The outdoor settings we visit 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 this list. Your duffel serves as your main storage locker. On your trip we will help you to fit everything in your soft-sided duffel and backpack.
____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!
____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.
____Sleeping Bag: A medium weight, mummy style, nylon bag with synthetic filling (Polar Guard 3D, Lite Loft, etc.) or goose down made for camping and backpacking and rated to 20°F or -5°C. A stuff sack is required. Your sleeping bag NEEDS to be small and compactible and able to fit into the bottom of your backpack.
TRAVEL GEAR
____“Therm-A-Rest” or foam ground pad for sleeping
____ 3 backpacking type water bottles, and/or a 1 liter minimum Camel Back type hydration system
CLOTHING
You need a one-week supply of clothing. If you bring too much it gets in the way. Laundry is done weekly. Synthetic clothing is best! Cotton keeps you cool but if it gets wet or dirty it is difficult to dry.
Inner layer
____One week supply of underwear
____Long underwear top and bottom; synthetic fabric is essential - NO COTTON!
____Pajamas: boxers and a t-shirt
Middle layer
____1 polar fleece jacket; fuzzy synthetic stuff
____1 pair polar fleece pants
____5 short sleeve shirts
____2 long sleeve shirts
____4 pairs of lightweight shorts
____2 pairs of jeans/khakis
____2 swimsuits. For girls, at least 1, one-piece
____Old clothes to wear for your service project
Outer layers
____ Rain proof jacket. Breathable (Gortex or similar material) is best.
____ Lightweight rain proof pants
HEAD AND HANDS
____Baseball style cap
____Fleece or wool hat
____Gloves or mittens (synthetic or wool)
FOOTWEAR
____3 pairs of lightweight, athletic socks
____4 pairs of hiking socks; a wool, synthetic blend (no cotton)
____Water sandals that secure around your ankles (Tevas, Chacos, Nike)
____Sneakers/running shoes
____Hiking boots; above ankle high, light weight & flexible: Merrell, Vasque, Asolo, Nike. A generous, comfortable fit is critical. Please break in before your trip!
TOILETRIES
____SPF 30+ sunscreen and chapstick with SPF
____Toiletries, meds, prescriptions, bandanna, etc.
____Mole skin or second skin for blisters
____One medium towel
____Laundry bag and small camping pillow
____Bug spray
MISCELLANEOUS
____Headlamp or small flashlight & batteries
____Camera (Phone & camera must be separate devices!), batteries/charger
____Cheap watch
____Stationary, stamps and journal
____Mess kit: fork, spoon, knife, plate, bowl, mug & mesh bag
____“Crazy Creek” camp chair
____If you wear glasses bring a spare pair, including a protective case. Contacts are OK!
____Sunglasses with secure strap
____Suggestion: small, colored nylon “stuff sacks” or plastic Ziploc bags to organize your stuff.
Important Information Regarding Your Trip---PLEASE READ THIS!
Weather: Be prepared for varied conditions. Temperatures will range from 25°F. to 100°F.
Spending Money: Bring 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.
Identification: ID is required when checking in for your flights and to cash travelers checks. Bring along a picture ID, library card, school ID or state ID card. If you bring a passport it will be held for you by the trip leader. A Travel Permission Slip is MANDATORY (available online 3 weeks before your trip).
Health Notice: Giardia, a water borne illness is common. We treat all natural water sources but it still sometimes gets through. If after the summer you have diarrhea, contact your doctor.
Helmets: Helmets are provided and required for whitewater rafting and rock climbing.
Laundry: You wash your own clothes once a week along the way. 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.
Forest Service (“USFS”) and National Park Service (“NPS”): Bold Earth is required to notify all participants that, to the extent a court determines USFS and NPS restrictions on waivers of liability apply to Bold Earth as a matter of law, Bold Earth’s liability for negligence may not be waived while you are traveling on those affected lands.
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, Backpacker Magazine or Trilogy Magazine, available everywhere. For additional adventurous reading, check out Extreme Classics: The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time.
Journals of Lewis & Clark, by Meriwether Lewis & William Clark. At the dawn of the 19th century, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark embarked on an unprecedented journey from St. Louis, Missouri, to the Pacific Ocean and back again. Their assignment was to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and record the geography, flora, fauna, and people they encountered along the way. The tale of their incredible journey, meticulously recorded in their journals, has become an American classic.
A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, by Isabella Bird. In 1854, at the age of twenty-two, Isabella Bird left England and began traveling as a cure for her ill health. This book contains letters written to her sister during her six-month journey through the Colorado Rockies in 1873. Traveling alone, usually on horseback, often with no clear idea of where she will spend the night in what is mostly uninhabited wilderness, she covers over a thousand miles, most of it during the winter months. An awe-inspiring woman, she is also a talented writer who brings to life Colorado of more than one hundred years ago, when today's big cities were only a small collection of frame houses, and while and beautiful areas were still largely untouched.
Anyday Adventures: Mount Massive, Colorado, 14,421 Feet, by Ben Frayser. Adventure is the key to ourselves. Understanding who we are and of what we are capable gives us the ability to dream, to try and succeed. Anyday Adventures is more than a story about a family’s exploits, it’s a step-by-step how-to book for anyone thinking about bringing more adventure into their own lives. This book outlines the preparation and work necessary for success, and brings a sense of achievement and excitement to anyone with big dreams of adventure.
Centennial, by James A. Michener. A runaway best seller, Michener's Centennial was written as a tribute to America's bicentennial celebration and covers a span of 136 million years. Centennial is an epic novel of the history, land, and people of Colorado. Centered around the fictional town of Centennial, the story contains an extensive cast of characters including Native Americans, French fur trappers, English noblemen, and American cowboys.
LEARNING • SERVICE • LEADERSHIP
