What is all this stuff? Photo: mckaysavage

1. Plastic Double Boots

Customized plastic mountaineering boots.
Photo: ddefranza

Boots featuring a waterproof plastic shell and soft insulated inner-bootie have become the standard for mountaineers around the world.

While these boots tend to be stiff and heavy, they are very warm, provide adequate support for climbing glaciers, snow slopes, and ice walls, and allow you to dry the inner-boot in your sleeping bag at night.

When buying plastic boots, make certain that they fit comfortably in the store. Because the shell is stiff, they do not conform to your foot, or “break in,” like other boots and shoes will.

Wear the thick socks you plan to wear while mountaineering and make sure the boots do not constrict your feet or have any edges that rub or pinch uncomfortably.

2. Mountaineering Harness

Black Diamond Alpine Bod Harness.

There may not be any technical climbing planned for your mountaineering trip, but a basic harness is still a common necessity.

Mountaineers use ropes to protect themselves on exposed sections where a gust of wind or a slip on the snow or ice could be catastrophic, and you need a harness to tie into these ropes.

A rope and harness is also necessary for any sort of glacier travel.

If you have a climbing harness, chances are you can just use that for mountaineering. If you don’t, or your normal climbing harness is missing a few important features, you can get a simple mountaineering harness for under $40.

Features to look for include adjustable leg loops and a long waistband to accommodate bulky winter layers.

Price: $37.95 | Black Diamond Alpine Bod Harness

3. Crampons

Black Diamond Sabretooth Pro Crampons.

Ice is slippery. To safely travel up a frozen mountain, you need more traction than the typical boot can provide. That’s where crampons come in.

For general mountaineering, 12-point crampons with a flexible instep are ideal.

They allow you to use every part of your boot when stepping, but bend to make walking easy.

Horizontal front points, as opposed to the vertically oriented ones used on ice-climbing crampons, are best for snow and low-angle ice travel.

Price: $159.95 | Black Diamond Sabretooth Pro

4. Piolet

Black Diamond Raven Pilet Ice Ax.

The piolet is the classic mountaineering ice ax. Climbers use it as a support on steep terrain, to self arrest in the event of a fall, and to chop steps in snow and ice.

Ice climbers have become fond of short, radically-curved, leashless ice tools, and for good reason: They are carefully engineered for the extreme demands of vertical ice climbing.

Mountaineers, however, are better off with a traditional straight-shafted ax, tethered to their wrist with a long leash to protect against dropping.

Price: $69.93 | Black Diamond Raven Pro Ice Axe

5. Helmet

Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet.

A helmet is absolutely necessary while mountaineering to protect your head from falling ice and rock, as well as dropped gear.

Because it needs to protect you from falling objects and not the force of impact, it isn’t a good idea to use your bike helmet while climbing.

Instead, look for a specialized helmet with a hard shell and adjustable suspension system that fits when you’re wearing a winter hat.

Price: $59.95 | Black Diamond Half Dome Climbing Helmet

6. Goggles and Sun Protection

Sun, wind, and reflective snow all combine to create a dangerous environment for your skin and eyes. A good pair of UV-protective goggles, matched with sunscreen and SPF lip balm are important tools to prevent snow blindness and painful sunburns.

Price: $85.00 | Around Excel Goggles by Julbo

Price: $9.78 | NO-AD Maximum Sunblock Lotion, SPF 45, 16 Ounces

Price: $9.95 | Dermatone Skin Protector Maxi Tin SPF23 (0.88oz)

7. Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills

Required reading for every mountaineer.

Though it’s probably too heavy to bring up the mountain, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills is the ultimate reference for novice mountaineers and experts alike.

Offering over 500 double-columned pages of mountain wisdom, this book will become your go-to resource for every question that pops up along your journey towards alpine mastery.

Price: $19.77 | Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills

Photo: gologozo

1. Shoes

Viper Rock Shoe – Unisex by La Sportiva

The first thing you need to start bouldering is a good pair of climbing shoes. While cheap, stiff, climbing shoes, and even sneakers, are fine for the gym or easy top ropping, the technical requirements of bouldering require something more specialized.

Look for a shoe that is slip-lasted, a manufacturing method that produces a sole with thinner rubber for a more sensitive feel on the rock. Also consider a slipper or Velcro-closing shoe, which are easier to take off in between climbs.

