Cross Country Ski Trip Info Sheet

IMPORTANT NOTICE
This information sheet is in the nature of general comment only. Before embarking on a particular trip, you should seek specific advice from an experienced skier. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information here, it is the sole responsibility of each person to ensure they are properly equipped and provisioned, and that they take appropriate safety precautions. No responsibility will be accepted for any loss or injury resulting from the application of information in this pamphlet.

XC SKI TRIP EQUIPMENT LIST

Skiing:

• Skis, boots, poles.
  

Sleeping:

• Tent (make sure you have all the pieces including snow pegs and have practiced putting it up)
  
• Warm Sleeping bag stored in a water-proof bag (eg 4 season)
  
• Sleeping roll ie foam mat, thermarest®, etc (consider 2 mats on top of each other to provide sufficient insulation from the snow)
  

Clothing:

• Waterproof jacket with a hood (eg goretex)
  
• Waterproof overpants (eg goretex)
  
• Waterproof gloves (goretex or ski gloves)
  
• Waterproof mittens (in case the gloves get wet)
  
• Thermal underwear top (either polypropylene or fine merino wool)
  
• Thermal underwear bottom (either polypropylene or fine merino wool)
  
• Jumper or jacket (either down, polarfleece, synthetic or wool )
  
• 2nd jumper or jacket or vest that can be worn under the first
  
• 3rd jumper or jacket or vest that can be worn under the other two
  
• T-Shirt / top (either wool or synthetic)
  
• Warm Pants (either down, polarfleece, synthetic or wool)
  
• Gloves (wool or polypropylene to go under waterproof gloves to add an extra layer of warmth or sun/ skin protection on a warm day)
  
• Beanie or balaclava (either polarfleece, wool or polypropylene)
  
• 2nd beanie or balaclava or scarf to wear over the other one
  
• Socks (wool socks are best, consider wearing two pairs (a thin pair underneath) to prevent blisters)
  
• Underwear
  
• Sunglasses
  
• Ski goggles for bad weather
  
• Gaiters
  
• Sun hat
  

It is important to build up your clothing in layers. A large number of layers is warmer and lighter than a single thick garment. Layering also allows you to shed clothing gradually and better control your temperature. If you think carefully about the clothing you bring, it should be possible to wear everything in your pack at once when it gets really cold.

For clothing under your waterproff layer, down is best (except when wet) followed by pile fabrics (polarfleece), polypropylene and wool.

Do NOT bring cotton on ski trips as cotton is no good when wet. It takes a long time to dry and holds a cold layer of water next to your skin (you are only as warm as the air next to your skin).

All spare clothing should be packed in waterproof bags.

Load Bearing:

• Pack (Should be comfortable when it is loaded up. It is important that the pack has a hip belt to help distribute the load and keep the pack stable as you move. Be sure the pack you have is suited for your back height, hips and waist.)
  
• Day pack (for daytrips only)
  

Miscellaneous:

• Money for petrol / park entry and driver’s license
  
• Plastic bags for waterproofing and for garbage (snaplock bags are great otherwise garbage bags)
  
• Toilet paper
  
• Sunscreen and lipbalm
  
• Torch (the best are headlamps to keep your hands free)
  

Personal Safety Equipment:

• Compass & map
  
• Whistle
  
• Matches or lighter (in a waterproof covering)
  
• Water purifiers, eg. puritabs®, micropur® (taste better), or a water filter
  
• Personal first aid kit
  
• Space blanket
  
• Sunscreen and lipbalm
  

Water:

• Water bottles. At least 2 litres of water. Old soft drink bottles are excellent containers but take care that they do not freeze at night.
  

