Mount Everest Climbing Gear
By Jesus Flores
We all know that climbing Mount Everest is hard. You have to carry a lot of equipment that puts a lot of extra weight onto your climb. Think about 60 years ago. The equipment then was much heavier and in addition to that, there was alot less safety equipment to help you.
Equipment
- Backpack
- Then: External military issue aluminum frame
- Now: Fabric used in automobile airbags, ice axe attachment loops and external crampon pocket
- Helmet
- Then: None
- Now: Full protection weighing less than a pound (Everest Climbing Gear - From Hillary to Hillaree)
Equipment
- Eyewear: Goggles
- Then: Protected from UV rays and snow blindness
- Now: Made for the bright, white environment from the high peaks. Lenses can be swapped out when the light exposure changes
Equipment
- Radio
- Then: wireless radios but only on the lower mountain
- Now: walkie-talkie radios are common and sometimes even cell service (Everest Climbing Gear - Then and Now)
Equipment
- Oxygen
- Then: Two types of oxygen systems available, most used an open circuit system which weighed about 18 pounds
- Now: over 95% of climber use oxygen and one bottle systems weighing about 8.6 pounds (Everest Climbing Gear - Then and Now)
Equipment
- Harnesses
- Then: No harnesses, climbers tied a rope harness around themselves, usually just around their waist and not through their legs
- Now: Modern harnesses are made of webbing and have built in padding (Everest Climbing Gear - Then and Now)
Equipment
- Altimeters
- Then: Handheld
- Now: Watches that use a GPS and barometric pressure to record altitude and aid in navigation (Everest Climbing Gear - Then and Now)
Equipment
- Crampons
- Then: 12-point steel, heavy and tied on to the foot with string
- Now: lightweight 10- and 12-point stainless steel using a webbing strap or heel bail clip system (Everest Climbing Gear - Then and Now)
Equipment
- Rope
- Then: twisted hemp rope, had little give known to snap on occasion under particularily hard falls
- Now: Dynamic braided nylon ropes with waterproofing finish
Equipment
- Tents
- Then: heavy and bulky, were made from cotton, and were often crowded, uncomfortable (Everest Climbing Gear - Then and Now)
- Now: lightweight nylon with carbon fiber or fiberglass poles (Everest Climbing Gear - Then and Now)
Equipment
- Sleeping Bags
- Then: Canvas and down sleeping bags, unknown temperature rating
- Now: nylon and down sleeping bags rated for 20 and 40 degrees below zero Farenheit (Everest Climbing Gear - Then and Now)
Clothing
- Hat
- Then: hand knit "sun helmet"
- Now: Mesh nets and a light nylon fabric to promote breathability (Everest Climbing Gear - From Hillary to Hilaree)
Clothing
- Base layers
- Then: long underwear synthetic top and bottom
- Now: FlashDry that allows moisture to evaporate quicker (Everest Climbing Gear - From Hillary to Hilaree)
Clothing
- Boots
- Then: two types of high altitude boots, reindeer skin boots wrapped in a canvas over boot or kid leather boots with an inch of kapok fibers for insulation
- Now: high altitude, mountaineering specific boots with battery powered boot heaters
Clothing
Clothing
- Insulation layers
- Then: wool underwear, wool shirt, string vest, wool sweater, down pants and jacket, and a layer of windbreakers
- Now: Synthetic or merino wool base layers, varying mid layers, and a down suit
Clothing
Clothing
- Face/Neck Gaiter
- Then: Wool scarves that were custom made for the climbed because they were not available on the shelves
- Now: Tube-hat peice that is made out of synthetic fabric. These are thin and seamless and can fit under a heat, helmet, and hood to keep out the cold. (Everest climbing gear - from Hillary to Hilaree)
Clothing
- Midlayer
- Then: A woolen "jumper suit" that provided insulation.
- Now: Compression tights that provide support and some warmth. These tights have elastic muscle-wrapping straps embedded on them which helps with support and better circulation. (Everst Climbing Gear - From Hillary to Hilaree)
Conclusion
There is a lot of gear that is used when climbing Mount Everest. This can be very expensive. However there all of this gear is very much needed in order to successfully climb. Although the gear no is much more compact and light weight, it is still heavy and there are other things such as food that need to be carried along with the clothing and equipment.