Essential Clothing and Gear

 

Clothes, Packing Advice, and Basic Needs 

Avoid the Concept of Pampered Luxury!

 

For the Van trip west and the return Van trip, pack the clothes you need for the 3-day trip ONLY and personnel items/toiletries including a flashlight or headlamp and any important medications or other personal items in your day pack/very small duffel bag.  Hence, pack with efficiency and convenience in mind.

 

Your 2 large duffel bags - Pack all other clothing and personnel items in one soft duffel bag.  Do NOT bring a hard suitcase or Tote Boxes.  You should bring a second duffel bag or other large soft bag to store your camping gear (e.g., tent, sleeping bag, etc,) for the trip out and back and the transition trips from Abiquiu to Cochiti, NM, from Cochiti, NM to Sipapu, NM, from Sipapu, NM to Great Sand Dunes and South Fork, CO, and from South Fork, CO to Crested Butte, CO.  We are staying in inexpensive motels on the way out and back, so you will NOT need your camping gear and remaining clothes bag until we arrive to Abiquiu, NM

 

For those riding out in the Vans, your 2 Duffel Bags (Other clothes and Camping Gear) will be in the back of the Penske Truck but barring an emergency will NOT be available to you during the trip out and back.  So, plan accordingly, as noted above.  You should be able to lift and carry all bags by yourself! 

 

We Will/Should NOT have to Unload and Re-load the Penske either night on the trip out and trip back!

 

All luggage and gear should have a name tag!! (Moms take care of this!)

 

Clearly label or tag your day pack, duffel bags, sleeping bag, and tent to show ownership.

 

            Following is a listing of materials for Essential Clothing Items, Essential Gear for Camping, Other Essential Items, and Essential Field Mapping Equipment and Supplies.  The BOLD FACE items are essential so you must bring them.  Not doing so will seriously impede your ability to participate effectively and efficiently in the field mapping exercises and sleeping and living comfortably in our camping and lodging sites.  Remarks made in RED should also be taken seriously in order to avoid major inconveniences, such as blisters and your tent blowing away!

            Also noted below at the end of the “Essentials” listings are brief comments and recommendations on mineral, rock, and fossil collecting and on how much money ($) to bring along and in what format to bring that money ($).  Questions about any of the information below should be directed to Dr. Stephen Harper at harpers@ecu.edu.

  

Essential Clothing Items

 

Ø      Two or three complete outfits for working in the field; shorts are OK but beware of tough vegetation and cool weather.  Perhaps two pairs of long field pants and one pair of field shorts so you have both covered.  One casual outfit is nice for rare days off!  Word of warning – Students with very fair skin should avoid wearing shorts in the field as this is one less body area that can get severe sunburn! Two to three button shirts with a mixture of short and long sleeve.  One scenario would be to bring along at least 2 long sleeved T-shirts.  These can be worn in the mornings for extra warmth and also to protect against sunburn in other parts of the day.  Make sure your long pants, shorts, and shirts are loose fitting as this is important for comfort in the field.

Ø      Enough field socks and underwear (~7 pairs) for a week between laundry trips. Please note that some students need to wear two pairs of socks to avoid blisters.  Usually a light and heavy set of socks for each day works best.

Ø      T-shirts – At least 4 with a mixture of short sleeve and long sleeve ones.

Ø      Brim hat or Bill cap to protect against the Sun.

Ø      Sweater, fleece, light jacket, and/or sweat shirt – Perhaps a combination of at least two of these 4 items.  Go with the item that provides the most warmth and flexibility for you.  Also choose items that dry out quickly from sweat or rain.  I find sturdy pullover sweaters and either half zip or full zip fleeces much more flexible and less bulky than sweat shirts.

Ø      Lightweight waterproof jacket for rain protection and heavy shirts or jacket for keeping warm; Rain can come at any time; Cool weather can be anticipated in some of the New Mexico locations and in Creede and Crested Butte, CO.  Goretex is always a good choice.  However, the $1.00 disposal, lightweight made-in-China ponchos work well, but bring at least 2 or 3!

Ø      One pair of tough, sturdy field boots and one pair of casual, everyday footwear; Be sure to wear and break in new boots before coming to the field course.  One "expendable" pair of old sneakers is very useful for various field activities.  For non-field work days and days off a pair of Tevas or flip flops is desirable.

Ø      Swim Suit – For cold dips in Abiquiu Lake, Cochiti Lake, Rio Pueblo, Rio Grande del Rancho, or Rio Grande!

