EQUIPMENT LIST!DENALI:WEST BUTTRESS

AMS Gear Room

INTRODUCTION This personal equipment list is what is typically carried by each climber on a Denali West Buttress expedition. Additionally, the team group gear such as food, tents, stoves, ropes, and shovels is divided and carried by everyone. The group gear, which is in excellent working order is provided by AMS' and is not included on this list.

All items on this personal gear list can be purchased or rented from AMS with a 10% discount. It is not necessary to reserve in advance. To decrease your equipment expenses, you can bring what you already own or try to borrow from a friend. Some items like the expedition down sleeping bag and parka are unique for Denali and purchasing is expensive. Therefore, it is often better to rent than buy unless you know future arctic mountains await you.

This gear is needed to protect from many hazards: sun, cold, high altitude, crevasse falls, avalanches, and falls on exposed slopes. Denali a long expedition, too long to try and rough it with inadequate gear. Unlike the weather, having the right equipment is in our control. This list will help you prepare for the final equipment check at AMS.

As you review this list and start organizing your gear think about the following: durable zippers, loose fitting, light weight, roomy, easy to put on and take off. Everything needs to layer on top of each other. Each single layer needs to have a place in the layering system. There should be no extra layers. Choose your favorite and stick with it. Practice putting on all your clothes. Stretch out your arms and squat to see how well everything fits. Then put on your pack with some weight and check everything again.

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT RNT The item may be RENTED at AMS. Rental prices are noted on the Personal Equipment Checklist.

$$$ This item is available for purchase at AMS.

NC No charge. This item is included.

OPT This item is optional.

N/A Not Available in Talkeetna

FEET

The equipment for your feet include: socks, booties, boots, gaiters, crampons, and overboots. All components must inter-connect seamlessly to avoid foot problems. Any tightness or pressure on any part of your foot can translate to a blister or decreased blood flow and a conduit for cold. For a good fit, start by trimming your toe nails. Remove the foot bed insole in your liner boot and replace if worn. Most of the heat loss in your boot goes right through the sole. AMS replaces all its stock insoles with Super Feet Red Hot insoles. Choose your warmest, heavy-weight sock; AMS uses Farm To Feet brand. Step into your unlaced boots and put on a 40lb pack. Stand on one foot and feel for tightness. Any tightness with an un-laced boot is too small; go up a size until no tightness. Once you have the right size, tie laces snuggly over the top of your feet and loosely around the ankle. Give three consecutive kicks against something solid. Your toe should hit on the 3rd kick; not before. There should be about 1/2" of space between your heel and the boot.

RNT DOUBLE MOUNTAINEERING BOOTS: 1 PAIR. Boots should be designed for high altitude with an insulated, removable liner and a thick foot bed; the shell should be plastic, not leather. The liner must be removed each night and placed in your sleeping bag to prevent freezing. AMS rents Scarpa Inverno's with Super Feet Red Hot insoles. We do not recommend renting boots for a long trip like Denali. Better to insure proper fit wearing them often beforehand.

$$$ SOCKS: 3 PAIRS. Thick, expedition socks absorb foot moisture which helps keep your foot dry. Thick socks provide cushioning and insulation. Some people prefer a liner sock in addition. AMS has Farm to Feet heavy weight socks.

OPT VBL SOCKS: 1 PAIR. Vapor barrier liner socks decrease friction between your sock and boot and keep your liner boots dry. Contrary to popular belief, VBL socks should be worn on the outside, over all your socks. You need socks to do their job and absorb sweat; they are easy to dry out over night. Any moisture going into your liner boot is difficult to remove and makes your toes cold. AMS has Integral Designs VBL socks.

