Joe Stock – Stock Alpine LLC
1518 Airport Heights Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
907-830-0125 ◊ [email protected] ◊ www.stockalpine.com
Alaska Backcountry and Ski Mountaineering Gear List
This list is for all Stock Alpine ski trips in Alaska. Follow this list closely. Please contact Joe Stock if you
have questions.
We Provide
• Cook gear (cook tent, stoves, pots)
• Rope
• Emergency shelter and communication
• Navigation, first aid and repair kits
• Some gear is available for loan from Stock Alpine
All Trips – Ski Gear
Types of Ski Gear: Alpine touring gear, known as AT, is best for backcountry and ski mountaineering.
AT gear includes tech-bindings (Dynafit-style) with wide and light skis, and light but stiff boots. This
low-weight gear allows maximum backcountry runs. Sidecountry gear uses heavier alpine skis with
Marker, Salomon, Atomic or Fritschi sidecountry bindings. Sidecountry gear works great on the
downhill, but the weight will limit your backcountry runs. In other words, if resort, heli and cat skiing
are your priority, then sidecountry gear is the best single option, but in the backcountry you will be
limited despite your fitness.
____Ski Gear Rental in Anchorage: alaskabcrentals.com, [email protected]
____Skis. 90mm minimum waist. Joe’s choice: G3 Synapse 109, Black Diamond Convert.
____Bindings. Tech-style preferred. Joe’s choice: G3 Ion, Dynafit TLT Speed Turn (no brakes).
____Brakes or Leashes. Required. Leashes are recommended for spring tours as brakes aren't reliable
on icy slopes.
____Boots. Dynafit-compatible AT boots. Joe’s choice: Scarpa Rush, Scarpa Blink (women's Rush
equivalent), Dynafit TLT6, Sportiva Spectre.
____Skins. Cut to fit ski base with metal edges showing. Tail clip required. Joe’s choice: G3 Alpinist
skins.
____Poles. Lightweight and adjustable. Whippet Self-Arrest Ski Pole recommended for May and summer
tours. Joe’s choice: G3 Via Carbon Pole.
____Beacon. Must be less than ten years old, digital with a digital direction indicator. No Ortovox F1 or
F2 beacons. Opt for simple models. Joe’s choice: BCA Tracker 3.
____Shovel. Metal only. Absolutely no plastic shovels. Joe’s choice: BD Deploy 7 or BCA A2.
____Probe. 260 cm or longer. Joe’s choice: BCA Carbon 260 or BD QuickDraw Joe’s Probe 300.
____Ski Strap. Required. No Velcro. Joe’s choice: BD Ski Strap, which remains elastic in cold temps.
____Ski Crampons. Required for April-June tours.
____Helmet. Required for ski mountaineering and May-June tours. Recommended otherwise. Joe’s
choice: BD Vector Helmet.
Alaska Backcountry and Ski Mountaineering Gear List
Stock Alpine LLC
Updated: January 2015
Joe Stock – Stock Alpine LLC
1518 Airport Heights Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
907-830-0125 ◊ [email protected] ◊ www.stockalpine.com
All Trips – Clothing
____Hardshell Jacket. To stop wind, snow and rain. Since this is a shell, and not an insulating layer, opt
for the lightest option. Joe’s choice: Patagonia Super Cell Jacket.
____Ski Pants. Either hardshell or softshell. Hardshell is warmest and most versatile. Hardshell Joe’s
choice: Patagonia Powder Bowl Pant. Softshell is preferable for spring tours because it is less
slippery on firm snow. Joe’s Softshell choice: Patagonia Ski Guide Pant.
____Insulated Jacket. With hood. Joe’s choice: Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody.
____Softshell Jacket. Recommended for spring tours because it is less slippery in exposed terrain.
Joe’s choice: Patagonia Simple Guide Jacket.
