Loadout: Summiting 14er’s Pack
Here’s a great loadout Samuel used for summiting five dangerous and unpredictable 14ers mountains in Colorado.
- Goruck GR0 Ruck, with a custom ruck handle made using a Black Diamond quick draw and an additional locking carabiner.
- (Not shown, in back pocket of pack):
- Large Aloksak waterproof bag with:
- Topo map from caltopo.com, printed using laser color printer on water-resistant paper. Has UTM grid overlaid and also has custom routes and waypoints marked.
- Grid reader
- Silva Ranger sighting baseplate compass
- Marmot Precip jacket (for wind and rain)
- REI zippered synthetic fabric hoody. Cotton kills.
- Patagonia Capilene 1 Long sleeve baselayer
- REI wool beanie
- Outdoor Research Sensor Gloves: perfect for then cool but not cold August temperatures and blocking wind; could still operate my phone’s touchscreen for GPS and photos.
- Outdoor recreation first aid kit. As a wilderness-trained paramedic, I’ve honed in on a focused first aid kit for the types of injuries and care likely to be encountered hiking, climbing, or mountain biking. In an Eagle Creek Quarter Cube:
- SAM splint
- Triangular bandage for sling
- Olaes Modular Bandage (improved version of the Israeli Bandage)
- QuickClot Combat Gauze
- Kerlix rolled gauze
- Non-adherent moist gauze
- A few bandaids in different sizes
- SWAT-T tourniquet
- Ibuprofen
- SOL Emergency Bivvy
- Basic mini survival kit in a waterproof case (custom assembled based on what has worked for me in wilderness survival situations, and standard carry for wilderness trips now).
- Waterproof bag with dental floss, spare batteries, and SPF lip balm.
- Black Diamond Spot headlamp
- Garmin Foretrex 401 GPS. Wrist mounted, has a barometer/altimeter. Configured to show current elevation, barometric pressure, time of day, and total mileage. Excellent to watch weather and track where we were at on our trip compared to where we should be. This GPS also spits out a UTM/MGRS grid reference which can be paired with the map to make navigation easy.
- Mora knife with GorillaTape wrapped around handle and with an attached Light My Fire Swedish Fire Steel and waterproof tube containing Fire tabs.
- Source Hydration 3L water bladder.
- ITS Tactical edition Vapur collapsible 1L water bladder.
- Added additional 1.5 quart water bottle for long days.
- Not shown: iPhone 6S Plus, generic battery pack+lightning cable, Gaia GPS app. Assorted snacks.
Worn:
A few weeks ago, I spent a week in Colorado, summiting five 14ers (and nearly making a sixth). Here’s the loadout that kept me going and kept me safe. Mountains are dangerous and unpredictable, help is a long way away, and weather can change rapidly. Having multiple layers of clothing was essential and I used all of it, often putting on and taking off throughout the day as temperatures and altitude changed.
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