Andrew Skurka's Blog, page 19

Book review: The Adventurer’s Son, by Roman Dial

Nearly six years ago, Cody Roman Dial went missing in Costa Rica on what was supposed to be a four-day solo hike through Corcovado National Park.

Twenty-two torturous months later, his family — including mother Peggy, sister Jazz, and father Roman, the legendary Alaskan adventurer — and friends finally got closure, when a local miner discovered his remains. Evidence at the scene did not suggest foul play; a snake bite or falling tree was more likely responsible.

In The Adventurer’s Son ($29, 978-0062876607), Roman recounts the search for and celebrates the life of Cody Roman Dial. As you might imagine, and as Roman directly confirms in the prologue, it was “a painful book to write: full of nostalgia, catharsis, sadness, longing, and struggles with guilt.”

I briefly met Cody Roman in July 2009, while I was in Anchorage preparing for the Wilderness Classic, but we never intersected or communicated again. His father, Roman, is a friend and mentor, and was instrumental in my own Alaskan adventures a decade ago. He made sure that I was on his publisher’s list for advance media copies.

Review: The Adventurer’s Son

Roman Dial is a master storyteller, and I’ve long awaited for a definitive book about these larger-than-life characters and only-in-Alaska events. But Roman’s best lifetime work will probably stand as The Adventurer’s Son, a story that he never would have wanted to write but that is more heartfelt, personal, and relevant than a book full of true but unbelievable tales.

A book excerpt has been published by Outside.

With Roman at our Wolverine Creek campsite, Brooks Range, Alaska

In both its structure and content, the story is divided into three parts. The family origin is told in the first third; Cody Roman’s adventurous travels through Central America, which preceded his disappearance, sit in the middle; and the search and aftermath fill the final half.

Most family origin stories (including mine) would be tedious, but the Dials are not the Jones or the Griswolds. Roman arrived in Alaska as a smart, self-motivated, and unsupervised 8-year-old. Peggy grew up in an Alaskan native village, and was the youngest of ten children. They married and had children young, and then adventured as a family — trekking across an Aleutian Island, skiing across the Harding Icefield, doing academic research in Borneo, completing multiple Alaskan Wilderness Classics, and packrafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

In addition to being interesting, the first part of the book gives context for the rest of it. I was familiar with a lot of the stories already — having heard them over campfires, slow river sections, and long car rides — but enjoyed the full editions. In the book I’d imagined for Roman, it would have been 350 pages of this stuff.

Roman preparing to packraft the Chitistone River in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska

In late-2013 Cody Roman decided to take an extended break from graduate school, and started a long trip through Latin America. He remained in regular contact with Roman, who had mixed feelings about his son’s travels: on one hand, pride that he was making it happen on his own; on the other, the concern that you’d expect of any parent, layered atop the additional fact that he’d taught Cody Roman to live adventurously and had led by example.

Cody Roman’s Latin America trip was not record setting in any way (or intended to be). But it’s engaging content if you’re foreign to that part of the world, that landscape, and that kind of travel (as I am).

The search for Cody Roman occupies the latter half of the book. Searches have inherent suspense, and its page-turning nature reminded me of The Last Season, about the disappearance of a Kings Canyon National Park backcountry ranger in 1996.

This section of the book has plenty of plot, but it’s more notable for its heart. This was a parent’s worst nightmare, yet Roman manages to comprehensively, accurately, and beautifully convey his emotional state and to reflect on the larger questions about his parenting, responsibility, and guilt.

Have you read The Adventurer’s Son? Leave a comment.



Read now: The Adventurer’s Son

Disclosure. I strive to offer field-tested and trustworthy information, insights, and advice. I have no financial affiliations with or interests in any brands or products, and I do not publish sponsored content

This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader.

