES WITH HIGH MOUNTAINS AND LARGE DESERTS DON’T HAVE GEAR SHOPS, SO EVERYTHING IS EITHER BOUGHT IN OR OBTAINED LOCALLY FROM WHATEVER IS AVAILABLE – THIS IS WHERE THE FUN STARTS. IT’S INSANE TO SOURCE THINGS LIKE ROPES FROM LOCAL MARKETS, BUT THERE’S A LONG TRADITION OF SCROUNGING, RE-PURPOSING AND ADAPTING LOCAL STUFF FOR USE ON TRIP. OVER THE YEARS WE’VE MADE STOVES, RIGGED TYROLEAN TRAVERSES, ADAPTED TARPS, FIXED MOTORS AND WORN HORSE BLANKETS WE’VE PICKED UP IN VILLAGES ACROSS ASIA. AND AFTER ALL THAT WE’VE FOUND WHAT REALLY MATTERS

SIMPLE EXPED GEAR NEEDS TO BE SIMPLE ENOUGH TO FIX, NOT BREAK AND FUNCTION UNDER EXTREMIS. THINK TWICE BEFORE COMMITTING TO COMPLEX DEVICES THAT ARE HARD TO USE OR HAVE LIMITED DURABILITY

ADAPTABLE WHATEVER IT IS IT NEEDS TO WORK ACROSS A SPECTRUM OF CONDITIONS. THE SAME SLEEPING BAG THAT KEEPS YOU WARM NEEDS TO KEEP TWO OF YOU DRY, THAT POWERFUL STOVE THAT DUMPS DANGEROUS LEVEL OF CO WONT BE OK IN A TENT.

FUNCTIONAL DON’T LET THINGS BE TOO MULTIPURPOSE – THEY STILL NEED TO DO A TECHNICAL ROLE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WITH TOOLS AND CRAMPONS; A CONSERVATIVE AXE THAT’S GOOD FOR THE 80% THAT’S SNOW BUT HOPELESS ON THE 20% THAT’S STEEP HAS THE EQUATION IN REVERSE.

PACKING SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE LONG TRIPS ARE EXERCISES IN PACKING AND REPACKING, A LOT OF TIME GETS SUNK INTO THIS WHICH IS HARD IF YOU HAVE TRIMMED BACK THE FIRST PHASES. IDEALLY WHEN YOU’RE STILL HOME AND HAVE BETTER CONTROL OF TIME, PACK ‘FROM THE MOUNTAIN BACKWARDS’ MEANING PACK AS MUCH AS YOU CAN FROM THE START HOW YOU WILL USE IT, WHICH ISN’T ALWAYS JUST DUMPING EVERYTHING INTO DUFFEL BAGS.

A GOOD METHOD IS TO PACK A LARGE EXPED PACK BASICALLY READY FOR THE OBJECTIVE, WITH PERSONAL GEAR ON THE BOTTOM AND GROUP GEAR ON TOP READY TO BE REPACKED WITH MINIMAL MESS (AS IT’S LIKELY TO HAPPEN IN A CRAMPED HOTEL, AIRPORT OR SIDE OF THE ROAD). COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER SO PEOPLE KNOW WHO HAS WHAT AND CAN LOAD BEFORE LEAVING. EXTRA GEAR GOES INTO DRY BAGS TO BE QUICKLY SORTED IN-COUNTRY.

STUFF FOR THE TRAVEL PHASE AND PROBABLY APPROACH USUALLY ONLY TAKES UP A DAY CLIMBING / LEADERS PACK. BRING A PLASTIC BAG FOR TOWN CLOTHES YOU’LL LEAVE IN THE CAR.

OVER ALL, PACK SIMPLY; 20 LITTLE DRY BAGS WILL HAVE YOU SEARCHING THROUGH THEM ALL EVERY TIME YOU WANT SOMETHING, TO KEEP STUFF DRY JUST USE 2 LARGE ONES.

