Required & Recommended Gear

COVID Kit - 10 (K)N95 masks, 2 rapid COVID tests, Covid Vaccination Card recording you vaccine dates and booster dates.

Acid Bottle - Dropping bottle (with an extra dropper) wrapped with adhesive tape. Camp will provide acid.

Boots - Good boots that cover the top of ankle or higher are essential (and required)! You will find good ankle support a blessing. The uppers in cheap boots do not last long under heavy use; make certain the leather is good and the stitching substantial. Vibram lug soles are best, beware of cheap imitations. Extra pair of good laces. If getting new boots - purchase them from a store that specializes in outdoor equipment (avoid online purchase) so you can get properly fitted and receive good answers to your questions. Get new boots early and break them in before arriving at camp by wearing them constantly.... at least one person will find themselves buying new boots in the middle of camp - and will need to break them in on the job (ouch). NOTE: walking shoes, running shoes, cross-trainers, and hiking sandals are NOT permissible and you will not be allowed in the field with them on your feet.

Canteen/Water Bottles - A combination of water bottles or hydration reservoirs that can hold 3-4 liters of water is strongly recommended. You will be operating in hot, dry, high-altitude areas... conditions that your body is unfamiliar with. Dehydration is incredibly effective at undermining your comfort, effectiveness, and safety in the field. Wide mouth bottles are easiest when it comes to adding the ice cubes.

Clear Plastic Rule and Protractor - A 6" rule that includes a protractor is ideal for plotting strikes and dips in the field. The Westcott 6inch/15cm, Transparent Protractor Ruler (W-5) is the best money can buy - bring several because you will loose them.

Brunton Compass - Check out a Brunton Pocket Transit or equivalent compass from your geology department. If unavailable to you, we have a limited number of Brunton’s at camp to loan.

Field Book - Two 5 x 7 weather resistant hardcover field books are recommended. We suggest the Rite In The Rain, No. 540F Geological Field Book as it includes 16 pages of helpful charts and such in the back pages. A field book belt case or a vest with pockets is handy and will help keep you from digging in your backpack everytime you want to record an observation.

Field Clothing - A week's supply (assuming you do laundry weekly). Be sure to include bandanas and light-colored, long-sleeve shirts made out of lightweight material for protection from the sun. Remember, weather changes rapidly in the mountains. So include light weight field clothing you can stow in your pack and layer up as needed.

First Aid Kit - You must bring a small personalized kit containing items that you know you will most likely need to address the issues you commonly encounter. Instructors will carry more extensive trauma kits for more serious needs and their contents should be saved for those occasions. Please be sure to include at least the following items:

• CPR breathing shield (if trained in CPR)

• Bandaids (strip, knuckle, etc.) & antibiotic ointment

• 3-4 Triangular bandages, 2-3” wide gauze rolls, 4x4” gauze pads

• 3-4” wide ACE bandage

• Alcohol cleaning pads, Antiseptic wipes

• Over-the-counter medications (Advil, Tylenol, diphenhydramine (Benadryl), antidiarrheal (Imodium, Pepto-Bismol), decongestant (Pseudoephed), antacid (Tums)

• Tweezers, scissors

• Blister care (Moleskin or Molefoam)

• 1-2 rolls of 1.5” wide athletic tape

Geology Pick/Hammer - Either pointed or chisel end. A holster is very useful.

Hand Lens - Required. Your preference. 10x is most useful. A good one is worth the money. An inexpensive extra is a good idea.

Hat - A wide-brimmed hat is recommended. Burnt ears are a common complaint. Straw is good and the more air holes the better.

Pencils - mechanical, with erasers and sharpeners (if necessary). Colored pencils for maps (suggest getting a set with more than 16 colors... because white and black are invariably 2 of the colors included).

Rain Coat or Poncho - Waterproof jackets and pants (rain shells or similar foul weather gear... NOT ski jackets) work well, but if you do not have these a cheap transparent poncho will protect you while writing in field books and on maps.

Jacket and Sweater - Work has been carried on in temperatures ranging from 30 to 115 degrees F, including snowstorms, so bring clothes accordingly. Average working temperature at high elevations may be about 55 with a strong wind. A sweater should be light, warm, and non-absorbent to water (e.g. wool or polyester pile). A light windbreaker or waterproof jacket is a must on cloudy and windy days especially at high elevation.

Field Back Pack - Bag with enough capacity to carry 3-4 L of water, your personal gear, lunch, and specimens. Backpacks with 30-50 L capacity are ideal… remember you can always under-fill a backpack, but it is impossible to fit more when it’s full.

Socks - Take care of your feet! Consider getting a few pairs of technical socks - medium weight wool or synthetic socks work the best (avoid cotton). Some also prefer to wear polypropylene liners as well to further limit chafing. Bring enough so that you will have dry socks each morning. Blisters and sore feet really are a pain!

Sharpie permanent markers, masking tape, and freezer thickness zip-lock bags - All of these are useful for labeling and organizing rock samples. Good ziplock bags will also protect your toilet paper and help you carry garbage back out of the field.

Sunglasses - Preferably polarized, they will protect your eyes from sunburn and help prevent headaches brought on by squinting in bright light. They also will intercept flying rock chips.

Sunscreen - Sun exposure at high altitudes contributes to an increased risk of skin cancer. Use sun block and keep skin covered each day. Sun burns turn into blisters... which heal slowly when being rubbed by backpack straps and shirt collars every day. Several bottles of oil-free sunblock with an SPF above 35 is strongly recommended.