The post Book review: The Adventurer’s Son, by Roman Dial appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Updated: First Aid, Foot Care, and Gear Repair Kits

I spent the morning updating three important backpacking gear lists:

First Aid KitFoot Care KitGear Repair Kit

Since I originally posted posted them in October 2016, I’d tweaked them occasionally but hadn’t done a wholesale revision until now. “Wholesale” is probably an overstatement — they were all very solid still.

If you sporadically check this website, you’d probably find the updated lists. This dedicated post is primarily for those who subscribe to my blog feed through an app like Feedly. Since the web addresses of these posts were unchanged, the updated content wouldn’t get picked up.

The post Updated: First Aid, Foot Care, and Gear Repair Kits appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Backpacking Gear Lists || First Aid, Foot Care & Repair Kits (Downloadable)

If I were to drop my first aid, foot care, and field repair kits directly into my 3-season gear list template, I would fear clogging it up. Already, this master list can be intimidating, and these kits contain dozens of items on their own. Moreover, their exact contents depend greatly on whether I am traveling solo or with a group.

I thought it was best to address them as sub-lists, with a dedicated post, conversation, and spreadsheet for each one:

First Aid KitFoot Care KitField Repair Kit



Bandaged finger after a suture-worthy knife cut. Thankfully, we were already planning to exit the next day. Lost toenail due to an Ironman. Protect with a toe cap or with a combination of tape and moleskin. Rain pants torn by brush. Quick fix with tape. Long-term repair with needle, thread, and Aquaseal.



Download & edit these lists

Static online lists are useful. But lists that can be downloaded, integrated with other resources, and tailored to personal needs are even better.

To download and edit my 3-season gear list template, follow the on-page instructions.

To download my kits as single-page PDF’s, use these links:

First Aid KitFoot Care KitField Repair Kit

To edit these lists, you will need to create your own copy of them.

In a new tab or window, open my First Aid, Foot Care & Repair Kits sheet.If you do not have a Google account or if you prefer other software besides Google Docs, under “File” select “Download as” to generate your own Excel or CSV file. Otherwise,Log in with your Google account, if you are not already.Under “File” select “Make a copy.” A 3-tab sheet named “First Aid, Foot Care & Repair Kits” will be saved in your Google Drive account.



Have recommendations for improving these lists, in terms of their content or usefulness? Leave a comment.

The post Backpacking Gear Lists || First Aid, Foot Care & Repair Kits (Downloadable) appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Gear list || Backpacking Field Repair Kit for broken, lost & worn out gear

Due to extended use, hard use, and sometimes human error, backpacking clothing and equipment will break, tear, and wear out. Personally, in the field I’ve experienced:

Torn trekking pants, rain gear, puffy jackets, sleeping bags, and backpacks;Leaking seams on shelters;Bent, splintered, and fractured trekking pole shafts;Cracked sunglasses;Punctured and cracked water bottles;Dead headlamp batteries;Slow leaks in air sleeping pads;Frayed mesh in shoe uppers;Delamination of rubber outsoles and toe bumpers from foam midsoles;Broken and fraying shoe laces, both conventional and Quick Lace;Blown gaskets in stove fuel pumps; and,Clogged stove fuel lines that reduced performance.

In addition, I’ve witnessed or have heard from others who have lost spoons and bottle caps, took out a new tarp with no guylines attached, abraded a hole in their Dyneema Composite tarp with the edges of their bridge hammock, broken tent poles, and blew out seams and shoulder straps on ultralight backpacks. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few, too.

Rain pants torn by brush and repaired in the field with needle, thread, and Aquaseal

Most wear seems to be expected and consistent. For example, extensive bushwhacking often results in torn clothing, and mileage gradually wears out the carbide tips on trekking poles. But I’ve had some surprise problems, too, like trail running shoes that began to fall apart after just 50 miles.

My objective in carrying a field repair kit is to fix these issues, ideally to as-good-as-new condition, or at least so I can exit and find a replacement.

