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What to carry in a backpack for a day's off-piste skiing

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
James Bedding of the Telegraph is on a ski instructor training course with Warren Smith Ski Academy. That's included a day with Peter Mason, a ski guide in St Gervais.

These are Peter's tips for what to stick in a backpack for a day's backcountry skiing:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/gap-year-ski-instructor/7052037/The-40-something-ski-bum-blog-three.html

Anything to add, or subtract? Err ... avalanche cord?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Mobile phone

I'd think very carefully about aspirin, paracetamol could be better (no thinning of the blood), but you have to make a point of offering it to the victim as opposed to giving it to them, for liability's sake etc

Climbing sling with a couple of screwgate crabs, never know when it may be useful. If on a glacier a proper rope too.

If you're spending the whole day a considerable way off the slopes, I'd say a group shelter will be better than a space blanket. A space blanket won't heat you up unless you already have enough heat to radiate out, with a group shelter you can pile everyone in, either to keep people out the wind or whatver, or to share bodyheat if someone is hypothermic.

Again, if you're a significant way from the pistes, you should really have a map/compass, unless you really know the area well.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
A bivvy bag and CPR barriers are pretty useful in an aid kit.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Safety gear appropriate to where you are going of course. Rocky Road chocolate bars are light and pack quite a punch when you need them!

A good sharp climbing knife is very handy. Compass. Map etc. Inclinometer is useful if you know what you're doing - or just want to realize that that knarly slope was really only 30 degrees..
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I'd add a ratchet-based screw-driver - most components in a leatherman are easily good enough (and the knife on mine is sharp enough to slice off part of my thumb, so that's enough for me), but the screw-driver components aren't typically powerful enough to handle binding screws.

I also have some climbing tat (~4.5 mm diameter) which gives more options for fixing stuff that just duct tape (which I also take)
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
The stuff on the list. Skins and Harscheisen if any chance of going uphill. Spare contact lenses. Thin fleece gloves. Whistle. A few cable ties and some gaffer on the inside surface.

Most importantly. a few Twixs snowHead
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Mobile phone but more importantly always with the number of piste patrol/rescue for whatever resort I go to.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Oh and my travel insurance docs as well...
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
stoatsbrother wrote:
Skins and Harscheisen if any chance of going uphill.

Yes, you beat me to it.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Sloe gin Puzzled
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Little fire steel.... if I get lost I can always ski down to the tree line and start a fire to keep warm.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
At the risk of coming in for some flak, here's my packing list for touring.
Cut down some of the clothes, food and all the hut stuff and you've got it for a day trip.

Code:
Qty   Each   Total   Description   Comments   Est   Rep
0   2936   0   Clothes         
1   354   354   Paclite jacket   ME Firefly      
1   242   242   Paclite trousers   Sprayway Paclite Pant      
1   222   222   Pertex windshirt   Ronhill cycling top      
1   450   450   down jacket   ME Helium      
1   252   252   thick fleece   Mountain Hardwear Powerstretch      
1   188   188   thin fleece   Sprayway Crew Cut (grey)      
1   226   226   Merino base   Icebreaker Skin 200      
1   240   240   black base   Duofold black      
1   190   190   leggings   LoweAlpine Powerstretch Pants      
2   48   96   knickers         
2   32   64   inner socks   Bridgedale CoolMax      
1   84   84   outer socks   Smartwool      
1   28   28   glove liner   Decathlon silk      
1   44   44   fleece gloves   Salomon grey      
1   98   98   over mitts   NorthCape Milair
1   36   36   original buff   blue
1   36   36   combi buff   grey
1   86   86   sun hat   LoweAlpine baseball

0   11912   0   Skiing   
2   1550   3100   skis   Line Darkside Carbon
2   1050   2100   bindings   Fritschi Freeride
2   228   456   poles   Swix Carbon
2   2065   4130   boots   Kneissl Flexon black
1   548   548   skins   Colltex blue
1   314   314   harscheisen   Fritschi Axiom
1   68   68   goggles   ESS Advancer
1   62   62   yellow lens   inc case
1   292   292   transceiver   Ortovox M2
1   842   842   shovel&probe   BCA Tour

0   0   0   Hardware   optional
0   296   0   ice axe   Camp XLA      
0   450   0   crampons & bag   Camp XLC      
0   500   0   harness         R
0   76   0   screwgate         
0   32   0   prussik         
0   28   0   sling         

0   901   0   Toolbag         
1   16   16   stuffsack   black      
1   40   40   gaffa tape         
1   86   86   screwdriver set   CK Tools 6-in-1      
1   17   17   GPS adapter   Garmin      
1   308   308   GPS charger   !!!      R
1   78   78   headtorch   Petzl Tikka+      
1   46   46   compass   Silva      
1   82   82   penknife         
1   6   6   whistle   plastic yellow      
1   88   88   spaceblanket   
1   72   72   4 spare AA   Energizer L91
1   44   44   4 spare AAA   
1   18   18   assorted cord   