Technical Pens - Bring a few drawing pens. We strongly recommend Pigma pens by MICRON. Bring 2-3 "01" pens for general line-work and lettering. Bring 1-2 "08" for heavier fold axes and fault traces. They cost about $2.50 each and last for two to three weeks... ink unfortunately tends to outlast the fine tips. Fine-tipped sharpies are not suitable for drafting.

Sleeping Bag, Sleeping Pad, & Tent- For the the Nevada trip (week 6), and possible weekend recreational camping. Bring a sleeping bag rated for at least 30°F or colder. You will also need a sleeping pad to insulate you from the ground. Without a sleeping pad, the Earth will literally suck the heat out of your body at night – a thermodynamic battle that you will lose. Each student needs to bring or find a tent to share prior to coming to field camp. When possible, choose smaller (2-3 person tents) over larger family sized tents because they tend to be difficult to warm at night and will catch the wind and collapse. Camp has a limited number of tents to loan to students. Talk to your department about available tents to borrow before contacting Dr. Stewart.

Towels, hand towels, washcloths, bathmat - One set of sheets are provided by the University of Utah housing. You should bring a bath towel, hand towel, and washcloth - one set that you aren't particularly attached to. You may also wish to bring a bathmat for the shower in your room.

Map board / clipboard - Some form of map board is critical as it provides a writing surface and protects your map while in the field. You can easily make a substantial one out of sheets of masonite and plexi-glass that are cut to the same size and taped together with duct tape to form a hinge. Consider that mapping will be done on 8.5 x 11, 8.5 x 14 and 11 x 17 sheets of paper. While an 11 x 17 map board is generally probably too big for the average student (you can fold the field maps as needed), it is good to have a map board that is big enough to protect your map. We suggest constructing one that measures 11 x 14”. If you need instructions on how to make a map board, email Dr. Stewart and he can provide them to you.

Alarm clock, wristwatch, phone - You will need to wake up before breakfast and know when to return to vans at the end of a field day. When it is time to go - we go!! Wristwatches may seem antiquated, but they are effective and you won't have to dig into your pocket for a phone every time you want to see what time it is.

Binoculars - If you have them. These are really just for fun.

Boot oil or waterproofing material

Camera, phone

Camp cooking gear - If you would like to go backpacking during your time off (most Sundays), please be sure to bring whatever gear you’ll need.

Chap Stick - Lips tend to dry out and crack in low-humidity - bring several.

Drawing Equipment - rulers and squares are helpful, but not required.

Gaiters - A pair of short gaiters that cover your boot tops and exposed socks will save you endless minutes/day picking grass seeds and burrs out of your socks at the end of the day. If you do not remove these irritants from your socks before washing, you will have prickers in your knickers!

GPS Unit - Common but not mandatory and now likely an App available for your phone. Check one out from your school, or have your own. Be advised that a GPS unit does not replace careful observation of your surroundings and a basic competency in interpreting topographic maps and the difference between a ridge and a valley.

High Intensity Lamp - LIghting in your rooms may not be adequate for your needs. Perhaps a headlamp (needed for camping) will serve this need.

Treking Poles - Especially if you are a little unstable (on your feet) or not a fan of steep slopes, one or a pair of telescoping hiking poles may make your everyday experience more comfortable.

Insect Repellent - A couple of the field areas have mosquitos and biting gnats can be a real problem in southern Utah - a head net can be a sanity saver on a couple days. DEET has proven ineffective with nats... many have had luck with brands that use Picaridin. Of all the brands out there, REPEL Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent has gained quite a reputation for being particularly effective with the bugs in Utah.

Laptop or pad computer (there is no space for desktop computers) - Not required but we host course-related elements (assignments, handouts, resources, etc) on the Canvas course management system and a computer will help you maintain access to these materials. Furthermore, every project requires you or your group to turn in some short written product (e.g. rock or unit descriptions, geologic history, meeting abstract) in addition to maps and cross sections. Being able to type things up (and hence easily edit them) can be a huge time saver. Plus you might be able to reuse portions of text you wrote in the first week in later projects. There is a laser printer available to students at camp.

Paper and Envelopes - For reports and letters. Bring stamps, too - we are in the field during Post Office hours.

Pocket Calculator - now probably adequately covered by your phone.

Pocket Knife

Portable power block & cables - Ability to recharge electronic items will be limited at times.

Reference Books - There is a useful field camp library with standard geology texts (mineralogy, petrology, structure, etc.) and literature on the regional geology. However, please feel free to bring a limited number of your favorite textbook(s), but a basic geologic dictionary and perhaps a copy of Roadside Geology might be enough.

Snacks - There are local grocery stores, but if you have favorite shelf-stable snacks, buy a supply ahead of time and bring them with you if you have room.

Swim Suits - You may have opportunities to swim over the 4th of July weekend and possibly at other locations, including the Great Salt Lake.

Tupperware container - A completely optional but entirely awesome strategy for maintaining the integrity of field lunches. Tupperware-type containers will protect your sandwiches from the high pressure / low temperature metamorphic conditions in your backpack. To help you gauge the size of protective containers, field lunches typically consist of 2 standard sandwiches, a small bag of chips, and fruit.

Whiteout - For drafting errors. Of course we do not make these(!)