RNT GAITERS: 1 PAIR: Gaiters seal the exposed area between your boots and pants from snow. They help keep boot laces from icing up. Pants with integrated gaiters are fine, but they needed to be cleaned of ice each night. AMS has Outdoor Research Gore-Tex Crocodiles.

$$$ CAMP BOOTIES: 1 PAIR: Down or synthetic with a closed cell foam foot bed. Booties can be worn at night to keep your feet warm and any time in camp when not wearing your climbing boots. They give your hard working feet a break from being in boots all day. AMS has Western Mountaineering down booties.

RNT OVER BOOTS: 1 PAIR. A specialized gaiter that encompasses your entire foot. Over boots are necessary for all but the warmest boots in order to prevent frostbite on summit day. They are also nice around camp when worn over camp booties. To save weight we recommend using an extreme high altitude mountaineering boot like: Scarpa 8000 or Las Sportiva Olympus Mons EVO. AMS has 40 Below Over boots.

$$$ FOOT WARMERS: 2. You use these to pre-heat your liner boots in the tent before leaving for summit day.

UPPER-BODY CLOTHING Starting with a light weight base layer, and followed by additional layers of insulation until finally the parka, you need a well-thought out upper body thermal solution for Denali. It can be hot one minute and cold the next. You are constantly adjusting your layers to the conditions as they change throughout the day all the way up to the summit. While it is less common to take off your base layers, your warmer layers are swapped around continuously.

$$$ BASE LAYER LIGHTWEIGHT: 1 LAYER. The skin layer that rarely gets removed. AMS has Patagonia capilene crew neck and zip-neck.

$$$ BASE LAYER MID WEIGHT: 1 LAYER. The 2nd to skin layer that rarely gets removed. R1 hoodie is perhaps the most popular garment. AMS has Patagonia R1 Hoodies, zip-necks, and Voormi Hoodies.

$$$ INSULATION LAYER: 1 LAYER. A sweater or jacket with higher insulation. AMS has Patagonia Nano-Puff garments.

OPT SOFT SHELL JACKET: 1 LAYER. Soft shell garments are nice, but heavier than a wind jacket and do not provide rain protection.

RNT HARD SHELL JACKET: 1 LAYER. Waterproof rain coat, roomy enough to fit over base and insulation layers. On the lower mountain we must be prepared for cold horizontal rain all day. Gore-Tex preferable. AMS has Patagonia H2No jackets.

$$$ WIND JACKET: 1 LAYER. A breathable and windproof jacket roomy enough to fit over base and insulation layers. Not necessary if you have a waterproof/breathable Gore-Tex type jacket. AMS has Patagonia Houdini jackets.

RNT EXPEDITION DOWN PARKA: 1 LAYER. Large, roomy down parka with hood. This should fit comfortably over all other layers and come down below your waist. The hood should be permanently attached. There should be a pocket big enough to carry a 1-quart water bottle. One-piece down suits do not work on Denali where you have to put on and take off your parka all day. AMS has Western Mountaineering Snojack parkas.

LOWER-BODY CLOTHING The challenge with the lower body is changing layers while wearing a harness and big boots. Ease of going to the bathroom is also an important consideration. Efficient layering avoids having to remove your shell in order to get warmer. The typical scenario is using one base layer and shell up to 14,200' and adding a 2nd base layer for higher on the mountain. Insulated, full-side zip overpants are used throughout the climb because they are easy to put on and off over everything including your harness.

$$$ BASE LAYER UNDERWEAR: 2-3 pairs. At the skin level, it is better to not use cotton. AMS has Patagonia briefs and boxers.

$$$ BASE LAYER LIGHTWEIGHT: 1 LAYER. The skin layer that rarely gets removed. Some people like a "farmer-john," but make sure it has a rainbow zipper. AMS has Patagonia capilene base layers.

$$$ BASE LAYER MIDWEIGHT: 1 LAYER. The layer that usually does not get used until 14,200' or higher and does not get removed until returning back to the same elevation. AMS has Patagonia Thermal Layer bottoms.