Group Safety Gear:

• Group compass and maps (1:25000 contour maps are the best. Learning to navigate is an essential bush skill. It is a good idea to laminate your maps (front and back) with contact to water proof them and reduce wear or alternately (not as good), use a map case.
  Watch
  
• GPS (with batteries and someone with the skill to use it)
  
• Snow shovel (one shovel per tent)
  
• Nylon cord (at least 20m brightly coloured if possible. It can be used for navigation in a whiteout)
  
• EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)
  
• Satellite phone or mobile phone (mobile phones work near the resorts)
  
• Larger group first aid kit
  
• Gear repair kit (spare ski tip, gaffa tape, pliers/multi tools, wire, candle, screws for bindings, spare ski pole basket)
  
• Bivvy bag (or tarp etc) for emergency shelter (day trip only)
  
• Thermos of hot drink (day trip where you don't have a stove)
  

Cooking:

• Camp stove (with fuel!). Whisper-lite®, Trangia® and Bluett® are all popular. Should be light weight, reliable, easy to use and to control the flame heat
  
• Fork, spoon and pocket knife (pocket knife should have cork screw and tin opener although a screwdriver is handy for some ski repairs)
  
• Large bowl or a cup and a plastic plate
  
• Piece of plywood for a stove base if the snow shovel is not adequate
  

Food:
Basically anything goes as long as it’s light. You can live quite comfortably on 1-1.5kg per day. Any more and you should think about leaving some behind. Here are some ideas:

• Breakfast – Porridge/ Muesli is a good warm meal. Full-cream powdered milk or sweetened condensed milk tastes great.
  
• Lunch – Continental and Pita bread keep well for days, salami or spreads are excellent toppings. Check at home if the spread is spreadable below freezing.
  
• Dinner - This is your opportunity to be creative. You need something hot. Rice, instant mashed potatoes and pasta are light for their bulk. Meat goes off quickly and is heavy (not recommended). Onions, capsicum, garlic, carrots and zucchini are some vegies that keep well. Many dried fruits reconstitute well (particularly apples) to make fine desserts. Use tuna in packs, salami and cheese for protein.
  
• Snacks – Fruit, energy bars, chocolate, scroggin (trail mix), nuts and dried fruit, jelly babies, boiled sweets and tea, coffee, hot chocolate and sugar.
  You must have an extra day’s food in case you are stuck outdoors longer than expected. Packets of two minute noodles are excellent for this, as are
  dehydrated meals. Extra muesli, rice, mashed potatoes, pita bread and salami keep well. People can live on chocolate for weeks....
  

PACKING IT ALL IN
Unlike packing for a walking trail, pack heavy things towards the bottom of your pack and close in to your back to keep your center of gravity low. It isn’t always possible to do this because things you are most likely to need should be packed where they are accessible (this often means at the top).

Beginners find it hard to cross country ski with a pack so packing light is very important. Save weight on luxuries like heavy cameras rather than clothing or safety equipment.

HYGIENE

Toilet:
Opinions vary on the most environmentally sound practices. For more information, contact The Wilderness Society (02-2677929):
Choose a place at least 100 metres from camp sites and water courses. If possible, downstream of the campsite.
Using a snowshovel bury faecal waste and toilet paper at least 50cm deep and preferably at least 15cm into soil below the snow.
Using snow instead of toilet paper is more environmentally friendly.
Tampons and sanitary pads must always be carried out in an airtight (ziplock bag) as they are slow to decompose.
Faecal waste should be removed altogether from sensitive areas – eg blue lake.

Personal:
Soaps and detergents are serious environmental hazards and it’s unnecessary to use them in the wild. If body odour is a concern, applying a deodorant or other perfume (never an antiperspirant - you need to perspire!) will cover any smell until the return to “civilisation”.

Washing up:
Once again, detergents aren’t necessary as snow is a good cleaner.

Rubbish:
Remember to carry all of your rubbish out with you.

ON THE TRIP

• Leave details of where you are going and when you are expected back with a responsible person.
  
• Be sure to tell the party leader of any pre-existing illnesses (eg. athsma, diabetes, bad knees, a cold, etc) and where in your pack to find your medication.
  
• Don’t leave the trail without telling someone where you are going. Also consider leaving your pack on the trail to mark where you left to go to the toilet etc.
  
• Always make sure you can see the person in front and behind you (but don’t ski so close that you will run into them if they fall). If you get too far ahead, wait.
  
• Make sure you drink enough water (you can easily dehydrate in the cold) and adjust the layers of your clothing before you get cold or overheat.
  
• Stretch before you ski to reduce fatigue and the chance of injury.
  
• Remember that YOU are responsible for YOUR own safety.
  

Adapted from Duncan McIntyre’s bush lore pamphlet by Garrick Larkin. Last reviewed July 2007.