The Gear
Below is a list of just some of the equipment we will be taking with us to Everest. We aren’t looking forward to the excess luggage charges when we try to check in at the airport!
ClothingDown Suit
A Himalayan down suit is essential to keep warm at higher altitudes,
especially above 7,000 metres. They are filled with goose feathers making
them extremely toasty and have plenty of internal pockets to keep batteries
warm and to stop drinks from freezing. This will generally be worn over the
top of a shell layer, soft shell layer and a base layer.
Down Jacket and Trousers
These are similar to the down suit only they tend not to be quite as warm
due to the gap at the waist where the jacket and the trousers meet. These
will be worn at base camp and at the lower altitude camps. These could be
used on the summit bid should anything happen to our down suits.
A hard shell jacket and trousers will generally be worn over our base layer
and soft shell layer, however in warmer conditions we may wear it directly
over the base layer. They are made from a Gore-Tex material and provide
protection from wind and rain, however don’t provide any insulation.
These get worn on top of the base layer and forms the first insulating layer.
Soft shell is better than fleece as it provides some weather protection, is
less bulky and tends to help shed moisture. We’ll be wearing these pretty
much all the time during the expedition.
During the expedition we will be wearing lots of under-layers varying in
thickness depending on the temperature. The base layer is worn right against
the skin and it helps to keep you warm and dry by transporting sweat away
from the skin. A white set of these will come in handy to reflect the sun on
intense sunny days in the Western Cwm. Very fetching when worn on their own!
Expedition High Altitude Boots
These are the Rolls Royce of footwear and at £600 they’re certainly the
most expensive pair of boots we’ll ever wear. They are designed especially for
8,000 metre peaks and are capable of performing at temperatures down to -60°C.
They have integrated gaiters (the bit at the top that stops snow getting into your
boots) and an insulating inner boot to help prevent our toes falling off! These will
be used on most of the mountain above Base Camp and during the final summit push.
These boots won't be used much on Everest (maybe lower on the mountain) but
they will get a lot of use during our training climbs particularly in Scotland
and the French Alps. They also have an integrated gaiter and are designed to
keep our feet warm and dry. They are not as heavy or as expensive as the high
altitude boots but are perfect for climbing up to altitudes of 6,000 metres.
Our old faithful, well worn and broken in hiking boots will accompany us on our endless amounts of walks and climbs in the Welsh mountains and during the trek into Base Camp from Lukla. Sooooo comfy they’re like a pair of slippers!
Crampons
Crampons fit onto the climbing boots and consist of a lightweight frame with 12
sharp metal spikes on each. These are essential for walking and climbing on steep
snow and ice.
During the expedition we will be using a layering system of a pair of thick heavyweight
woolly socks and a thin pair of liner socks. Like the base layer, the liner socks are
worn next to the skin and help transport sweat away whilst the thick wool socks provide
the warmth. We’ll be keeping a fresh new pair of woolly socks just for the summit day
as these are warmer and provide better cushioning than worn smelly ones!
We have never used these before but they come highly recommended for the long cold
summit day. They are like mini electric blankets with the heat coming from an
element contained within the customised insole. They are powered by a battery
pack that sits in one of the pockets of the down suit with the cables running
down your legs and into the boots. These will only be used on summit day unless
it's extremely cold lower down the mountain.
These little chemical warmers spark into life once opened and exposed to the air.
They can be placed in between the liner and thick socks to help keep your feet warm
or in your gloves to give your fingers a bit of extra warmth.
Hands and Head
High Altitude Expedition Mitts
Mittens are generally regarded as being warmer than gloves when higher in the
mountain, and these are about the warmest pair of mittens available. The high
altitude mitts consist of an outer waterproof mitt and a removable insulated inner
glove to keep the hands warm. These mitts will be worn throughout the climb.
When climbing higher on the mountain we will be wearing an additional pair of
liner gloves next to the skin beneath the high altitude mitts. These help to
keep in the warmth and also transport moisture (sweat) away from the skin.
Soft Shell Gloves
These will be worn when the mitts are too warm but the synthetic liner isn't warm
enough. These are much more flexible than the high altitude mitts and will be worn
around Base Camp and during the trek in.
Balaclavas are used to protect our faces from the wind and the cold. We will have
both a lightweight and heavyweight version depending on the temperature conditions,
if it's really cold we'll wear both. They have a removable face panel so that we can
fit our oxygen masks during the summit bid.
One of our favourites. It can be used as a neck warmer, an additional balaclava, a
sweat band, a bandana and a whole lot more. Great for all conditions in all locations.
Wool/Synthetic Hats
Warm hats for use from the trek in all the way to the summit.
Sun Hat
This is essential for protection against the sun especially when it’s warm and your
not wearing many other layers to protect our face and neck.
Glacier Glasses
Snow blindness is painful and can be lethal when higher on the mountain. These
glasses provide full protection from the harmful UV rays of the sun. We'll take a
few spare pairs as, like all sun glasses, these have a tendency to get lost.
Goggles
Goggles are used when higher on the mountain when the temperatures drop and the
wind increases. They help keep the face warm and provide protection from the
dangerous UV rays.
Climbing Harness
One of a number of essential pieces of climbing equipment that will help keep
us as safe as possible on the mountain. The harness fits around the waist and
has loops that go around each leg. The harness is used to link us to the ropes,
either fixed on the mountain or to other climbers.