Price: $69.30 – $114.00 | FiveTen Men’s Anasazi Moccasym Climbing Shoe

Price: $74.95 | Flash Rock Shoe by Mad Rock

Price: $89.95 | Viper Rock Shoe by La Sportiva

2. Crash Pad

You probably wouldn’t climb a route in the gym without a rope; likewise, you shouldn’t boulder without a crash pad. These foam mats protect your feet, ankles, and knees by providing a soft place to land, covering sharp rocks, and flattening the landing zone.

Metolius Stomp Crash Pad

Every pad on the market today should use two types of foam: one thin, hard layer to give the pad support and one thick, soft layer to soften the landing. You’ll see some pads that have a hinge in the middle and some that just fold over, taco-style. Both work well and which you choose is ultimately a matter of personal preference.

Other things to look for include metal clasps on the straps (plastic ones tend to break when stepped on), a quality outer-fabric that will resist tearing, some kind of carpet on the landing surface (useful for cleaning the bottoms of your shoes), and a well-attached carrying system.

Price: $136.45 | Metolius Stomp Crash Pad

Price: $179.99 | Black Diamond Drop Zone Bouldering Crashpad

3. Chalk

Climbers use chalk just like gymnasts: to improve grip by reducing sweat. Many boulderers use the same chalk bags attached to a belt that other climbers do, but some prefer to bring a large “chalk bucket.”

Price: $36.95 | prAna Bucket Chalk Bag

Price: $2.00 – $7.00 | Metolius Super Chalk

4. Brush

Boar’s Hair Bouldering Brush
by Flashed Climbing

Boulder problems see a lot more traffic than even the most popular climbing routes. Chalk and shoe rubber build up quickly, making the holds slick and greasy. A brush is an essential tool for cleaning off this greasy buildup.

It’s very important, however, that you never use a brush with metal bristles on a boulder problem. These brushes change the natural texture of the rock, possibly ruining a problem. Instead, look for brushes that have medium-stiffness nylon bristles. Think “old toothbrush” instead of “barbecue grill-cleaning brush.”

Price: $7.95 | Boar’s Hair Bouldering Brush by Flashed Climbing

5. Athletic Tape

Athletic tape is useful for protecting cut fingertips and supporting weak tendons. Though this is more of a tool for advanced climbers, if you spend much time bouldering you’ll want some tape.

Price: $12.49 | Trainer’s Choice Athletic Tape

6. A Positive Attitude

The final bouldering essential is one that is too often forgotten at home. Bouldering can be a competitive, high-pressure pursuit, but it’s important to remember why you started in the first place. Whether you like the feeling of the movement, the friction of the rock, or simply having fun outdoors, a positive attitude will help you stay focused on what makes you happy.

Community Connection

Jonesing to go bouldering? Check out: How to Get Started Bouldering.

Photo by Eric Lon

And, upon arriving in Kathmandu, many realize that such a trip really is like a dream: Disorienting, chaotic, confusing, and dizzying. Sorting out itineraries, finding the best gear, acquiring the necessary permits, and hiring a trustworthy guide or porter are difficult tasks to complete on the busy streets of Thamel.

Distractions from touts and other travelers abound, and rumors of weather conditions, permit situations, Maoist activity, and thefts circulate continuously.

It quickly becomes clear that simply getting to Nepal is the easy part. Organizing your trek and pulling it off safely and successfully requires foresight, planning, and preparation.

Nepal: Trekking and Climbing, 25 Classic Treks and 12 Climbing Peaks is an excellent resource for that planning stage.

With beautiful photographs, color maps, and detailed information about Nepal’s most popular and least traveled trekking routes, the book helps would-be trekkers prepare for their dream trip.

From adequate albeit brief introductory sections on Nepal’s history and culture, to special features on low-impact trekking and mountain photography, Nepal: Trekking and Climbing has all the requisite introductory information in addition to detailed overviews of 25 outstanding treks.

The best part of this book, however, is the treatment it gives to less-traveled routes and regions.

Of the nearly 100,000 people that apply for a trekking permit in Nepal each year, most of these people, as many as 60 percent, head into the Annapurna region to complete the classic Annapurna Circuit, the trek into the Annapurna Sanctuary, or any number of other shorter treks in the area.

Of the remaining trekkers, 17 percent visit the Everest region and 13 percent visit the Lantang region.

This means that only 10 percent trek in all other parts of the country.