0   168   0   FirstAid   
1   2   2   antihistamine   
1   8   8   Ibuprofen   
1   8   8   Elastoplast   
1   32   32   antiseptic cream   
2   5   10   antiseptic wipes   
1   28   28   elastic bandage   
1   8   8   micropore tape   
2   2   4   wound dressing   
1   68   68   sun block   

0   1262   0   Bling   
1   766   766   camera   Fujifilm S9500
1   242   242   camera case   LowePro TLZ mini   
1   4   4   lens cloth      
1   46   46   watch   Klik MSF   
1   76   76   GPS   Garmin Fortrex 201   
1   36   36   wallet      
1   5   5   debit card   Nationwide   
1   5   5   credit card   First Direct   
1   30   30   passport      
1   14   14   driving licence      
1   20   20   cash      E
1   3   3   neck cord      
1   5   5   insurance card   Snowcard   
1   5   5   EHIC card   expired?   
1   5   5   BASI licence      

0   2026   0   Food&Drink      
1   106   106   water bottle   Nalgene widemouth   
1   510   510   GF muesli      
5   110   550   fruit & nut      
5   30   150   GF chocolate bar      
5   24   120   coconut bar      
1   200   200   jelly babies      E
1   200   200   fruit jellys      E
5   30   150   baby bell      E
2   20   40   oat cakes      E

0   508   0   Hut      
1   112   112   towel   TrekMates large travel towel   
1   134   134   sleeping bag liner   Sea To Summit silk travel liner   
1   68   68   boxers   silk   
1   12   12   washbag   nylon   
1   22   22   toothbrush      
1   30   30   toothpaste      
1   56   56   travel wash      
1   74   74   toilet paper         

0   838   0   Sack         
1   636   636   rucksack   Golite Jam2      
1   202   202   sack liner   separate bags      R

      20551   Total         
latest report
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
altis, you weighed your credit cards? Madeye-Smiley nice one!
latest report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
*Always* pack bog roll. Never know when the 'turtles head' might show up.
And its a real pain to not having anything to wipe yer @rse with!
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
clarky999,
Quote:

think very carefully about aspirin

I would imagine the guide would carry Asprin in the case of any of the party suffering an MI, as 300mg Asprin immediately makes a difference.
I understand that Paracetamol could be better as a pain killer as it does not thin the blood...
Don't really know how much this would happen but:
-paracetamol is an antipyritic so lowers core temp, this could be a problem in the mountains?
However i would be tempted to use ibuprofen for pain relief, better for hangovers ect.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
jwhiteley1, Aspirin does have effects on platelet-aggregation and might reduce blood clotting, but it is easy to overstate this effect. Paracetamol may help reduce a fever, but will not drop a normal temperature significantly. I usually take rather stronger painkillers with me just in case. And some antidiarrhoea drugs.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I have a couple of 500mg paracetamol/30mg codine in my first aid kit. Strongest I can get this side of legal, all the oxycontin are gone Laughing
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Yeah I know what you're saying - personally I never carry aspirin as I'm very allergic to it. I take co-codamol for myself, but if anyone else in the group (ie friends, I'm not a guide, and not a highly qualified enough instructor to take people off psite) needs a painkiller I would rather just offer them paracetamol, it seems less complicated, and less of a potential legal problem if the worst happens. Also, although I have a first aid certificate, I'm not a trained medic, so any of the more complex issues are beyond me anyway.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
stoatsbrother, thanks i didn't think paracetamol would have too much of an effect.

Scarpa, Yeah my gf lives off co-codamol 1/4 of the time Going green gotta love the opiates

clarky999, fair point about the legal side i suppose, I hope when you found out you were allergic it wasn't too dramatic!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
No, it was my Dad who made the discovery when he was younger - he used to take it to get out of school lol, then when he got older it started to have more of an effect, and when someone else gave him some (or something of the same type/ingredients) he nearly dided. I've been told that I would likely suffer similar effects, but want to avoid testing it!

So far I've never ahd to deal with anything legal like that with skiing, but I've had a few sticky situations when kayaking (I'm a whitewater kayaker, and teach it to a higher level than I do skiing). Most kayaking takes place in fairly remote areas so we always have to be self sufficient, and things like legal liability are drummed into us at coaching courses. Seems logical to apply the same principles to skiing.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
stoatsbrother wrote:
altis, you weighed your credit cards? Madeye-Smiley nice one!

Phew, I think I got off lightly there!

The packing list needs to be complete so I don't leave anything behind! Weighing everything is just part of my desire for knowledge.

Back to the original article: I find it difficult to recommend a Leatherman as they simply weigh too much. I have a Gerber Suspension which is supposedly light but blatantly isn't. Yes, you can get tiddly little versions but I wonder how useful they are. I've opted for a small Victorinox penknife and a CK Tools 6-in-1 with my own selection of bits to fit all the bindings and boots in our party. There's no pliers, but how often do you need them?

http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=ck-tools+6-in-1
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