Summer Field Camp - Equipment List & Thoughts on Gear
GEOL 4820 - Summer 2003
Department of Geological Sciences
California State University, Hayward
This is a list-in-progress. I will add to it if necessary. If you have any suggestions please email me. If you have any questions about items on the list please contact me by email or phone (office 510 885-3083), as I am happy to make suggestions or clarifications.
Do not arrive without the field and office equipment listed below.
Field and 'office' equipment (Required)
* Valid health insurance card (in case you take a trip to the hospital)
* Hand lens (10x - http://www.ascscientific.com/lens.html)
* Watch (absolutley required - an alarm will be handy)
* Brunton Compass (if you do not have one, contact me by email and I will arrange to have one checked out to you - http://www.ascscientific.com/brunton.html)
* Geology in the Field, by Robert R. Compton, 1985, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
* AGI data sheets (http://www.agiweb.org/pubs/pubdetail.html?item=300309)
* Acid bottle (10% HCl - if you do not have one, contact me by email and I will arrange to have one checked out to you)
* Rock hammer (must be a proper rock hammer - 22 oz. works best - I prefer a chisel-point for the Dillon area- http://www.ascscientific.com/picks.html)
* Hammer holster (plastic climbing hammer holsters work better than hardware store types) http://www.troll-climbing.com/products/accessories/hammerholst.htm
* Day pack (avoid book bags) - you will be wearing it every day to carry your lunch, extra water, raingear, first aid supplies, extra clothing, samples, etc. The best type is a climber's leather-bottomed or reinforced rucksack
* Field pouch or vest (to hold your pens, rulers etc. - http://www.ascscientific.com/gfeller.html#pd100
* Pocket Knife / Tweezers (to remove cactus spines)
* Water bottles (2 - 3) or ‘bladder/hose’ hydration systems (Camelback, Platypus)
* Rain Gear (both pants and top)
* First-aid kit / moleskin / snake-bite kit (syringe-type extractor), tube of Neosporin or some such antibiotic ointment
* Toilet paper (make a good day in the field a great day in the field!)
* Bug dope
* Sunscreen, sun hat, and sunglasses
* Sturdy field boots with Vibram-type soles (leather is prefereable to fabric - cactus)
* Map case or board (no steel hinges - messes with your compass - if you purchase two 12" or 13” x 15" x 1/8" thick pieces of plexiglass at the hardware store we'll make a map board on our first day)
* Drafting tape (one roll not masking tape). Try to find some 'Draft Dots' - they are little circles of masking tape that are really convenient.
* Field notebooks (at least 3 - Rite-in-the-rain type - http://www.ascscientific.com/fldbks.html)
* 2H drawing pencils, mechanical pencils or lead holder w/ sharpener (need to be able to maintain a very sharp point - bring spares, you will lose them)
* 6"-long, transparent plastic ruler-protractor with scale marked in 10ths of an inch. C-thru Ruler no. W-37 or 38. (they have black writing - avoid the ones with red writing - the protractors are more difficult to use - bring spares, you will lose them)
* Calculator (cheap, but with trig functions)
* Drafting triangles or other short straightedges
* Good quality colored pencils - at least 10 - 20 colors
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* Pilot Ceramicron, Koh-I-Noor, Stadler Mars, or Rapidograph drafting pens with permanent black ink (the best that I am aware of are Pilot Ceramicron with replaceable cores. Sizes 00, 0, 1 and 2). You can also find sets of 3 or 4 disposable drafting pens (you might want to get a couple of sets).
* Tube-type eraser holder and eraser refils (white or pink - make sure the refils are fresh and pliable, and work well with the chosen pencil)
* Waterproof black India ink (only if using refillable drafting pens)
* A non-magnetic belt for holding your compass (plastic buckle cargo straps work well)
Camping / Personal Equipment
The weather in mountains can vary between wintery to quite dry and hot. We will be living and working both up high up in the mountains and down in the desert valleys. Nights and mornings in the mountains can be cool, sometimes with frost. Snow is not especially common but also not unheard of, so we must be prepared for it. Days may range from cold and rainy to very hot when we are in the lower valleys. Summer precipitation patterns vary between daily afternoon thunderstorms, to week-long bouts of rain and snow, to unbearably clear, hot, sunny and dry without a cloud for weeks at a time. WE MUST BE PREPARED FOR ALL POSSIBILITIES.
