Expo Personal Gear List

First time on Expo: What should I take? Read on... No apologies are made for the simplistic approach, and no responsibility is accepted for errors or omissions ;-) Make sure you have at least the Essentials; consider taking the Extras for a more pleasant time, but don't fret if you can't get them. The Excessive sections are for the gearists...

It's a good idea (for caving generally, but particularly for Expo) to settle on a particular combination of colours of electrical insulation tape, and label absolutely everything you own with the stuff. To see which combinations are available, have a look here. Tape everything, not just your caving gear; while one karabiner looks much like another, it's equally true that one karrimat looks much like another. (One CUCC member has even been known to put gear tape on his mobile phone!)

Clothes

Expo can be hot, cold, wet or dry, or (more usually) all of these in rapid succession and combination!

• Essentials
  • Sunshades, sun cream, sunhat - do not underestimate the power of the sun when wandering across the plateau!
  • Woolly hat, gloves.
  • Raincoat, jumpers, shirts, shorts, trousers - remember that denim isn' t good when wet.
  • Underwear.
  • Socks - lots of them! Ideally ones that enable you to have at least two pairs on when wearing your walking boots. You'll need to have some drying and some to wear.
  • Boots - waterproof walking boots are better than non-waterproof ones. Make sure you get ones with good ankle support, for boulder-hopping (have a look at some of the photos of the plateau on this website and you'll see what I mean).
  • Trainers or other such footwear for wearing on the journey, into Bad Aussee or when you've had enough of clumping round in boots.
• Extras
  • Waterproof over-trousers - highly recommended.
  • Gaiters - keeps the snow and/or water out of your socks.

Camping equipment

• Essentials
  • Karrimat. Ideally a crap one you can afford to totally trash, as the floor of the stone bridge bivvy consists of large and sharp stones. Therm-a-rests are not a good idea, for the same reason.
  • Sleeping bag - make sure it's warm, 3 season at least; it's not uncommon for there to be a few inches of snow on the plateau.
  • Knife, fork, spoon, mug.
  • Plate, bowl and/or mess tin - choose the mess tin(s): you can use them both to cook in and eat out of - less washing up! (Alternatively, get both, and leave the mess tins at the bivvy.)
  • Head torch (e.g. Zoom).
  • Batteries and/or charger for above. (We'll relax the gear-taping directive for batteries...)
  • Cigarette lighter
• Extras
  • Second (rather lower-spec) sleeping bag, for using at base camp. This means you don't have to carry your sleeping bag across the plateau every time.
  • Second karrimat, for the same reason.
  • Stove for top camp - ideally powered by petrol or paraffin.
  • Penknife - some people would regard this as essential.
  • Base camp tent - more or less any waterproof one will do. (The club does have some, but not that many, and you are likely to end up sharing with lots of other smelly cavers!)
• Excessive (this section could go on and on...)
  • Inflatable pillow - if, like me, clothes in a stuff sack just don't cut it...

Caving equipment

• Essentials
  • Oversuit, undersuit, wetsocks, kneepads, wellies, helmet, gloves.
  • Shreddies - several pairs?
  • Light - preferably long-duration LED or carbide, or you'll be going down the hill for recharging after every trip. If you use LED's, make sure you have enough batteries for 30-40 hours caving between recharging stops; and don't forget to bring your charger! (A Continental plug adapter for it might also be a good idea.)
  • Backup light - probably a small electric (Princeton Tec LED ones are good, but expensive).
  • SRT kit. Absolutely imperative that you gear tape up the bits.
  • Karabiners - the more the merrier! Have you ever seen someone with too many?
  • Emergency whistle.
  • 13mm spanner (open ended) for bolting. Good idea to attach it to yourself in some suitably clever manner.
  • Dangly bag, large enough for:
    • Spare batteries & bulbs.
    • Spare carbide (in waterproof container!) if you use carbide.
    • Flapjack, fudge, chocolate bars, tube of condensed milk, etc.
    • Water bottle.
    • Survival bag (this could live in a pocket.)
    • Small first aid kit, in waterproof container, containing
      • Candle - nightlight type is good.
      • Cigarette lighter/matches.
      • Plasters.
      • Bandage.
      • Any drugs you need, e.g. Asthma inhaler (should this be in your pocket instead?).
    • Maybe your entire SRT kit too, if you're going through a tight section or have a long way to go before you get to the pitches.
    • Sturdy bag or more suitable container, should you need to relieve yourself of some solids in the cave...
• Extras
  • Thermal vest and leggings - could be essential. The caves are cold and there will be periods of waiting around and slow survey work.
  • Balaclava - see above.
  • Those triangular maillons for putting on your gear loops on your harness.
  • Emergency knife (in case you are involved in a mid-rope rescue - but make sure you know what you're doing before you start slashing around!)
  • Pulley. Indispensable if you ever have to haul people, and a great help even for tackle sacks. The Petzl Fixe P05 is adequate and cheap, but needs to be used with an oval krab.
• Excessive
  • Ice gear - ice axe, crampons, ice boots, ice screws, etc - essential if you're tackling the icy areas of Eishöhle.
  • Skyhooks - pair of, for clawing your way across blank walls when rigging.
  • Camera, packaged in a waterproof, highly visible, indestructible, tiny, zero-mass box...
  • Bolting kit

Miscellaneous

• Essentials
  • Rucksack.
  • Compass.
  • Water bottle.
  • Toiletries - toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.
  • Flannel & towel.
  • Glasses/contact lenses & spares if you need them.
  • Bivvy bag - emergency shelter anywhere. The plateau can become unfriendly very quickly. Erin and Earl had to resort to bivvy bags when caught by a storm on the Hinter in 1999. You could use the one from your caving gear, or get a proper camping one too. (Warning - fancy ones can be ludicrously expensive!)
  • Plastic bags - the secret to dry clothes is bags in bags, with spare bags to hand...
  • Reserve supply of gear tape, unless you need to relabel anything.
  • Money - although if you're a mean, awkward, skinflint you could get through Expo without spending anything, you will probably want to spend money on postcards, personal 'nice food' and tourist stuff on days off. Most people pay for the Expo shopping at some time; this will count as credit towards your Expo bill. There are Visa cash dispensers in Bad Aussee.
  • Passport.
  • Form E111.
  • BCRA insurance (normally arranged for you by Expo committee).
  • Food for the journey out.
  • PVC (TSA/Meander) oversuit owners: appropriate patching kit.
• Extras
  • Camera & film.
  • Cash for the journey (in Euros).
  • If you plan spending some serious time festering, you may want a good book. Even if you don't plan to do so, it will almost certainly piss with rain at some point, and enforced festering will be the order of the day.
• Excessive
  • GPS receiver.
  • Handheld computer (e.g. Psion) - can be loaded with the Expo website for on-site information...
  • Spare stuff - suppose you break (eek!) your jammer? There is a climbing shop in the next town.