You must bring the following on any trip with us:

- Boots with ankle support.

- Walking Socks.

- Waterproof Coat.

- Waterproof Trousers.

- Bag.

- Base Layer.

- Mid Layers.

- Warm Layer.

- Walking Trousers.

- Gloves.

- Hat and Buff.

- Lunch and Snacks.

- Water.

- Any medication you are required to take.

- Overnight items.

- Sleeping Bag (if needed on your trip, this will always be stated in the trip information email).

- Map and Compass. Your walk leader will have these, however if you would like to practice your navigation, or are being assessed for tour, you are welcome to bring (or borrow if there are spare) your own.

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- Helmets. For any graded scramble, you must wear a helmet. These can be borrowed or you can bring your own.

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- Harnesses. For more difficult scrambles or for climbs, you must bring a harness. To avoid scavenging for one in the evening, please bring your own if you are interested in such an activity.

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- Winter gear. The club has an assortment of ice axes and crampons, or you can bring your own. If these are likely to be needed we will say in the week before.

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- Headtorches. It is always very good practice to bring a headtorch out in case you get caught out (or planned to be out in) the dark. Spare batteries are also a good idea. The club has a small number which can be lent out.

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- Sunglasses/Goggles. In the rare occasion that the sun is out, sunglasses are nice. In the more likely case where the wind (with rain/snow) is blowing, clear or lightly tinted glasses are extremely useful at keeping the wind out of your eyes. In extreme cases, goggles do the same and more, whilst also providing some warmth.

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- Climbing gear. If climbing is a possibility this will be discussed in the week proceeding and all gear worked out ahead of time. In the interests of ensuring there is space in cars please avoid bringing excess gear. If you are interested in climbing on a trip please contact an exec member.

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- Camping gear. The club has some tents that can be borrowed on camping trips, however you will either need to bring your own or share a stove/ cooking gear. Stoves are very useful for brewing peppermint tea or heating dinner with. Information about camping trips can be found in the information email.

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- General safety kit.Your walk leader will have a club first aid kit (including period care products) and emergency shelter with them, but you are welcome to bring your own if it makes you feel happier. All Walk Leaders have completed a 16 hour outdoor first aid course.

Please visit the safety page for more information.

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- Medicine. If you are required to take some sort of medicine or have an inhaler you must bring this with you. You will not be allowed out without them. There is a section on the information form to make us aware of any medical conditions you have, and if you have any medication, but please make sure your walk leader is aware, and that you can quickly access the medication.

- Overnight Belongings. Simply put, we go away for two nights on our Weekend Trips! Therefore, pack accordingly like you would for a small holiday: toothbrushes, towels, shower things, general toiletries, spare clothes etc. You may also want to bring clothes that are more comfortable to wear when in a bunkhouse or campsite, like a hoodie or different trousers. Keep in mind when packing that we use personal cars to get to most of our destinations, and therefore please pack efficiently and in soft bags to ensure everyone’s bags fit. 

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- Sleeping Bags. Some bunkhouses require you to bring your own bedding (sleeping bags), which can be borrowed from the club. This will be clearly stated in the information emailed to you.

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- Money/Food. We only provide breakfasts and Saturday evening's dinner (and Sunday if it is a Bank Holiday Trip). On camping trips we provide no food (there will almost certainly be a trip to the pub on Saturday evening...). 

Please be prepared to either buy food in the services on the Friday evening and Sunday (it is not unheard of for this to be in a pub), or bring enough food with you. For camping trips you will need to provide all of your own food, and there will be no refrigeration facilities.

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We may not be staying close to any cafes or stores so please ensure you have everything you need for the weekend ahead of time. There is usually the option of stopping at a supermarket on the way up, but please don’t rely on this as they might be closed or none enroute.

- The Basics. The club has a limited supply of gear that you can borrow if you need when you're on a weekend with us! This includes:

• Waterproof Jackets

• Waterproof Trousers

• Rucksacks

• ​Sleeping bags

• Tents 

• Headtorches

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- Technical Equipment. For our more technical activities, the club has a limited supply of gear available to borrow. This includes:

• Helmets

• Crampons

• Ice Axes

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If you wish to borrow gear for a trip please contact our current Gear Master, as soon as you can before the Trip that you need the item for. As mentioned, items are limited, but providing you give us enough notice we should be able to accommodate you. You can also contact whomever is running the trip as well, and they will be able to arrange for you to borrow items too. Please note, it is your responsibility to ensure you have returned the gear you have borrowed.

- Footwear. You must bring a suitable pair of boots with an ankle with you on any trip with us. However, it is possible that you can wear other suitable footwear depending on what you are doing, such as approach shoes or trail runners. In the event that these are not boots with ankle support, this must be agreed upon with your walk leader the night before. You must still bring a pair of boots with you.

Please ensure your chosen footwear are comfortable enough to be worn all day, and not in a state of disrepair. Walk leaders have some blister plasters, but you will be much happier without needing them. The best way to ensure your boots are comfortable is to try them on and walk around before you are on a trip, and ideally in the shop before buying.