Photo by Eric Lon

While Nepal: Trekking and Climbing covers the classic Annapurna, Everest, and Lantang treks extensively, it also details treks like the Mount Kangchenjunga circuit and those in the Mustang and Dhaulagiri Himal regions.

This makes the book appealing to both first-time visitors to Nepal and hardened trekkers who have already completed the popular classics.

Summary

While the book does a superb job providing background and information to trekkers, it falls short when it comes to climbing.

Though brief profiles of 12 of Nepal’s most popular “trekking peaks” are provided, they are really too superficial to be of value in planning a mountaineering trip.

Ultimately, a book like Nepal: Trekking and Climbing should do two things: Provide the basic information needed for the early planning of a trek and inspire travelers to pursue the trip of their dreams. This book does both, making it a valuable resource and an excellent addition to any trekker’s library.

Price: $13.60 | Buy

Giveaway: Win A Copy of The Andes: Trekking + Climbing!

Have a favorite photo that captures a memorable trek or climb you’ve taken? We want to see it!

In fact, we will be publishing our favorite shots provided in a photo essay on Matador Trips.

To win a copy of The Andes: Trekking + Climbing book which spotlights 26 classic treks and 18 classic climbs in the region,

1) Submit a link to one of your trekking or climbing photos in the comments below. You can upload your photos via Flickr.

2) Leave a short caption telling us the location and a little about your experience.

3) Complete this by Monday, May 11th, 11:59 PM EST

The Matador editors will pick their favorites for the photo essay and the standout shot will win the free book.

Photo by garryknight

This review will not begin with a description of the book’s cover, the title page, or the table of contents, and it will not end with an evaluation of the index.

I will not start by telling you I received the envelope in the mail and I will not end by illustrating the room from which I now type. This would be tantamount to beginning a travel narrative with the plane’s takeoff and finishing with a description of returning home.

Avoiding this kind of narrative arc is a classic first lesson of travel writing, one that the author of Backpacking with Brian has unfortunately not learned.

Instead of telling you about how the book was packaged for mailing, I will begin with a question: What is the value of a travel journal?

We know that keeping a journal while traveling is important. Documenting the details of your trip, from the clothing of people you see to the food you eat for each meal, allows you to relive the experience years later.

Photo by swimparallel

By writing your thoughts you can gain perspective. It creates an opportunity for otherwise obscured connections to arise. Beyond helping you remember your travels, a journal helps you understand them.

So, if it is important to keep a journal, what do we do with these personal tomes once they are completed?

The first impulse, I believe, is to share it with others. Lending your journal to family and close friends is one way. Using it to tell stories at the pub is another. You can put it online.

You can even use it as an archive of information that could be transformed into more polished articles and narratives. You could also publish the journal in whole and, if an editor takes an interest, join the ranks of some great authors.

If an editor does not take an interest, there is the option of self-publishing, and it is this that finally brings us back to Bryn Parry’s Backpacking with Brian.

The journal of Parry’s travels through Europe is intriguing mostly for all it does wrong. It begins with a trip on a bus from the author’s hometown and takes us, hour by hour, day by day, through the rest of the journey.

It lacks real character development in a way that, at the end of the 319 pages, we are left still wondering who Brian even is.

It suffers from awkward and elliptical writing…”the inverted image which I was thereby treated to was of the salivating jaws of a ‘highly conditioned’ Jack Russell Terrier.”

The manuscript uses non-standard formatting, misuses quotations to the point of confusing the story, and has an overabundance of ellipses “I NEEDED a treat (of the highly sugar-rich, comfort-fodder kind)!…….”

That said, there is much to admire.

The simple fact that Parry got the story, all 300-plus pages of it, onto paper is certainly one. The way he portrays himself in the narrative is honest and self-effacing in a way that is reminiscent of Bill Bryson’s at his best. The one-sided correspondences with Cathy, a love left at home, are tender and the highlight of every chapter in which they appear.

If you find yourself ripping through online travel journals and wishing you could take one along when away from the computer, Backpacking with Brian will be a quirky delight. It is, perhaps by virtue of the text’s raw nature, an intensely personal account.

It may not illuminate new corners of Europe, or win a great award, but it does give the reader the feeling that the author, a close friend, has invited her to read his personal journal.

For what it’s worth, I am grateful.

Thank you Bryn, keep writing.

Price: $17.99 | BUY

In many ways, the goals of travel are most purely realized through adventure.

