*Click here to download printable .pdf of this checklist

Clothing and personal items - By the end of 6 weeks, field clothes are typically well worn or destroyed.  Students have been successful repairing them with duct tape.  In the field you need loose clothing that allows freedom of movement.  Field weather can vary from withering high 90’s with no clouds or shade to bone chilling 40’s and rain.  Evenings in camp are typically cool enough to require sweatshirt, jacket, and warm hat.  Nighttime temperature in camp can drop into the 30’s.

Field pants and shorts – Pants protect against scratches, scrapes, sunburn, and cold weather.  Shorts are cool and allow greater freedom of movement.  All cotton is good; wool is excellent for cold, damp weather but is expensive.  Some people like the synthetic tear-resistant fabrics (like parachute pants).  Bring at least 3 pairs pants, 3 pairs shorts, and extras of your preference.
Field shirts - long sleeve protects against scrapes, scratches, sunburn, and cold; short sleeve is (presumably) cooler and allows movement.  Many students have worked in T-shirts, tank-tops, and nothing.  Light weight cotton long sleeve works pretty well even when hot.  Bring at least 2 long sleeve and 2 short sleeve or sleeveless shirts plus extras of preference.
Wool (not polyester) shirt – necessary for cold, wet weather.  Can be used to insulate water bottles and lunch in the field pack.
Thermal underwear – one set should suffice
Heavy sweater or jacket, fleece jacket, or insulated vest
Sweatshirt(s)/suits
Parka or wind jacket – block wind and resist rain
Warm hat(s) – wool, fleece, or synthetic knit.

Boots – Get good boots.  Tired or hurting feet cause fatigue, loss of concentration, falling, and injury.  Falls and foot injuries in the field are commonly caused by cheap or broken down footwear.  The average 3666 student will spend about 7 to 8 hours each day (in the field) on his/her feet on sloping, rocky ground.
The popular lightweight and flexible hiking boots are designed for trail use, but there are very few trails in the field.  However, this is the least expensive type and seems to have worked ok for students.  Also, cloth uppers and soft soles are easily pierced by cactus and sharp rocks.  Designs that provide sturdy foot and ankle support (typically all leather uppers) and a deep lug sole (Vibram) for grip are a little more expensive but well worth the extra expense.
Steel toes are not needed.  Old style U.S. military combat boots are useless, and used ones are worse.  Combat boots of more recent design have been found to be adequate.  In any case, GET YOUR OWN BOOTS, preferably new ones.  Do not plan to borrow someone else's boots.
Expect to spend $150 to $300 for a good pair of field boots.  (Seems expensive, but is cheaper than surgery.) Sturdy boots without padding will require multiple pairs of socks (see below) and should be tried on while wearing multiple socks and insole.  Even the lightweight padded boot can be made sturdier with thick socks, but the boot must be oversized.  If you buy cheap boots, be prepared to buy a new pair before the summer ends.  Begin shopping for boots by end of January to allow time for returns and to break in new boots before arriving at camp.
Boot Socks – at least 4 pairs of the socks you plan to wear with your boots.  A Tibetan import store in Colo Sprgs has thick hand woven wool socks.
Sole inserts – many boots already have a cushy insole built in.  If not, get something heavy duty by Dr. Scholls or Spenco, etc.
Underwear – 5 to 7 changes.  Women have found the sports/jogging bra to be more comfortable than traditional styles.
Camp shoes – Sneakers, sandals, crocs – something easy to slip on & off and will let the feet “air out”
Bath towels (1 or 2), washcloths (1 or 2), shower shoes (flip-flops).
Toiletries and medicines
Laundry bag or extra pillow case
Bedding - Sleeping bag or down comforter. Pillow, Sheets, & mattress cover (twin size).
Prescription eyeglasses – Contacts will likely be damaged or lost.
Flashlight and extra batteries – the clip-on or strap-on headlamp works great

