The trip allows each pod (a group of 10 students and two trip
leaders) the opportunity to grow close as each member of the pod shares
responsibility for the success of the trip. During the course of the six
days and five nights spent in Yosemite, students and trip leaders
prepare all meals and set up each campsite. The pods travel along some
of the most celebrated of Yosemite’s trails, most of which will be at an
altitude greater than 9000 feet above sea level. At that altitude, and
in the wilderness, trips such as these call for careful preparation. Pod
leaders will have checked your gear before we leave and each camper will
have practiced packing up the required gear in the required backpack. A
list of required articles will be found at the bottom of this notice,
but a few points are worth emphasizing :
If you do not have a great outfitter nearby, please do consider
using the internet: Recommended sites? rei.com,
CampingWorld.com, ems.com, backcountry.com, patagonia.com,
SierraTradingPost.com
Although the school can provide a backpack to any student, the
purchase of an appropriate pack will be a good investment for the
student who will travel with the Junior Class on an equally
demanding trip, and who may wish to join the Outing Club in any of a
number of adventures. We recommend an External (5lbs.) or
Internal(7.5) lb Frame Backpack with well padded hip and shoulder
pads. The pack should allow attachment of sleeping pad and other
gear, and should be capable of expanding to carry the 3.5 lb. “bear
canister” which we will provide each student on the trip. When
shopping for a pack, ask for a backpack which is intended for a 5
day trip . Packs are made for small,
medium, and large people, so check to make sure you are buying the
right size for you. The lightest pack we have found is the
Osprey but other good backpacks can be found at a mountain
sports or full-service sports store.
The key to comfort (and safety) in uncertain weather at altitude
is layering, using a variety of synthetic materials, such as
capilene, polypropelene, nylon, and fleece. NO COTTON on this trip!
It is easy to find great and comfortable articles of clothing at
mountain sports stores and at full-service sports stores, but not at
conventional clothing stores. Anticipate your needs by taking a
special trip to buy the layers described on the required clothing
list.
You will NOT need to buy stoves or tents, but might consider
investing in a good sleeping bag. Again, we recommend the synthetic
fibers (Hollofill) rather than down and recommend that the bag be
rated to at least 20 degrees.
A good flashlight is a necessity. Headlamps are ideal! Be sure
to provide extra batteries.
REQUIRED:
Torso:
1 Long sleeved shirt (long underwear top) for layering
(synthetic: nylon, capilene, polypropelene).
2 Short sleeve shirts (synthetic – NOT COTTON)
1 WARM sweater (fleece) or wool) and
1 synthetic or down jacket
1 water-proofed ( NOT WATER RESISTANT, BUT WATER PROOFED) shell
with hood (Rain Gear
Jacket)
Legs:
Underwear
1 pair “long-johns”, synthetic
1 pair synthetic quick dry shorts
1 pair synthetic quick dry pants
1 pair WATER PROOFED rain pants (Rain Gear Pants)
Feet:
1 pair of well worn in hiking boots or “trail” show with strong
arch and tread
4 pair of hiking socks (wool or polypro) NOT COTTON
Extremities:
Wool or fleece gloves
Wool or fleece cap
Sun hat (baseball cap)
Bandana
Miscellaneous:
2 water bottles which can be easily attached to the backpack