Carrabassett Valley Trail Work Equipment List
The Outing Club has a limited number of backpacks, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads for students to borrow. As such, we encourage bringing your own of these items, or borrowing from friends or family. If this is not possible please be in contact about borrowing these items before August 5th. Additional items will be available for purchase at the BOC upon arrival including wool socks, long underwear (tops and bottoms), headlamps, and water bottles; financial aid is available for those who qualify. If you have any questions about gear please contact bocOtrips@bowdoin.edu.
What to pack in: You may pack in anything that you’d like; a backpack is easiest to carry, but a small duffel bag is perfectly acceptable. No wheeled luggage please!
Essential Gear
Clothes
▢ 2 tee-shirts
▢ 1 pair of shorts
▢ 1 bathing suit (can use shorts for swimming, with a sports bra for women)
▢ 1 pair pants – leggings are fine too
▢ 2 wool or fleece sweaters, or 1 fleece and 1 lightweight puffy jacket
▢ **1 set (top & bottom) synthetic long underwear, such as polypropylene or capilene. Any types containing cotton are not acceptable. Cotton robs the body of essential heat when it is wet.
▢ 1 pair of old sneakers/shoes that you don’t mind sacrificing to the water, mud and other elements which you may encounter. Sturdy sandals such as Tevas, are also acceptable
▢ 1 pair of hiking shoes or boots; heavy hiking boots are unncessary but you will want boots or shoes with some support – sturdy sneakers or light hikers are a good idea
▢ 1 wool or fleece hat
▢ 1 hat for sun and bug protection
▢ Underwear for 4 days
▢ *3 pairs wool socks
▢ Rain jacket
Gear
▢ *Sleeping bag (pack this inside a tough garbage bag inside its regular stuff sack to help ensure dryness. If you have a down sleeping bag it is essential that it is water tight - down loses all ability to keep you warm when it gets wet!)
▢ *Sleeping pad (closed-cell pads or Therma-Rests® please, open cell foam pads act like sponges)
▢ Day pack (a small backpack or bookbag is fine)
▢ 1 of each: cup, bowl, spoon (no glass)
▢ **2 water bottles (no glass)
▢ **Flashlight and extra batteries
▢ Sunscreen
▢ Sunglasses
▢ Big repellent
▢ 2 large garbage bags
▢ Toilet kit: its contents should be those things that you cannot live without (toothbrush, toothpaste, pads/tampons/menstrual cup, prescription medication, contacts and contact solution, etc.)
Optional Gear
▢ Small book
▢ Journal and writing instrument
▢ Small instrument
▢ Small towel
*= Available to borrow from the Outing Club. Please request by August 5.
**= Available to purchase from the Outing Club on arrival day.
Printable List (PDF)