BPL course gear lists???

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Take a look at BPL's courses.

There are NO gear lists – unless you sign up and pay. THEN you get a list.

So for me, at least, no up front gear lists = no signup.

What the heck gives with this setup?? Why so coy about the course gear lists?

[Bob Gross]

With some training companies, they consider the equipment list to be intellectual property, and they keep that under wraps until they see the money. Some feel that one of the big training functions is to tell the trainee exactly what gear to bring. Others go so far as to warn the trainees that if they show up with some item missing, they can be rejected from the trip without recourse.

From the trainee's perspective, this is a problem. If they think that the equipment list will be simple and that they can do the trip without an outlay of lots of cash, then they might sign up. However, if they see a five-page equipment list that will cost $2000 to supply, they will run away.

There is no easy compromise.

Many years ago, I signed up for a special guided ski trip. They got my money and sent out a _required_ equipment list, and we were warned not to show up without everything. OK. So I went out and got every last item on the list, then showed up for the trip. We met the day before the start for what we thought was going to be a shakedown inspection. There was no mention of gear by the two ski guides! So, we asked about one or two pieces of gear, and the ski guides said that they weren't necessary. Then we asked about the rest of the gear list. They said, "What gear list?" It turned out that the organization had distributed the legacy gear list without telling the guides. Oops. Immediately we ditched about half of the gear items, then had a great trip.

–B.G.–

[Kevin Buggie]

I know Eric read the ADK winter mountaineering school handbook posted on a recent thread and maybe thinking of their extensive list of required gear: 2500 cu. inch daypacks, 5500 cu.inch overnight packs, boots with liners, and worst of all (Eric;)…… required White gas stoves with 10 oz. of fuel per night!

Nice to know all this up front!

But all things considered, the WMS handbook is a very good resource and read.

+1 on tell me up front and I may consider a trip.

[Mary D]

Here is one I bookmarked a couple of years ago, while Mike C! was still around at BPL: It has links to .pdf and .xls versions. Both links still work.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/wilderness_trekking_school_gear_list.html

How close this is to the current list is anyone's guess. I agree that most people want to know the total they're going to have to shell out (gear plus fees, not just fees) before signing up.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Bob,

I guessed that this "intelectual property" concept was BPL's main reason for not releasing a gear list.

BUT, c'mon, this is BPL and most here know wnat "The Big Three" plus kitchen are.

How about BPL doing the following AT LEAST:

"All students need the following gear and it should not exceed MAXIMUM target weights:"

1. Pack-> 3 lbs. max

2. Tent or tarp-> 2.5 lbs. max

3. Sleeping bag & mattress-> 3 lbs. total max

This would give prospective students a starting place without giving away any "intellectual property".

NOTE: I have asked BPL's school about this and recieved NO reply. As a Lifetime member and prospective student I think some reply is warranted.

P.S. THANKS Mary!
I printed Mike Clelland's excellent recommendations for summer hiking gear. That should give me an idea about my own gear.
For EX. Mike says camera max weight is 7 oz. and my Olympus TG 1 camera weighs 8.3 oz. so that camera likely stays home on a trekking school class trip.

Howsomever… Mikes' MAX weights on most items were almost always an ounce or so under what I have. I ain't gonna buy new socks B/C my Thorlo Hikers are 1 oz. too heavy or buy new shoes just because my Merrill Moabs are a bit "over max" or my REI synthetic sun hat is 2 oz. over or my regular Thermarest Prolite is 6 oz. over (which is a lot by UL standards). I Could cut down my 12 oz. Ridgerest to meet the 10 oz. mattress max but I ain't gonna. And FINALLY, Mike said that internal frame packs are a no-no. THAT'S where I highly disagree. I absolutely refuse to carry a framless pack.
"A man's gotta know his limitations." (Dirty Harry)

So maybe I really don't need the BPL schools all that much. I know what I like for gear and what I can comfortably carry. Drastically cutting down for the sake of cutting weight isn't all that attractive to me.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Ryan Jordan DID e-mail me ans said he's send me gear lists form courses I am interested in. My IP delivered his mail 3 days late!

SO my carpoing about class lists is over. Thanks Ryan.

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