Partial delamination of a shoe outsole. This is common where two rubber compounds are used and where the rubber is adhered to foam.If not for Krazy Glue and Aquaseal, the holes in these shoe uppers would have become catastrophic.



Gear list: Backpacking field repair kit

To download this list as a PDF or editable spreadsheet, go here.

Critical: A must-have, no exceptionsSuggested: A valuable addition, few reasons not to bringOptional: Not critical, but worth considerationContingent: Depends on trip objectives, conditions, and/or other selectionsUnnecessary: Unlikely to need and/or can be improvised




Images



Core items in my backpacking repair kit



Extra personal items. Depending on the conditions, I will bring some of these items on solo trips, and more of them on group trips.



Items that I normally leave at home, especially on shorter trips, or put in a bounce box if they will be hard to find in trail towns.



How does my repair kit compare to yours? Am I unprepared for a common repair job?

Disclosure. I strive to offer field-tested and trustworthy information, insights, and advice. I have no financial affiliations with or interests in any brands or products, and I do not publish sponsored content

This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader.

The post Gear list || Backpacking Field Repair Kit for broken, lost & worn out gear appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Gear List: Backpacking Foot Care Kit for blisters & maceration

How many hiking and backpacking trips have been set back, or even ruined, by blisters, maceration, and other podiatric woes? Quite a few — including some of mine, unfortunately.

To eliminate or minimize these issues, I carry a dedicated foot care kit.

This kit is a separate entity than my backpacking first aid kit. While the two share some multi-purpose items, it also contains foot-specific remedies.

Naturally, foot care know-how is as important (probably more so) than a foot care kit. In general, my best recommendation is to be preventative and resourceful. Studying up can help, too, like by reading Fixing your Feet, by John Vonhof.

A fallen-off toenail, due to trauma incurred several weeks earlier during an Ironman. Such an issue is best addressed with a rubber toe cap or with a combination of tape and moleskin. Also, try to keep your feet clean, although that’s hard when packrafting glacier-fed rivers in Alaska.

Gear list: Foot care kit for hiking and backpacking

Over the past twenty years, I have backpacked solo over 30,000 miles and have led 100 guided groups with nearly 800 clients, in locations throughout North America, primarily the Rocky Mountains, High Sierra, Appalachians, Desert Southwest, and Pacific Northwest.

My foot care kits are based on what I’ve encountered during these experiences, and what has proven to work (and not work).

Critical: A must-have, no exceptions
Suggested: A valuable addition, few reasons not to bring
Optional: Not critical, but worth consideration
Contingent: Depends on trip objectives, conditions, and/or other selections
Unnecessary: Unlikely to need and/or can be improvised

My group foot care kit for hiking and backpacking. For solo trips, I carry fewer items and less of each item.

Download & edit this list

To download this list as a PDF or editable spreadsheet, go here.

Prevention & resourcefulness

Even with a proper foot care kit, it may be impossible to entirely cure a foot problem. In many situations, time and rest are the only guaranteed solutions.

So, prevention is the best approach. For example:

Test shoes and socks on short, low-risk trips;
Stop as soon as a hotspot is noticed;
During extended rest stops, remove shoes and socks so that your feet can breathe and dry out.

If prevention fails, and if the issue cannot be managed with the foot care kit, then get resourceful. I have removed and cut insoles, spliced heel cups, cut holes in the sides of shoes (to relieve pressure), and modified lacing systems, among other less conventional tactics. Keep experimenting until something works, or at least until the situation becomes tolerable.

Preventative taping using Leukotape, to manage several developing hot spots. Notice that I rounded the edges to prevent the corners from pulling up. I also applied benzoin to improve its stickiness, since this is a very high-stress area.

Solo versus group kit

My solo foot care kit is designed to treat my most common problems. In particular, my feet get macerated when wet, and I am prone to blisters on my heels on routes with extreme vertical relief. Your foot care kit should reflect your unique foot care needs.

My group foot care kit is more robust. I need to be prepared for more and more unexpected foot problems. So my kit contains more items and greater quantities.

Native conditions

The unique particularities of feet can create issues in the field. Examples: high arches or flat feet, bunions, hammer toes, heel spurs, and severe pronation. Fungal outbreaks can become painful, and be exacerbated in wet conditions. And long toenails are vulnerable to getting and causing blisters.

Once in the field, options for treating such conditions are relatively limited. Buy well fitting footwear and test it beforehand. Trim toenails. And treat fungal infections.

Well fitting footwear is critical — options are relatively limited once in the field. If you have unconventionally shaped feet, such as a very wide forefoot and narrow heel, with a low arch, finding good shoes can be a challenge.

Blisters

A blister is a fluid-filled void left by the separation of dermal layers. To treat them, it’s critical to understand the root cause, which may include:

Heat,
Moisture, and/or
Friction.

Some friction-induced blisters are due to calluses. This thick and hard patch of skin moves as a solitary unit, putting undue pressure on the softer skin around its edges and underneath it.

Two classic heel blisters, resulting from friction between the skin and the stiff heel cup of the hiking boots. Blist-o-bans are ideal for heel blisters, combined with some benzoin or a Leukotape patch for additional adhesive.

Maceration

When skin is exposed to moisture for extended periods, the skin becomes macerated, or pruned. The skin becomes itchy, soft, and maybe painful. It is prone to blistering and to cracking as it dries out. Learn to minimize the effects and aftermath of wet feet.

Badly macerated feet after the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic

Disclosure. I strive to offer field-tested and trustworthy information, insights, and advice. I have no financial affiliations with or interests in any brands or products, and I do not publish sponsored content

This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader.

The post Gear List: Backpacking Foot Care Kit for blisters & maceration appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Gear List: Backpacking First Aid Kit for soloists & groups

A first aid kit is rightfully considered by most backpackers to be a must-have item. To check this box, you have two basic options:

Purchase a prepackaged commercial version like the Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight that has been vetted by medical professionals; or,
Create your own, based on the specifics of your group, itinerary, and environmental conditions.

Commercial kits are convenient, but they’re expensive for what you get and they don’t necessarily address all of your needs. A DIY kit is research-intensive and more time-consuming, but it’ll be perfectly optimized for you.

If a DIY/MYO kit seems preferable, keep reading.

Gear list: Backpacking First Aid Kit for soloists and groups

Over the past twenty years, I have backpacked solo over 30,000 miles and have led 100 guided groups with nearly 800 clients, in locations throughout North America, primarily the Rocky Mountains, High Sierra, Appalachians, Desert Southwest, and Pacific Northwest.

My solo and group first aid kits are based on what I’ve encountered during these experiences, which I’ve detailed previously. My selections are not based on fear or first aid training simulations.

Open this list in its own window.

Critical: A must-have, no exceptions
Suggested: A valuable addition, few reasons not to bring
Optional: Not critical, but worth consideration
Contingent: Depends on trip objectives, conditions, and/or other selections
Unnecessary: Unlikely to need and/or can be improvised

What can you actually treat?

With your first aid kit, you should be able to manage or treat fully:

Minor cuts, burns, and scrapes;
Overuse aches and pains;
Minor allergic reactions, diarrhea, and acute mountain sickness; and,
A few other minor things.


Limitations

A first aid kit is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. In any medical scenario that would be considered more than “minor,” you’re looking at a self-rescue or an assisted evacuation. It’s wise to have small-scale overview maps and a satellite messenger/phone for these situations.

Also, a first aid kit is not a substitute for being smart! You’ll be best served by researching likely environmental and route conditions before you leave, and then using common sense in the field by identifying risks, respecting your limits and those of your group, and making conservative decisions.

Finally, carrying a first aid kit does not translate into knowing first aid. For that, consider getting some training through organizations like Red Cross, NOLS, WMAI, and SOLO.