OPT SOFT SHELL PANT: 1 LAYER. Soft shell garments are nice, but heavier than wind pants and do not provide rain protection. AMS has Patagonia soft shell pants.

$$$ HARD SHELL PANT: 1 LAYER. Waterproof rain pants, with side zips for ventilation and to fit over boots. On the lower mountain we must be prepared for cold horizontal rain all day. Gore-Tex preferable. AMS has Patagonia H2No pants.

RNT INSULATED OVERPANT: 1 LAYER. Synthetic or down filled over pants with full side zips roomy enough to fit over all lower-body layers. You need to be able to put on overpants on summit day without taking off your crampons. AMS has Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pants and Western Mountaineering Flight Pants.

HEAD/FACE/EYES Layering your head with insulation is the quickest way to adjust your comfort to changing conditions. Protecting your face without inhibiting breathing or fogging goggles is the biggest challenge.

$$$ SUN HAT: 1. Baseball hats secure well in the wind and don't interfere with your backpack top pocket. Synthetic, not cotton to avoid absorbing sweat. AMS has traditional trucker baseball caps.

$$$ BANDANA: 1. To be worn under sun hat to protect ears from sun and eyes from glare. AMS has a variety.

$$$ WARM HAT: 1. Roomy enough to layer over Hoodie. AMS has Mountain Hardwear Dome Perignon windproof fleece.

$$$ FACE PROTECTION: 1. Keeping the wind and cold off your face is imperative. Balaclava, neck gaiter, sun mask, neoprene face mask, face glove are all effective. AMS has all of them.

$$$ SUNGLASSES: 2. Dark lensed for the intense reflection off the snow. Two pairs for lightweight insurance should one get lost or broken.

$$$ GOGGLES: 1. Dark lensed for clear and windy conditions and designed to allow ventilation to prevent fogging. AMS has Jublo goggles.

AMS has Jublo sunglasses and Cocoon over glasses for prescription wearers.

HANDS Denali requires a variety of hand wear to protect our most vital appendage under all conditions. Rarely is there a time when you do not have something covering your hands. $$$ LINER GLOVES MEDIUM WEIGHT: 1 PAIR. Every day fleece gloves for use in mild conditions. AMS has Black

Diamond liner gloves. $$$ INSULATED SKI GLOVES: 1 PAIR. Insulated, waterproof/breathable ski gloves provide warmth and dexterity

under most conditions encountered on Denali. AMS has Black Diamond ski gloves. RNT INSULATED MITTENS: 1 PAIR. When conditions are too cold for gloves, mittens are the last line of defensive

against cold. High loft down mittens offer the lightest, warmest, most dexterous option. Requires keeper strings. AMS has Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero Mitt

$$$ LINER GLOVES SILK WEIGHT: 1 PAIR. Used in conjunction with mittens. A thin layer of protection to avoid contact frostbite when hand is removed from mitten to handle anything cold. AMS has Ibex Merino silk weight liner gloves.

$$$ HAND WARMERS: 3. It is nice to have a couple hand warmers on summit day.

SLEEPING EQUIPMENT

RNT SLEEPING BAG: 1. A mummy-style sleeping bag with 4lbs or more of high loft down rated to minus 20-40 F. Your sleeping bag serves as a locker for storing water bottles, liner boots, and any thing else that needs to not freeze. Size long is suitable for anyone over 5'8". AMS has Western Mountaineering Bison minus 40 F down sleeping bags.

RNT SLEEPING BAG COMPRESSION STUFF SACK: 1. Sleeping bags usually come with a compression stuff sack. Ensure yours is large enough to easily stuff your bag.

$$$ FULL LENGTH INFLATABLE SLEEPING PAD: 1. They provide excellent warmth to weight ratio and smooth out the bumps on the tent platform. AMS has Thermarest Pro-lite Plus and NeoAir sleeping pads.

RNT FULL LENGTH CLOSED CELL FOAM PAD: 1. Provides extra insulation from the snow. Lightweight insurance in the event your inflatable leaks. AMS has Ridge-Rest sleeping pads.

$$$ EAR PLUGS: 1 pair. AMS has simple foam ear plugs.

