2023 Sierra Traverse Gear Planning

We’re going to the Sierra. You should too. If you are going for a multi-day ski traverse, ponder this gear list. This is for a team of 2 on a 7 day trip. The general parameters are mostly firm snow, mostly low avalanche hazard, somewhat committing, and good weather. “Good weather” in May in the Sierra means night lows in the teens, daytime highs near 50, and tons of sun. Storms can mean feet of snow at mild temperatures with moderate to extensive wind. Storms require retreating to lower altitude for travel and camping. Doing so is pretty much always an option, especially through the middle, committing portion of the tour. Some high passes are unavoidable.

First, Individual Gear:

Everything in this initial section is “per person”. My individual, specific selection is noted. Each category has multiple make-and-model specific options available.


Ski and Tech Gear

  • Dynafit Blacklight Pro skis with Dynafit Superlite 150 bindings 

  • Dynafit TLTX boots

  • Coll Tex skins. Start a traverse like this with skins that are tested and proven with a hand full of days, but otherwise relatively fresh.

  • Camp Storm Helmet

  • Camp Skimo Total Race Crampons

  • Camp Corsa Race ice axe

  • Dynafit Ski crampons

  • Black Diamond Helio ski poles

  • Old Chouinard brand shovel blade that uses the ice axe as a handle. This axe and shovel combination weighs a total of 560g. An alternative is Black Diamond’s new LT shovel handle that works with their axe. Reported to be 440g.

  • 240cm carbon probe

  • Avalanche Transceiver

  • Two ski straps per person


Clothing

  • Wool T shirt

  • Patagonia sun hoody

  • Arc Teryx Squamish wind jacket (or upgraded/supplemented to/with a light waterproof jacket if weather forecast dictates)

  • Arc Teryx Nuclei FL puffy jacket

  • Feathered Friends Helios Hooded down jacket

  • Boxers

  • Crazy Idea Acceleration ski pants. Like, training "tights". Not your typical soft-shell ski pants. Way better.

  • Camp Protection wind pants (or upgraded to light waterproof pants if weather forecast dictates)

  • Two pairs of Dissent compression ski socks

  • Camp G comp Warm gloves. Light gloves with an integrated insulated mitten “flap” for cold mornings.

  • Back up handwear. Camp Wind mitts. Sub-1-ounce “back up” mittens. The above gloves will be used 99% of the time. Camp once made the perfect product in this category. But they are no longer. This is something that appears similar.

  • Sun hat. Choose one that is helmet-compatible. Suitable brim configuration, no “ouch button” on top, otherwise low profile. But still enough coverage, especially when combined with the sun hoody.

  • Buff

  • Toque


Camping

  • 0-20 degree sleeping bag. Feathered Friends Vireo sleeping bag. Simply brilliant. Paired with the Helios, this is the lightest, most versatile high mountain sleeping system on the market. If not the Vireo, I’ll use FF Lark.

  • Camp footwear. I will make a game time decision from one of these two, weather and snow cover dependent: Feathered Friends down booties. Inner portion only. Or very, very light running shoes like the Arc Teryx Norvan SL.

  • Thermarest NeoAir, women’s (the women’s model is warmer than the men’s and splits the difference, length-wise and in a good way, between other common sizes).

  • Torso length closed cell foam as back up to the Thermarest and for sitting on on rocks etc.

  • Space blanket or plastic ground sheet, sized for one person.

  • 40-50 liter simple backpack. Arc Teryx Alpha FL 45 backpack.


Cooking and food

  • Just over two pounds of food per day. Freeze dried, bars, nuts, jerky, soups, etc. 

  • 2x 1 quart gatorade bottles

  • Spoon

  • Eat out of the freeze dried containers


Electronics, Communications, Toiletries etc

  • Sunscreen and skin care system. I carry normal SPF 50 lotion, plus a small tin of Dermatone brand zinc based paste. And maybe dedicated high quality spf lip balm also.

  • Glacier glasses with nose guard and side shields

  • Backup sunglasses. For me, this is a pair of prescription eyeglasses with lenses that darken

  • Contact lens care

  • Tooth care

  • iPhone

  • Spare battery back up

  • Petzl Actik headlamp

  • Pee bottle


And then Group Gear:

  • Black Diamond Megalight tent (727g) or HMG UltaMid 2 (577g)

  • MSR Reactor 1.0L stove and pot. (14.6 oz). Jetboil MicroMo could save 2 ounces.

  • 2 ounces of canister fuel per day per person. 12 person days. 24 ounces. 3x 8 ounce cans. This will allow extensive snow melt as needed, but we will also look for, and find much of the time, opportunity to collect liquid water.

  • 2/3 cup kitchen measuring cup for snow melt

  • two lighters

  • Back up BRS 3000-T stove burner

  • 20m skinny rope. Optional. Conditions dependent.

  • Charging cables

  • InReach Messenger

  • Solar panel

  • Spare headlamp

  • rub on ski/skin wax

  • super glue

  • hose clamps

  • extra pole basket

  • bit driver and bits

  • zip ties

  • Leatherman Squirt PS4

  • Thermarest repair kit

  • Various tapes, duct and clothing repair.

  • A few t-nuts and screws

  • ibuprofen, pepto, excedrin, anti-diarrheal

  • first aid tape

  • One extra set of climbing skins?

  • One extra binding toe piece?

  • Rubber gloves

  • Gauze

  • Avalanche gear may be evaluated as a last minute decision. With any recent or forecasted storming, taking it is a “no brainer”. If weather has been spring-like for weeks and is forecast to remain the same, leaving ava gear is on the radar.

Jediah Porter