Kit for Elbrus, Aconcagua and Everest cannot be assembled from one universal list. As the altitude rises, what changes is not only the thickness of the down jacket and the model of boot, but also how long you must be self-sufficient, how you live in camp, the oxygen system, and the demands placed on communications and on a margin for equipment failure. The exact list always comes from the operator of the particular expedition.
What stays the same
- clothing in layers: moisture wicking, insulation, protection from wind and precipitation;
- footwear matched to the temperature and compatible with crampons;
- protection of the eyes and skin against intense sun;
- gloves at several levels of warmth;
- a head torch and spare power;
- a personal first-aid kit as advised by your doctor;
- dry bags, or packing that protects the critical items.
Elbrus
The classic south side calls for high-altitude boots, crampons, an ice axe, a helmet, a harness and warm clothing for the night start. The developed infrastructure reduces the volume of camp equipment, but not the demands on cold protection. For a first climb it is sensible to hire part of the set once size and compatibility have been checked. Use the separate Elbrus equipment list.
Aconcagua
On the normal routes the main factors become altitude, wind and the length of the expedition. More attention goes to the sleeping set-up, to how loads are carried, to keeping kit clear of dust and to the several temperature bands between the approach and the upper camps. The technical set depends on the route chosen and on the season.
Peak Lenin and other seven-thousanders
To this you add long spells living in camps, very warm double boots, an expedition down set and equipment for the glacier. A participant has to do more than own the items: they also need to move on a rope team, ascend a fixed rope and descend on a device where the route calls for it.
Manaslu and Everest
An eight-thousander needs an expedition set built for extreme cold and weeks of use. Where the programme uses supplementary oxygen, the mask, regulator and cylinders form a system that you learn to work with in advance. Individual components should not be bought at random, one by one, without checking compatibility and arranging delivery.
How to choose boots
Check the size in the socks you will actually wear on the route. Your toes should not jam on the descent, the heel should not move excessively, and crampons should not distort or squeeze the boot. The higher and colder the expedition, the more a margin of warmth matters, but footwear that is too loose gives you less control.
What to buy and what to hire
Personal base layers, gloves and well-fitted footwear are usually better owned. A helmet, crampons, an ice axe and a harness can be hired for a first programme, provided the hire shop confirms the model, size and condition. For a distant expedition the critical items are tested beforehand, rather than encountered for the first time at base camp.
Checks before you travel
- go through the list with the operator, item by item;
- check markings, wear and compatibility;
- train in the complete set;
- weigh the baggage against the carriers’ limits;
- split the critical items between hand luggage and hold baggage in line with the flight rules;
- do not take a new medicine or a new piece of equipment without testing it and reading the instructions.
Start with the objective and the route in the programme catalogue, then ask for the current list. The general material is gathered in the mountain equipment section.