BACKPACK/STORAGE

RNT INTERNAL FRAME PACK: 1. The back pack needs to be large enough to accommodate your sleeping bag with enough room leftover for everything else. A suitable pack for Denali are 6000 cubic inches or 95 Liters. AMS has Mountain Hardwear BMG pack and Gregory Denali pack.

$$$ SMALL STUFF SACKS: 2. Helps keep the little items organized. AMS has Granite Gear Air Bags. RNT LUNCH STUFF SACKS: 3, 10" x 15" medium sized stuff sacks. Each bag will hold 7 days of your personal lunch

foods and hot drinks. The best way to pack lunches and drinks on an extended expedition is to have everyone pack their own. This strategy ensures individual satisfaction and minimizes excess weight. AMS has Granite Gear Air Bags.

RNT TENT STUFF SACK: 1. Large nylon stuff sack, 16”x 24” for organizing personal gear in tent. AMS has Outdoor Products stuff sacks.

RNT CACHE STUFF SACK: 1. Large nylon stuff sack, 16”x 24” for burying personal gear in cache. AMS has Outdoor Products stuff sacks.

$$$ GARBAGE BAGS: 3. 32 Gallon trash bags for keeping clothing and sleeping bag dry.

TRAVEL EQUIPMENT

RNT SNOWSHOES: 1 PAIR. Snowshoes support your weight and make travelling on the glacier safer and easier. They should have a traction binding that prevents side-slipping. Snowshoes are only used up to 11,000’ where we switch to crampons. AMS has MSR Lightning snowshoes.

RNT SKI POLES: 1 PAIR. Ski poles assist with travelling on the glacier. They should have wrist loops and snow baskets. AMS has Black Diamond collapsible and non-collapsible ski poles.

SUN

$$$ NOSE GUARD: 1. Recommended to use with your sunglasses to minimize sunburn on your nose. AMS has NozKon and Beko nose guards.

$$$ LIP BALM: 2 TUBES. Look for lip balm with SPF sun protection. AMS has a variety of types and flavors. $$$ SUNSCREEN: 2, 2 oz. TUBES. SPF 20 or greater. Small tubes are easier to keep from freezing. AMS has Z-Cote

and other varieties.

TOILETRIES

$$$ TOILET PAPER: 1 ply, 2 Rolls. You will probably only need one roll, but the 2nd can be used like currency on the mountain.

$$$ HAND DISINFECTANT: 1. 1 oz bottle of alcohol-based hand cleaner. $$$ HANDI WIPES: 10. Individually wrapped travel size are easily thawed in your pocket. $$$ TRAVEL SIZED TOOTH PASTE: 1. $$$ TRAVEL TOOTHBRUSH: 1. $$$ PEE BOTTLE: 1. Best not to go cheap on the pee bottle. AMS has 1.5 quart Nalgene collapsible water bottles. $$$ BLISTER KIT: 1. Having your own blister care when stretched out on a rope team is more efficient. Your guides

will also be carrying supplies.

CLIMBING EQUIPMENT

RNT HELMET: 1. There are a couple sections on the route that are exposed to rock fall and require helmets. AMS has Black Diamond helmets.

RNT CRAMPONS: 1 PAIR. Crampons our worn during most of route up Denali. The sharper the points the better. It is essential that they do not fall off. The mechanism for attachment depends on your boot choice. Boots with overboots must use strap-on crampons. Boots that do not require overboots are better with clip-on crampons. AMS has Black Diamond Contact Strap and Contact Pro crampons.

RNT CRAMPON CASE: 1. Storage for crampons while transporting to 11,000’. Avoids puncture holes. AMS has Black Diamond Tool Box crampon bags.

