We know everyone has their unique list for backpacking. However, to participate in Wilderness Corps activities, we required the following minimum gear. The following list is for Spring & Summer trips. 

• Bear Canister (Sierra National Forest REQUIRED)
• Nutrition – enough Food to sustain you throughout the trip, Keep in mind you will need extra calories because you will be working.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Long sleeve pants, long sleeve shirts, work gloves, hardhat, and sunglasses or safety glasses
• Boots ONLY, NO tennis shoes or sandals
• If we are working with chainsaws, you will need hearing protection.
• Backpack – consider that volunteers share the load of tools etc. when choosing the pack. A framed pack (internal or external) rather than a frameless makes it easier to carry in an ax or carry out trash collected while remediating campsites.
• Seasonally appropriate sleeping bag or quilt(s) – 20F comfort rated gear recommended for three-season backpacking in the Sierra Nevada.
• Tent with Rainfly or Hammock with Rainfly
• Personal First Aid Kit with over the counter painkillers, prescription meds, basic blister kit (crew leader will carry a full type IV kit)
• Small Knife and repair tools
• Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles)
• Topo Map of the area you are backpacking into (GPS and Cell phones have batteries, and they can go dead), Compass
• Water Filter (SteriPEN or MSR Sweetwater or comparable filter)
• Headlamp with extra batteries
• Backpacking stove (if fire restrictions are in effect alcohol stoves are not permitted in Sierra National Forest)
• Full Brim Hat
• Sunscreen
• 100 oz. Water Bladder and 32 oz. Nalgene bottle
• Backpacking kitchen items (spoon/spork, eating vessels of choice, pot)
• Toothbrush & Toothpaste
• Mosquito repellent and/or head net; clothes treated with Permethrin
• Toilet Paper and a bag to pack it out with; trowel
• Layered clothing, extra socks, etc
• Insulated jacket
• Rain gear (construction trash bag, poncho, jacket, etc)
• ID and Emergency Contact information
• Optional – Fishing Pole/lures/flies and Fishing License
• Whistle: For summoning help, it will outlast your vocal cords. (optional)
• Personal locator beacon (PLB): A PLB can help search-and-rescue workers find you in an emergency. (optional; crew leader carries a radio and PLB)
• Signaling device: As noted earlier, some compasses come with sighting mirrors. If yours does not, consider taking a small mirror to signal rescuers in an emergency. (optional)
• Knowledge: Having items in your pack has no value unless you understand how to use them. As one search-and-rescue leader told us, “People talk about the Ten Essentials, but the most important essential is between your ears.” (required)