There isn't much technical ice climbing on the Southeast route up Everest,
therefore the ice axes we will be using are more of a general mountaineering
tool rather than ice climbing axes. On flatter sections it will be used like a
walking stick by holding onto the part where the blade meets the handle. On the
steeper sections it will be held by its handle and swung above our heads to dig
into the ice so that we can pull ourselves up. The ice axe will be clipped onto
our harnesses at all times and should we fall and find ourselves slipping down
the ice it is used to 'self arrest' by digging the blade into the ice to act as
a brake.
Carabiners are forged metal loops with a sprung (snap lock) or screwed (locking)
gate that allow us to clip into the ropes and for other purposes where we need to
attach one piece of climbing equipment to another. We will be using both locking
and snap lock versions during our Everest climb.
An ascender is a mechanical device that is used to ascend the fixed ropes. They
are designed so that they can slide upwards but are unable to move downwards. This
allows you to slide them up in front of you and then pull yourself up the rope.
A belay device is connected to a climbers harness via a locking carabiner and can
be used to belay other climbers (exertion of friction on the rope to prevent the
climber from falling) or to abseil down steep sections of the mountain.
Trekking Poles
We usually take great delight in giggling to ourselves whilst watching people use
trekking poles when walking up a slightly steep tarmac surfaced road; however we'll
be taking them with us to Everest. These will mainly be used on the uneven ground
during the trek into and from Base Camp.
A lot of climbing, particularly on summit day, will commence during the night and
so a strong head torch with plenty of extra batteries is required. These are also
particularly handy when you need a pee during the night! We will be using lamps with
LEDs as these tend to be a bit kinder on battery consumption and don’t require spare
bulbs.
Due to the lack of oxygen above 8,000 metres we will need to use supplemental oxygen.
For this we need a mask, regulator and numerous tanks of oxygen. For more information
see the oxygen at altitude information page.
Large Climbing Rucksack
To carry all of our personal equipment, clothing, water, food and oxygen tanks.
Trekking Rucksack
During the trek into and out of base camp the majority of our equipment will be
carried by the Yaks and porters. For this part of the expedition we only need
minimal supplies and personal gear, therefore we will be using a lighter smaller
rucksack during these treks.
This sleeping bag will be used higher on the mountain where the temperatures fall
well below freezing. The bag has a mummy style hood and is filled with goose down
to keep us all snug even on the coldest of nights. As it is our bodies which heat
the inside of the bag it needs to have as little excess room as possible, however
it must also be big enough to get in with extra clothing if necessary.
In order to avoid having to carry our sleeping bags up and down the mountain, we
will take an additional sleeping bag which stays at Base Camp throughout the
expedition. This one is also filled with goose down, however it doesn’t need to
be as warm as the one used higher on the mountain. As such it is slightly lighter
and also less expensive.
A simple thing such as a silk liner can make a big difference and can help keep
the body warmer by as much as 5°C.
Thermarest Self Inflating Pad
These are like mini self inflating airbeds and provide the most comfortable
nights sleep when camping. However they are not as warm as the closed cell
foam mats and will therefore only be used at Base Camp to provide a little more
luxury during the long stays at the bottom of the mountain.
These mats are not as comfortable as the Thermarest pads but they are much
warmer. The foam mats also can’t be punctured making them the best choice for
camping higher on the mountain. We may also use them in conjunction with the
Thermarest pads at lower camps to make life a little more comfortable.
During the three month expedition we will be living in tents. At Base Camp the
tents are bigger and slightly less robust, however higher on the mountain the
tents must be extremely strong to withstand the battering they take from the wind.
The tents we will be using in higher camps are geodesic in design which due to the
overlapping pole structure means they are stronger and more robust.
At Base Camp we will be fortunate enough to be cooked for by our Sherpas, however higher on the mountain we will have to cook for ourselves using a stove. The stove is also essential to melt snow into drinking water.
Water Bottle and Parka
We will each have a number of water bottles to keep us hydrated during the climb.
Due to the extreme cold, especially higher on the mountain, any water soon turns
into ice. For this reason our water bottles will have their own little parkas to
try and stop the water from freezing.
Pee Bottle
In order to avoid having to go out of the tent in freezing conditions a pee bottle
or two will come in handy. Not to be mistaken for a water bottle it is visibly
labelled to ensure it is kept separate from the drinking bottles. No parkas required!!
A genius little invention that allows the female member of the team to take a pee
much in the same way as her male partner. We won’t go into the mechanics but a fair
bit of practice is required prior to attempting it for real.
Laptop and Satellite Modem
Well how else are we going to provide you with regular updates from the mountain?
If all goes to plan we should be able to update our blog, upload pictures and send
and receive emails all whilst climbing the highest mountain in the world. Cool eh!!
We will have a number of these in various sizes to keep all the electrical equipment
at Base Camp fully charged and ready to go.
Two Way Radio
Each member of the expedition team will have a two way radio on them at all times. This is an essential piece of kit for keeping in communication with Base Camp and for as a safety back up should things start to go wrong.
Cameras
We hope to take as many pictures and videos of our climb as we possibly can. We
will each have a still and video camera and we’re also going to give a couple to
our Sherpas so they can snap away during the climb too. Fingers crossed we'll get
some cool images to share with you all.
We will both be carrying an altimeter watch throughout the climb. This will allow
us to keep track of how long it’s taking us to move between the camps and how high
we are on the mountain. This will be especially important on summit day when time
keeping is critical.
Books, Playing Cards and Ipod
In between and after the acclimatisation climbs we have a number of rest days to
allow our bodies to recover and to produce more red blood cells. To help stem the
boredom we will be taking a number of items to keep us amused during the long days
at Base Camp.