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International Mountain Climbing School 2733 Main Street, Rt. 16 P.O. Box 1666 North Conway, NH 03860 PHONE: (603) 356-7064 FAX: (603) 356-6492 EMAIL: guides@ime-usa.com |
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| Winter Gear List for Overnight Trips | ||||||||||||
| Click here for a gear list for day trips | ||||||||||||
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| This is a list of gear you will need to participate in IMCS's winter overnight courses or guided climbs. Many of the items are absolutely necessary while others are useful options. Weather, duration of the course, current ground conditions, etc. all play a role in determining the gear you will need. Please give us a call if you have questions or concerns about the gear you will need for your climb. Also, check the following weather forecasts to get an idea about the most up to date conditions. | ||||||||||||
| We do have a limited supply of rental clothing. If you need a specific items of clothing let us know and we can put it on hold for you. For day climbs we provide boots, crampons, ice axe(s), harness, helmet and ropes. For an overnight trip we also provide tent, stove, food, fuel and sleeping bag as part of the course cost. | ||||||||||||
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| Clothing | ||||||||||||
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Long Underwear - First layer and the most basic item in the layering system. Bring a combination of different weights. Zip t-necks ventilate nicely. You want to be able to stack these layers if necessary. | |||||||||||
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Insulated Pants - Full Side Zips make it much easier and faster to cool off or warm up. This serves as the outer layer on your legs when taking breaks or when in camp. | |||||||||||
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Insulated Jacket - More comfortable and functional than a wool sweater. Weight will depend on other items in your layering system. Large pockets are valuable. IMCS guides choice for this layer is the Wild Things Epic jacket manufactured right here in North Conway. |  |
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Shell Parka & Pants - These are your Gore-Tex (or equivalent) shells. Must fit comfortably over underwear and insulated layers. Pit zips are recommended. Pants should have side zips. Know how to adjust hood. | |||||||||||
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Expedition Parka - Valuable around camp, during a storm or on a summit day. Compression stuff sack reduces bulk and saves space in your pack. |  |
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Insulated or Fleece vest - Fits well over underwear top and under a jacket. Optional but useful. | |||||||||||
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Hats - Wool or fleece cap, neck gaiter and balaclava. Thin polypro balaclavas work surprisingly well. | |||||||||||
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Gloves / Mittens - Liner gloves, ski gloves, and expedition style mitten with shell. An extra pair of insulated gloves is a good idea for a longer trip. | |||||||||||
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Goggles & Sunglasses - It's nice to be able to see where you're going. Store in a case or small stuff sack to prevent scratching. Keep clean. You may want to bring 2 pairs of goggles in case one pair ices up. Large well ventilated ski goggles work best (the kind that go over glasses) . | |||||||||||
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Face Mask - Neoprene, for Mt. Washington ascents where temperatures and winds can make for a severe arctic environment | |||||||||||
| Technical Gear | Top of Page | |||||||||||
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Ice Axe - 45-60cm for ice climbing and 60-80cm for mountaineering | |||||||||||
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Crampons - Flexible or rigid. Step-in binding works best. | |||||||||||
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Harness - Adjustable leg loops recommended for winter use | |||||||||||
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Snowshoes - Select a pair for your size and general use | |||||||||||
| Packs | ||||||||||||
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Alpine day pack - 2,500 - 3,500 cu. in. Used for day trips to Mt. Washington and ice climbing in Crawford Notch or Huntington Ravine. We recommend the Cold Cold World Valdez or Chernobyl. | |||||||||||
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Expedition pack - 5,500 cu. in.+. Fill one up and try for fit. Internal frame packs work better for really heavy loads while frameless packs carry 45-55 lb. loads comfortably. You will need this size pack for our winter mountaineering courses and Presidential Range traverses. | |||||||||||
| Footwear | Top of Page | |||||||||||
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Double Plastic mountaineering boots - The goal is a comfortable, well-fitting boot to keep your feet warm and dry. Fit is also very important to reduce the occurrence of blisters or "boot bang". |
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Single Leather mountaineering boots - for early season and late season climbing before the temperatures get too cold or for technically demanding mixed routes. Generally easier to walk in than double plastics but not as warm. | |||||||||||
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Gaiters - Alpine-style or supergaiter. Historically, this is one of the most overlooked items by climbers taking our courses or going on our trips. Put some time into making sure you have gaiters that fit over your mountaineering boots properly. Check velcro, metal buckles and zippers. | |||||||||||
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Liner Socks - Bring two pair for day trips and three for an overnight. | |||||||||||
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Mountain socks - Heavy wool or wool/synthetic blend; two for day trips and three for an overnight | |||||||||||
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VBL socks - vapor barrier liners. Optional. Keep socks and boots dry; work great when it's really cold; make feet smell. | |||||||||||
| Camping Gear | Top of Page | |||||||||||
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Winter Sleeping Bag - Count on getting a bag rated from -10 to -30 degrees (F) for use in the White mountains in winter. A -40 degree (F) bag is required for Denali. Almost of of the sleeping bags we use at IMCS are Mountain Hardwear 3rd or 4th Dimension series. |
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Compression Stuff Sack - To reduce bulk. Makes it easier to get the bag in your pack. | |||||||||||
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Vapor Barrier Liner - Optional. Will help keep your bag cleaner and drier while adding warmth. | |||||||||||
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Sleeping Pad - Therm-a-Rest pads are warmer and more comfortable. Ridge-Rest pads and other foam pads are good enough and much lighter. | |||||||||||
| Essential Personal Gear | ||||||||||||
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Headlamp With Extra Battery - If you don't bring it-you will surely need it. | |||||||||||
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Two Water Bottles & Water Bottle Parkas | |||||||||||
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Swiss Army Knife |  |
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Bandana | |||||||||||
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Insulated Mug and Lexan Spoon | |||||||||||
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Lighter | |||||||||||
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Stuff Sacks | |||||||||||
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Lip Balm | |||||||||||
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Toiletries | |||||||||||
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1-2 Chemical Hand Warmers | |||||||||||
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Sun Screen (SPF 15+) | |||||||||||
| Optional Personal Gear | ||||||||||||
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Camera | |||||||||||
| Booties | ||||||||||||
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Altimeter Watch | |||||||||||
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Ski Poles | |||||||||||
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Thermos - for tea/hot chocolate | |||||||||||
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you can contact us by: |