Gear: Miscellaneous

Of course, there are always miscellaneous accessories which you'll take with you, regardless of the trip's duration. These are often handy and helpful.

Typical Items

The items listed below are standard for most trips. You can print this page and use it as a checklist for your next trip, to make sure you have all the necessary items.

Water Bottle

Most will have plastic or metal water bottles; the former is lighter and less prone to dents. They will usually come in 1-litre capacity, though some offer more. Nalgene bottles are renowned for their indestructibility and wide-mouth opening—useful when filling up at creeks and rivers.

Sunscreen and Blistex

Being sunburnt really isn't the ants' pants, so bring some of this to keep out the harmful UV rays. While it's common to bring sunscreen during hot seasons, don't forget that you can still (easily) get sunburnt in the snow. Blistex is a particularly useful addition during winter trips.

Sunglasses

You can look cool with a good pair of sunnies, as well as keeping out glare during snow-related activities. While sunnies are universal items for any activity, you might prefer to don ski goggles for snow adventures.

Hat

It's a hat, and it goes on your head. Wide-brimmed ones provide more protection.

Optional Variations

Below are suggested items that you might want to take instead of, or in addition to, the Typical Items listed above. The Optional items are not mandatory and are often considered luxuries for most, if not all, activities. The Optional items are like upgraded Typical items.

Camelbak

An alternative to the water bottle, the water bladders come with a tube which you can usually arrange on your pack somehow. They are ideal for drinking on the go, since you don't need to drop your pack to get out a water bottle. However, the cheaper brands have a frightening tendency to leak at extremely inopportune moments; bladders with insulation around the tubing will still freeze beyond -4 degrees Celsius.

Camera

Take pictures with it. (image c/o www.monitor.si)

Compass

When navigating, you use a compass to determine which direction to go. You can also attach a whistle so that if you get lost or separated, you have a means of communicating with anyone in audible range.

Typical Gear

Base Layer: The layers you wear next to your body.
Warm Wear: Really warm stuff to keep you...well, warm. This usually goes on top of the Base Layer, but beneath the Shell.
Shellwear: The outer layers will protect you from the duo of death: wind and rain.
Campground Arsenal: The stuff you'll need for overnight camping. On occasion you might draw from this list for a shorter trip, but your leader will specify.
Miscellaneous: Extra items that you might want to take, that don't fit into the above categories.

Specific Gear

Winter Kit: For when you go skiing or snow-camping.
Rockclimbing: All the cool shiny stuff that you take climbing. Some of this is also used in Mountaineering.