UCD Mountaineering Club

Boots
Boots are among the most essential pieces of equipment. You will be walking for hours on the hills, your feet constantly in contact with wet, broken ground. Boots provide a waterproof base for your feet and ankle support. They will keep your feet warmer than any other footwear and will protect you feet from injury. Strong runners are grudgingly accepted for the beginner's hike and beginner's trip. After that you will need boots to take part in the hiking element of the club. They don't have to be particularly fancy or expensive. The best type is often the simplest, a pair of leather boots made from as little individual panels as possible is a good solution. Panels are stitched and often leak, leather copes best in Irish conditions, (the ground is very acidic). Canvas and plastic are best left to the artists to play with, don't buy boots made with the stuff. Your boots will not need to be crampon compatible for Ireland, i.e somewhat rigid. However, if you plan on heading to the Alps or Scotland in the winter you should probably have a chat with some of the gear boffins about what the best solution is.

If you are starting out hiking & looking for wallet-friendly boots, take a look at Army Bargains, Millets & the Outdoor Adventure Store on Upper Liffey Street - Arnotts on Middle Abbey Street even has some boots too. All these stores are within short walking distance of one another in the North inner city. Cheap boots are sometimes available in retail stores like TK Maxx in St. Stephen's Green Shopping Centre. You can expect to pay at least €50 for a pair of hiking boots. If you are looking for rigid/semi-rigid boots to fit a crampon, start in the Great Outdoors or the Outdoor Adventure Store, but shop around and always buy the boots and crampons together or at least make sure that they fit each other. If your buying first pair of crampons make sure that the crampons are quite literally welded to the boots. A bad fit is a disaster. If in doubt get somebody experienced to come with you, remember that shop assistants are not always also experienced mountaineers.

Tents | Top of page
If you are looking for a tent for a camping trip, cheap tents are available from Argos, Aldi and Lidl. Better quality but more expensive tents are available from camping shops like the Outdoor Adventure Store, Army Bargains & the Great Outdoors. Good quality tents are made by companies like Vango and Coleman. More exotic tents tend to be made by North Face and the 'premium brands'. If you want one which will last a long time with very good rain protection, you generally need to spend about €100. If you are going to have a lot of gear while camping opt for one with a porch. If you want ultra light tents, expect to pay a lot more.

Leg Wear | Top of page
You will need some kind of comfortable leg wear. You have four basic options to choose from: shorts, light trousers, powerstretch, (mmm... sexy) or fully waterproof trousers. A tracksuit is fine, you'll need waterproof overtrousers as well. Shorts are great for warm sunny days but weather in the Irish hills can be very unpredictable, as a beginner we do not recommend bringing shorts. Powerstretch leggings although only popular with the girls and shameless "older" male club members are an excellent solution. They are the jeans of the hills, tough wearing, stylish, easy care, warm and they make you feel hot.

NOTE: NO JEANS! Anybody wearing jeans who doesn't have another pair of trousers will not be allowed on the bus. Many people think jeans are great for the outdoors, they are completely wrong. Jeans can absorb about five times their weight in water. Wet jeans are exremely cold and will not dry easily. Wet jeans can actually cause hypothermia. So for own safety, you won't be allowed to wear jeans during outdoor club activities.

Layers | Top of page
Start with a naked body, put a thermal layer on if you expect it to be cold. Go with top thermals first and then a pair of long-johns if you think they're needed. Only use synthetic or wool thermals. Cotton should always be avoided for all outdoor clothing, it absorbs sweat and will cool you down very quickly if you stop moving or get into a windy area. Cotton, like down will lose its thermal properties when wet. Wool and synthetics will keep you warm when wet, (that's why sheep wear woolly jumpers not jeans). Wool thermals are good for Scotland but probably overkill for Irish winter conditions. If your not expecting it to be very cold, wear a long sleeve top, again synthetic material only. For warmer conditions, start to think about a short sleeve t-shirt.

You will often need to protect yourself from exposure to cold and wind. A second layer is always necessary, in cold weather select a heavy fleece or soft-shell top. For warmer weather go with a lighter layer, possibly a lightweight or sleeveless fleece. Remember that you can add or remove layers as the conditions change. Always bring a spare layer, (additional to your second layer) in case you need to stay still in the cold for a long time e.g. at lunch, when waiting for others, if lost or with an injured person.

A warm hat and gloves are necessary. The type of gloves to use depends hugely on the conditions. Generally speaking a pair of light elastic "Polartec" gloves are good enough. Avoid gloves that are "totally waterproof" this is always meant in the sense of alpinism, they will keep out snow but heavy rain will get through. Don't forget every glove is flawed, it has a huge hole in it where your hand goes so don't expect much waterproof success. Wet synthetic gloves can work very well. Avoid leather at all cost, while good for training birds of prey they are impractical for hiking, you will not be able to wash them and they will turn your hands black in the rain. For your head, again there are several options. A simple beanie hat should work fine for a start. A buff is usefull also as a sweat-band, balaclava and general wind shield for your neck and ears.

