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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

Wind and waterproof.

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

Graduated in degrees Celsius. Dial stem and/or glass/alcohol types are commonly used. Electronic thermometers are acceptable but have limitations for snow profile work.

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.