What to bring on tour
The following gear is mandatory.
Skiers: Skis with touring bindings and skins for climbing slopes
Snowboarders: Splitboard setup and skins for climbing slopes
Pending on weather conditions. Will announce eligibility closer to festival weekend:
Tele Skis + Skins (Must have skins. Pattern alone is not sufficient)
Snowboard + Snowshoes
Helmet, ideally with adjustable ventilation. Check your goggles fit it.
Poles (2 piece preferable)
Avalanche kit
avalanche transceiver (battery above 80%)
snow shovel
avalanche probe
Whistle – pea-less and loud
Backpack – 20-30 litres is a good size for day trips. A tool compartment for probe and shovel, goggle pocket and pole attachments are very handy.
Clothing – outer waterproof shell layer (jacket and pants) and multiple inner layers to regulate warmth. No cotton.
Gloves – warm pair for cold conditions and lighter pair for warmer conditions
Goggles– magnetic interchangeable lenses are very handy for changing light
Sunscreen and lip balm
Water bottle or bladder – drink tubes should be insulated to prevent freezing
Food – lunch and high energy snacks
Mobile phone – keep the battery charged
Headlamp – suitable lumens for skiing at night/in low visibility conditions
The following gear is highly recommended but not mandatory.
Ski or splitboard crampons (strongly recommended)
Ice Axe / Whippet
Poles with self arrest grip(s)
Ski straps – good for securing skis on packs, can be used for emergency repairs
Sunglasses – snow rated ideally
Navigation equipment – map, compass, GPS
First aid kit – lightweight
A small powerbank to recharge your phone if required
Gear hire.
Tirol Sports at Hotham have the following limited BC gear for hire as well as a range of backcountry equipment for sale:
Avi backpacks x 4
Splitboards x 4
Touring Skis x 4
https://www.tirolsports.com.au/
Everest Sports Bright offer Alpine Touring Skis + Boots, Avi Backpacks (Beacon, Probe and Shovel) for hire. Everest also hires out Telemark Skis with Skins.
Bumps Elsternwick offers backcountry gear rental.
Touring skis from DPS, Blizzard, K2, Dynafit and Salomon. They are all mounted with a mixture of Market Kingpins, Barons and Tours, Dynafit Radical 2 and G3.
A complete Avalanche pack with includes BCA Tracker 3, shovel and probe.
Snow Monkey at Jack Frost have Alpine Touring Skis, Splitboards and Avi Backpacks that come with shovel, probe and beacon, and are offering 50% off all Dynafit boots for the festival.
Supply is limited so bookings are recommended, and Snow Monkey has a three-day minimum for rentals.
https://www.snowmonkey.com.au/contact-us/
You can rent backcountry equipment from OneTree Sports at Hotham Central. Rent your skis or splitboard, beacon, probe and shovel, snowshoes, poles and helmet, all in one go.
https://www.mthotham.com.au/on-mountain/during-your-stay/retail-shopping/one-tree-sports