Field Equipment - These items are required in the field daily in addition to the clothing listed above.
Sunglasses – UV blocking.  Plastic lenses are preferable.  They scratch easily, but will not shatter when hit by flying rock chips.
Raingear – Get good rain gear. Nix cheap plastic rainsuits & panchos.  The shrubbery will tear them to shreds and leave you cold & wet.  Durable rubberized fabrics provide good protection but can make you sweat (which will then make you cold).  Military surplus works pretty well, just make sure to check used ones for leaks by holding it up to the light.  Another good idea is Goretex rain pants & jacket.  Panchos are good for providing shelter while crouched in a thunderstorm, pants & jacket not so good for crouching, but panchos seem to snag more and sling water all around when hiking.
Field pack – something larger than a campus book sack but not as big as a frame pack.  The styles that provide thick padding in shoulders, arm straps, and back with padded hip belt, and perhaps a small internal frame are good.  This style usually provides plenty of storage space as well.  The campus book sack will do in a pinch.
Canteens or Water Bottles – You’ll need at least 3 liters of water in the field each day, 4 on hot days.  Soft drink, juice, or “bottled” water bottles will work fine, though they’ll need frequent replacing. The “Camelback” (or similar style) hydration pouch is super awesome, but cheap ones will leak or fall apart.
Rigid plastic food boxes – 2 or 3 to prevent lunch items like sandwiches and chips from getting crushed.
Rock Hammer – a good hammer with some weight.  Claw and ball peen hammers are no good.  Blacksmith hammers are ok, but not good for digging.  The most common choice is the Estwing pick (the heavier model) or blade.  The blade hammers are good for digging but too lightweight to break hard rocks.  The best hammer is the Whitehouse 2lb or 2.5 lb geologist’s hammer. (see Places to Shop below.)
Hand lens – 10X to 15X  - The best lens has glass elements in a Hastings “triplet” configuration.  Good brands are Bosch & Lomb and Edmund Scientific.  Cheap $6 lenses are a waste of time & money and will actually adversely affect performance in the course..
Pocketknife – or other small blade for scratching minerals
Acid bottle – Two oz. Polyethylene dropping bottle (with screw cap).  An emptied eye or nose wash bottle will work, just be sure to remove or deface the label.
Field board – a 9x12 clipboard will do ok.  A better design is a 9x12 plexiglass sheet attached to 9x12 plywood of ½ inch thickness by a duct tape hinge.  There are tools at camp for making this kind of board.
Field notebooks or paper – If you prefer the 5”x7” K&E or equivalent surveyor’s notebooks, (80 pp, 100% rag paper, sewn binding, hardcover, about $12 apiece), bring 2.  Another option is 8.5 x 11 blank, ruled, or graph paper with holes punched.  This paper isn’t water proof like the field books, but some find it much easier to use in the field.
Tweezers, pliers, fingernail clippers – you’ll need these to remove cactus needles … yes, really.
First Aid Kit – 3 sizes band-aids, gauze, tape, bandage, disinfecting tissues, antibacterial cream, aspirin
Sunscreen (SPF 15 or greater), lip balm.
Watch – a cheap $10 watch will do.  It only needs to work for 6 weeks.
Compass – Students are provided with compasses needed for project work.  If you wish to purchase your own, the preferred brand and model used by professional mappers is the Brunton “International Series”.  About $500.00.

Office Equipment 
The camp provides 30x40 inch drafting boards, 3’ T-squares, and drafting velum or paper for all projects. The following items will be needed. Some are available in Colo Sprgs. Consider sharing some of these items with class mates.
Drafting triangles or other short straightedge with at least one ink edge. If you only get one, get a larger one (12”).  If you get two, get a large & a small.  An ink edge can be obtained by placing a strip of drafting tape along one side of the triangle.
Mechanical pencils – 2H lead is the best for field notebooks. HB is good for plain paper or general use, 0.3 and 0.5 mm points are best.  Pentel and Kooh-i-noor are good brands.  Cheap brands that come 5 or 10 to a package also work fine.  Students tend to go through 10 to 20 of the cheap mechanical pencils during the summer.  Bring spare lead as well.
Scales – Engineer’s (with 10th inch increments) 6” for fieldwork, 12” for drafting.  For field work, get a 6” scale with inches in tenths on one side and mms-cms on the other.  C-Thru brand makes one.  Get about 3 of these.
Protractor – at least 2 of the see-through plastic ones
Erasers – pencil type (at least 2) and block type (Pink Pearl or white plastic).
Drafting tape or dots.  Blue painter’s tape may be a good substitute.
White correction fluid – 2 bottles.  Get the kind for pen & ink.
Eraser shield – a credit card size piece of thin steel
Set of colored pencils – at least 24 colors.  Wax crayons and art pens won’t work.
Pencil sharpener  - for colored pencils
Drafting pens – Three point sizes are needed:  0.3mm, 0.5mm, and 0.7 or 0.8 mm.  The Pigma Micron Series is inexpensive and works well.  Get 3 copies of each point size.
Calculator – The basic scientific calculator with trig and square root functions will do.
Writing paper – 8.5 x 11, ruled or not. 100 sheets will be plenty.
Graph Paper – a (50 sheet) tablet of 4-square and a tablet of 5-square (This amount is enough to share.)  If you decide to use graph paper in the field get an extra pad of 5-square.  Larger format graph paper will be provided at camp.

