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Mt. Rainier Gear List
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IMG's Mt. Rainier Gear List
Thanks for choosing to climb with IMG. We look forward to climbing Mt. Rainier with you!
The list below is designed to help you identify everything you will need on your trip. You can also get this list as a 
PDF doc to make it easier to print. Each piece of gear is accompanied by a description to help you understand its use and a recommended example. You can purchase most of the recommended items online at Mountain Gear and receive a 5% IMG discount. We also have a small retail store at our headquarters in Ashford for last minute purchases.
Items available for rent at IMG are indicated on the list below by an asterisk. If you have special gear needs (e.g. very small/ very large feet), please contact us beforehand so we can better accommodate you. Rental gear will be issued during the pre-climb meeting.
NOTE FOR MOUNTAIN DAY SCHOOLS:
If you are signed up for the MDS (Mountain Day School), please see this gear list »
If you are taking the 2-Day Mountain School, please see this gear list »
Dowload the Mt. Rainier 1 and 2-Day Schools Gear List PDF »
NOTE FOR EMMONS CLIMBS:
We will bring your rental gear to the Alpine Inn in time for your 2:00 PM team meeting on the day before your climb. Please make sure that your rental form is complete and that IMG HQ knows about all of your rental needs at least two days prior to the start of your climb.
When you meet for your climb, your guides will inspect your gear and help you decide exactly what to bring. This could vary slightly from the list below depending on the route and forecasted weather.
Please pay attention to the Special Notes at the end of the list if you are on any climb other than the 2-Day Summit Climb or the 3-Day Summit Climb.
If you have any questions or have special gear needs, please contact us at: (360) 569-2609 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need javascript enabled to view it .
| Upper Body Layers | |||
| Equipment | Description/ Comments | Example | |
| [ ] | Wicking T-shirt | Preferably white for hot days. Should be some type of synthetic fabric, preferably wicking. | Outdoor Research: Sequence T-shirt |
| [ ] | Base layer Shirt | Light or mid-weight synthetic long-sleeved shirt. | Outdoor Research: Sequence Long Sleeve |
| [ ] | Thin fleece insulating layer | This can be a 100 or 200 weight fleece or expedition weight top. | Outdoor Research: Option Long Sleeve Marmot: Reactor or Kaba Jacket |
| [ ] | Soft-shell or fleece jacket | We recommend using a soft-shell jacket made of Schoeller-type fabric. A heavy fleece jacket is also acceptable. | Outdoor Research: Logic Jacket |
| [ ] | * Insulated parka w/ attached hood | Either a down or synthetic puffy jacket. A mid-weight parka works best; it doesn't have to be huge. It should fit over all your other layers. | Outdoor Research: Chaos Jacket |
| [ ] | * Waterproof/ breathable storm shell jacket w/ hood | Gore-Tex or equivalent material. This should be a simple shell, not a heavy ski jacket. If the weather is good, this layer probably won't even leave your pack, so make it LIGHT! |
Outdoor Research: Elixir Jacket |
| Lower Body Layers | |||
| Equipment | Description/ Comments | Example | |
| [ ] | Synthetic boxers or briefs | We try to avoid all cotton in our layering system since it does not insulate if wet. Underwear should be synthetic material. | Patagonia: Classic Boxer (M's) or Active Brief (W's) |
| [ ] | Baselayer bottoms | Light to mid-weight synthetic long underwear bottoms. | Patagonia: Capilene 1 or 2 |
| [ ] | Soft-shell or fleece climbing pants | We HIGHLY recommend using a soft-shell, Schoeller-type climbing pant. A fleece pant will also work, and a full side-zip is nice to have for ventilation. Soft-shell is the industry standard today and most of our guides use them. | Outdoor Research: Contour Pant |
| [ ] | * Waterproof/ breathable storm shell pants | Gore-Tex or equivalent material. These pants MUST have FULL side-zips. This will allow you to put on the pants without taking off your crampons and boots. | Marmot: Full Zip Precip Pants |
| [ ] | Light synthetic shorts (optional) | If the weather is nice, a light pair of synthetic shorts are great for the approach hike. |
Outdoor Research: Equinox Short |
| Miscellaneous Clothing | |||
| Equipment | Description/ Comments | Example | |
