For your safety and comfort we ask that you have the following equipment and clothing. Crossing Latitudes, Inc. does not rent or sell personal gear. You must supply all personal gear. Please read the Equipment list carefully.

We encourage our participants to use gear they already own or can borrow. We will gladly check all gear prior to your trip to make sure it is suitable. Your rain jacket and pants, wet shoes and any specialized paddling equipment should be of good quality. If you are purchasing new items before traveling, we suggest you look through mail order brochures (Patagonia, Kokatat, R.E.I., L.L.Bean etc.) for pricing and varieties available.

Crossing Latitudes will provide all group gear such as quality tents, tarps, stoves, cooking and eating utensils, first aid kits, repair kits, fuel, food bags, spices, maps, sea kayaks and all related sea kayaking equipment such as spray skirts, Pfd’s, rescue gear, paddles, charts etc.

REQUIRED ITEMS
The following is a list of items you should bring to ensure that you stay warm, dry and comfortable during your trip. If you have any questions about your personal gear, please give us a call: 1-800-572-8747 (USA) or 070-670 11 53 (Sweden).

FOOTWEAR
Wool socks: 2-3 pairs of heavy wool. At least 75% wool is recommended.
Liner socks: 1-2 pairs. These are light weight polypropylene or silk socks to slip on under the wool socks.
Wet Shoes: 1 pair. These can be a knee high rubber boot that fit comfortably with 1-2 pair of socks, or a pair of thick soled dive booties. Sandals or an old pair of sneakers worn with neoprene socks also work. Your feet will get wet and the water can be chilly so proper footwear is important. NOTE: Most staff wear knee high rubber boots (also known as Wellies). We believe they are the best footwear for keeping your feet warm and dry.
Camp shoes: 1 pair. This pair of shoes can be your trail shoes, a pair of sneakers or running shoes. Some folks like sandals, such as Tevas or Alps.
Sandals: (Optional) 1 pair. Tevas, Chacos and Alps are recommended. These can also be used as wet shoes if used in combination with neoprene socks.

CLOTHING Lower Body
Long Underwear bottoms: 1-2 pair. These should be middle or expedition weight polypropylene or wool. Cotton and cotton blends are not acceptable as they won't provide warmth when wet. Some folks like to have one polypropylene pair and an extra silk pair.
Pants: 1 pair. This pair of pants needs to be durable. There are many nice travel pants made out of quick drying nylon on the market nowadays. The pant legs can often be zipped off, so your pants become shorts (Patagonia, Ex-Officio, R.E.I. ).
Shorts: 1 pair. We recommend roomy, lightweight nylon shorts.
Rain Pants: 1 pair. Heavy, strong 100% waterproof rain pants or bibs work best for sea kayaking. Rubberized rain gear works well for paddling as well. