Equipment List
The following is a list of specific required gear for the Blue Goat Expedition to the Kluane Icefield. Unless an item is listed as *optional, it is required to participate. Your guides will do a thorough gear check in Alaska prior to departure and any inadequate gear or clothing will need to be replaced. Only bring great gear that is in excellent condition and make sure things fit, are adequately broken in, and are familiar to you. Your life may depend on your clothing and equipment functioning properly. Please follow this list closely and do not hesitate to call us for clarification or to solicit an opinion about things you may be unsure of. There is a good selection of gear in Anchorage but you may not find what you want or need, so better to have everything dialed prior to arriving in Alaska. We want you to be as prepared as possible for your expedition. Some of the clothing and gear options are male and female specific so be sure to check for the version that best suits you, as the fit will be different.
Print Equipment
| Footwear | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Booties | Lightweight down fill booties both work well on expeditions. These are great for camp and tent comfort and allow you extra opportunity to dry out your ski boot liners. Having the booties built into a knee-high gaiter solves the problem of preventing snow from entering the bootie when outside the tent. | Western Mountaineering Expedition Down Booties |
| Ski Socks | 3 - 5 pairs of good wool ski socks. Try a couple of different weights as that will affect the fit of your boot. | Bridgedale Merino Wool Ski Socks Smartwool Merino Wool Ski Socks Icebreaker Merino Wool Ski Socks |
| Over boots | Ski mountaineering boots require over boots for the potential extreme cold on the Icefield. We prefer snug fitting neoprene over boots, such as the ones from 40 Below. Be sure to get the 40 Below Fresh Tracks over boot as it is built for ski mountaineering boots. | 40 Below Fresh Tracks Over boots |
| Custom Insole | A custom insole or orthotic can help fine tune the fit of your boot and support your feet, improving balance. A well-fitting boot will be warmer and prevent blisters. Orthotics prescribed by a podiatrist are the best solution for hard to please feet. | Superfeet Redhot Insole |
| Ski Mountaineering Boots and Intuition liners | Modern Ski Mountaineering Boots ski and climb well but need to be paired with an expedition liner (e.g., Intuition Pro Tour Liner) to provide suitable warmth. Scarpa and La Sportiva makes a wide array of suitable ski mountaineering boots but ensuring the proper fit is the MOST important thing to get right. Try on many boots to make sure you get the best fit possible and spend the money to have a professional boot fitter help you. If your feet aren’t perfectly shaped, you many need to have the shells punched. Day four on the Icefield is not the time to realize your boots are killing your feet. And because there will be many cold days on this expedition, it is critical you do not size the boot too small. If your feet run cold, size the boot to fit two merino ski socks per foot. As feet tend to swell as the day wears on, fit your boot in the afternoon or evening to accommodate this phenomenon. | La Sportiva Vega La Sportiva Solar La Sportiva Skorpius CR Scarpa Maestrale Scarpa Maestrale RS Scarpa Maestrale XT Intuition Pro Tour Liner |
| Hiking boot | You will need a medium weight mountaineering boot for the first and last section of the traverse. La Sportiva typically fits a narrow foot and Scarpa a slightly wider foot. Make sure this boot fits well and is broken in. | La Sportiva Trango Tower GTX Mountaineering Boot |
| Torso Layers | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Expedition Down Parka | This is an important layer so don't skimp! You do not need the heaviest 8000-meter parka for the Kluane Icefield but you should have a warm, baffled 800 plus fill down parka with an attached hood. | Western Mountaineering SnoJack Parka
Patagonia Grade VII Down Parka Feathered Friends Khumbu Down Parka |
| Base Layer Zip-Neck | (1 or 2 sets) of Wool or Capilene light weight long-sleeve base layers. After many days, wool smells better but tends to hold more moisture and doesn’t dry as fast as synthetic. Zip-neck tops allow for better regulation of temperature. | Patagonia Capilene Midweight Zip-Neck
Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer ¼ Zip |
| Light Fleece Hoody | Light/mid weight fleece (or wool) top with a hood. You will wear this over your lightweight base layer zip-neck. | Patagonia R1 Hoody
Smartwool Classic Thermal Merino Base Layer Hoody |