RNT ICE AXE: 1. 60-90 cm. The ice axe is the mountaineer’s indispensable tool for self-arrest, building anchors, and a third point of contact with the ground when climbing. The moderate angles encountered on much of the West Buttress route require a longer tool. While standing and holding the ice axe by its head, the spike should come to the top of your boot. AMS has Black Diamond Raven ice axes.

RNT CLIMBING SEAT HARNESS: 1. Harnesses are worn to safeguard ourselves in the event of a crevasse fall or a climbing fall. Drop-leg loop style is the easiest to put on and take off. AMS has Black Diamond Alpine Bod harnesses.

RNT MECHANICAL ASCENDER: 1. An ascender with tether to harness is used as part of your crevasse self-rescue system and to attach yourself to the fixed lines between 14,200' and 17,200'. The handle should be large enough to accept a mitten. AMS has Petzl Ascension ascenders.

$$$ CARABINERS: 9. You use a carabiner for your chest harness, pack leash, ice axe tether, attaching sled to backpack, securing rope to top of sled, attaching a prussic to the rear of the sled, and for clipping items to your gear sling. AMS has Black Diamond Ovals, Wired Ovals, and Neutrinos.

$$$ LOCKING CARABINERS: 3. You use locking carabiners to clip to the rope, clip to your ascender, and belay with a munter hitch. AMS has Black Diamond Rocklock and Vaporlock Screwgates.

NC GLACIER RIG (webbing and perlon): AMS developed the best glacier travel and crevasse rescue system and it was published in "The Illustrated Guide to Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue." To simplify it more, AMS uses a different color for every piece of webbing and perlon. When you arrive for equipment check you will be given pre-cut, color coded glacier rig. One of the most important components to the climbing safety system on Denali is everyone being able to check each other. This system will allow for this to happen consistently and efficiently.

EATING & DRINKING

$$$ 1 QUART WIDE MOUTH WATER BOTTLE: 2. These are the most durable, easiest to fill, and can be used as a mug. AMS has BPA-free Nalgene 1 quart water bottles.

$$$ WATER BOTTLE INSULATORS: 2. Insulated covers for your water bottles. These effectively turn a water bottle into a lightweight thermos. Water bottles will freeze without an insulator. AMS has insulators made by 40 Below and Granite Gear.

$$$ HOT DRINK MUG, 12-20 oz.: 1. Insulated mug with lid. $$$ SPOON: 1. Lexan plastic spoon. To keep it simple, and easy to clean, you only need a spoon. Cheese sticks to

metal spoons and they can be too hot to touch. AMS has Lexan soup spoons. $$$ BOWL: 1. For eating. Preferably insulated with a lid. Some people like 20oz insulated mugs which hold a spoon;

some like 16 OZ straight sided Nalgene jars (butter dishes) and make a foam sleeve. AMS has all these and more. OPT 3 lbs FAVORITE TRAIL FOOD & DRINKS: AMS has a vast assortment of trail foods, bars, dried fruit, nuts, bagels,

cheese, salami, beef jerky, teas, Gatorade, hot chocolate. You do not have to bring any food or drinks. However, if you know you have a favorite energy bar or trail mix we recommend you bring a couple pounds. For more information on rations please see the Expedition Food Rations sheet.

$$$ LIGHTER: 1. Bic lighter used to light stoves. Always good to be able to light a stove on Denali.

MEDICAL The expedition medical kit includes these medications, but it is smart to have your own supply.

$$$ IBUPROFEN(ADVIL): 20 tablets $$$ ACETAMINOPHEN(TYLENOL): 20 tablets N/A ACETAZOLMIDE or DIAMOX: 20, 250 mg. Tablets, not time-release capsules. N/A Consult doctor if susceptible to UTI for recommended antibiotics

NOTE

We recommend labeling your equipment with initials or an identifying mark using colored tape, engraver, or permanent marker.

Please keep in mind: individual guides make the final calls during your gear check and it could be slightly different from this gear list. We have tried to give as much information as possible here. Please call or email with questions; we want every climber climbing with us to understand his or her equipment needs and we are here to help.