Equipment List
For Avalanche Courses
Equipment Required For All Avalanche Courses
Personal Equipment List
Clothing for activities and standing in cold/snowy weather
No cotton. Synthetic blends strongly recommended.
Long underwear
Insulating layers
Outer layer
Warm gloves, mitts, headband, and hat
Goggles and sunglasses
Small Personal First Aid Kit
Sunscreen/lip-balm, moleskin, band-aids, medication, etc.
Water Bottle
Pocket Knife
Pack
Large enough for all equipment on day ski-tours.
Skiing Equipment
Boots
Touring boots recommended.
Skis with Touring Bindings and Skins
Please adjust bindings to boots and skins to skis before the course. Randonee or free-heel gear is okay.
Poles
Snowboaring Equipment
Split Board with Touring Bindings and Skins
Please adjust bindings to boots and skins to board before the course. For students arriving at the course with snowboarding equipment, split boards are recommended, as compared to traveling with snowshoes.
Boots
Collapsible poles
SNOWshoes
Snowshoes are not recommended for any of our avalanche courses.
Rescue Equipment
Avalanche probe
Collapsible Shovel
Avalanche transceiver
457 kHz frequency only. Digital or analog.
Cell phone or Two-Way Radio (Optional)
Level 2 Course Equipment Requirements
This equipment is optional for Level 1 courses
Weather, Snowpack & Avalanche Observation and Recording Equipment
Snow Thermometer
NOTE: If you bring thermometers calibrated in degrees Fahrenheit, you will be required to purchase or borrow a Celsius thermometer.
Snow Saw or Folding Pruning Saw
Approximately 40cm blade. There will also be longer folding saws available from Brooks-Range Mountaineering.
Folding Rule
Graduated in centimeters required. 2 meter length.
Crystal Identification Screen
Dark color, metal screen is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
Magnifier
8x or 10x RECOMMENDED.
Field Notebook
AIARE Field Notebook, provided through course provider.
Pencil and Spare
Compass (optional)
Compass with clinometer or bring separate clinometer RECOMMENDED.
Altimeter (optional)
NOTE: Pre-packaged snow observation kits sold in backcountry ski shops often have thermometers in °F, rulers in inches, white crystal cards that are difficult to see clear snow grains and magnifiers that are narrow, overpowered and difficult to see multiple grains or to identify grain size and type. Please take the extra effort to purchase standard magnifiers (available in photo shops or linen shops), darker metal crystal cards and 2m rulers.