This is the most important part of your equipment. Footwear needs to be comfortable, closed (shoes or boots) and have effective Should be loose and comfortable and preferably constructed from a strong fabric. sleeves and long trousers are recommended for sun protection and walking through brimmed hat is essential for sun protection. Light plastic raincoats or poncho and umbrella are common items found in a required to carry your gear as it leaves your hands free. minimum of one litre or two litres or more of water in hotter conditions Sufficient food for your needs If you carry medication, ensure you carry adequate supplies. Advise the walk's leader if your medical condition is likely to affect your walking.The kit should include adhesive strips or elastoplast  for blisters. A triangular bandage, safety pins, antiseptic lotion and paracetamol are alsoMake me a better camper by telling me your favorite backpacking hacks.

October 2, 2015   Subscribe I'm looking to up my backpacking game. What tricks, strategies, and indispensable-but-overlooked items do you take with you into the backcountry? I'm looking for little things that cost little or nothing in terms of weight or money, but which make life easier in camp or on the trail. flight bag backpack nodigWhat are some of your most clever solutions?authentic tcp backpackTravel Sickness: I need a cheap, compact remedymybo backpack Monday 24 July 2006 23:00 BSTpeli u100 urban elite laptop backpack I am taking a gap year after I finish university in a few weeks time. backpack 2dehands

I am planning to go to Peru for six months but I am really concerned about all the travelling on planes and buses as I have always suffered from travel sickness. Is there anything you can suggest which won't make me drowsy, won't take up too much space in my backpack, and doesn't cost a fortune?hnh backpack Dr Fred Kavalier answers your health question: I can understand your dread of travel sickness, but with a bit of luck and planning, it shouldn't ruin your gap year. Some people swear by wrist bands that rely on acupressure. The bands, which are marketed as Sea-Bands, put pressure on an acupuncture point on the wrist that is supposed to suppress nausea. A few medical studies of these bands have been done, but the evidence that they work is not very convincing. Nevertheless, some people seem to get relief from them. They cost 7.99, they're reusable, and they won't take up any space. Another option is to take travel sickness medications, starting a couple of hours before you travel.

Antihistamine tablets are effective, but they may cause drowsiness. A third option is a small plaster that is worn on the skin. The plaster slowly releases a drug called hyoscine, which combats travel sickness. A single plaster lasts for up to 72 hours, so it might help with long journeys. The website www.travel-sickness.co.uk, contains some general advice about beating travel sickness. Please mail your questions for Dr Fred to health@independent.co.uk. He regrets that he is unable to respond personally to questions.It is often very warm during the daytime, particularly when ascending and your outer clothing will be in your rucksack, increasing it's weight. Therefore if you can, choose lightweight, good quality items over bulkier, cheaper ones. It can also be very cold, particularly in the early morning, so a clothing system based on layers is preferred. This way, you can control your temperature much more easily than if you were wearing one thick item. This equipment list is intended as a guide to what you will need on the mountain and doesn't cover any clothing etc for valley use.

Also, quantities of items e.g. socks and undergarments  are a personal choice. We have made some recommendations based on our experience to help guide you towards the best equipment for our itineraries. Please contact us if you need any specific advice before purchasing.When touring, you will be required to carry all of your items with you and the lighter you can keep your rucksack, the more you will enjoy your itinerary.  Ideally your total rucksack weight should be as close to 10kg as possible. Before you add that extra item that may be useful, remember that light plus light plus light equals heavy!It is possible to rent the items in bold (cost not included), Please make sure you arrive in good time to collect equipment the day before. You can normally pre-order or reserve in advance via the internet (recommended for the busiest periods). In Chamonix, for ski equipment, we recommend Concept Pro Store and for snowboard equipment, we recommend ZeroG.Skis - Either an all-mountain freeride ski or backcountry specific model with waist of 90-105 mm for all round performance.

Igneous skis are our weapons of choice to ride and are thoroughly recommended, if you are looking for a more conventional brand then we recommend K2 - Wayback 88 or 96 and Coomback 104 being models to look at.Ski bindings - We recommend a pin binding system for ski touring, suitable models include Dynafit TLT Radical ST, Plum Guide, Fritschi Vipec, marker Kingpin. If your boots are not compatible with a pin binding system, then a frame binding system is your option, suitable models include Fritschi Diamir (Freeride Pro, Scout & Eagle) or Marker Tour (F10 & F12). Marker Dukes/Barons and Salomon Guardians are OK for single day tours however for multi day tours they tend to be quite heavy particularly when combined with a larger ski, if you’re happy to push the extra weight – then we’re happy.Ski poles - For skiing, normal non adjustable ones are fine, having an extended foam grip is nice, we recommend Black Diamond Expedition 1. If you want adjustable then we recommend Black Diamond Expedition 2, flicklock telescopic poles with extended foam grip.