Boots are one of the most important items you will bring, so it is worth spending more on these to ensure you are happy with them.

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Without adequate walking boots (with ankle support) you will not be allowed on a trip with us.

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- Walking Socks. These are thicker socks, which are great for two reasons. Most boots rub, but walking socks are much better at reducing the risk of blisters than normal socks. Most walking boot manufacturers take into account the fact you should be wearing thicker socks, and size their boots accordingly - a walking boot size is usually slightly bigger than its equivalent shoe size. Thicker socks also help keep your feet warm!

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- Waterproofs (Coat & Trousers).  This provides your main protection from wind, rain and snow, ensuring you are reasonably warm and dry underneath. Other useful features include a hood that allows for decent visibility, pockets that can be accessed while wearing a backpack, and a pocket that is large enough to hold a folded map. Please consider whether the hood will fit over a helmet and whether the jacket allows for full freedom of movement. 

A nicer waterproof coat vastly improves your experience in the mountains, whereas waterproof trousers need to be waterproof and fit reasonably well, but beyond this are much less important. Generally, the brighter the better, as this helps you stand out amongst the clouds.

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Without a suitable waterproof coat and trousers you will not be allowed on a trip with us.

Both of these can be borrowed from the club.

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- Bags. Please ensure your bag is suitable for the mountains. This means that it is large enough to carry everything you need, and comfortable. You might prefer a bag with more or less pockets, and one that can carry a water ‘bladder’, and any assortment of other features. It should also be durable enough to not be damaged by scraping it on rocks. For winter it is important to be able to hold ice axes.

The ideal size is usually around 30l for summer, and around 40l for winter, depending on how much you are carrying. It is advised to protect your warm layers/car keys from getting wet. This is usually by putting such items in dry bags, but can also be done with rubble sacks or similar plastic bag.

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There is a small number of bags that can be borrowed.

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- Suitable Base-Layers/Shirts. This is the first layer that you are wearing, for the purpose of wicking sweat, and providing some warmth. Please avoid cotton as if this gets wet it is unlikely to dry, meaning you will stay wet and become cold. 

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- Midlayers. These are warm layers that you are happy to walk in, such as a fleece, jumper, or a thin coat. These should be adaptable, so it is recommended to avoid thick layers and instead wear multiple thinner ones so that you are able to remove and add on additional layers to adapt to the weather and ascending/ descending. Please also consider if you will still be warm in the scenario that you are soaked through. If you are truly cold you will be miserable so please bring enough layers accordingly.

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- A Warm Layer. It is often practical to bring a warmer layer such as a down jacket, or (preferred) synthetic equivalent. Please ensure that this layer is kept in a dry bag until it is needed, and consider if you are better off with more midlayers. This layer should ideally not be worn unless you are stationary, such as for lunch, or moving much slower such as on a technical section.

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- Suitable Trousers. Never walk or hike in jeans. Denim is little more than cotton and thus, once wet, jeans become very heavy and extremely unlikely to dry, meaning you are going to get cold and not warm up. Walking trousers should be durable, help block out some wind and rain, be breathable, comfortable and sufficiently warm (base layers can help). You will not be allowed out in jeans.

Depending on the route and weather, you might like to wear gaiters.

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- Gloves. Gloves are a seemingly benign item which have an outsized impact on your experience. If you were to only carry one pair, we would recommend ME guide gloves, although we would recommend carrying multiple if the weather is malicious, as gloves ‘wet out’ after long enough in the rain.

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- Hats & Buffs. Similar to gloves, but it is likely that one of your midlayers also has a hood. It is recommended to also bring a hat as these fit better than most hoods, and provide extra warmth. Buffs are very versatile and hence popular, though can be a little redundant depending on what else you are wearing.

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In windy conditions (quite common!) your ears, hands, and neck can get really cold so please be prepared for this.

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- Lunch & Snacks. What you eat is especially important in the mountains. You should bring food which you enjoy eating, and also provides sufficient energy for what you are doing. Sandwiches are of course great, especially for lunch, but it is recommended that you supplement this with other foods to eat during the day such as bars or bags of percy pigs. Please ensure you have enough food for the day, and it is more than recommended to bring excess to ensure there is some left over at the end of the day in case you eat more than you anticipated. The correct amount to bring is personal preference, but is typically a bag of sweets and lunch plus multiple bars, fruit or chocolate, but be aware that this will dramatically increase if you are doing strenuous activity or are cold. 

Bunkhouse trips will have fridge space for you to store chilled food.
 

- Water.  Water is incredibly important while out hiking, especially on hot days. Please be prepared to typically bring at least 1.5 Litres out with you on each day, 3+ if it’s warm. If you have a suitable water filter this can be a good way to reduce the weight of your bag, but please be aware that there might not be any water sources around and as such you are still required to start with the usual amount. It might also be a good idea to bring some form of electrolytes with you.

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