| “Puffy” Light Insulated Hoody | Size this layer to fit over your light fleece hoody and wind shell, as it is often layered underneath your expedition parka. Synthetic is easier to deal with and a hood on this layer in mandatory! *** Guides Tip: Use two lightweight puffy layers in the early season or if you are worried about being cold. A synthetic puff hoody with an ultra-light down hoody or vest allows versatile layering options. | Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody
Arc’teryx Atom LT Hoody Stone Glacier Grumman Down HoodyThe North Face Summit Down Hoody Feathered Friends Eos Down Hoody |
| Hard Shell Hoody | This jacket should be large enough to go over your light puffy jacket layer. You do not need the burliest/heaviest Gore-Tex jacket you can find; rather, we prefer the lightest weight versions. | Arc’teryx Beta AR shell
Arc’teryx Beta LT shell |
| Soft Shell Wind Hoody | Many high alpine peaks are cold and dry. We are huge fans of very lightweight softshell wind jackets for high, dry, cold peaks. Weighing just a few ounces, these can be carried in your pocket or in the lid of your pack for rapid deployment. This layer is used in addition to your more waterproof hard-shell hoody. | Patagonia Houdini Hoody
Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody |
| Vest (optional) | A lightweight down or synthetic filled vest can be a nice addition to add some warmth with little weight. This is an optional layer for most climbers. | BD First Light Vest
Arc’teryx Atom LT vest Patagonia Nano Puff VestFeathered Friends Eos Down Vest Western Mountaineering Flight Series Down Vest |
| Sun Hoody (optional) | A Sun Hoody is a great lightweight layer to help protect you from the intense UV on the Icefield. It's a go-to layer for our guides, as it both keeps the sun off your skin and helps keep you cool. Highly recommended, but **OPTIONAL | Patagonia Sunshade Technical Hoody |
| Leg Layers | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Base Layer Bottoms | (1 or 2 sets) of Wool or Capilene light weight base layers. | Patagonia Capilene Lightweight
Smartwool Classic Thermal Base layer |
| Light Fleece Bottoms | As the air thins and the wind picks up, you'll want a bit more insulation on your legs. This should be a slightly warmer layer that can go over your base layer bottoms when it gets cold. | Patagonia Thermal Weight Capilene |
| Soft Shell Pants | Soft Shell pants are the workhorse on the Kluane Icefield and you'll be wearing these day in and day out on the expedition. You can wear them in lieu of your hard shell pants for much of the expedition. | Patagonia Simul Alpine Pants
Arc’teryx Procline Pro Pant |
| Hard Shell, Waterproof Pants | When it's wet a soft-shell pant just isn't enough and you'll need a waterproof "hard shell" pant made out with Gore-Tex or equivalent. These should be as light weight as possible, with fully separating side zippers which make it easier to take on and off with your boots on. | Arc’teryx Beta LT Pant Hadron
Black Diamond Stormline Pants |
| Puffy Insulated Expedition Pants | On summit day or on a cold morning, you will need a warm layer that can go over your baselayers and softshell pants. This layer should be down or synthetic (ie. Primaloft) filled and must have fully separating side zippers. Practice putting these puffy pants on and taking them off while wearing your boots before you leave for your expedition. | Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pants
Mountain Equipment Kryos Pant Western Mountaineering Flight Pant |
| Underwear | Consider synthetic or Merino wool for your underwear. For a 25-day trip, three to four sets is more than adequate. | Patagonia
Smartwool Icebreaker |
| Head and Hands | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight Gloves | Warm, insulated gloves are the day-to-day workhorses for cold days. We prefer gloves with removable liners for ease of drying. | Black Diamond Guide Gloves |
| Medium Weight Gloves | A mid-weight glove will generally be a softshell glove with some light synthetic insulation and a leather palm. | Mountain Equipment Super
Alpine Glove
Outdoor Research Stormtracker Glove |
| Light Weight Gloves | When the sun comes out on a glacier, the temperature can soar. Light weight, soft shell gloves are great for keeping the sun off your hands, while still giving you a bit of protection from the wind and cold. | Black Diamond Trekker Glove
Outdoor Research Waterproof Liners |
| 60 Second Gloves | Very light weight, liner-style gloves have earned the nickname "60 Second Gloves" on cold mountains, because you can wear them under your mittens to provide a modicum of protection for briefly pulling your hands from your mitts in order to perform tasks like clipping ropes through carabiners. Choose the lightest synthetic or Merino wool gloves you can find, and consider them to be somewhat disposable, as they are not very durable. | Smartwool Liner Glove |
