Carpathian equipment list

Specifically mountain tours require highly thorough preparation, since:

• forgotten stuff cannot be bought or rented in the mountains and you will be forced to handle without it;
• extra things will be transported in your own rucksack;
• improperly packed rucksack will cause a lot of inconveniences etc.

Therefore, to have a pleasant vacation in the mountains you should properly prepare for it.

Besides some personal things before every trekking tour the tour leader shares among all tour participants common equipment and food: for example, in a 6-day trekking tour a general weight of common equipment will be approximately 3 kg per 1 per person and food – 5 kg per person. The total weight of the rucksack must not exceed 18-19 kg (for women a little lower). You should treat carefully with entrusted packing not to damage the contents. It would be quite helpful to know what exactly you are transporting.

It’s recommended to obey the following rules packing the rucksack:

• everything needless during hiking should be packed on the bottom of the rucksack (for example, a sleeping bag);
• everything necessary during hiking should be packed in the upper sector of the rucksack (for example, kagool, bottle, knife, toilet paper, snack);
• waterproofing of sleeping bag and clothing is an extremely important task.

What clothes must be taken in trekking tour?

Preparation for a trekking tour demands a strict understanding that you’d better be ready simply for everything. Weather is a changeable thing while weather forecasts mistake very often. So you surely can take into consideration predictions of weather forecasters but you’d better not rely on them. In the mountain area day and night atmosphere temperatures can vary radically, and a fine and sunny morning can invisibly transform into a nasty rainy day. Correspondingly, a raincoat must be durable and always at hand.

• Trekking boots. Your shoes must be durable, comfortable, preferably waterproofing, light, with non-slippery sole and reliable fastening. For summer trekking tour you can use verified sneakers.
• Sports sandals or others. An extra pair of shoes can be used in the evenings in the camp. Some light sandals will help your legs to relax after a long-day hiking. Also they can be effective for hiking at a dry and hot weather.
• Socks. You will need at least 2-3 pairs varying by their thickness (several pairs of thin and several thick).
• Pants must save you both from wind and moisture. For sleeping thermal pants fit ideally.
• Shorts.
• T-shirt.
• A medium-weight sweater made of a thin fleece.
• A warm sweater, made of wool or a thicker fleece.
• Wind coat – a hooded kagool.
• A hat.
• Raincoat – a waterproofing jacket or poncho (as alternative: a polyethylene raincoat).

What things you cannot manage on trekking tour?

• Rucksack. The optimal volume of a rucksack for men equals 80-100 l, for women – 60-80 l. Can be rented.
• Sleeping bag: comfortable temperature mode – 0⁰C, weight – under 2 kg. Packing it you should take care of waterproofing. Can be rented.
• Sleeping pad. It is helpful for thermal insulation (made of poly-urethane foam or inflatable). Can be rented.
• Personal eating set: plate, mug, spoon (should be durable and light).
• Dry sacks for waterproofing of sleeping bag and warm things (alternative: polyethylene sacks).
• Flash lights, for example, head.
• A flask – a plastic water container (2 l).
• Personal first aid set containing some specific medicines need in which can occur during a tour.
• Personal hygiene set.
• Identity document.

Optional stuff that can turn to be helpful

• Sitting pad made of poly-urethane foam.
• Sunglasses.
• Camera.
• Trekking poles.
• Knife.
• Lighter.