Expo 2008/Gear order

On the 18th May at the tackle store clearing sessions we counted:

• 16 tackle sacks in usable condition
• 25 slings
• 24 deviation hangers with deviation cord
• 28 karabiners
• 208 hangers with maillons
• 21 clown hangers
• 2 hangers without maillons
• 8 hangers without bolts or maillons
• 13 ring hangers without bolts (they need a different type of bolt apparently)

We also found some bolts, but no o rings. See Expo 2008/Survey Equipment for a list of surveying equipment that we found. Kathryn 19:43, 18 May 2008 (BST)

Thanks Kathryn! Now, since I've never even been to Expo could I ask for a metalwork/safety gear list to be prepared so I just do the haggling and shopping bit? --Zucca 14:34, 20 May 2008 (BST)

Suggested gear to buy this year

Here's the list of items people have suggested that we should buy for this year (from the meeting we had a few weeks ago, and suggestions made over the past few weeks):

• Expo GPS - a GPS that would live at top camp for anyone to use
• Walkie-talkies - for shaft bashing/rescue I guess
  • Walkie talkies need to take AA batteries otherwise their charger should be a 'car charger'
• Expo video camera - for filming the documentary
• Food boxes - to keep squirrels + mice at bay. Hammocks don't protect against squirrels and it's not very easy to see/access the contents of the large darren drums.
  • Try to get some large jar type containers, mashed potato and sugar gets full crud in a sandwich box.
• Extra gas bottle - not sure how much gas we use, but another bottle could be useful
  • Have we considered buying or re-filling in Austria? Out there they run their houses of bottled gas. Plus a bottle is quite bulky and relativly heavy, do we need to lug it all the way accross europe? --Frank 12:10, 27 May 2008 (BST)
  • Camping gas (and bottles) can be bought about a kilometre up the road towards Grundlsee from base camp. I think the turning (on the left as you head towards Grundlsee) has a big cartwheel by it. In 2007 there was a helpful GAZ sign facing the other way so you don't miss the turning a second time heading back from Grundlsee:) Duncan Collis 06:28, 29 May 2008 (BST)
• Extra tarps - I think it would be good to wind proof the bivi. It would make it much warmer if we had a tarp covering the entrance/back.

Maybe easiest to buy locally- last year we bought a huge tarp from the garden / hardware store for about 40 euros I think?-Aaron 08:31, 21 May 2008 (BST)

• New lead-acid battery - to supplement the current one. The solar panels we have are quite powerful, and I doubt we're collecting all the energy they produce during the day. For ease of carrying it might be easier to get two smaller batteries than one monster large one.
  • The existing battery is a Yuassa NPC 38 (I think), Costs £98 inc delivery RS. The main chriteria is that the battery is a 'cyclic' lead acid battery, not 'standby' or 'float' --Frank 12:10, 27 May 2008 (BST)
• Distos - We already have one disto, but more could be useful. I think one per pony would be a good number to have.

Ollie s 20:55, 18 May 2008 (BST)

so it seems that I've been elected to do the gear order. Yadda. Could you please reorder the list so I know what to tackle first?

some ideas I gathered

• Food boxes (transparents)-> Tesco or cheaper
• GPS -> F&T?
• Walkie-talkies ->F&T?

• video camera -> Ask Olly M, he just bought one which is helmet mountable.

• gas bottle -> where do I get it from? and to what specs? Can somebody else do this? -see above
• lead battery -> ditto
• Distos -> ditto (and what is a disto?)

--Zucca 14:30, 20 May 2008 (BST)

• Six stainless steel Maillion Rapides for use with teh Petzl permanant anchors donated for up-pitches in KH. Make sure these are propper tested stainless MRs and not cheap ones.--Frank 20:17, 28 May 2008 (BST)
• Blue polyprop rope 6mmx500m Screwfix £25, for bivi,--Frank 20:41, 28 May 2008 (BST) I could get it if needed?

Items already obtained

• Drills - we don't need to buy any as Matika have helpfully donated us some
• Another Pony - we're buying one more from Phil
• Phones - we have bought 3 Nokia 1110s and a car charger
• Lots of labels for food boxes at top camp & marker pens --Frank 20:33, 28 May 2008 (BST)
• Liberated a load of polythene from work, may be useful instaead of tarps but heavy and not very strong.--Frank 20:44, 28 May 2008 (BST)