Scottish Winter Kit List 2017

With the next Scottish winter season fast approaching here's a few ideas on various items of kit to keep you comfortable. My 'delicate' climbing style means that I'm fairly demanding of my kit so the emphasis is generally on durability closely followed by ease of use and weight. Some folk may find this system a wee bit warm but the majority of my work with clients is slower paced than when personal climbing so the addition of a gillet has a huge increase in my comfort. I've also given up trying to stay totally dry in typical Scottish conditions so many of my choices are more about being comfortable and warm when wet. This is the system I’ve fined tuned over the last eleven winter seasons working on the West Coast of Scotland in all conditions and while very much a personal choice I hope it gives you some ideas.... This season I'll also be working as part of the Rab & Lowe Alpine AMI Test Teams
  • ParamoBoots - Salewa Pro Guide (Unfortuently Salewa have discontinued the best Scottish winter boot I've ever tried. The inovative adjustable stiffness worked incredible well giving B2 comfort for the walk in and a solid B3 platform for climbing. The waterproofness  was pretty good and a wide fitting last kept my toes in good shape).
  • Gaiters - Rab Latok Alpine Gaiter (Not required with the Salewa as they have a built in mini gaiter but if you need them then these are pretty much indestructible with a  nice slim fit which doesn't snag)
  • Waterproof Jacket - Rab Latok Alpine Jacket ()
  • Waterproof Trousers - Paramo Aspira Trousers (Now discontinued but the way forward for operating in Scotland in almost any conditions. They're too heavy to carry in your bag as a pair of waterproof trousers but worn from the car, either by themselves or with a lightweight long john, they are amazingly waterproof, breathable, durable and comfortable. The ability to endlessly reproof the fabric coupled with an excellent repair service when you do eventually damage them has made me a convert. The new Paramo Enduro Tour look similar and may be worth a look. If I'm using a more traditional waterproof trouser approach then the Rab Latok Alpine and VR Guide Pants combination works well together)
  • Thermal Top - Rab MeCo T-shirt
  • Warm Top - Rab Vapour Rise Alpine Jacket
  • Gillet - Rab Altus Vest
  • Belay Jacket - Rab Photon X Jacket
  • Gloves - Mountain Equipment Randonne (The best glove I've found by far. They have a decent leather palm, soft shell back and fibre pile inner. It does mean that they aren't waterproof and on a typical day I'll use 2-3 pairs. However they are warm when wet, very durable, fairly dexterous and won't break the bank.
  • Mitts - Buffalo Double P Mitts (Cheap, lightweight & warm when wet. Perfect as an emergency pair at the bottom of your bag. Go for XXL to go over other gloves or for ease of getting on when your hands are frozen)
  • Harness - DMM Super Couloir (A very well respected alpine harness which is lightweight and simple to operate)
  • Crampons - Grivel G12
  • Ice Tools - Black Diamond Viper (Probably the best all round climbing tools for the majority of winter climbers. It performs well on ice or mixed routes and with or with out leashes. The optional Titan pick is pretty much indestructible and it's only on the steepest ice you'll need to swop back to the b rated ice picks. I now climb leashless with a DMM Freedom Leash. )
  • Ice Axe - Grivel Air Tech Evolution (Surprisingly for such a lightweight axe I've not managed to break it yet despite 10 years of abuse. The head is forged which means it will stand up to anything the Scottish mountains can throw at it)
  • Rucksack - Lowe Alpine Alpine Attack 35-45
  • Bothy Bag - Rab Superlite Shelter 4 (Incredibly light but it does sacrifice some durability)
  • Survival Bag - Blizzard Bag (Bothy bags eventually end up the same temperature as the surroundings so if you have a casualty or are unlucky enough to spend the night out you'll be very glad of the extra warmth and protection.)
  • Waterbottle - Nalgene Wide Necked Bottle (A simple and functional design. In cold temperatures store upside down in your bag so any ice will form at the bottom of your bottle so you can still get a drink. It's worth necking a litre of fluid before you set out meaning you are well hydrated for the walk in)
  • First Aid Kit - in an Exped Dry Bag .
  • Trekking Poles - Black Diamond Expedition Poles (A simple and strong design. The flicklock system is stronger and easier to use in winter than the more normal twisting design. I have broken a couple of lower sections (ski mountaineering) but you can purchase spares separately and cheaply)
  • Map Case - Ortlieb (The industry standard. try and find the half size map case, just a bit bigger than the A5 version, which is ideal for stowing in your chest pocket)
  • Map - British Mountain Maps 1:40,000 from the BMC (A brilliant series of waterproof maps which cover most of the more popular areas. if going further afield then the OS 1:50,000 works fine as well)
  • Compass - Silva Expedition 4 (Again the industry standard. despite some recent problems with the numbers rubbing off the dial this still remains the best compass for serious navigation in poor conditions. Always take 2 compasses as they have a habit of getting lost / broken.)
  • GPS - Garmin  eTrex 10 (Cheap, simple & indestructible. Does everything you need it to with no extra features)
  • Headtorch - Petzl Tikka XP (A good combination of weight, performance and reliability)
  • Drybags - Exped Drybags (A cheap and effective way or organising and protecting your equipment)
  • Helmet - Petzl Elios (The best combination of comfort, protection, price and lightness. Comes in two sizes as well which is useful for wearing with a hat)
  • Goggles - Julbo Gravit Cat 2 Goggle (Unfortunately not made anymore but a cheap, simple goggle with a yellow Cat 2 lens perfect for Scottish white out conditions)
  • Buff - Original Buff (A great invention for stopping the spindrift getting where it shouldn't)
  • Hat - Rab Logo Beanie (Most manufacturers do a variation on these simple wool & fleece hats) 
  • Shovel - Black Diamond Deploy (A very strong but compact shovel)
  • Avalanche Probe - Black Diamond Quick Draw Tour Probe
  • Thermos - A cheap aluminum bottle containing hot Apple Squash with a few slices of fresh ginger! Gaffa taping some matches around the lid helps with opening it while wearing your gloves)
  • Food - Selection of Maltloaf, flapjack, Porkpies, Jellybabies & Bounty chocolate bars.