10 THINGS TO MAKE HIGHCAMP LIVABLE
WE STOPPED DOING BASECAMPS OVER A DECADE AGO, SHIFTING OUR ENTIRE STRATEGY AS THINGS GOT MORE REFINED, LIGHTER AND WE BETTER PREPARED OUR ACCLIMATION. RATHER THAN LANGUISH IN ESTABLISHED BASECAMPS WE JUST GET ON WITH THE CLIMBING, INSTEAD HAVING HIGHCAMPS TO BASE FROM.
THESE HIGH CAMPS ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT WERE ONCE CALLED ‘ADVANCE BASECAMPS’ OR EVEN CLOSER TO A CAMP 1, BEING BASICALLY THE LOWEST POINT WE RETURN TO ONCE COMMITTED TO THE CLIMBING. WE TREAT THEM NOT UNLIKE A FORM OF CAPSULE CLIMBING, AS SOMEWHERE TO RETURN TO TO RECUPERATE OR PICK UP GEAR, OFTEN MOVING THEM UP THE MOUNTAIN, LEAP FROGGING WITH ALPINE CAMPS AND BIVYS.
THESE DAYS THINGS CAN BE SO LIGHT AND EFFICIENT IT IS AMAZING HOW FAR UP THINGS CAN BE LIVABLE, BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE SORT OF CAMPS BIG ALPINISM WAS ONCE DEPENDANT ON. NOW, WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF SUPPLIES – WHAT WILL FIT IN A SMALL STUFF SACK – HIGH CAMPS CAN BE PERFECTLY HABITABLE IN PLACES ONCE RESERVED FOR SPARTAN BIVYS, PUSHING THE OLD MEME TO NEW POSSIBILITIES THAT ‘WHAT YOU CAN CLIMB DEPENDS ON HOW LONG YOU CAN STAY UP THERE’.
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MOST OF THIS IS STUFF CLIMBERS HAVE NORMALLY, ALONG WITH THE USUAL PERSONAL ITEMS THEY CARRY, THE FAILING IS TO HAVE THEM AS RANDOM, PERIPHERAL STUFF NOT UP TO TASK. THIS IS FOLLY. YOUR BASIC LIVING RESOURCES, THOUGH UNGLAMOROUS NEXT TO ICE TOOLS AND DOWN SUITS, IS REALLY WHAT DETERMINES YOUR STAYING CAPACITY UP THERE, SO EACH THING DESERVES TO BE A GOOD CHOICE. EVERYTHING HERE FITS INTO A 3L STUFF SACK EASILY.
THIS ALSO DOUBLES AS AN XMAS LIST FOR THE HARD TO BUY FOR CLIMBER.
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1) LED STRIP LIGHT – A 1m STRIP OF LEDS PUTS OUT OVER 1000 LUMENS AT MUCH LESS ENERGY THAN A HEADTORCH, AND ILLUMINATES AN AMBIENT TENT SPACE BETTER FOR LIVING. LIGHT AND REASONABLY ROBUST, THE ENERGY SAVING OVER WEEKS EARNS THEIR KEEP, SAVING PRECIOUS HEADTORCH CHARGE FOR THE SHARP END. RED OR ORANGE IS THE SENSIBLE CHOICE.
2) PISS BOTTLE – COVERED HERE. WITHOUT A CONFIDENT PISS SYSTEM YOU RUIN SLEEP AND CAN COMPROMISE HYDRATION. A NO BRAINER.
3) PILLOW – A LITTLE INFLATABLE PILLOW GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS BETTER RECOVERY OF THE COURSE OF WEEKS. NO MORE STUFFING CLOTHES INTO BAGS, FOR THE WEIGHT A PILLOW NAILS ITS PART OF THE ENERGY EQUATION.
4) STOVE MAT – COOKING IN THE TENT IS CENTRAL TO REST AND RECOVERY, BEING ABLE TO EAT AND DRINK AS YOU WANT AT ANY HOUR TO STAY ON TOP OF THE KCALS. EVEN IF YOU USE A HANGING SET, A MAT STILL TAKES AWAY THE CHANCE OF MELTING THE TENT FLOOR, AND HELPS A BIT WITH THERMAL EFFICIENCY BY LOWERING THE COLUMN OF WARMED AIR TO SLEEPING BAG LEVEL.