| [ ] | Wool or fleece hat. Headband (optional) | Hat should cover your ears. We recommend Wapiti Woolie hats. A headband is nice to wear under your helmet to keep ears warm. | http://www.wapitiwoolies.com/ |
| [ ] | Neck gaiter, Buff™, or balaclava | Synthetic/ fleece. This will protect your neck and face in stormy weather. A lightweight balaclava fits best under a helmet | Outdoor Research: Option Balaclava |
| [ ] | Sun hat and bandanna | Baseball hat or other wide brimmed hat to protect your face and neck. A bandana will help cover your ears and neck | Outdoor Research: Eclipse Cap |
| [ ] | Light liner gloves | Light-weight pair of synthetic gloves. Not a fingerless glove. | Outdoor Research: PL 150 Glove |
| [ ] | Mid-weight gloves | These do not have to be heavily insulated. It is nice is they are wind-resistant or wind-proof. A soft-shell glove works great. You will wear these gloves while climbing at higher elevations. | Outdoor Research: ExtraVert Glove |
| [ ] | * Heavy insulated gloves or mittens | A Gore-Tex glove/mitten with removable liner works best. A heavy insulated ski glove works as well. You will wear these if it gets really cold, while hanging out at camp and the summit or if your other gloves get wet. |
Outdoor Research: Alti-Gloves or Alti-Mitts |
| Sleeping Gear | |||
| Equipment | Description/ Comments | Example | |
| [ ] | * Sleeping bag | Should have a comfort rating between 15° and 0° F. There is no need for anything warmer than a 0° bag. Down or synthetic is appropriate. If you choose down, it is nice for the shell material to be Gore-Tex or equivalent. A compression stuff sack helps to fit the bag in the bottom of your pack. | Mountain Hardwear: Dimension 0° or Phantom +15 Bag |
| [ ] | * Sleeping pad | We recommend an inflatable, full length pad. Closed cell foam pads work too. |
Cascade Designs: Prolite 4 |
| Footwear | |||
| Equipment | Description/ Comments | Example | |
| [ ] | * Plastic double-boots | Warm, insulated mountaineering boots with stiff soles designed to be used with crampons. There are also insulated leather boots that are acceptable, especially for climbs scheduled later in the summer. Please see our detailed discussion on boots for Rainier in the Rainier FAQ » If you are unsure about your footwear contact us: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need javascript enabled to view it | Asolo: Evoluzione Tip: Use aftermarket insoles. Superfeet work great! |
| [ ] | 2-3 pairs of climbing socks | Thick wool or wool-synthetic blends work best. No cotton! You might also want to bring a pair of thin synthetic liner socks to help prevent blisters. | Smartwool: Mountaineer Sock |
| [ ] | Gaiters | Make sure they are large enough to fit over your plastic boots. They should reach to just below your knees. |
Outdoor Research: Crocodiles |
| Climbing Gear | |||
| Equipment | Description/ Comments | Example | |
| [ ] | * Internal frame backpack | Medium to large size backpack, in the 65-80 liter or 4000-5000 cu. in. range. You should be able to fit all your personal gear/food and still have enough room for some group food. | Lowe Alpine: TFX Summit 65 +15 |
| [ ] | * Ice axe | To size your axe: while holding it down at you side, the bottom of the axe should reach to about your ankle bone. | Black Diamond: Raven or Raven Pro |
| [ ] | * Crampons | 10 or 12 point crampons. Make sure they are adjusted to your boots before your climb begins. | Black Diamond: Contact Strap Crampon |
| [ ] | * Trekking poles | Collapsible poles work best. | Black Diamond: Gradient Trekking |
| [ ] | *Helmet | Climbing, that meets industry standards | Black Diamond Half Dome |
| [ ] | *Harness | Harness that meets industry standards | Black Diamond Vario Speed |
| Miscellaneous Personal Equipment | |||
| Equipment | Description/ Comments | Example | |
| [ ] | * Glacier glasses or sunglasses | Glacier glasses are specifically designed to protect your eyes from the intense UV radiation that reflects off snowfields and glaciers. They have dark lenses and side shields to keep UV rays out of your eyes. Wrap-around style sunglasses work too, just make sure the lenses block 100% UV rays and are dark. | Julbo: Explorer Glasses |
| [ ] | * Goggles (optional) | Double-lens ski goggles are great for when it gets stormy. Also, if you wear prescription glasses, dark goggles can be worn over your glasses instead of glacier glasses. | Smith: Knowledge OTG Goggle |
| [ ] | 2 Water bottles | Wide mouth, Lexan 1-liter water bottles with your initials written on them in indelible ink. | Nalgene: Wide Mouth 1 L |