Commenting on this, Mark Jenkins said that “Adventure is a path. Real adventure—self-determined, self-motivated, often risky—forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it.”

Photo by albatros11

Here are eight books that are some of the greatest travel adventure stories ever told.

1. Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger

Thesiger’s account of his trips through the treacherous “Empty Quarter” of southern Arabia with Bedouin nomads is beautifully evocative. Often cited as an example of the best of travel writing, Arabian Sands is also interesting because it captures a region in the last moments before the discovery of oil would change it forever.

Price: $10.20 | BUY

2. A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby

One mark of an adventure is the exploration of something new or unknown. Newby’s account of his time in Afghanistan, a place which, at that time, had not seen an English vistor in decades, certainly bears this mark.

The almost impulsive choice to leave his life in London and travel to a nearly forgotten corner of the world can serve as an inspiration to any traveler at heart who is trapped in a sedentary life.

Price: $10.19 | BUY

3. Tracks by Robyn Davidson

Explaining the motivations behind an adventure can be impossible. However, in recounting her 1,700 mile walk across the Australian desert, Robyn Davidson does an exceptional job of providing insight to the unknowable.

This cult classic is an inspiration to all independent travelers driven by inexplicable forces to continue traveling.

Price: $10.17 | BUY

4. Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft by Thor Heyerdahl

Norwegian ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl heard folktales that implied the South Seas Islands had been populated by a people who had traveled thousands of miles by sea.

To Heyerdahl, the idea sounded plausible and he set out to prove it. Kon-Tiki tells the incredible story of Heyerdahl’s 4,300 mile journey across the Pacific Ocean in a raft.

Price: $25.00 | BUY

5. Papillon by Henri Charriere

In 1931, Henri Charriere was convicted in Paris for a murder he did not commit and sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colonies of French Guiana. The story of his survival there, and his numerous attempts at escape against impossible odds, is one of the greatest tales of adventure ever told.

Price: $28.00 | BUY

6. My Journey to Lhasa by Alexandra David-Neel

Even today, traveling overland to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, is a long and difficult journey. Making the trip in 1924, when the kingdom was closed to foreigners, was nearly unbelievable.

Add to this the fact that the adventurer was a woman of the Victorian era, who had to defy all societal conventions and disguise herself as a man to make such a trip possible, and you have an incredible and inspiring account of daring and adventure that nearly cannot be matched.

Price: $10.17 | BUY

7. Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

In his concise narrative, Joe Simpson tells the story of his attempt to climb one of the world’s most dangerous mountains, and how everything went terribly wrong. This excellent book confronts many of the questions that are central to adventure in a way that is meaningful and insightful.

Price: $10.17 | BUY

8.Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

In 1914, Shackleton set out on an expedition to cross Antarctica via an overland route. When his ship, Endurance, was iced-in then crushed in 1915, he was forced to lead his surviving crew on a journey for survival that is now legendary.

Alfred Lansing’s excellent account of this adventure is based on the diaries of Shackleton and his crew and adds considerable depth to the story, originally told by Shackleton himself in South.

Price: $10.17 | BUY

The call of adventure is always there, so toss one of these great books in your pack and set off for the unknown.

When temperatures drop and snow falls, campsites become much less crowded. The fear of being cold keeps even avid campers bundled up indoors on winter nights. But there is no reason to lock yourself inside all winter.

With the right gear, any winter trip can be fun and comfortable.

Photo by papalar

Here are seven essential items for a comfortable winter camping trip:

1. Ultra-warm Sleeping Bag

When it comes time to curl up and close your eyes, the sleeping bag is responsible for keeping you toasty. Because of this, it is important to use a quality sleeping bag rated for the expected temperature.

The temperature ratings assigned to sleeping bags are approximations, but it is worth choosing one at or below the temperatures you expect (or fear) on your trip.

When sizing a winter sleeping bag, it is important to err on the side of roominess. You don’t want it to be huge, but allow enough room for extra layers and stashing things, like extra clothes, water bottles, and batteries.

Photo by Laurel Fan

Choosing between natural down and synthetic fill is often a matter of personal preference. One important consideration, however, is climate. Synthetics do much better in wet environments, like winter in the Northeast, while natural down is better suited to places with a dry winter, like Colorado.

When it comes to down sleeping bags, no one makes them better than Feathered Friends, a company based in Seattle, Washington. If you prefer synthetic, Mountain Hardwear is the standard among mountaineers.