5) SNOW BAG – NOTHING NEW ABOUT A SNOW BAG, BUT PLENTY NEW ABOUT IT BEING A GOOD ONE. LIKE THE PISS BOTTLE, DON’T JUST GRAB SOMETHING AT THE LAST TOWN, BUT BUY OR MAKE ONE THAT’S STRONG, CLIPPABLE AND A GOOD SIZE OF ABOUT 50L SO YOU CAN STORE SNOW AS YOU NEED IT.
6) SNOW BRUSH – A LITTLE MEDIUM STIFF BRISTLED BRUSH KEEPS YOUR GEAR DRIER AND CLEANER, SO YOU CAN KEEP THINGS LIKE BOOTS INSIDE AND WARM RATHER OUT IN A VESTIBULE WHICH IS MADNESS. YOU CAN ALSO SWEEP SPINDRIFT AWAY, CLEAN SNOW OFF TENTS WITHOUT USING YOUR HANDS, WIPE FROST OFF WALLS IN THE MORNING AND CLEAN POTS AND CUPS. MAKE SURE IT HAS A CLIP LOOP.
7) MICROFIBER CLOTH – A BRIGHT COLOURED WINDSHIELD CLOTH MEANS NOT USING YOUR CLOTHES TO WIPE UP MOISTURE. LETTING FROST BUILD UP ONLY ADDS TO THE MOISTURE CYCLE THAT EVENTUALLY DRAGS DOWN ALL TRIPS, AND IT’S EASIER TO SPONGE IT UP AND DRY OUT A SINGLE CLOTH THAT THE WHOLE TENT.
8) ACCESSORY BINERS – A HANDFUL OF LITTLE CHEAP ALUMINIUM BINERS FILLS A MULTITUDE OF ROLLS FROM HANGING GEAR TO DRY, TO FIXING TENTS, SECURING SLEEPING BAGS IN THE SUN AND KEEPING STUFF ORGANIZED.
9) LARGE ZIPLOK BAGS – EXPEDITIONS ARE A PLASTIC BAG ECONOMY, AND GOOD LARGE ZIPLOKS CONTAIN EVERYTHING YOU PRODUCE AS REFUSE. AS TRASH BAGS, EMERGENCY TOILETS AND CLEAN STORAGE THEY KEEP THINGS SANITIZED AND EASY TO PACK OUT, KEEPING YOUR LIVING SPACE FROM DEGENERATING INTO THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF A TEENAGER.
10) MICRO STOVE – THERE WILL BE TEAM STOVES THAT BLAST OUT BTUS, BUT ALWAYS HAVE YOUR OWN POCKET STOVE FOR QUICK CUPS OF WARMTH AND WARMING THE TENT, MAKING YOU INDEPENDANT WITH YOUR OWN ENERGY NEEDS. FOR ALONE TIME OR RECCE YOU CAN TAKE IT TO MAKE COFFEE, MELT CORD YOU ARE CUTTING AND WARM UP IF AWAKENING COLD AT 3AM, AND HAVING A STOVE EACH MEANS BIG REDUNDANCY IF THINGS GET LOST.
11) WIPES – TAKE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP YOURSELF CLEAN, WIPING DOWN THE PARTS THAT COLLECT SWEAT AND GATHER GRIME. THERE ARE THINGS THAT DRY PAPER WON’T DO, SO A RATION OF A WIPE A DAY HELPS TO KEEP YOUR SKIN IN GOOD CONDITION. DON’T BRING ALCOHOL ONES FOR USE IN THE COLD.
12) FOOT SOAP – A TINY BAR OF FOOT SOAP NAILS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES IN LONG TRIPS, NAMELY KEEPING YOUR FEET AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT FROM DETERIORATING. WASHING FEET WHEN POSSIBLE WITH SOAP DESIGNED FOR IT MEANS YOUR SOCKS AND INNER BOOTS STAY INSULATING LONGER, AND THINGS LIKE CIRCULATION IS HELPED.
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