____Lightweight Long Underwear Top. Joe’s choice: Patagonia Capilene 2 Lightweight Zip-Neck.
____Lightweight Long Underwear Bottom. Joe’s choice: Patagonia Capilene 3 Midweight.
____Warm Socks. Wool or synthetic.
____Warm Hat. Must cover ears.
____Balaclava. Or face covering. Buff is okay.
____Sun hat.
____Gloves. With wrist gusset. These will be your main gloves. Joe’s choice: Kinco lined grain pigskin
leather palm with knit wrist.
____Mittens. For winter tours. Joe’s choice: BD Mercury Mitt.
____Liner Gloves. Optional. These slide inside your mitts during cold conditions.
Alaska Backcountry and Ski Mountaineering Gear List
Stock Alpine LLC
Updated: January 2015
Joe Stock – Stock Alpine LLC
1518 Airport Heights Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
907-830-0125 ◊ [email protected] ◊ www.stockalpine.com
All Trips – Personal Equipment
____Backpack. 30-45 liters for day tours. Keep it simple and light (under 3 lbs). Joe’s choice: Osprey
Mutant 38.
____Trail Food. Except for expeditions, you provide your own lunches and snacks. Aim for high fat, high
calorie food, which provides the most calories for the weight. Bring about 1,500 calories per day in
trail food. In the backcountry, lunch starts after breakfast and continues until dinner. Joe’s choice:
sandwiches with cheese and meat, gorp and Shot Blocks.
____Headlamp. Small and light. Bring extra batteries. Joe’s choice: BD Gizmo Headlamp.
____Small Personal First-Aid Kit. Simple and light including items you know you will may need such as
Ibuprofen, moleskin, athletic tape, Band-Aids and personal meds. The guide will have an extensive
first-aid kit, so leave anything extra behind. Please indicate medical issues on the application and let
your guide know about any medical issues before the trip.
____Sunglasses. Joe’s choice: Julbo Dirt, Julbo Montebianco for May or later.
____Sunscreen. SPF 30 or better, 1 small 1 oz tube. Joe’s choice: Dermatone Z-cote.
____Lipscreen. SPF 30 or better. Joe’s choice: Dermatone Z-cote Lips n Face.
____Goggles. Opt for bright, yellow or rose lenses to increase depth perception in flat light. Joe’s choice:
Julbo Universe Goggles with Zebra Light lenses.
____Water Bottles. Two one-liter wide-mouth bottles. Hydration systems freeze, explode, leak and are
not recommended. A thermos is optional for midwinter trips. Joe’s choice: Nalgene 32 oz Wide
Mouth Water Bottle.
____Toilet Paper. In a zip-loc with a lighter and small hand sanitizer.
____Knife. Optional. Heavy multi-tools are not recommended.
____Camera. Optional. Small point and shoot. Rig on a string to hang around your neck, under your
jacket to keep warm. Joe’s choice: Canon S120 or Lumix GF6.
Alaska Backcountry and Ski Mountaineering Gear List
Stock Alpine LLC
Updated: January 2015
Joe Stock – Stock Alpine LLC
1518 Airport Heights Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
907-830-0125 ◊ [email protected] ◊ www.stockalpine.com
Additional Gear for Ski Mountaineering (eg. day touring at Thompson Pass)
____Ice Axe. Have a light general mountaineering axe. Too short (50cm is best) is preferable to too long.
Leashes not recommended. Joe’s choice: BD Raven Pro or Camp Corsa.
____Crampons. Aluminum, ultra light crampons without anti-ball plates are best for ski mountaineering.
Crampon bags and spike protectors are handy for travel, but are too heavy for the backcountry.
Joe’s choice: BD Neve Pro.
____Harness. Lightweight with belay loop and gear loops. Joe’s choice: BD Couloir.
____Prusik Loops. Bring three, 4-foot lengths of 6mm accessory cord tied with an in-line overhand.
____Cordelette. Six-meter length of 6mm accessory cord tied with an in-line overhand. For anchors and
rescue.
____4 Locking Carabiners. Munter (pear-shaped) biner for belaying and rappelling. Joe’s choice: BD
Vaporlock.
____4 Non-Locking Carabiners. Joe’s choice: BD Oz.
____Ice Screw. Optional, but recommended. Bring with tip cover and mesh coating. Joe’s choice: BD
19cm Express Ice Screw.
