Katahdin Equipment List
The Outing Club has a limited number of backpacks, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads for students to borrow. As such, we encourage bringing your own of these items, or borrowing from friends or family. If this is not possible please be in contact about borrowing these items before August 5th. Additional items will be available for purchase at the BOC upon arrival including wool socks, long underwear (tops and bottoms), headlamps, and water bottles; financial aid is available for those who qualify. If you have any questions about gear please contact bocOtrips@bowdoin.edu.
What to pack in: You may pack in anything that you’d like; a backpack is easiest to carry, but a duffel bag is perfectly acceptable. No wheeled luggage, please! You will want a day pack to take with you during the day.
Essential Gear
Clothes
▢ 2 tee-shirts
▢ 2 pair of shorts
▢ 1 bathing suit/clothes to swim in
▢ 1 pair lightweight pants; no jeans please – they get wet and cold! Leggings are fine.
▢ 2 wool or fleece sweaters, or 1 fleece and 1 lightweight puffy jacket
▢ **1 set (top & bottom) synthetic long underwear, such as polypropylene or capilene. Any types containing cotton are not acceptable.
▢ 1 wool or synthetic fleece hat
▢ 1 hat for sun and bug protection
▢ Underwear for 4 days
▢ *3 pairs wool socks
▢ Rain gear: rain jacket and pants are ideal. Must be waterproof/breathable – no rubber!
▢ Sturdy hiking boots with good ankle support are strongly preferable, but sturdy sneakers will suffice – they must be broken in prior to the trip and should fit with at least 1 pair of wool socks
▢ Camp shoes: sturdy sandals (Tevas or Chacos), crocs, sneakers
Gear
▢ *Sleeping bag (pack this inside a tough garbage bag inside its regular stuff sack to help ensure dryness).
▢ *Sleeping pad (closed-cell pads or Therma-Rests® please, open cell foam pads act like sponges)
▢ Day pack (a small backpack or bookbag is fine)
▢ 1 of each: cup, bowl, spoon (no glass)
▢ **2 water bottles (no glass)
▢ **Flashlight or headlamp and extra batteries
▢ Sunscreen
▢ Sunglasses
▢ 2 garbage bags
▢ Toilet kit: its contents should be those things that you cannot live without (toothbrush, toothpaste, pads/tampons/menstrual cup, prescription medication, contacts and contact solution, etc.)
Optional Gear
▢ Camera (the Outing Club loves copies of good photos)
▢ Journal and pen/pencil
▢ Reading material (a small paperback)
▢ Small towel
▢ Bug repellent
▢ Rain pants
*= Available to borrow from the Outing Club. Please request by August 5.
**= Available to purchase from the Outing Club on arrival day.
Printable List (PDF)