My personal philosophy (born by a number of years of trial and error) is to purchase high quality camping gear and outdoor clothing. When you are cold and wet, or being kept up at night because your tent is threatening to collapse at any moment you will wish you had. Save your receipts - field gear is tax deductable.
* Tenus Shot (you will get quite familiar with barbed wire - maybe too familiar...)
* Levis (or khakis - at least two pairs)
* Shorts (several pairs. These are frequently worn in the field by persons who don't mind bloody legs)
* Bathing suit (optional)
* Polypropylene pile or wool shirt/sweater or 2 (they are the best thing for cool mornings or for wearing underneath waterproof raingear - to absorb the inevitable condensation - an absolute necessity for mountain camping. - polypro and wool are the only fibers that retain warmth when wet)
* Polypro long underware (tops and bottoms - NO COTTON! - COTTON KILLS WHEN WET)
* Polypro pile pants (optional, but mighty comfy on cold nights)
* Parka or wind jacket (Gore-tex type jackets will cover both wind and rain)
* Field shirts (short-sleeved cotton shirts are the garment of choice for most field days - bring at least one long-sleeved shirt for protecting sunburned arms or for wearing under raingear)
* Tennis shoes (or whatever you are accustomed to wearing when not in field boots)
* Sunshower (REQUIRED - will save us lots of time by limiting trips to town)
* Biodegradable soap (Dr. Bronner's liquid and bar soap are friendly to you and the environment)
* Towel (synthetic pack-towels are small and dry quickly)
* Toiletries and medicines.
* Pillow (optional, but comfortable)
* Extra prescription eyeglasses (these are absolutely essential, especially if you wear contacts - dust and pine pollen are common)
* Flashlight and extra batteries
* Sewing / tent repair kit (ripstop nylon tape)
* Warm hat and gloves (for mornings and the few cold or wet days in the field - everyone should have a warm stocking cap for these occasions)
* Boot Socks (heavy woolen socks - worn over an inner pair of polypro liner socks - bring several pairs).
* Bandanas (good for protecting sunburned necks, blowing noses, emergency t.p., strangling your field partner, etc.)
* Camera & film (optional - but you'll be sorry if you don't...)
* Musical instruments (optional, guitars, tubas, etc.)
* Tent (two to three person backpacker or mountain tent - you can take either of 2 routes: 1) a cheap tent and hope it holds up to wind, rain and sun, then and throw it away after camp, or; 2) a good-quality tent (North-Face, REI, Sierra Designs, Marmot, Eureka, etc.) that will hold up - wind can and often is a major issue)
* Sleeping bag (needs to be rated below freezing - make sure that if your bag is down, that your tent stays dry in the rain - otherwise polyester fill is best)
* Parachute cord/rope (to tie down your tent, etc.)
* Ground cloth (heavy plastic tarp - placed beneath the tent)
* Sleeping pad (Ensolite, Thermarest (best), etc.)
Closing Thoughts:
Unfortunately, some of the money you save by attending this (less expensive than most) field camp must be offest by the need to spend some significant money on camping gear. I cannot stress this enough: do not come to this field camp poorly equiped to deal with living in the mountains. Your tent, boots, day-pack, and sleeping bag/pad will be the most important items in your life. We will be camping outside in tents for 3 weeks – with no exception. Your tent must be able to hold up for that long, or you will be required to purchase another one or go home. Your boots will be on your feet 6 days/week for 5 weeks, buy good ones or you will be hating life. Similarly, your day-pack will be hanging off your back for 5 weeks, so you really want to have a well-built and comfortable pack. Finally, if your sleeping bag is cold and you don’t have enough padding beneath you, you will be a wreck before long. Buy good equipment – it will last longer and bring you peace of mind when weather conditions get bad.
“There is no bad weather, just bad clothing”
a minnesotan
There may be a number of folks that are coming from the same schools. I am charging each of you guys with the task of determining that your colleagues who are also coming, are well prepared. If there is one among you who has more field experience, or one who has none, then it is your responsibility to help those who might need advice, and help, etc. Your success at this camp first and foremost hinges on your ability to live outdoors for 3 of the 5 weeks camping. If this comes as a surprise to you then now is the time to back out. I am not intending to scare anyone, I just want you to know that this is a “camp” in the true sense of the word.