Camping equipment
All students will participate in camping field trips and project work at one time or another during the 6 weeks. The camp has available ice chests, stoves, lanterns, and a few tents for use on overnight camping trips. Food is provided on field trips and Camp ice chests are reserved for camp food. The following are items needed for camping.
Tent – Two to three person backpacker or mountain tent (or larger—you won’t have to hike with them). Most decent quality tents are expensive, although Eureka brand “timberline” 2-person model is a good tent for about $130. However, if you don’t plan on camping later in life, now is not a good time to invest in a tent. Tent rental is available at some outdoor stores and University recreational clubs. Or coordinate with a classmate to share.  LSU Camp may have a few tents available for use, but don’t count on it.  When weather permits sleeping out is a good option.  Vans are not good places to sleep and probably won’t be allowed.
Eating utensils – Camp will provide disposable bowls, plates, cups, and cutlery.  If you prefer “real” dishes, you’ll need a plate, bowl, cup, knife, fork, and spoon. Shop at thrift stores.
Ground cloth – A must.  Heavy plastic sheeting, or tarpaulin work fine (placed beneath the tent or sleeping pad). Should be slightly smaller than the floor area of the tent to prevent rain from running under the tent.  The purpose of the ground cloth is to prevent sticks or rocks from tearing the tent floor or (if sleeping out) prevent the sleeping bag from getting torn or dirty.
Sleeping pad – Ensolite, Thermarest (best), etc. An air mattress will work also, but the cheap vinyl ones seem to leak within 12 hours.

Optional equipment
Textbooks – (optional) Geology in the Field, by Robert R. Compton, 1985, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
An alternative “text” is the AGI Data Sheets, a compilation of useful information. Also, bring mineralogy, petrology, stratigraphy, paleontology, and structural geology references.  Coordinate with other students to bring a library, but remember if you loan out books, they’ll likely come back damaged.  LSU camp has a small but useful library of older geology textbooks.
Art “Tackle Box” – Plano and Waterloo are great brands
Field Belt- military or construction web belts are worthless unless you get the attachments that go on them and those are pretty much worthless.  A leather belt is preferred.  The compass case and hammer holder can be put on it.  The belt is unnecessary for field gear, however, if you carry hammer, water, and compass in field pack and/or pockets.
Hammer loop – Leather or canvas carpenter’s hammer loop works ok, but the hammer will rattle around and fall out of the ones with the metal ring.  Other options are to fashion your own out of rope, duct tape, or leather, or simply carry your hammer in the field pack.
Sewing kit – This is useful if you really want to do some sewing, like patching up clothes.  Otherwise you can wait until you really need it (clothes won’t stay on or body parts are falling out) and find one in Colo. Springs or borrow someone else’s.
Duct tape
Moleskin – If your boots aren’t broken in you’ll probably need this the first week.
Gloves - Heavy leather and/or rag wool or ski gloves. Good for cold evenings in camp and cold field days.
Bathing suit – This is low on the priority list, but there have been Campers who wanted to work on their tan.
Hair dryer - whatever
Bandanas – are good for getting wet and daubing the neck when hot. Also good emergency toilet tissue.
Reading lamp – clamp-on types will work on the bunk bed frames.  A swing-arm lamp might be helpful during project work.
Alarm clock – electric or battery.  If you don’t have one, don’t worry – someone will wake you.
Camera – Bring extra memory sticks if you have a digital.  Camp would love to have some of your better pics, but the camp computers aren’t available to store and later retrieve pictures.
Personal stereos with headphones.  If you know your cabin mates in advance, coordinate with them to bring only one jam-box.
“Nice” clothing – Useful if you go to town for an evening or for church.
Personal phone or long distance card – There is a single telephone line at Camp and it is prioritized for official purposes.  The phone is available for a few fours in the evening between dinner and quiet hours.  If you don’t have a cell phone, bring a long distance card and hope for access to the camp phone.
Computer – Feel free to bring your own laptop or PC (there probably won’t be much room for tower PC’s with monitors and keyboards in the cabins). However, keep in mind the following: the camp will not provide hardware, software, paper or internet connection for student use; (legible) handwriting is accepted on all work turned in; camp is a very dusty place (rock dust at that); you’ll share living space with others; the cabins are not 100% theft proof; project deadlines will not be moved to accommodate computer crashes
Recreation – musical instruments (non-electrical), Frisbee, hackey-sack, football, fishing gear (for trout), planisphere, flower press, kite, baseball & gloves, cards, dominoes, etc.  There won’t be space in LSU vehicles to haul bicycles or other large rec equipment between Camp and Baton Rouge or to study areas.

Places to Shop – Camping supplies: Campmoor, REI, EMS, Sierra Trading Post, local outdoor store. Boots and clothes: Campmoor, REI, EMS, Sierra Trading Post, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Red Wing.  (If mail ordering boots, allow time to return an incorrect size.)  Specialized field equipment and supplies: Miner’s, CGS Inc., ASC Scientific, Ward’s, Edmund Scientific (hand lenses only).  Whitehouse hammers can be obtained from ukge.co.uk.  They’re located in England, so order early to guarantee timely arrival.  Art & drafting supplies:  Co-Op bookstore (near LSU), Minenger’s (Colo. Sprgs.)  All of these retailers are found on the web by entering their names in a search engine such as Google.