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.
Field pants – At least two pairs, loose fitting and comfortable.
Shorts – 4 - 6 pairs.
Bathing suit
One wool (not polyester) shirt
Thermal underwear
Sweater, down vest or fleece jacket
Sweatshirt(s)/suits
Parka or wind jacket
Gloves – (required for Freshmen)
Field shirts
Warm hat(s)
Boots – GEOL 3666: This is perhaps the most under-appreciated piece of equipment. Tired or hurting feet cause leg and back fatigue, loss of concentration, falling, and injury. Falls and foot injuries in the field are commonly caused by inadequate 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 who’ve worn them. (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 multiple pairs of thick socks, but the boot must be oversized. If you buy cheaper 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.
Boots - Freshmen: Lightweight trail hiking boots are adequate.
Boot Socks
Sole inserts
Moleskin
Underwear - PLEASE
Camp shoes – Sneakers or sandals
Bath towels (1 or 2), washcloths (1 or 2), shower shoes.
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
Sewing kit (optional)
Duct tape
Field Equipment - The items on this part of the list are required in the field daily. (Those items needed only by students of GEOL 3666 are noted *.)
Sunglasses
Raingear – Certainly it will rain. For rainy days you switch from Plan A to Plan B. Plan B is the same as Plan A except you get wet. Rain gear is absolutely required. Avoid plastic rainsuits. They get hot and sweaty if you try and hike in them. If you are going to spend the bucks on anything for camp, make sure its good rainwear and boots.
Day pack
Web or leather belt*
Canteens or Water Bottles – You’ll need at least 3 liters of water in the field each day, 4 on hot days.
Rock Hammer
Acid bottle* – Two oz. Polyethylene dropping bottle (with screw cap).
Hand lens – 10X to 15X
Pocketknife
Field board*
Field notebooks* – At least two of the standard 5”x7” K&E or equivalent surveyor’s notebooks, (80 pp, 100% rag paper, sewn binding, hardcover, about $12 apiece).
Tweezers
First Aid Kit – (small)
Sunscreen, lip balm, etc.
Watch
Compass* – Students are provided with compasses needed for project work. If you wish to purchase your own, make sure and check with me about the brand and model. The preferred brand and model used by professional mappers is the Brunton “International Series”. About $299.00.
Office Equipment
The camp provides 30x40 inch drafting boards, long T-squares, and drafting velum or paper for all projects. The following items will be needed. Some are available in CO Sprgs (if time allows). Consider sharing some of these items. (* = GEOL 3666 only)
Triangles* or other short straightedges with at least one ink edge.
Mechanical pencils – 2H lead is the best for field notebooks. HB is good for plain paer or general use. Pentel and Kooh-i-noor are good brands
Scales – Engineer’s (10th, etc.) 6” for fieldwork, 12” for drafting.
Protractor
Erasers
Masking tape
White out
Eraser shield* – a credit card size piece of thin steel
Set of colored pencils
Pencil sharpener
Drafting pens – Three point sizes are needed: 0.3mm, 0.5mm, and 0.6 or 0.7 mm. I like the Pigma Micron Series.
Calculator – the basic scientific calculator will do.
Writing paper – (ruled or not)
Graph Paper
Tracing paper
Art “Tackle Box” – Plano and Waterloo are great brands
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. Again, coordinate with other students so we don’t have too many duplicates.
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 coolers, cook stoves, lanterns, and a few tents for use on overnight camping trips. On field trips, food and cook staff are provided. The following are items needed on camping trips.
Tent* – Two to three person backpacker or mountain tent (or larger—you won’t have to carry them). Try to coordinate with a partner before you leave for camp so we don’t have 20+tents to carry. Most decent quality tents are expensive, although Eureka brand “timberline” 2-person model is a good tent for about $120. However, if you don’t plan on camping later in life, now may not be a good time to invest in a tent. Tent rental is available at some outdoor stores and University recreational clubs. When weather permits and privacy is not an issue, many students have enjoyed sleeping out.
Eating utensils – for field trips: plate, bowl, cup knife, fork, and spoon. The dining hall may not provide these. Check out thrift stores but lets try and avoid disposables.
Ground cloth – Heavy plastic sheeting, or tarpaulin work fine (placed beneath the tent or sleeping pad).
Sleeping pad – Ensolite, Thermarest (best), etc.
Optional equipment
Hair dryer
Bandanas
Belt mounted map case* – Optional: worn on the belt for carrying notebook, clipboard, pencils, scale, acid, etc.
Small sandwich boxes
Camp or reading lamp
Alarm clock – electric or battery
Camera and film
Personal stereos with headphones.
“Dressier” clothing – Generally unnecessary but may be useful if you go to town for an evening.
Cell Phone or long distance card – There is a single telephone line at the camp and it is prioritized for official purposes. Students are limited to local calls, collect calls, and long distance calls charged to a calling card or third number. In the past few years, students have had success with cell phones using the services of AT&T and Sprint.
Computer – feel free to bring your own PC. 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 pole (for trout), planisphere, flower press, etc.
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 for returning an incorrect size.) Specialized field equipment and supplies: Miner’s, CGS Inc., ASC Scientific, Ward’s, Edmund Scientific (hand lenses only). Diytools.com (Whitehouse geologist’s hammer). All of these retailers are found on the web by entering their names in a search engine such as Google.
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