Either way make sure you have powder baskets.Climbing skins - Most ski manufacturers now have a compatible skin system for their touring ski range. If purchasing a cut to fit skin - these must be cut to fit the ski – top and tail fix are best – mohair/nylon mix gives the best compromise between lightness, glide, suppleness and longevity, we recommend Black Diamond STS Glidelite.Harscheisen - Ski crampons suitable for your binding and ski waist dimension (couteaux in French)Ski boots - Ski touring boots are preferable over downhill boots, as they are lighter and more comfortable/flexible for skinning/climbing. Many alpine skiboot manufacturers have entered the ski mountaineering/freeride market e.g Salomon, K2, Tecnica as well as the more established brands in this sector e.g. Scarpa, Black Diamond and Dynafit all making a comprehensive range. There are now so many models available that it is difficult to make a single recommendation here – it is best to seek professional advice from a specialist boot fitting company such as The Boot Room in Chamonix or ProFeet in London to discuss your skiing requirements and also assess which boot is best for your foot shape.

Snowboard - We recommend a Splitboard system over a solid board and snowshoes - Jones Hovercraft or Solution.Snowboard bindings - We recommend Karakoram bindings.Snowboard poles - We recommend Black Diamond Compactor,Climbing skins - Some manufacturers have a compatible skin system for their splitboard range e.g. Jones. If purchasing a cut to fit skin - these must be cut to fit the split – mohair gives the best glide, nylon gives the best grip, a mix will give you the best compromise between lightness, glide, suppleness and longevity, we recommend G3.Snowboard crampons - Mr Chomps, Sabretooth - call them what you like - these are the harscheisen of the ski world. You will need the compatible model for your binding.Snowboard boots - A pair of boots that you find comfortable for riding and hiking - best not to bring that box fresh, stiff, performance pair.Items in BOLD can be provided but must be requested in advance. It is possible to rent the items in bold from a store as with the specific equipment detailed above (cost not included)TRANSCEIVER - We recommend Mammut Element or Pulse.SHOVEL - We insist on metal and not plastic, we recommend Black Diamond Deploy or Transfer.PROBE - We recommend Black Diamond Quickdraw Tour 240.HARNESS - Must be able to go over all clothing. 

We recommend Black Diamond Couloir.CARABINERS - 2 locking screwgates. We recommend DMM Shadow, Phantom or Petzl Attache.ICE SCREW - Petzl Laser Speed Light 21 cmIce axe - Mountaineering style 50 – 60 cm. We recommend Petzl/Charlet Summit.Crampons - With crampon bag and anti ball plates. We recommend Petzl/Charlet Vasak Leverlock. Grivel make a Snowboard boot specific model G10 Wide.  For lightweight aluminium we recommend Grivel Air Tech Light.Helmet - More of our clients are wearing helmets, even on multi day tours.  It needs to be lightweight and comfortable with good ventilation for touring as you will most likely be carrying it when going uphill, we recommend Poc or Giro G10 series.Rucksack - 25-35 litres for day touring, 35-45 litres maximum for multi-day touring, must have straps for attaching skis or board, we recommend Mammut Nirvana Pro 35L               Headlamp - For multiday touring. Lightweight LED type, we recommend Petzl Tikka.Base layer -  Long sleeved, high neck top and pants, trunks or 3/4 length bottoms, Synthetic or Merino wool.

We recommend Icebreaker range.Mid Layer - Long sleeved, high neck, Synthetic or Merino wool. Top Layer - Lightweight synthetic or down vest or jacket. We recommend Arc'teryx Atom LT Jacket and Vest or similar..Jacket - Soft Shell. We recommend Arc'teryx Gamma series Hoody or similar.. Trousers - We recommend a combination of Soft Shell Arc'teryx Gamma and over-trousers Arc'teryx Alpha SL OR a ski/board specific pant Arc'teryx Sabre or similar.Outer Jacket - Waterproof and Breathable, Goretex or similar with appropriate hood. We recommend Arc'teryx Alpha SL or similar.Socks - Wool or wool mix, loopstitch of a length that is suitable for your boots. We recommend Smartwool or Falke.Buff or Balaclava - Spare headwear, and neck protection.Gloves - Two pairs. Thin (single layer) with synthetic or leather palms and thick (double layer) with synthetic or leather palms and waterproof/breathable shell/lining. We recommend Black Diamond Kingpin (thin) and Black Diamond Patrol (thick) or similar.

Sun hat - Baseball cap or full brim style for sun protection.Sun glasses - Good quality, protection category 3 minimum, either wraparound or with side pieces.Ski goggles - Good quality. protection category 3 minimum,Sun cream - High protection factor depending on your skin type. SPF 30 minimum recommended.Lip salve - High protection factor. Small thermos flask - Lightweight stainless, 0.75 litre max.Water bottle - Hydration systems tend to freeze at altitude, we recommend large neck Nalgene or similar, 1 litre max.Personal items - Personal medication (please inform us on your medical declaration), Compeed blister plasters, Elastoplast adhesive tape (wide) to cover Compeed, plasters, painkillers (ibuprofen/paracetamol), small pack towel, small soap (washing facilities are limited so baby wipes are a good option for personal hygiene), toothbrush and small toothpaste, ear plugs, spare batteries.Sleeping bag liner - Required in alpine huts for hygiene. We recommend silk, more compact and lighter than cotton.