Price: $154.95 – $174.95 | Mountain Hardwear Lamina

Note: You will sometimes hear people claim sleeping bags keep you warmest if you crawl in naked or wearing a single thin layer of clothing. This is simply not true. While you don’t want the fill of the sleeping bag to be compressed, physics tells us that the more layers of insulation you have around you, the warmer you will be.

2. A Bombproof Tent

After a sleeping bag, the piece of gear that will help keep you warm at night is your tent. Most people use four season or “expedition” style tents for winter camping. The major difference from summer tents is that winter tents have much less ventilating mesh.

Expedition tents generally feature extra guy-lines, stronger poles, and sturdier fabrics to battle extreme winds.

Both the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 and the North Face Mountain 25 have been expedition and winter camping standards for years.

One alternative to these classics is a single-wall tent. These tents are made from waterproof and breathable fabrics so they don’t require a separate fly. They are extremely warm, easy to set up, and durable. If you are serious about winter camping, it is worth checking out the Firstlight from Black Diamond.

Price: $298.95 | Firstlight Tent – 2 by Black Diamond

3. A Big Puffy Coat

With the right tent and sleeping bag, you will be warm in bed, but to stay warm when you’re just standing around, you need a big puffy coat. The idea here is to choose something large enough to fit over all of your layers whenever you stop moving or are doing small things around the campsite.

The choice between natural down and synthetic fills is the same here as it is with sleeping bags: synthetic is the better choice for wet or damp climates.

If you are a fan of down, the North Face Nuptse Jacket is a classic, however, because I strongly recommend a jacket with an insulated hood, I think the Frontpoint Jacket from Feathered Friends is a better choice.

Price: $119.20 – $150.00 | Marmot Zeus Down Jacket – Men’s

Price: $143.20 – $180.00 | Marmot Women’s Ama Dablam Jacket

If you are looking for a synthetic jacket, you can’t go wrong with the popular DAS Parka from Patagonia. My personal favorite, however, is the Belay Jacket from Wild Things.

4. An Enormous Backpack

I used to think my summer backpack was huge. Then I tried to stuff a winter-weight sleeping bag into it. After an hour of wrestling with what looked like a giant, fluorescent, sausage I realized that even if I crammed everything inside my now small-looking backpack, there was no way I could repack it in the cold and snow.

The lesson: winter gear is massive and you need a giant backpack to contain it all.

Good choices for a winter-sized pack include the Denali Pro 105 from Gregory Packs, the Argon 110 from Osprey, and the truly enormous Astraplane from Marmot.

Price: $479.00 | Gregory Denali Pro 105 Mountaineering Pack

5. A Powerful Stove

Campfires are great in the summer but they confuse your body’s internal thermometer in the winter and are best avoided. This leaves the camp stove as the only way to cook food, melt snow for water, and brew hot drinks. All three of these things– lots of water, warm food, and warm drinks– are absolute necessities for staying warm in the winter.

Photo by Weembles

When picking a winter stove, you want to choose one with the highest output possible. Another consideration is the fuel type. Stoves that use pressurized fuel canisters are convenient in the summer, but the fuel has trouble staying gaseous in the cold. The more reliable choice is a stove that uses liquid fuel, most commonly white gas.

The WhisperLite from MSR is a good, popular, choice, but you cannot match the incredible XGK EX when it comes to durability or heat output.

Price: $125.85 | MSR XGK EX Extreme Condition Stove

6. A Simple Water Bottle Insulator

It seems like a frivolous thing: a big, zippered, coozie for your water bottle. In the summer, it probably would be. But keeping your water liquid when the ambient temperature is below zero is not a simple task. Insulators, like the one from Outdoor Research, make it a lot easier.

Another tip is to always store your water bottle top-down in the winter. This prevents the cap from freezing shut.

Price: $16.95 – $19.95 | Outdoor Research Water Bottle Parka

7. Lots of Butter

Laugh all you want, but an ample supply of butter is the best way to stay warm in the winter. Drop a tablespoon into your oatmeal in the morning, another tablespoon into your soup at dinner, and drink some hot chocolate with a tablespoon before bed.

Photo by sanctumsolitude

As unappetizing as this may sound, the calories and fat in butter are exactly what your body needs to stay warm all day and night.

Camping in the cold can be a challenge, but with the right gear and preparation even the coldest nights can be enjoyable.