   

Essential Gear for Camping

 

Ø      One-person, Two-person, or Three-Person Tent - Before departure to NM, waterproof your tent’s seams with silica gel or spray and practice pitching your tent in the dark!  Be prepared if you want your tent to stay dry, warm, and not blow away!  Do not bring a Circus sized tent!  If you do not already have a tent, a good place to find reasonably priced Coleman or Eddie Bauer tents is Target or online at Campmor, REI, and Sierra Trading Post

Ø      Foot-long Tent Stakes – One or two 4-packs of Coleman Tent Stakes.  These cost ~$2.99/4-pack in Target or other stores with camping supplies.  Please heed our advice to bring extra long tent stakes if you want to prevent your tent from being blown away.  These can also be purchased individually at Great Outdoor Sporting Good Shops for about 99 cents each.

Ø      Plastic Ground Sheet/Cover - To put underneath your tent to provide extra insulation and protect from ground moisture.  If you do not already have one, a very inexpensive substitute is to purchase a couple of plastic shower curtain liners.  Also very light-weight, but durable ground sheets can be purchased from Campmor, REI, and Sierra Trading Post for ~$10-14.  The Eureka brand  polyethylene pre-cut "floor savers" are light weight, compact for folding and storage, and can be found in several sizes at Campmor under Tent Accessories.

Ø      Sleeping Bag - 10-20oF rating or perhaps 0-10oF if you are cold natured.  Holofil or Qualofil bags are just as warm as down-filled bags and much less expensive.  Also mummy bags will keep you warmer than the rectangular-shaped bags.  If you already have a sleeping bag, and it is not rated for temperatures of 20oF or lower, you might want to consider getting a Sleeping Bag Liner.  These can make your bag 8-12o warmer.  Generally, liners can be purchased for $15-35.  Try Campmor, REI, and Sierra Trading Post.

Ø      Thermorest-type Air Mattress or foam pad for cushioning.  Thermorest-type mattresses can be purchased at Target for ~$35-50.  A wide variety of Thermorest-type air mattresses can found at Campmor, REI, and Sierra Trading Post.

Ø      Personal items such as towels, hand soap, shampoo, tooth paste, etc.

Ø      Flashlight (LED head lamp type is desirable and should be available for trip out and back), watch, small alarm clock, laundry bag, camera + film or memory card.

Ø      Set of metal flatware (i.e., fork, spoon, and knife), a metal or hard plastic plate, bowl, and cup; also a can opener and all purpose pocket knife.

Ø      Tupperware Sandwich Container - Bring 2 small ones or one large one for packing your field lunches.

 

Other Essential Items to Bring

 

Ø      Highly-Rated Sunblock (50+).

Ø      Chapstick for Lip Protection.

Ø      Saline Solution with mister for students prone to nose bleeds (~$2.99 in most drugstores or for $1 in the Dollar Tree Store)

Ø      PERSONAL MEDICATIONS – You will need to make sure you bring enough to cover the ~7 week trip or make arrangements to have refills mailed/UPS/FEDEXed to you, perhaps while we are at the Sipapu Lodge and Resort near Taos, NM.  Another possibility is to have your pharmacy phone your prescription to one in Taos.  However, be forewarned, this latter alternative of transferring your prescription to a NM pharmacy can be very difficult as many of the pharmacies that exist in North Carolina and Virginia and other eastern states, do not exist in NM, especially in Taos, NM!  However, there is a Walgreens Pharmacy in Taos, NM and a CVS in Santa Fe, NM.

Ø      Sun Glasses; daylight brightness levels will be much higher than you are used to.

Ø      Soft-Frame day pack for field gear, canteen, and lunch.

Ø      Water Bottles/Canteens/Camel Packs; plan on carrying adequate water for a normal field day.  Three to four quarts will be necessary for most exercise locations.  These days, most students bring Camel Packs, but make sure you buy a good quality one (Walmart Camel Packs are not recommended).  Nalgene bottles are indestructible but other types of water bottles work as well.

Ø      Towels – 1-2 large bath towels, 1 wash cloth, and 1 to 2 hand towels.

Ø      Gloves; soft steer/deer hide leather gloves will save your hands from countless nicks and cuts.

 

Essential Field Mapping Equipment and Supplies

 

Ø      Brunton compass for sighting bearings and for measuring strike and dip.  Non East Carolina University students, who are not able to check out a Brunton from your home Geology Department, please contact Dr. Harper by May 01 so he will have time to source one for you.  All ECU students and non-ECU students, who were not able to check out a Brunton from his/her home university, will be issued a Brunton on the first day of the Field Course in Abiquiu, NM.  All Brunton Compasses will be collected on the next to the last day of Field Course in Almont, CO.  Students will be charged $400 for lost or demolished Brunton Compasses.

