Gear

What North Shore Rescue recommends every hiker carry, regardless of how short the trip looks on paper:

1. Light: headlamp or flashlight, plus extra batteries. The single most common reason hikers turn up overdue.
2. Signalling Device: a loud whistle that still works wet, plus bear bangers or a flare if you carry them.
3. Fire Starter: waterproof matches or a lighter, plus a backup firestarter, for warmth in an emergency.
4. Warm Clothes: hat, gloves, an insulating layer, and a waterproof shell, layered against both hypothermia and overheating.
5. Pocketknife: a multi-tool or quality knife for repairs, food, or building shelter.
6. Shelter: an emergency bivy or tarp; an orange one doubles as a signal to searchers.
7. Water and Food: enough of both to cover delays, not just the planned length of the trip.
8. First-Aid Kit: dressings, bandages, and tools sized to the injuries likely on the terrain you're on.
9. Navigation: map and compass as the primary tools, GPS as backup, not the other way around.
10. Communications: a charged phone, and a satellite device where there's no cell coverage.

A piece of hardware the rope runs through to create friction for belaying and rappelling. Tube-style devices rely entirely on the belayer's grip; auto-locking versions add a cam that grips the rope under a sudden load.

Spring-loaded protection with curved lobes that expand to grip the walls of a crack when weighted. Placed by squeezing a trigger to retract the lobes, fitting them into the crack, and releasing.

A metal loop with a spring-loaded gate, the basic connector for clipping rope, slings, and protection together. Locking carabiners add a second step to the gate for anything load-bearing at a belay or anchor.

A rope built to stretch under load, absorbing the force of a fall rather than transmitting it straight to the climber and the anchor. Static rope, by contrast, is reserved for hauling and fixed lines, never for catching a fall.

Metal spikes that strap or clip to boots, giving traction on snow and ice that boot soles alone can't grip. Paired with an ice axe for most snow and glacier travel.

A webbing rig worn around the waist and thighs that distributes the load of a fall or a hang across the body and provides attachment points for the rope and gear.

Head protection against rockfall and impact in a fall, worn for essentially any roped climbing or travel under terrain that sheds rock or ice.

A long-handled tool with a pick on one end and a spike on the other, used for balance on snow slopes, cutting steps, and as the basic tool for a self-arrest.

Tapered metal wedges threaded on wire, placed by wedging them into a constriction in a crack. Simpler and lighter than cams, but need the right-shaped crack to seat well.

Two carabiners joined by a short sewn sling, used to clip the rope to protection while leading. Quick to extend and unclip compared to rigging a sling from scratch at each piece.

A loop of webbing or cord used to extend protection, build an anchor, or wrap around a natural anchor like a tree or boulder.