CPR certification, at a minimum, for everyone; and,
Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder for trip leaders and avid soloists


Photos

The list above is my definitive/recommended kit, and it’s updated every spring at the start of my guiding season. The photos below were taken a few years ago, and some items or form factors have changed since then.

Medications

Wound care

Tools

Cost of a DIY kit

A DIY kit may be a greater up-front investment than a commercial kit, because you often have to buy more than you need. For example, a bottle of ibuprofen normally has 50+ pills, but you’ll need just 10 for an upcoming solo weekend trip. However, a DIY kit will be less expensive in the long-run as you replenish items that you use.

With the unneeded quantities of a DIY kit, create additional first aid kits for your home and vehicle(s).

Solo versus group kit

On a group trip, medical situations are more likely and more diverse in nature, simply due to there being more people, each with a unique medical history. Appropriately, then, my group first aid kit is more robust than what I carry when solo — I bring more items and greater quantities of each item.

My solo kit is a slimmed-down version of my group kit. For example, I leave behind aspirin (which I don’t need, but which I might give to an older group member with symptoms of a heart attack) and disposable gloves (since it’s okay for me to be in contact with my own bodily fluids), and I bring a smaller utility tool because I likely will not use it as much.

Amounts

The amount of each item I carry is a function of the trip duration, group size, and my sense of its importance. My philosophy is this: If I really need an item, I want to have enough to address fully the medical event.

For example, if I come down with iliotibial tendentious (“runner’s knee”) I want enough anti-inflammatory medications so that I can take full dosage until I exit or arrive at the next town with a drugstore. And if I were to badly cut myself, I want enough wound dressings and tape to treat it properly.

Kit weight

I have never weighed my first aid kit. If you do, you are welcome to share what you get. But, frankly, its weight is irrelevant: my kit has what I need and not much extra (or any extra), and knowing its weight would not prompt me to reconsider its contents. If I were striving to be an “ultralight” backpacker (whatever that means), my approach towards first aid would be no different.

What do you think of my first aid kits? What other items do you take (or leave behind)?

Disclosure. I strive to offer field-tested and trustworthy information, insights, and advice. I have no financial affiliations with or interests in any brands or products, and I do not publish sponsored content

This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader.

The post Gear List: Backpacking First Aid Kit for soloists & groups appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Gear list: West Virginia & Appalachians in May

In mid-May I am returning to The Mountain State to guide an intro-level 3-day backpacking course in Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area, followed by a more advanced 5-day trip in Dolly Sods Wilderness. Rounding out the guide team will be Alan Dixon, Joseph “Stringbean” McConaughy, and Matthew Bright.

Seneca Creek and Dolly Sods are classic Appalachian environments: lush hardwood forests at lower elevations, thick guard spruce at the highest, occasional open meadows, rain and humidity, and seasonal ticks. My gear list for these locations is relevant to every other backcountry destination along the Appalachian corridor and throughout the Eastern woodlands.

Expected conditions

Gear selection should be driven primarily by:

Your trip objective; andThe environmental and route conditions.

For planning purposes, we assumed normal springtime conditions for this location. When an accurate short-term forecast becomes available, we will tweak our kits.

