"Al, medical school will be harder than this, c'mon let's keep going."
- Jake's best piece of motivation on the hike
To follow up with the post from our trek up Quandary Peak, I thought I'd put a list together of the stuff you will actually need to bring and wear if you plan to conquer one of these big mountains. Keep in mind I'm no professional, my goal of this post is to just inform you of what we packed based on a lot of research and what we maybe wish we had.
Keep in mind that Quandary was a "short hike" for a 14er, 6-7 hours for a slow poke like me but probably 4-6 for good climbers. It was steep though, that's why it was shorter.
Clothing for a summer hike
check the weather ahead of time, but keep in mind it can change quickly
it's suggested to avoid cotton for everything since it could be very cold and uncomfortable when it gets wet from a spontaneous rainstorm
we just rummaged through our closet and we brought a pack, socks, and I bought a rain jacket
What we wore
I wore:
Dry fit Old Navy tank top
Dry fit tee Nike shirts
Dry fit Nike long sleeved shirts
Cotton sweatshirt (a last second item that I threw on, it was so cold at 4:30am)
North Face lightweight rain jacket
I wore Spandex/polyester capris
Tennis Shoes (hiking shoes recommended instead)
Jake wore:
khaki shorts
Cabela's hiking socks
Tennis shoes (hiking shoes recommended)
Ball cap
Camelback RimRunner pack
Jake also brought a regular backpack to carry additional water bottles (another camelback would be a better choice)
What's in our pack?
*keep in mind that additional food and water is needed for longer hikes!!
Toilet paper
Trail mix (eaten after the hike)
Beef jerky (eaten multiple times throughout the hike)
Quest bars (a new favorite of mine- a deliciouspost workout protein bar and low carb!)
Sandwiches
3 L of water in the Camelbak
8 water bottles
Sunscreen (don't forget your calves, we are fried there)
Jake's poncho
Extra shoelaces
Camera
Headlight
Mosquito wipes (didn't use though)
iPhone
Gloves
Jake also brought coffee in his Stanley mug and drank it at the top
Other tips and suggestions:
Hiking shoes/boots are a good recommendation. If we go again we'll probably invest in those.
Treking poles or hiking poles or whatever they are called are not necessary...but the "good" climbers had them
Fun fact, my knees, calves, and ankles are still sore from the climb 5 days ago.
Don't be afraid to take as many breaks as you need, it's worth it in the end
We were on medicine that helped prevent us from altitude sickness, it made our beers and sodas taste awful, but it was definitely worth it. (altitude sickness on the climb such as major headaches, nausea, and breathing issues prevented a lot of people from making it to the top.)
Anyone in a normal healthy or moderately healthy physical condition can do this...(you'll be sore, but you can do it). We saw a wide range of climbers, and a wide range of abilities. The hardest part is keeping yourself motivated the entire time when you just want to give up.
Good luck on your next climb!