I know how the seed of this dream was planted. I have been helping an old friend of mine prepare to lead his first GC trip. He has been on one, and now he is the TL. I also lead my second GC trip ever. It was my most stressful trip. But my dream wasn't about that, really. My stress is about having a new housemate move in, and about starting the second year of medical school. I have a similar level of anxiety about that as I usually have about going on a major expedition.
So one project for today, aside from cleaning the bathroom and getting to the grocery store, is to write out a simple contract for my incoming housemate. I'll create a separate post for that. Below here I will post in A GC master packing list that I acquired and modified slightly, for my records and your curiousity.
THE GRAND CANYON MASTER PACKING LIST
Most everything you might want to take is here, but you certainly don’t have to bring it all. Pare it down as much as you can, considering the specifics of your trip and your nature. Anything marked **NPS** is required gear and you will have to show this gear to the ranger at the start of your trip. Items marked “coordinate” are needed on the trip, but not in duplicate, so check with everyone else and decide who is bringing it.
PERSONAL GEAR
• Polypro underwear or equivalent top and bottom (3 pair in winter)
• Booties (winter)
• Jacket (wind/rain long cut)
• Pile/Fleece jacket or wool sweater (2 for winter)
• Gloves (woolen in winter)
• Warm pants (wool, fleece, or pile. 1 pair summer, 3 pair winter)
• Warm shirt (1 summer, 3 winter)
• Bib overall bottoms and spray top
• Cool shirt (3 in summer, 1-2 in winter)
• Sun Hats (2, wide brim, preferably crushable, with some sort of tie strap)
• Balaclava or sock hat (2, winter only)
• Swimsuit (1 or 2)
• Medium size bath towel
• Shorts (quick dry, not cotton) for river (2)
• Shorts, Cotton or other comfy (1 or 2)
• Tee shirts (4 in summer, 2 in winter)
• Long sleeve shirts for sun protection (2-3 summer and winter)
• Underwear (2-3 pair summer, 6-8 winter)
• Socks (2 cotton, 1 wool summer, 5 wool winter)
• Light sun pants (loose, quick-dry 1 pair summer/winter)
• Sarong: This is a lightweight cotton wraparound for wearing in camp, on the boat, or hiking. Very comfy & versatile, just get 45-50" of fabric in your favorite pattern, wrap around your waist, enjoy.
• Post-trip change of clothes to leave in car
• Needle and thread
• Baby pins (half dozen, misc. sizes)
• River Sandals
• Light weight Hiking Boots / trail running shoes
• Concrete boots (winter only, 1 size too big, to accommodate thick socks)
• Stamps, Envelopes, Address, Money, calling card #, for Phantom Ranch
• Camera and more film than you expect to need, Extra camera battery
• Journal
• Paper, Pen
• Books to read (more in winter)
• Flip map of the river
• Binoculars
• All in one shampoo (small bottle, safe top)
• Dental floss
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Hair brush
• Hair ties
• Signal Mirror (for toilet kit and emergency use in a pinch)**NPS**
• Tampons
• Hand lotion, Aloe gel, sun screen, chapstick: (lots!)
• Wash cloth
• mole skin (limited use)
• Handkerchief
• Pocket Knife
• Flashlight (4-D cell cap lamp for winter)
• Extra Batteries
• Head lamp, extra batteries & bulb
• Shades (with straps!) (2 pair)
• Spare prescription eyewear (eye glass repair kit-coordinate)
• Backgammon, cards (coordinate)
• Rock climbing gear (coordinate)
• Musical instruments (coordinate)
• Solar shower (Summer, heat water with stove in the winter. coordinate)
• Library (bird book, geology book, star book-coordinate)
• Life jacket Type I, II, III, or V **NPS**
• Whistle (non ball-type)
• River knife (optional)
• Large dry bag 4400-5500 cu. in. (if shaky looking, turn it inside-out & partial fill to check for leaks... 2 for winter trip)
• Small dry bag (use for day bag in winter)
• Tent (Bomber proof for winter)
• Water Bottles (total capacity at least 2 liters)
• Blanket and Sheet, or Light Sleeping Bag (summer)
• Blanket and 2 sleeping bags (winter)
• Ground Pad (Thermarest or Paco pad, Thermarest repair kit-coordinate)
• Ground tarp (for under your sleeping setup)
• Folding Chair
• Day Pack or fanny pack w/water bottle holders
• Personal Hot/cold Cup (included in PRO kitchen)
• Butane lighter (for candles, emergencies, frayed cam strap ends)
• Plastic bags: Trash bags (1-3), Ziplock baggies, qt & gallon sizes
• Carabiners (5-10), (personalize them with your own colored tape pattern )
• Ammo Can(s) for daytime access
• Stash of personal munchies
• Personal Meds (If drug dependent, split into 2 supplies and stash on 2 boats.)
• If you are tobacco dependent, bring enough so you don't have to deal with involuntarily going cold turkey and ruining everyone else’s trip.
DRINKS
• Personal Drinks (no glass) (Lots! Do the math per day). Juice (V-8 has lots of salt) & pop often are more in demand than beer in the summer. Consider group tea & lemonade in the summertime, and hot chocolate & herb teas in the winter.)
• Liquor in plastic bottles (may have to transfer to get the good stuff), lemons and or limes.