Temperatures. For the month of May, a nearby weather station at Canaan Valley (3200 feet) reports average high and low temperatures of 68 F and 42 F. The average elevation of our route is a little bit higher, so we’re expecting slightly cooler temperatures. Actual temperatures often swing +/- 10 degrees from these norms. Precipitation. The same weather station reports 6.1 inches of rain in May. Daylight. We’ll have ample daylight, since we’re just 6 weeks away from the longest day of the year. Civil twilight starts around 5:30 AM and ends at about 9 PM, giving us 14+ hours of daylight.Footing. The trails are a mix of dirt and rock, and can become wet and muddy. Dolly Sods, in particular, has legendary boot-sucking mud in its peat bogs. In Seneca Creek, the trails are more likely to just become slick.Vegetation. At the lower elevations, we’ll be shaded by a thick hardwood canopy. At high elevations, we’ll find guard spruce. The understory is not prohibitively dense. Both areas have open meadows with tall grasses and brush.Navigational aids. Trails are not blazed, but they are primitively signed. Visibility is usually limited, except when in the meadows. The topography ranges from flat to moderately sloped, and has few distinct features.Sun exposure. In Seneca Creek, the tree canopy blocks out most sunlight. The upper plateau in Dolly Sods has more open terrain, meaning more sun exposure on the occasional sunny day.Water availability. Topographic maps depict regular and perennial streams and springs, except atop ridgelines.Problematic wildlife. We found no reports of bear/human food conflicts. Rodents may be an issue at high-use campsites.Biting insects. Peak tick season starts once warm spring temperatures finally arrive. After walking through tall grass, tick-checks would be wise; permethrin-treated clothing would be a good precaution. Mosquitoes will be out but manageable.Remoteness. A road is never more than a few miles away, but this is a lightly inhabited area — cell service is spotty, and we’re several hours from the nearest medical facilities. These areas are popular with backpackers, but not as popular as destinations closer to the I-95 corridor like Shenandoah National Park.Natural hazards. In heavy rains, Seneca Creek and Red Creek can swell. Wandering off-trail in Dolly Sods should be done cautiously — unexploded ordinances from WWII training exercises are still occasionally found here.



Seneca Creek



Backpacking gear list: West Virginia in May

The applicability of this gear list goes well beyond 3-day trips in Seneca Creek. It could be replicated successfully for any springtime trip in the southern Appalachians (e.g. Appalachian Trail, Smokies, Blue Ridge, Shenandoah, etc.), possibly with small tweaks to comply with local regulations or conditions.

Summary

Here’s a big picture look:

The weight and cumulative cost are both on the high side:

These should be physically easy trips for me, and intentionally I’m packing luxuries like sleeping clothes, a bridge hammock, and a decent camera. I wouldn’t be surprised if my pack weighs more when I leave the trailhead — if it’s rainy, I’m going to bring an 8-oz umbrella and 1.5-lb group tarp; and for role-modeling purposes I may keep my food in an Ursack.Keep in mind that I get a lot of gear for free. If I had to pay for everything, I’d shop the sales and I’d seek out more economical substitutes.



Full list

To make this list more viewing-friendly, open it in new window.

If you like the look and organization of my gear list, consider using my 3-season gear list template.

Questions about my selections? Leave a comment.

Disclosure. I strive to offer field-tested and trustworthy information, insights, and advice. I have no financial affiliations with or interests in any brands or products, and I do not publish sponsored content

This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader.

The post Gear list: West Virginia & Appalachians in May appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Book review || Dreams of El Dorado: History of the West

My fascination with the American West began in May 2002, when my father and I drove from North Carolina to Boulder, Colo., where I had a summer internship with GoLite. The landscape felt familiar until somewhere in Kansas, in hindsight roughly coinciding with the 100th Meridian, and from that point on I kept my eyes glued outside.

The novelty of the plains were lost on my father, who grew up on an Air Force base in South Dakota, but even he perked up when the snow-capped Rocky Mountains first jutted into the skyline, somewhere in eastern Colorado.

Review: Dreams of El Dorado, by H. W. Brands

My wife Amanda is the real reader in our house, and last month she came home from the library with Dreams of El Dorado: A history of the American West, by H. W. Brands. I moved quickly through its 480 pages (with an occasional photo), and thought it was one of my more enjoyable recent reads.

The book title is technically accurate but overly generous — more realistically, it’s like CliffsNotes of the American West, consisting of several dozen of the most important vignettes. None are very long — 10 to 20 pages each, enough to tell a good story with most of the main points, but without ever resorting to dry details.