Waterproof Layer | Top of page
You will need a waterproof layer to protect against rain and ocassionally hail, sleet and snow as well as mist, cloud and wet terrain. A waterproof jacket and trousers are essential. A rainjacket will protect against both wind and rain, which is important for conserving body heat. Waterproof overtrousers can be put on over your trousers (believe it or not) or single waterproof and windproof layers are available. All-in-one layers for your legs are only suitable if they are highly breathable otherwise you'll be walking in a sauna suit. Wearing gaitors helps to keep your legs and feet dry, especially in heavy vegetation and wet ground. Gaiters are especially recommended for the Wicklow mountains where we do most of our Sunday hiking.

Map & Compass | Top of page
In general Irish hills have few paths & navigation is required. All of the club hikes are led by experienced hill walkers who will have their own map and compass to naviagate the hike with. You don't actually need one, but the club is interested in helping members become independant hillwalkers themselves so if you bring your own navigation equipment and keep abreast of what's going on through the day you will catch on quickly. Aim to bring a laminated 1:50000 "Discovery Series" Ordnance Survey map of the area. Most club hikes are in the Wicklow Mountains, most of the range is covered by sheet No. 56. These maps cost €17 but are excellent quality and will last along time. Other non-laminated "weatherproof" maps are a waste of time unless kept in a waterproof map case. Harvey Maps at scales of 1:30000 are available for many of the Irish ranges. Maps at 1:25000 are also available for a limited number of areas.

A map is useful, but is made fully usable with a compass. The type of compass we mean is the magnetic type not the one for drawing circles! A compass costs about €30, Silva Expedition 4 compasses are standard and are excellent. When buying a compass, make sure the scale is graduated in degrees and not mils, (milliradians), if in doubt ask as clubbies have been caught out before! The milliradian type compass is used by the army for artillery bombardment, hopefully you won't need one. Make sure you know how to use it in coordination with a map i.e. learn to navigate. If you have a GPS navigation system you are more than welcome to bring it. The club does not use GPS systems except in exceptional situations where necessary. As the GPS service cannot be relied on and GPS units run on batteries we do not recommend that you buy one without first being competant in traditional navigation methods, (including moving in darkness and white-out). We don't offer help in using the units, courses in "modern navigation" can be organised with professional bodies.

Whistle | Top of page
No, you won't be refereeing the football game on top of Lugnaquilla, we'll do that. Seriously, a whistle is the only way we'll be able to find you if you get lost on us in the mist. If we all get into trouble it's how we'll bring in mountain rescue. A whistle is standard safety equipment and is genuinely usefull and reassuring.

Torch | Top of page
This is important if you are out late and it gets dark (or on a night hike). This is always a possibility, so you should always bring a torch. A headtorch is by far the most convenient kind for this sort of activity as it leaves your hands free to navigate or keep your balance. Any serious hiker should invest in one. Don't forget spare batteries! Most modern head torches are LED type, this means that it will last longer and be visible from much further away because the spot of light from the type of LED used is more intense than one from a standard bulb. You won't need to have a spare bulb on an LED head torch. Halogen head torches are the brightest but you will only have about three hours of usable light. Petzl head torches are excellent and work well with the very popular range of Petzl mountaineering helmets.

Survival Bags and Group Shelters | Top of page
The club leaders will have a small group shelter with them on all club hikes. This is used if someone is injured or if the group is in any other serious type situation. It only holds a certain number of people though! You are strongly advised to carry you're own emergency shelter. These are not expensive, we recomend the orange "bin-liner" type rather than the silver "post-marathon" type. The silver type gets damp from lying in a bag for a long time and then falls apart when used. The orange type can be used as a rucksack liner as well as a survival bag. A fully fledged bivouac bag costs around €250 if you shop around. You will only need this is you plan on overnighting in the mountains. Small 2-3 person group shelters cost about €30 and are useful for ducking under at lunch time in bad weather.

Medicines | Top of page
The leader of club hikes will have a first aid kit containing general supplies for the safety of the group. However, the club is not a dispensary and supplies are limited. Members are expected to carry the necessary first-aid and medical supplies to cater for themselves as well as the club supply, including but not limited to plasters, compeed and antiseptics. If you have a medical problem that may lead to difficulties or lead to complication in case of an emergency inform the leader before the beginning of the hike.

Mobile Phone | Top of page
The leaders of the hike will be bringing a phone to call in the chopper if necessary. In reality the coverage in the hills is dire so if anything happens we'll need to run to civilisation ourselves. Bring your own phone if you like for your own peace of mind but don't rely on it. Dial 999 and ask for mountain rescue. Mountain rescue will ask you a lot of questions, make sure you have some idea of where you are before you call.

Money | Top of page
The bus costs €7 per person. You'll need pint money to partake in the post hike session. The bus makes a shop-stop along the way (for those who forgot lunch or missed breakfast).

Food and Water | Top of page
You will need food to last you the duration of the hike. High energy food like chocolate, biscuits, nuts and muesli bars are good for hiking. Fizzy drinks are okay as a snack but won't suffice instead of water. You typically need 1-2 Litres of water with you (1 Litre weighs 1 kg). For hiking, camelpaks or platypus type containers are useful, (you'll be able to suck on the move). The disadvantages are that the tubes can freeze over, grow all manner of mould and the bladders are easily punctured by gear in rucksacks. A durable nalgene bottle is great but obviously you have to stop to take a drink. Hot soup is great if your willing to carry a flask.