BUYING FOLDING CUPS, TITANIUM SPOONS, MICRO TOWELS & A MILLION LITTLE STUFF SACKS WONT HELP. DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY. DON’T BRING SOLAR PANELS UNLESS YOU’RE OUT LONGER THAN 2 WEEKS (CHARGEABLE BATTERIES ARE BETTER NOW). DON’T GET SUCKED INTO THE ADVERTISING OR EXPECT THE KID IN THE STORE TO KNOW WHAT YOU NEED.

MONEY NEEDS TO GO PRIMARILY TO 5 THINGS; FOOT WEAR, SHELTER, STOVE, OBJECTIVE SPECIFIC GEAR & LOAD CARRYING. YOU NEED ONE SET OF EACH THAT’S AS GOOD AS YOU CAN AFFORD. ALL ELSE IS DETAIL. BOOTS NEED TO BE FULLY UP TO THE WORST POSSIBLE SCENARIO OF THE TRIP, NOT THE EASIEST. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY GLOVES. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO BOIL WATER WHEN ALL ELSE HAS FAILED. AN EXTRA 500G ON SLEEPING SYSTEM THAT’S WARMER VOIDS THE KCAL EQUATION AFTER A WEEK.

PACKS DESERVE SPECIAL MENTION; BY EXPED STANDARDS A LARGE PACK IS 100L. ASIDE FROM THE AMOUNT BEING CARRIED, YOU CANT WASTE TIME JIG SAWING EVERYTHING IN EACH TIME YOU OPEN IT. MOST PACKS THIS SIZE ARE NOT REALLY FOR EXPEDITION USE, THEY ARE FOR HIKING. YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE EXPED PACKS HAVE NONE OF THE SUSPENDED FRAMES, STRETCH MESH POCKETS, GALLERY OF BUCKLES OR ZIPS ON THEM, BASICALLY A SACK WITH STRAPS.

USING ACCEPT THAT SOME GEAR WON’T BE COMING HOME. STUFF WILL BREAK, GET STOLEN OR LOST, OR MAYBE JUST NOT BE UP TO IT. AN ASCENT OF 15 PITCHES COULD LEAVE BEHIND 30 BITS OF HARDWARE TO RAPPEL DOWN FROM.

GEAR THAT’S VITAL (STOVES, ROPES, SLEEPING BAGS ETC) GETS TREATED LIKE A BABY. AS ROUGH AS TRIPS CAN GET, THESE THINGS NEED TO BE MAINTAINED AND CARED FOR. PUT THEM AWAY GOOD TO GO IMMEDIATELY NEXT TIME. TAKE A FEW SHARPIES TO NUMBER GAS CANISTERS AND ACCESSORY BINERS TO ORGANIZE IN YOUR TENT.

GET A GOOD PISS BOTTLE. LAUGH NOW BUT AT -20 WHEN YOU CANT LEAVE THE TENT BUT CANT SLEEP BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GO – NOT TO MENTION KEEPING 1L OF LIQUID WARM YOU DONT NEED TO – IT’S NOT FUNNY. ‘GETTING ONE AT THE LAST VILLAGE’ INVARIABLY RESULTS ON PISSING ON YOUR SLEEPING BAG LATER BECAUSE ALL THEY HAD WAS FANTA. DON’T SAY YOU WERE’NT WARNED.

GET A TORCH WITH A RED LIGHT FUNCTION; LOOSING YOU NIGHT VISION AFTER BEING BLINDED WHILST ON THE EDGE OF SLEEP AFTER 20HRS CLIMBING AS YOUR PARTNER RUMMAGES ABOUT ISN’T GOOD DRILLS.

THE NATURE OF EXPEDITIONS IS THEY GET HARDER AS THEY GO ON. IT’S ONLY THE WEEKEND WARRIOR THAT TRIMS EVERYTHING BACK TO WORK FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID, WATCH ANY TRUE EXPED CLIMBER AND THEY’RE USING TECH GEAR DOWN LOW BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY’LL NEED IT UP HIGH FOR THE HARD STUFF.