It starts with Jefferson and Lewis & Clark, and finishes with TR. In between, it recounts (in no particular order) the fur trade, the California gold rush, the founding of Texas and Oregon, cowboys, the Mexican-American war, Wesley Powell, the Mormons, the Sand Creek Massacre, Hetch Hetchy, and many other key events and people. On the whole, the reader is left with a holistic history of the West.

Supplemental reading & watching

If you find a topic to be particularly interesting, you can always go deeper with another body of work. For instance, the completion of the transcontinental railroad was one of the most pivotal moments in the West, but it gets only 12 pages in Dreams of El Dorado. For the full account, go with Nothing Like It In The World by Stephen Ambrose.

Similarly, if you’re intrigued by Powell’s Report on the Lands of the Arid Region, then pick up Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner, which is the definitive history of water in the West. And, finally, watch Ken Burns’ The West, which is available on Prime Video and which tells a less triumphant story about how America really took control of the frontier.

Disclosure. I strive to offer field-tested and trustworthy information, insights, and advice. I have no financial affiliations with or interests in any brands or products, and I do not publish sponsored content

This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader.

The post Book review || Dreams of El Dorado: History of the West appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Backpacking Gear List Template + 3-season Checklist

A backpacking gear list template + checklist, with sample selections (green columns) as an example.

Completing a gear list is one of the most important and most beneficial steps in preparing for a backpacking trip. A fully featured gear list can be used to:

Pack virtually (and avoid a gear explosion in the guest room),Organize systems (e.g. clothing, shelter, kitchen),Calculate pack weight,Budget and track new purchases,Prepare trips in the future, andCheck immediately pre-trip that all items are packed.

As part of the Planning Curriculum for my guided trips, every client is required to complete a gear list. To assist them in this process, I provide them with a gear list template, the same that I’ve embedded below. Since 2011 this template has been used by over 1,000 clients on 129 trips; it’s updated and refined annually. 

Compared to other gear lists online, I believe mine does two things better:

1. It’s broadly applicable, including all 3-seasons, all North American locations, all trip lengths, all ages and genders, all ability levels, and most backpacking styles.

2. It’s instructive, not just a list. It includes helpful comments, examples, and links to more information.

Backpacking Gear List Template & Checklist

View the Template + Checklist in a larger window.





Download & edit the template

If you simply need a backpacking checklist, download the template as a PDF.

To use this spreadsheet as a template for your own gear list, you must make your own copy:

In a new tab or window, open the file Backpacking Gear List Template & Checklist.If you do not have a Google account or if you prefer other software besides Google Docs, under “File” select “Download as” to generate your own Excel or CSV file. Otherwise,Log in with your Google account, if you are not already.Under “File” select “Make a copy.” Find your own copy of the file in Google Drive.



Instructions after download



Erase sample cells

In cells F3:P11, I included sample information to demonstrate how the template should be used. Erase these cells and fill them back in with your own selections.

I suppose you could erase cells B1:E140, too, but I think most users will find them to be a useful reference. You can also hide these columns to get them out of the way.

Think twice before adding rows

This template has been extensively tested, and space for all reasonable items has already been included. You should not need to add rows for additional items or categories.

That said, it’s your gear list, so do what you want. If you think my template is missing something though, please leave a comment — I’m open to additional edits.

If rows are rearranged, the weight calculators must be redone

With basic spreadsheet know-how, this is straightforward. If the SUM function means nothing to you, however, my recommendation is to leave the template organized as-is.

IMPORTANT: Don’t pack everything on the list!

Gear selection should be dictated by:

Your backpacking style, i.e. ratio of hiking versus camping; and,When, where, and for how long you are going, i.e. environmental and route conditions.

So that this template is broadly applicable, it includes many items that would be optional or completely unnecessary for your specific trip — but critical for others. For example, for a summertime Appalachian Trail section-hike, you don’t need insulated pants or an ice axe, but you may want both for a John Muir Trail thru-hike in June.