BOAT GEAR-RAFTS
• Tie ropes (misc. Lengths 2', 6', 20')
• Cargo Net (This is optional depending on your rigging style
• Water cannon (summer only)
• Sling shot
• Bailing buckets with tie in (yes, even for self-bailers, for summer water fights, winter produce shopping)
• Water Jugs (2 x 6 gal.)
• Tool Kit (contents?) (coordinate necessary tools for each boat plus group gear)
• Repair Kit Major (one required, every boat must have a major or minor) **NPS**
• Repair Kit Minor (w/ glue, patch material, pen, razor blade, toluene, roller, medium sandpaper, spare oarlock/pin-clip, Allen wrench.) **NPS** Oars (2 runners, 2 spares) **NPS**
• Bow line (30 to 40 feet)
• Spare Life Jacket (1 per boat (raft or dory) or 1 per 10 people, which ever is greater) **NPS**
• At least one air pump must be on the trip **NPS**
• A throwable cushion is required for each craft 16 feet and over **NPS**
• Rope/Cord (25-50')
• Nylon Runners/Slings (2-4, various sizes) (just cause they come in handy!)
• First-Aid kit -Advanced (1. See NPS NCOR’s for suggested supplies) **NPS**
• First-Aid kit -Basic (every boat) **NPS**
• Rocket Boxes (for food & foot well personal gear) painted white to decrease summer heat buildup
• Spare break-down kayak paddles (at least 1 per 4 kayaks)
• Beaver Board (rear drop deck)
• Foot well floor deck
• Cam Straps (lots of 2', 4', and 6' lengths)
• Drag bags
• Coolers
• Drop Bags
• Throw bag (at least 1 per boat)
• Collapsible bow saw for cutting fire drift wood (winter trip only)
• Duct tape and electrical (vinyl) tape
BOAT GEAR-KAYAKS (SELF SUPPORT) Total Weight: Less than 85 pounds dry.
• Essentials
o Throw/climbing rope
o Helmet
o life jacket
o sprayskirt
o paddle
o boat
o water bottle
• Personal gear
o complete change of polypro/fleece and hat
o heat/rain shell or drysuit
o bivy sac &/or sleeping bag
o "advanced" dual first aid/patch kit (45-feet duct-tape, tampons for clotting, codeine, antibiotics, superglue for sutures, ibuprofen, lighter, knife, aquaseal & vinyl glue
o 3-6 carabiners
o toothbrush, floss
o spare pair of glasses in someone else' boat
o as much food as possible, cooked and eaten directly from freeze-dry bags
o 1 pair all-purpose shoes (old Sambas or Chucks work well)
• Group gear
o Break-down paddle (**NPS** requires one extra paddle for every 4 kayaks or less)
o 1 qt. Pot
o water filter
o Kayak Groover. 18" section of 4" pvc pipe with a sealed end, bleeder valve, and screw on cap. Crap in a paper bag, put the bag in a ziplock, put the ziplock in the pvc pipe - you can also skip the zip lock and just flush the contents in stages when you get home.
• Optional
o paperback book, pen
o spoon
o frisbee
o tiny pulley & 2 prussiks
o camera
o dry bag
o floatation
o thermarest
o sunscreen
RESCUE GEAR
• static line or 3-4 throw lines
• Pulleys and or Locking Carabiners
• Orange signal Panels (2) 3' x 10' **NPS**
KITCHEN GEAR
• Propane Tanks (2 x 20# summer, 4 X 20# winter)
• Stove(s). (Repair kit w/spare o-rings)
• Matches and or butane lighters
• 2) 8.0 Fluid ounce Anti-bacterial hand soap pump bottles
• Katydyne industrial Water filter
• Kitchen Box
• Pots, pans, cooking utensils
• Silverware
• Sharp cutting knives
• Bowls, plates, hot/cold cups
• Pot Scrubbers/sponges
• Dishwater strainer **NPS**
• Dishwashing detergent
• Dishwashing Buckets (3 or 4. Metal preferred for ease of heating on stoves)
• Bleach (liquid, Clorox. Enough to pour 1/4-1/2 cup min. in every trash container)
• Water (Bailing) Buckets (5-gal size, and clean inside)
• Kitchen Tables (bring 3, 2 for the kitchen, and one for dishes)
• Kitchen Tarp (to catch crumbs & micro trash)
• Mesh dish rack to hang under table
• Dry boxes (for breads)
• Dutch oven
• Channel Locks
• charcoal (self start)
• fire pan (for winter trip Oct 1 to April 30 you may burn driftwood, otherwise you must pack-in pack-out your own, 432 sq. In. **NPS**)
• Wire brush for cleaning grill
• Folding shovel
GROOVER **NPS**
• 1 5-gal. Designated pee bucket
• TP (1 roll industrial type (1000 sheets single ply/role)/2 people/10 days. Yes, this may be excessive, but TP is a good bartering tool toward the end of the trip, and if kept dry, can be used after the trip.)
• Powdered Clorox (2 boxes to keep smell down)
• Scrub brush and rubber gloves to clean seat
• Zip locks or Tupperware container to hold TP.
• Pump type designated Groover antibacterial hand soap (2 bottles)
• Toilet seat (don’t forget this...)
• Washable reusable containers (depends on size how many you bring)**NPS**