Ø      Rock hammer (Eastwing recommended) and Holster.

Ø      Hand lens (10X) – 10X Hastings Triplet recommended but any brand will do                            

Ø      Clipboard – Hard Plastic or old fashioned Hardboard; Regular size or legal size, covered or uncovered type.  Basic hardboard one from Target works just fine legal or regular size.

Ø      Scale - 6 inch-15 centimeter or 12 inch-30 centimeter scale/ruler.

Ø      Engineer’s Scale (triangular in cross section) - Optional

Ø      Protractor (approximately 10 cm in diameter) – A circular one to plot strike and dip of bedding.   

Ø      Triangles - one with 30-60-90 degrees and one with 45-45-90 degrees.

Ø      Pencils - Mechanical pencils are fine for field notes; wooden pencils work too.

Ø      Soft erasers and small pencil sharpener. 

Ø      Coloured pencils – One set with 24 colours.                       

Ø      Ziploc bags - for protection of your field maps and field books from moisture.  Also for collecting field samples.

Ø  Ink pens with waterproof ink for drawing maps; Staedtler Pigment Liner 01, 03, 05, 07 pens are highly recommended.  These are medium gray coloured with a black top and can be bought in a 4-pack (~$14.79 at Staples)              or 6-pack with 0.01 01, 03, 05, 07, 08 ($18.79 at Staples) or sometimes individually (~$3.00 each) at art supply stores.  Perhaps it is a good idea to bring two of the 4 packs.  Sometimes Staedtler pens can be found in the art supply part of student stores.  Also, Staedtler and Pigma MICRON archival ink pens can be purchased at "Michaels" or “AC Moore” stores for about $3 each in various locations around North Carolina and perhaps other states.  The Pigma MICRON pens are light tan coloured and come in 01, 03, 05, and 08 point sizes.   (These prices are updated from a visit to Staples (April 24, 2017).                                          

Ø      Calculator with trig functions.

Ø      Field Day Pack to carry essential field items such as, water bottles, lunch, rain gear, field notebooks, camera, etc.

Ø      Small First Aid Kit – pack band-aids, foot powder, tape, aspirin etc in a small box to carry into the field.  The Field Course vehicles will have larger, more elaborate first aid kits, but it is still useful to have a few convenient items with you at all times!

What We Will Supply

·         First Aid Kits for the Vehicles and Campsite or Lodge Sites

·         Food

·         TP and Laundry Detergent - You supply the quarters!

·         Some drafting supplies and equipment not listed above.  We will supple plain and lined paper and 10 squares per inch gridded graph paper

·         Brunton Compasses for all ECU students and for Visiting Sudents, who cannot borrow one from his/her department.

·         Field Book - 1 complimentary Orange/Yellow, Hard Bound Field Notebook from Forestry Supply with trig tables.

·         Lanyard for your hand lens. 

·         Vehicles for field work.     

  What NOT to Bring

                           

                            Private vehicles

                            Pets of any sort

                            Significant others, friends

                            Firearms or large knives (may be grounds for immediate dismissal)

                            Mountain bikes

 

Mineral, Rock, and Fossil Specimen Collection

 

Opportunities for shipping or mailing home mineral, rock, and fossil samples will be provided.  We will not carry your personal samples indefinitely.  Collecting or "defacing" rocks of any kind is not allowed at rock outcrops in any National Park or National Monument.  Students should also be respectful even at common collection locations, and remember that future generations of geology students might like to see and collect specimens at some of the same outcrops that you visit during the field course!

Please read a recent article in Geotimes entitled, “Geologic Etiquette in a Mechanized Era,”

and

New Mexico Site Watch - Protecting the Enchantment concerning Archaeological Sites in New Mexico

 

Money/Cash

 

You can complete the course by spending very little "extra money".  However, in practice students should have about $400-$500 to cover food on the trips out and back and for items of personal interest.  Carry about $300-$500 cash for the trip west and perhaps the balance in your bank account for ATM withdrawals.  ATM Cash-card machines will be accessible at Abiquiu General Store, Santa Fe, NM, Taos, NM, Creede, CO, and Crested Butte, CO, but such machines may not be available on our one- and two-day transitions or on the trip out and the trip back.  Do not expect us to drive all over town looking for a debit/ATM card machine.  Depending on location, mailing or wiring money can be very slow or impossible.  Most everything in northern New Mexico happens in a time frame of 2x to 3x slower than in the eastern USA!