| Buff Neck Gaiter | These are amazingly versatile, and can be worn as a hat, a neck gaiter or pulled over your face for protection from the wind or sun. They come in many thicknesses nowadays, but we prefer the original weight for its versatility. | Buff |
| Summit Mittens | Thick, warm mittens made from Down, synthetic fill, or a combination of insulation are crucial for those really cold days. Most come with some form of retention straps, which can help reduce the chance of losing them to a gust of wind or in the event of a fall. Good mittens are expensive, but how much is one finger worth? | Outdoor Research Alti Mitts |
| Warm Hat | Bring one warm hat or two hats of different weights. Wool or fleece are fine, but your hat must provide ear protection from the cold. | Outdoor Research Smart Wool |
| Face Mask | Cheeks and the tip of your nose are notoriously difficult to keep warm, especially in a biting wind. Neoprene face masks do a great job of protecting those exposed surfaces. | Seirus Neofleece Mask |
| Sun Hat | Baseball type or wide brimmed sun hats are required for protection against the intense sunshine found on many peaks. You can combine a baseball hat with a BUFF for good sun protection or go for a wide brimmed version to protect your face, ears and neck. Make sure your hat is nylon and not cotton. | OR Helios Hat
The North Face Nylon baseball hat |
| Hand Warmers | Bring 4 -6+ sets of these disposable insurance policies, depending on where you are climbing. Make certain that your hand warmers are relatively new, as they do go bad over time. | HotHands hand warmers |
| Glacier Glasses | Good, dark (Category 4) glacier glasses are a must for high altitude climbs. They must have side protection and filter 100% UVA and UVB rays. Opticus Sports Eyewear specializes in prescription glacier glasses. They are based in Lyons, Colorado. | Julbo Explorer 2.0 Sunglasses
Altice Venture Sunglasses |
| Ski Goggles | These are necessary for use while traveling during storms or during really cold and windy weather. These must have double lenses and provide full UV protection. Fogging is a real challenge, so goggles that actively vent are worth the investment. Julbo's Aerospace or Airflux have a slick venting system or Smith makes battery-powered "Turbo Fan" models. Select a general-purpose lens that will provide some protection in bright light, but not be so dark as to make them useless on a cloudy or flat-light day. Or bring two lenses; one for bright sunlight and one for flat light. | Julbo AEROSPACE with "Reactiv All Around" or "High Mountain" lens |
| Nose Guard | Beko makes nice nose protectors that keep the wind and sun from wreaking havoc on your skin. Bekogear.com | Beko |
| Sleeping Gear | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Bag | A good enough sleeping bag should be down filled and rated between 0 F (-18C) to -25 F (-32C). If you sleep cold, consider the warmer bag. A Down filled sleeping bag is required, synthetic bags are not acceptable. Sleeping bag systems or over bags are generally a compromise and not recommended. Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends build superb down sleeping bags. | Western Mountaineering Puma -25
Feathered Friends Ptarmigan
Western Mountaineering Kodiak MF Feathered Friends Snowbunting EX |
| Inflatable Sleeping Pad | Inflatable pads have improved tremendously in recent years. Whether you choose a self-inflating pad or one that requires some pumping to inflate, select a pad that is warm and comfortable. | Exped Downmat XP 9
Thermarest NeoAir XTherm |
| Foam Sleeping Pad | Bringing two sleeping pads--one closed cell foam and the other an inflatable pad--will provide additional comfort and insulation, as well as insurance in case you have a catastrophic failure of your inflatable pad. | Ridge Rest SOLite (Reg) |
| Compression Stuff Sack | Granite Gear, Outdoor Research, Sea to Summit, and others are all making nice, lightweight compression sacks. These are essential for sleeping bags and recommended for your big puffy clothes, such as your parka, mitts and warmest pants, so you might consider bringing two. | Granite Gear Air Compressor Sack |
| Packs and Duffels | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Backpack | Cold weather expeditions require a large pack. Consider a pack with a volume that is at least 85 liters, and bigger is better for most climbers. You'll need enough capacity to carry all your personal gear, plus your share of the group food and equipment. | Osprey Zenith 105
Mountain Hardwear AMG 105 Gregory Denali 100 |
| Large Zippered Duffel | You'll want an XL sized (90 – 100L) or XXL sized (120-150 L) duffel for your expedition. Water resistant bags like the Patagonia Black Hole Bag or The North Face Base Camp Duffel are tough and hard to kill and make great travel bags | Patagonia Black Hole
The North Face Base Camp Duffel |
