The varied climates and situations we experience require you to have all items on the first day of your trip. Forgotten items will be purchased with your pocket money. Do not pack more than what is on the list. Your duffel serves as a storage locker. Remember to leave space for items you buy in Europe.
____Duffel: You are allowed one duffel. While engaged in activities, excess clothing is left in your duffel locked in the van. We suggest a tough, flexible soft-sided bag approximately 34”x16”x16” or smaller. No wheels or suitcases please, they become a loading hazard on the vans!
____Sleeping Bag: A medium weight, mummy style, nylon bag with synthetic filling (3D, Polar Guard, Lite Loft, Qualofil, etc.) or goosedown made for camping and backpacking. It should be rated to keep you warm to 20°F or -5°C. A stuff sack is required.
____Sleep Sheet: This is different from a sleeping bag. It is your own sleep sheet to use as a liner for your hotel or hostel bed. It is for your comfort and is very lightweight. GREAT TO HAVE! Sleep sheet example.
____Daypack: Bring one large “school type” daypack. To be used during the day to carry personal items. Please make sure your day pack has a chest and waist strap for hiking.
Weather: Be prepared for varied conditions. Temperatures will range from 40°F - 90°F.
TRAVEL GEAR
____Passport
____“Therm-A-Rest” or foam ground pad for sleeping
____2 backpacking type water bottles, and/or a 1 liter minimum Camel Back type hydration system
CLOTHING
You need a 10-day supply of clothing. If you bring too much it gets in the way. You will do laundry twice on your trip. Synthetic is best.
Inner layer
____Ten day supply of underwear
____Long underwear shirt and pants, synthetic fabric is essential.
____Pajamas: boxers and a t-shirt
Middle layer
____3 pairs of lightweight shorts
____7 short sleeve T-shirts
____1 warm wool sweater or polar fleece, the fuzzy synthetic stuff
____2 sweatshirts
____2 pair long pants, including the ones you wear on the plane.
____2 swimsuits. (One needs to be Speedo-like. It is obligatory in France. Quick dry.) *Every year boys get refused entrance to swimming pools in France because they are not wearing Speedo-brief style swimsuits. Even if you do not like the model, bring them if you want to take a dip in the pool.
Outer Layer
____Medium weight rain proof jacket. Breathable (Gortex) is best
____Lightweight rainproof pants (optional)
HEAD AND HANDS
____Fleece or wool hat
____Baseball style cap
____Gloves or mittens
FOOTWEAR
____5 pairs of cotton socks, synthetic is preferred
____3 pairs of hiking socks; a wool, synthetic blend is preferred
____Water sandals that secure around ankles (Tevas, Chacos, Nike) Sneakers/running shoes
____Hiking boots; above ankle high, light weight & flexible: Hi-Tek, Merrell, Vasque, Asolo, Nike ($75-130). A generous, comfortable fit is critical. Please break in before your trip.
TOILETRIES
____30+ SPF sun screen, sun glasses, SPF chapstick
____Personal toiletries, prescriptions, meds, bandanna, etc.
____Mole skin or second skin for blisters; buy at a pharmacy
____Two medium towels
____Laundry bag and small camping pillow
____Bug spray
MISCELLANEOUS
____Headlamp or lightweight flashlight
____Cheap watch
____Camera (Phone and camera must be separate devices!), batteries/charger, plug adapter for charger
____Stationary and journal Mess kit: fork, spoon, knife, plate, bowl, mug & mesh bag “Crazy Creek” camp chair We advise you to bring a minimum amount of Euro, around $150. We can also exchange money at the airport. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, please bring a spare pair of glasses, including a protective case. Yes, wearing contacts is okay! Sunglasses with secure strap (Chums or Croakies)
Important Information Regarding Your Trip---PLEASE READ THIS!
Identification: A passport which does not expire until 3 months after the trip is required. ID is often required to cash travelers checks. If possible bring along a picture ID, library card, school ID or state ID card. Passports will be held for you by your Trip Leader. Travel Permission Slip is MANDATORY(available online 3 weeks before your trip). No visas are required.
Mail: Yes, we will have mail stops in Europe. Please use mail stops for communication other than emergencies. Allow plenty of time for your mail to arrive at mail-stops. From the USA to Spain, Italy, and France mail takes more than 10 days to arrive unless it is “Global Priority” or “Express” mail.
Spending Money: EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED. ATM or Credit Card (Visa and Amex) are the best! Also bring cash. Europe is expensive but we suggest bringing approximately $75 per week. This is for personal expenses and gifts. If you run out of money, you have spent too much. Unless there is an emergency, Bold Earth will not advance money.
Safety: On the whole you have very little to worry about but common sense is the best guide to dealing with potentially dangerous situations. The buddy system will be required 24 hours a day.
Time: Europe is 8 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time.
Health: Many health problems can be avoided by taking care of yourself. Wash your hands frequently, avoid exposure to the sun and wear insect repellent when appropriate. Tap water is almost always safe to drink in Europe. As with any illness, especially involving foreign travel, contact your doctor if need be.
Laundry: You wash your clothes twice during the trip. We provide the suds, coins and know-how. Many participants have identical jeans, socks, hiking boots, etc. A good practice is to put your name on items which are not unique to you.
Trip Journal: Bring along a notebook to record the challenges and successes of your adventure.
Reading List: The people, places and activities you will encounter on your trip are diverse and incredible. These are a few books offering background information. We suggest you consider reading these books before, during or after your adventure. Also, you might like to read Outside Magazine, available everywhere. For additional adventurous reading, check out Extreme Classics: The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time.
The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone. This is a biographical novel of Michelangelo Buonarroti written by American author Irving Stone. Stone lived in Italy for years visiting many of the locations in Rome and Florence, worked in marble quarries, and apprenticed himself to a marble sculptor. A primary source for the novel is Michelangelo's correspondence, all 495 letters of which Stone had translated from Italian.
Starlight and Storm, by Gaston Rébuffat. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the race was on in Europe to score first ascents of the most formidable routes in the Alps and Dolomites. Buoyed by the advent of artificial climbing techniques, teams from France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Poland scaled the north faces of the Eiger, the Drus, the Matterhorn, the Grandes Jorasses, and other hallowed peaks, often pooling resources to obtain previously unimaginable success (and often tragedy), while the world below was ravaged by two brutal world wars. Noted French climbing guide Gaston Rébuffat lived at the center of this crucial era in mountaineering history. Starlight and Storm is his personal account of a rugged and glorious time before Gore-Tex, when men, soaked and chilled to the bone, sang to keep each other from falling asleep (forever).
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. This adventure novel is one of the best-selling books of all time. The story takes place in France, Italy, islands in the Mediterranean and the Levant during the historical events of 1815–1838 (from just before the Hundred Days through to the reign of Louis-Philippe of France). The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book. It is primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, forgiveness and death.
LEARNING • SERVICE • LEADERSHIP