| [ ] | Plastic bowl, drinking mug and utensils | Tupperware or Lexan bowls work well. Lexan fork-spoon combination utensils work best. A 12 or 20 oz. plastic insulated mug is nice for hot drinks. You can also simply use your bowl as a mug or your mug as a bowl and save weight that way. | GSI: Lexan Bowl |
| [ ] | * Headlamp w/ extra batteries | LED headlamps are the lightest and most efficient. Make sure your headlamp has a full elastic strap so that you can put it on your helmet. Use a fresh set of batteries. Bring at least one extra set of batteries and an extra bulb. | Black Diamond: Spot |
| [ ] | Sunscreen and lip balm (with sunscreen) | Spf 30 or higher. It's nice to tape your lip balm to a cord and wear it around your neck for easy access. | Dermatone: SPF 36 with Z-Cote |
| [ ] | 1-2 small and 1 medium sized stuff sacks | These are to organize your clothes, food and small items in your pack. You can also just use zip-lock bags for your small items. | |
| [ ] | 2 large garbage bags | The thicker the better. Trash compactor bags work great. You will line your pack with these to keep your gear dry. They can also be used to protect your pants while glissading. | |
| [ ] | First-Aid kit/ Blister kit | Our guides carry full first aid kits, so make yours light. Moleskin, band-aids, aspirin, ibuprofen, personal medications, antacids, small roll of tape. | |
| [ ] | Toiletries | Keep it to the necessities. Toothbrush, travel size toothpaste, small roll of toilet paper in a plastic bag, foam earplugs. Leave the deodorant, perfume and make-up at home! | |
| [ ] | Iodine tablets | We recommend all unboiled water be treated. Boiled water will be provided for meals and hot drinks at camp. We will melt snow for drinking water at camp, but we do not boil it. | Potable Aqua: Iodine Tablets |
| [ ] | Lunch/Trail food | Snickers, cookies, summer sausage, cold pizza, burritos, meat and cheese wraps, trail mix/ GORP, dried fruit. Anything that has lots of calories, tastes good and is easy to eat. Energy bars and Gu are good, but make sure they are appetizing to you. Bring 1,000- 1,500 Calories/day. | Click here to read about some guide favorites! (link coming soon) |
| [ ] | Drink Mix (optional) | Drink mix is nice to replenish electrolytes and make water yummy. (Prepackage in plastic bags that will make 1 liter at half strength.) | |
| Special Notes For Particular Climbs | ||
| Climb | Equipment | Description |
| 4-Day Summit Climb | •Bring a total of 3 pairs of socks. | |
| 4-Day Emmons Glacier Climb | • Bring a total of 3 pairs of socks. | |
| Kautz Climb | • Bring a total of 3 pairs of socks. | |
| Liberty Ridge | • Bring a total of 2 pairs of socks. • Down sleeping bag warm to 20 degrees. • 50-60 cm ice axe with leash. • Second 45-50 cm ice tool (preferably with a straight shaft). |
• The down bag will be lighter for this extended trip. • You will need two ice tools on this technical route. Use leashes to prevent lost tools. |
| Himalayan Seminar | • Large internal frame backpack in the 80-90 liter or 5000+ cubic inch range. Expect to carry 60+ lbs. • Bring a total of 3 pairs of socks. • 24 feet of 6 mm perlon accessory cord. • Technical ice tool, IF you already own it. Do not buy a tool especially for the course. |
• Accessory cord will be used to construct Prussik slings. |
| Crevasse Rescue School |
• Bring 1 pair of socks. • 24 feet of perlon accessory cord. • Mechanical ascenders, if you already own them. • Any climbing gear you own that you would like to practice with. • Insulated parka and other layers may not be necessary depending on the forecast. Please call (360) 569-2609 if you have questions. |
• Accessory cord will be used to construct Prussik slings. |
| Winter Expedition and Denali Seminar | • Bring a total of 3 pairs of socks. • Bring a total of 4 garbage bags. • Sleeping bag warm to -20°. • 2 Water Bottle Parkas (i.e. OR Water Bottle Parka) • 24 feet of perlon accessory cord. • Double lens Goggles • Balaclava or neck gaiter • Insulated Mittens (i.e. Outdoor Research Alti Mitts) • Heavy insulated gloves (i.e. Outdoor Research Alti Gloves) • *snowshoes (rental item). |
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| Ski Mountaineering Seminar | Please click here for gear list » | |
| Day Mountain School (MDS) | Please click here for gear list » | |
| 2-Day Mountain School | Please click here for gear list » | |
* Items available for rent from IMG
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IMG is accredited by the AMGA.
Eric Simonson, George Dunn,
and Phil Ershler are AMGA
certified alpine guides.