| Climbing Gear | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Ski / Trekking Poles | Adjustable poles work great and are easier to travel with as they fit better in your duffel bag. The small “trekking” baskets on some poles are not large enough for use on soft snow, so make certain your poles have bigger “snowflake” style baskets for any climb with glacier or snow travel. | Black Diamond Trekking Poles Black Diamond Expedition 3 Poles |
| Ascender | You need one full-sized ascender such as the Petzl Ascension to clip into the fixed lines on the route, and to use for crevasse rescue applications. | Petzl Ascension Ascender |
| Ice Axe | A general use, mountaineering axe is sufficient for this climb. Some axes are much lighter than others, so select for weight as well as a size for your height. Most climbers do well with a 60 - 75 cm axe. | Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe Grivel Air Tec Evo |
| Alpine Climbing Harness | Your harness should be adjustable enough to accommodate several layers of clothing and be lightweight. | Black Diamond Couloir Harness Petzl Altitude Harness |
| Carabiners | Bring eight regular (non-locking) carabiners. Please do not bring “bent-gate” carabiners, as these have certain limitations that do not make them appropriate for how we will use them. Mark your 'biners with colored tape for identification. | Black Diamond OZ Carabiners |
| Locking Carabiners | Bring three locking carabiners. Screw gate or auto-locking 'biners work equally well, although the new magnetic gate versions seem like they might be less prone to freezing closed. Select light weight carabiners. | Black Diamond VaporLock Carabiners |
| Accessory/Prussik Cord | 25-30 feet of 6mm-7mm accessory cord will be used to create prussiks and rig your ascender. We will go over this in our pre-trip training. | 6-7 mm accessory cord |
| Climbing Helmet | Make certain it fits over your warmest hat and under the hood of your shell. | Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet |
| Crampons | Select a pair of 12-point mountaineering crampons that fit your boots well. Step-in or strap versions work equally well; just make sure they fit your mountain boots and over boots. You may need to lengthen your crampons to accommodate your over boots, so please make sure you have enough center bar to make this adjustment in the field. Aluminum crampons are not acceptable for expeditions. | Black Diamond Sabretooth Clip Black Diamond Sabretooth Pro Grivel G 12 |
| Primary Attachment Locking Carabiner | For your primary attachment to the rope, we will us a "triple action" locking carabiner. Triple Action (TriAct) carabiners will not come unlocked while you are traveling on the glacier. You only need one of these carabiners. | Petzl William TriAct Locking Carabiner |
| Double Length Runner (48″) | Double Length (48") runner. Nylon runners are pretty versatile and utilitarian. For glacier trips they can be used as a chest harness. | Double Length (48") Runner |
| Glacier Travel | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
| AT Skis | You want a lightweight ski for the up and for days and days of glacier travel. You also need a ski with sufficient stiffness to perform on steep terrain. Sizing you ski shorter than what you usually ski makes sense on this type of trip. | Fisher Hannibal 96 |
| AT Binding | AT race bindings, while lightweight, may not provide the durability necessary to ski all day, every day for two or more weeks in a remote environment. A middle weight AT binding is a better choice. No heavy side-country bindings please (Marker Duke, etc.). | Plum Guide 12
Dynafit Radical ST G3 Ion 12 |
| Ski Leashes | These are necessary in case you fall into a crevasse or to keep your skis attached should you pop out of the binding. | Plum ski leashes |
| Climbing skins | You want a blend of grip and glide rather than mostly one or the other. | Black Diamond Ultra Light Skins |
| Other | Description | Guide's Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Stuff Sacks | We are fans of the very light stuff sacks made from Sil Nylon fabric. Bring enough for your clothes and personal items. Light, zippered stuff bags are nice for toiletries. Sea to Summit makes nylon dry sacks with a window for easy visibility of contents. These are a little heavier but make organization easy and add a layer of protection from moisture. | OR Zip Sacks
Granite Gear Zip Sack Sea to Summit View Dry Sack |
| Cache Bag | A cache bag is just a very large stuff sack 30 liter+ capacity. Do not bring a river trip-style drybag for this purpose, but rather a lightweight stuff sack made from coated nylon or Sil Nylon. Your cache bag stuff sack needs to be large enough to contain your down parka, pants, overboots, summit mitts, and a bit of other gear. | OR Ultralight Compression Sack 35 liter |
