Navigation kit lists

Equipment we supply

For navigation courses, we supply maps and A5 map cases. Feel free to bring your own but, if you have a square map case, please be willing to experiment using our A5 ones. We have a supply of good-quality compasses that you can borrow. (The reason some people struggle to learn to use a compass well is because the compass needle doesn’t work well in some cheap compasses.) Items we usually supply on navigation courses are marked with
a ①.

We will have a group first aid kit, group shelter and other specialist equipment needed for your chosen course. Depending on the course, we may split this equipment up amongst the team to carry.

What you need to bring

We have some limited equipment available to borrow but availability isn’t guaranteed; it’s best to bring your own.

Items you may be able to borrow are marked with a ② in the lists below. If you need to borrow any of these, please get in touch; if we don’t have the equipment available, we may be able to suggest places to hire some items.

Note: Items that can be borrowed will be even more limited during the COVID-19 pandemic as we will wash/quarantine the equipment between uses.

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Get started

Essential

Willingness to learn
Enthusiasm

Wearing:

Boots or sturdy trail shoes
Thick walking socks
Trousers (not jeans)
Wicking top (not cotton)
Warmer layer if it is cold (aim to be cool at the start of the day)

Carrying:

Rucksack②
Compass
Map and map case① (We usually supply these)
Waterproof top②
Waterproof trousers②
Any warm clothes you need; remember that the tops can be 10℃ colder than valleys.
Fleece② or similar, that you are not planning on wearing. A duvet jacket works well.
Hat② & gloves②
Food (Ideally things such as bars, nuts, etc that you can have in your pocket and eat as you’re walking to keep energy levels high. We’ll stop for breaks when you can eat larger items, but if the weather is bad we may not stop for long!)
Full water bottle, at least 1L②
Any medication you need

Useful

Spare pair of trainers and a spare pair of socks that you don’t mind getting damp. This will make the valley-based exercises more comfortable but we will use boots when we move onto the hill. You are welcome to use boots throughout.
Small notebook and pen
Watch with stopwatch function①
Gaiters
Camera
Sunglasses & sun cream (depending on conditions)
Midge spray and possibly a head net
Liner gloves (a thin pair of gloves to wear your if hands start to cool down in your main pair)
Spare gloves② (In wetter weather, your first pair may get wet. It’s nice to have a dry pair you can change into.)
Walking sticks (one is much easier to use than a pair and it leaves your other hand free for other things)
Small first aid kit for personal use (plasters, blister plasters such as Compeed®, common medications, etc). Your instructor will be carrying a larger group first aid kit.

① We will normally supply these items, but you may bring your own.
② You may be able to borrow these items, subject to availability. Get in touch.

Build confidence & Learn night navigation courses

Essential

Willingness to learn
Enthusiasm

Wearing:

Boots
Thick walking socks
Trousers (not jeans)
Wicking top (not cotton)
Warmer layer if it is cold (aim to be cool at the start of the day)

Carrying:

Rucksack, approx 30–35 litres②
Compass①
Map and map case①
Watch with stopwatch function②
Waterproof top②
Waterproof trousers②
Any warm clothes you need; remember that the tops can be 10℃ colder than valleys.
Fleece② or similar, that you are not planning on wearing. A duvet jacket works well.
Hat② & gloves②
Food (Ideally things such as bars, nuts, etc that you can have in your pocket and eat as you’re walking to keep energy levels high. We’ll stop for breaks when you can eat larger items, but if the weather is bad we may not stop for long!)
Full water bottle, at least 1L②
Any medication you need
Head torch②. A Petzl Tikka would be an example of a head torch in this class.

Learn night navigation course only:

Good-quality head torch②, as we will be using it. A Petzl Myo or Nao would be an example of a head torch in this class.

Useful

Small notebook and pen
Head torch②
Gaiters
Camera
Sunglasses & sun cream (depending on conditions)
Midge spray and possibly a head net
Liner gloves (a thin pair of gloves to wear if your hands start to cool down in your main pair)
Spare gloves② (In wetter weather, your first pair may get wet. It’s nice to have a dry pair you can change into.)
Spare base layer (if you get sweaty on the up, it’s nice to have a dry layer to put on when once the main height gain is over. Ideally, we’ll control our pace though so you won’t need to use this.)
Walking sticks (one is much easier to use than a pair and it leaves your other hand free for other things)
Small first aid kit for personal use (plasters, blister plasters such as Compeed®, common medications etc). Your instructor will be carrying a larger group first aid kit.

① We will normally supply these items, but you may bring your own.
② You may be able to borrow these items, subject to availability. Get in touch.

Master winter navigation

Bring everything on the Learn night navigation list above as well as the items below.

Essential

Medium to large rucksack, approx 45–50 litres②. (In winter we carry a lot of equipment. It’s essential all of this fits inside the rucksack with some spare space. Having items dangling on the outside or having to put things on the ground to get something from the bottom of your bag is a recipe for disaster in the high winds that are common in winter.)
Winter boots (B1, B2 or B3). The stiffness of a winter boot is measured using ‘B’ numbers. If it doesn’t have a ‘B’ number, then it’s probably not a winter boot. B1 is the softest winter boot, but this is still stiffer than the sturdiest summer boot. We can advise on where to hire these if needed.)
Crampons② (C1 or C2, not C3). The flexibility of crampons is measured using ‘C’ numbers. A B1 boot can take a C1 crampon; a B2 boot can take a C1 or C2 crampon, etc. C3 crampons are fully-rigid for climbing and are not suitable for walking.
Walking ice axe② (no longer than 65cm. Don’t let shop assistants try to convince you that you need a long one. The longer it is, the more it acts like a walking pole and the less useful it is when you want to do other things with it.)
Ski goggles (In high winds these make the difference between a good day out and having to turn around early due to sheer unpleasantness. Wraparound sunglasses are not a substitute.)
High energy, easy to eat food: you get through a lot of energy in winter. Now isn’t the time to think about your diet!
Thermal leggings
Thermal baselayer top
Insulated gloves②
Spare set of insulated gloves②
Thermal liner gloves②
Any medication you need

Useful

Balaclava, Buff or similar as face covering②
Yet another pair of spare thick gloves②
Heavier waterproofs (top and bottom) than summer waterproofs
Flask with a hot drink (0.5 litre works well)
Sunglasses and sun cream. On a sunny day, the reflection off the snow can burn, especially if your skin has forgotten what the sun looks like over the winter. This is doubly true from March onwards.
An insulated jacket (also known as a duvet jacket) in addition to your spare warm layer. In Scotland, these are best made out of synthetic, rather than bird-down, material as they stay warm when wet. You can wear them over your waterproofs when we stop for breaks for an instant snug and cosy feeling.
BONUS: No need for midge spray or headnet!

① We will normally supply these items, but you may bring your own.
② You may be able to borrow these items, subject to availability. Get in touch.

Prepare for qualifications

You should know most of what you need by this stage but a few tips can always be useful. The details will depend on which qualifications we’re working on. The needs of a Lowland Leader will be different to a Mountain Leader, and the Winter Mountain Leader adds another level again. We’re here to support you through your qualification so please chat with us.

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