Wondering what to bring to Frosh? Here is your answer!
**There is trip-specific information at the bottom of this list! Please read through the whole thing!**
If you don’t have all of these items, that’s ok! You can rent any item listed under “Gear” from the MOC for very affordable prices! Please bring what you can though because we have limited stock to rent out…
Reminder that we are providing communal items, like tents and rope! You only need to bring the stuff on this list. That being said, if you have communal gear that you would like to bring and share, we will send out a form in the first email!
Clothing
You should have one set of “day clothing”, which dry quickly, and one set of “night clothing”, which are comfortable and warm
- Light layers for warmer weather (t-shirt, shorts, etc.)
- Layers for colder weather (sweatshirt, fleece, etc.)
- Long pants (cold and bugs)
- Swimsuit and towel, pack towel if possible since they pack down very small
- 2-3 pairs of thick socks, wool if possible, because it dries quickly and is durable
- Rain jacket
- Hiking boots (or shoes that you are comfortable walking on rougher terrain with)
- Non-hiking shoes to wear in camp (ex. sandals, runners)
- Baseball cap or other hat for sun
- Sunglasses
- Your frosh shirt 🙂
Tips on fabric: if possible, avoid cotton in your “day clothing”, since it takes a while to dry!
Toiletries and products
Pack anything that could leak (sunscreen, toothpaste, etc.) either in a separate compartment of your bag or in a sealed container/bag!
- Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, menstrual products, etc.)
- Sunscreen
- Handsanitizer
- Soap
- Deodorant (unscented pls)
- Bug spray
- Bandaids/moleskill/medical tape (for potential blisters) (optional)
- Toilet paper (we are also bringing some)
Gear (anything here other than a waterbottle can be rented from the MOC)
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
- Large trip backpack, ideally 50L+, more instructions on this below
- Dry-bags or compression sacks, 1-2 depending on the trip, more info below (can be garbage bags)
- Flashlight/headlamp with working batteries
- 1L Waterbottle *you cannot rent this from the MOC
- Small bag for day hike
- Trekking poles (optional)
Even if you don’t have the perfect trip backpack, please still bring something as the MOC does not have an unlimited amount of trip backpacks to rent out!
Food and utensils
- Lunch for the bus on the first day
- Some snacks, filling and light (bars, nuts, dried fruit, etc.)
- Plastic container/bowl
- Plastic cup or mug (optional)
- Utensils (spoon or fork)
Optional
- Camera
- Cards
- Bracelet string or other activities
- Book
- Hammock
Additional packing tips:
- Don’t bring sentimental or expensive and fragile objects – they could get damaged
- Pack as light as you can. Weight can make a big difference on how enjoyable a hike is! You probably only need 1-2 shirts and shorts, etc. Wear all your clothing for multiple days!
- Test your gear before bringing it, if possible. You don’t want to find out that your raincoat leaks or your sleeping bag isn’t very warm during frosh!
- If you know someone else going to frosh, consider sharing items such as sunscreen or toothpaste – it can free up valuable space in your backpack!
- Look for a sleeping bag that is rated for about 10 degrees colder than the coldest expected temperature to make sure that you’re comfortable
- Bring the long sleeves even if it looks like it’ll be warm out – they protect from bugs! On the same note, bring the raincoat even if the weather is supposed to be clear. It can change quickly, and you don’t want to get soaking wet
- If you are going canoe camping, you may want 2 dry bags, one for your sleeping bag and one for your clothing, since there is a good chance everything not in a drybag will get soaked. For non-canoe-camping trips, you don’t necessarily need a dry bag, but it can never hurt to keep your sleeping bag in something waterproof (in case of rain, spilled water, a large puddle that your bag falls into, etc.)
Camping-Specific Instructions:
- Hiking boots are optional because all the hikes are optional!
- A good trip backpack is not as essential here since you will not be hiking with your gear
Hiking-Specific Instructions:
- A good trip backpack is not as essential here since you will not be hiking with your gear
Climbing-Specific Instructions:
- Please bring your own climbing shoes! You can also rent them from the MOC if needed.
- A good trip backpack is not as essential here since you will not be hiking with your gear
- Bring your own harness, belay device (grigri, ATC, pilot), chalk, and/or helmet if possible
- Hiking boots are optional!
Canoeing-Specific Instructions:
- Make sure you bring something to keep your stuff dry. A waterproof bag cover is not enough. Dry bags are best (and can be rented from the MOC), but if you don’t have those, bring at least 3 large garbage bags. Everything should be “double-bagged” in case of a rip.
- When packing a dry bag, ensure that the things that you really want to stay dry (your sleeping bag) are at the bottom. Everything should stay dry, but if there is a leak, it will usually only affect the top items.
- You do not necessarily need to bring actual hiking boots as your ‘hiking boot’. You can bring old runners or other shoes that you are comfortable hiking in instead. Whatever you bring as your hiking boots will get soaking wet and covered in mud. The upside of hiking boots is the additional ankle support, and the downside is that they usually hold in more water and can be heavier.
Things to look for in an ideal trip backpack (only really relevant for canoeing, other trips will not be hiking with their gear):
Note: this is the ideal backpack! Any backpack, such as a schoolbag, will work, but if you have options, these are some things that would be nice:
- A frame, so that the weight is distributed comfortably
- Hip straps, so that weight rests on hips instead of shoulders
- Large enough to fit all your gear, plus extra room for food (and to make repacking it easier!)
- If possible, external pockets to make it easy to access things you might want in the day (raincoat, water, bugspray…)