BA (Hons) Adventure Tourism Management | Recommended Personal Equipment
The course activities run mostly during the colder months of the year – September to April – so good
quality clothing is important! The following recommendations have been compiled based on years of
experience, and include a few tips that may be helpful.
IMPORTANT NOTE! Cotton materials perform very badly in poor weather, so look for current
outdoor brands – synthetic or wool materials recommended.
All essential personal protective equipment is provided when required, such as climbing equipment,
harness and helmet, as well as basic personal equipment for mountain biking, canoeing and
kayaking. All of these items are also available to borrow from the college kit store for personal
practice. However, many students find that using their own kit is beneficial in terms of personal
performance and the ability to practice their skills independently.
If you do not currently own all or any of the equipment below it may be better to wait until the
course induction when advice on equipment use, maintenance and purchase can be given. Don’t
forget that we plan to hold a 2nd hand kit sale during induction week.
By shopping around you may find good prices available – don’t forget to check the School of
Adventure Studies offer on Mountain Equipment clothing. Discounts (normally around 10%) are
available to students in local outdoor shops, and students may be able to arrange larger discounts by
making bulk orders.
ESSENTIAL checklist -  box when you have this item (for your own use):
 Good quality waterproofs – Top and bottoms
 Warm hat and gloves
 Fleece tops and other insulating clothing – see below for details
 Lightweight outdoor trousers
 Thermal top (and thermal leggings!)
 Footwear – normal outdoor shoes and 3-season type walking boots.
 Other footwear for exercise, paddlesports, rock climbing recommended
 Camping – see below for details
 Map and compass (Silva type 4), with good quality map case
 Rucksack suitable for mountaineering activities (45-55l capacity)
 Head torch
 Wrist watch
Other Personal equipment – see below for details!!
Item
Essential Details
Waterproofs  Waterproof top and bottoms are
– Top and
essential
bottoms
Look out for the following important
features:
 Jacket designed for mountaineering.
 Breathable materials e.g. Goretex,
Event, Paramo etc.
 Full hood, attached to jacket (not
removable), with drawcord and
stiffened visor.
 Full zip closure up to face height for
Desirable
 Top with large mountain specification
hood to allow helmet to be worn
 Waterproof bottoms with braces and
side zips to allow ease of putting on
and taking off
 Gaiters
protection from stormy weather.
 Avoid waterproofs with loose fabric
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Warm hat
and gloves
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Fleece tops
Trousers
Thermal top
Footwear
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liners – they get heavy when wet.
Avoid waterproofs with fleecy liners
or thermal insulation – far less
versatile than a simple shell system.
Very cheap waterproofs are usually
very bad in foul and wintry weather.
Any beanie or fleece hat is normally
ok.
Fleece gloves or leather work gloves
(leather gloves are cheaper and
better!)
1 pair ski-type gloves for winter use
2 minimum
NOT sweatshirts or cotton jumpers
NOT JEANS!
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 Lightweight, synthetic material
 NOT cotton t-shirts
 Lightweight wicking material
 Good quality 3 season walking boots,
full leather will be more resilient
 Good quality walking socks
 ‘Old’ trainers suitable for wet
activities
Camping
 The college can provide: basic
expedition rucksack, stove, tent,
sleeping bag and sleeping mat.
However, many students choose to
own at least some of their own
equipment for personal use, as the
Highlands and Islands offer amazing
wild camping experiences.
 Own camping mug, and utensils are
essential
 Sharp folding knife
Other
Personal
equipment
 Head torch – multiple LED bulbs are
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great! Go for good brands. There are
some available in our stores, although
they are essential for personal use
during the winter months.
Water bottle – 1 litre capacity is
preferable, or consider a tube system
(e.g. platypus – warning: these freeze
up in winter!).
OS 1:50,000 scale Landranger maps:
sheet 40 (Mallaig & Glenfinnan) and
sheet 41 (Ben Nevis and Fort William)
Compass – Silva type 4 highly
recommended, type 3 is the
minimum
Map case – Ortleib rubber map cases,
27cm2 size are highly recommended
 Leather work gloves (very cheap) are
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excellent for all mountain activities,
summer and winter, and protect the
hands well from ropes/rocks etc.
Avoid very expensive gloves, as they
usually don’t outlast cheap ones!
1 x lightweight
2 x medium weight
1 x warm synthetic duvet jacket
Fleece Trousers strongly
recommended
 You will benefit from better materials
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and brands, e.g. Helly Hansen, merino
wool
Winter mountaineering boots
Rock shoes are highly recommended
in this area! We are unable to supply
them apart from on very specific
occasions.
Specialist footwear for water sports
Investing in good quality camping
equipment will help for comfort,
lightweight travel and long-term
service.
Expedition rucksack 55l-70l capacity.
Lightweight mountain specification
tent – must be fully waterproof and
strong enough to withstand exposure
to high winds.
Synthetic sleeping bags are easier to
maintain, whereas down-filled bags
will suffer if wet.
Rucksack suitable for mountaineering
activities (45-55l capacity)
Waterproof liners and drybags –
exped is a good example
Ski goggles and Sun glasses
First aid kit and repair kit
Steel vacuum flask – 0.3l-0.7l capacity
Many students also choose to equip
themselves with a range of personal
kit for climbing, mountain biking and
paddle sports.