| Two (2) One-Liter Water Bottles | You will need two, 1-liter plastic water bottles. Please bring wide-mouth bottles, such as those from Nalgene, as these are much easier to fill than bottles with small openings. | Nalgene Wide Mouth 1-Liter Bottle |
| Insulated Bottle Cover(s) | Water bottles freeze when it gets cold so save yourself the hassle by investing on cozies. | Forty Below Water Bottle Boot |
| Large Plastic Bowl | Bowls are much easier to use and are much more versatile than plates. Bring a 2-4 cup camping bowl or a plastic "Rubbermaid" style container for your mountain dining. | Collapsible Fair Share |
| Insulated Cup or Mug | A 12-16 ounce (350-500 ml) mug with an attached lid will help keep you hydrated. The Kleen Kanteen Insulated Bottle with the "Cafe Cap" is pretty nifty, as it is a mug and a thermos all in one! | Kleen Kanteen Insulated Bottle |
| Titanium Spoon | A titanium spoon with a long handle with reach deep into your freeze-dried packet and work for everything else. Mark your spoon with your initials to keep spoon rustlers at bay. | |
| Lip Balm (2 tubes) | Protect your lips! Bring two tubes of lip balm with SPF. | |
| Sunscreen | Smaller tubes work better than big tubes as they are easier to keep from freezing. You'll want to bring 3-4 ounces (85 - 110g) of SPF 30 (minimum)for the trip. | |
| Pee-Bottle | Wide-mouth, collapsible Nalgene Cantenes work great- they make a 96-ounce version, which will come in handy during long storms. Ladies- look for an appropriate adapter available at your local outdoor store. These items can be tough to find in Anchorage so plan ahead. | |
| Toiletry Kit | Tooth brush & paste, dental floss, Handi-wipes (1 per day on average), a small bottle of hand sanitizer, and maybe some foot powder… keep it small. | |
| Toilet Paper | Depending on your technique, you'll want 1-2 rolls, each packed in a heavy-duty zip-lock bag. | |
| Personal Medical Kit | Blue Goat Expedition guides will have fairly comprehensive medical kits developed by our Medical Director, but we encourage each climber to bring a small, personal kit. Items to include: blister treatment and prevention, pain relievers, antacids, some adhesive bandages of various sizes, and a small roll of medical tape. Prescription medications should be based on consultation with your personal physician. Suggested drugs for altitude expeditions include Diamox (acetazolamide) 125 mg, Decadron (dexamthazone) 4 mg, Nifedipine XR 30 mg, and a couple of antibiotics for respiratory and gastrointestinal issues. | |
| Journal and pen | You will spend time each day completing your Immunity to Change homework, so bring a light-weight journal and pen to keep track of your work. | |
| Book(s) or E-Reader | There can be some "down time" on an expedition, even when you have good weather. An expedition can be a good time to catch up on reading. | |
| Camera | Small, lightweight point and shoot cameras are most popular among climbers. Be sure to bring extra memory and batteries. | Sony RX 100 |
| Altimeter Watch | An altimeter watch can be fun to have on an expedition to keep track of your ascent and to watch for changes in barometric pressure. | Suunto Vector |
| Maps | Our guides will have maps and/or GPS devices, but a good map can be fun to have along. | |
| Lighter | Your guides will have plenty of lighters, but it is nice to have one lighter per tent, as cord always needs to be cut and melted. | |
| Small Knife | A small knife or small multi-tool is also handy to have. One per tent is sufficient. There is emphasis on the word small when it comes to multi-tools. | |
| Personal Music/Video Device | iPhones or iPods are nice on a long trip. Keeping electronics charged will likely require an external battery and solar panel. These add weight but do allow for re-charging. Be sure to bring light weight ear buds to preserve the quiet nature of the trip. | |
| Satellite Tracking/Texting Device | Satellite linked devices such as the Garmin inReach have become popular, as you can send and receive text messages. You will need an external battery pack and solar panel to keep it charged. | Garmin inReach |
| Solar Panel/Battery *optional | If you are planning to charge your iPhone, inReach, or other electronics on the expedition you will need a good, small solar panel. We recommend using the panel to charge a battery and then charging your devices from the battery. This is definitely some extra weight, so keep it light and maybe share a panel and battery with your tentmate. | Goal Zero Venture 35 or 75 and Nomad 10 Portable Solar Charger |
| Pee Funnel Menses gear | This is a women's specific tool for expeditions and winter trips that gives women the ability to pee standing up. This also creates a little more privacy and protection from the elements when on a rope team. We prefer the hard-sided version. Leave No Trace applies so be prepared to pack-out what you pack-in. | Freshette
Deva Cup Flex Shewee |