Alaska Backcountry and Ski Mountaineering Gear List
Stock Alpine LLC
Updated: January 2015
Joe Stock – Stock Alpine LLC
1518 Airport Heights Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
907-830-0125 ◊ [email protected] ◊ www.stockalpine.com
Additional Gear for Ski Camping
Temps: Nov-Feb temperatures may be down to -20° F at night. Otherwise 0° F will probably be the
lowest.
Camp to Camp Trips: Every ounce counts. Avoid unnecessary items such as changes of clothing, cups,
alcohol, excess electronics, battery packs, backpacks over five pounds or SLR cameras. If you find
yourself saying, “It doesn’t weight anything,” then you’ll have a massive pack full of stuff that doesn’t
weigh anything.
____Backpack. 3,500-4,500 cubic inches. Keep it simple and light (~4lbs). Joe’s choice: Osprey Variant
52.
____Tent. Must be four season. Joe’s choice: Hilleberg Nammajt 3.
____Sleeping Bag. Down fill with compression stuff sack. Nov-Feb temperatures may be down to minus
20° F at night. Otherwise 0° F will probably be the lowest.
____Air Mattress. Must be insulated for an R-value of 4 or higher. To reduce weight, sleep with your feet
on your empty backpack and use a short (4-footlength) pad for your hips, shoulders and head. Fulllength pads are nice for base-camp and expedition-style trips. Joe’s choice: Thermarest NeoAir
XTherm.
____Spoon. Lexan. No knife or fork.
____Extra Socks.
____Buff. Optional. Nice for sun protection and bad hair days.
____Pee Bottle. Joe’s choice: Nalgene 2-liter collapsible canteen.
____Pee Funnel. Helpful for women. Recommended: Freshette.
____Toiletry bag. Toothbrush, toothpaste, Wet Wipes, foot powder like Goldbond for warming feet. Do
not bring soap, shampoo, deodorant, or cosmetics on non-fly in trips.
____Lighters. Two Bic lighters for lighting stoves.
____Camp Entertainment. Book, iPod, magazine and/or cards.
____Cup. Not recommended. The lightest option is to drink from your water bottle and eat from a freezedry meal bag.
Alaska Backcountry and Ski Mountaineering Gear List
Stock Alpine LLC
Updated: January 2015
Joe Stock – Stock Alpine LLC
1518 Airport Heights Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
907-830-0125 ◊ [email protected] ◊ www.stockalpine.com
Additional Gear for Fly-In Base Camp
Note: Bring most anything you want!
____Travel Duffel. Huge plastic coated duffel that you will bring into base camp. Joe’s choice:
Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 120L.
____Puffy Pants. For lounging around base camp. Joe’s choice: Patagonia Puff Pants.
____Extra Clean Clothing. Extra long underwear and socks.
____Mug. One-liter recommended. Joe’s choice: GSI Fair Share Mug.
____Thermos. Optional.
____Foam Pad. To combine with your air mattress for extra insulation. Joe’s choice: Thermarest Zrest.
____Base Camp Mattress. Optional. Must be R5 or greater. Joe’s choice: Exped Downmat.
____Camp Boots. Warm and waterproof. More important than booties. Joe’s choice: Muck Boot.
____Booties. Optional. Nice for sleeping and hanging out in the tent.
Additional Gear for Ski Guide Training
Note: Below are suggestions of gear to have to get the most out of your Ski Guide Training course
with Joe.
____Snow Saw. Joe's choice: G3 Bone Saw.
____ECT Cord. Six meters of 2 mm cord.
____Notebook. Rite in the Rain 311.
____Pencils.
____Guide Tarp. Attach tie-down strings to sides and corners. Joe's choice: Brooks Range Ultralight
Guide Tarp.
____Repair Kit.
____Ski Guide Rope. 45m single rope recommended.
____GAIA GPS App. Loaded onto your smartphone with relevant maps downloaded.
Alaska Backcountry and Ski Mountaineering Gear List
Stock Alpine LLC
Updated: January 2015