To determine the relevance of each product category, research the likely conditions, review trip-specific gear lists, and seek commentary on your selections.

How can I make this template + checklist more useful for you? Share your ideas, and tell me what you think of it.

Disclosure. I strive to offer field-tested and trustworthy information, insights, and advice. I have no financial affiliations with or interests in any brands or products, and I do not publish sponsored content

This website is supported by affiliate marketing, whereby for referral traffic I receive a small commission from select vendors like Amazon or REI, at no cost to the reader.

The post Backpacking Gear List Template + 3-season Checklist appeared first on Andrew Skurka.

Help wanted: Guided trip manager

To help me run my guided trip program last year, I hired David, who proved to be exceptional. Unfortunately, he’ll soon be stepping away after being offered a can’t-turn-it-down promotion at Flagstaff House that has much greater career potential than I could give him.

So I’m looking to replace David, and to perhaps delegate other responsibilities as well.

Overview

This position has two components:

Local, in Boulder, Colo.; and,Online

It can be performed by one person who takes on both roles, or by two people who take on one role each. A single hire for both roles is probably preferred, but I’ll base this decision on the applicant pool.

On their own, the roles are part-time and accommodating of other full-time work (or less). Combined, the roles are about half- or three-fourths time. It could be kept at that, with or without other freelancing work; or, depending on interests and skill set, we could bring it up to full-time by adding other responsibilities and initiatives.

The workload tends to be inconsistent, but predictably so. For the local position, I need the most help before and between trips; it slows and then halts in September, after the final trips of the year start and then return, respectively. For the online role, the biggest glut is now through May, when the Planning Curriculum is being conducted.

Role 1: Local

In 2020 we are operating 29 trips with up to 244 clients, which will entail an exceptional amount of manual work, including but not limited to:

Purchasing and preparing food;Assembling first aid, foot care, and repair kits;Gathering loaner/demo gear and putting it away upon return; and,Printing forms, maps, menus, rosters, and other field documents.

Of the items listed, food is the single most time-consuming task. It’d be equivalent to preparing breakfasts and dinners for a 1,292-day solo expedition. David hired and managed additional workers to expedite the process, but you’re welcome to do it all to maximize your hours.

This role requires:

Dependability,Attention to detail, andA good attitude.



Role 2: Online

The Planning Curriculum is an 8-part program to prepare clients for their trip with us. Most modules have already been developed, but the materials need to be updated for 2020 and shared with clients on a specific schedule. Most modules will generate some client questions, which must be answered; ditto for general client questions.

Reviewing client gear lists is the most important and time-consuming task for this position. If you are qualified and have the time, you can do all of them; if not, you will have to manage a team of shakedowners who can do it properly and efficiently.

This role requires:

Dependability;Attention to detail;Excellent customer service;Good writing skills;Comfort with Google products including Gmail, Drive, and ideally Classroom; and,Personal backpacking experience and familiarity with modern backpacking gear and skills, the more the better.

In addition to managing the Curriculum, you will also field customer service inquiries from my online store. Usually, you just need to reset download permissions.

Running successful trips requires getting thousands of little details right.



Compensation and commitment

Wages will be commensurate with the responsibilities of the position and the qualifications of the applicant(s). I would consider the local position to be entry-level; the online position, above that. But both are critical, and I want to have reliable help.

I will only consider applicants who can commit for the entire 2020 season, through September.

How to apply

To apply for either role, complete this application.

In the form, will be asked to upload a cover letter and/or resume (in PDF format only). Use this opportunity to explain your interest in and qualifications for the positions.

I am accepting applications now for this position, and will review them as they come in. I’m looking to hire immediately so please submit when you’re ready.

Questions?

If it’s a general question, leave a comment below. If it’s a personal question, contact me.

Andrew Skurka Adventures LLC is an equal opportunity employer.

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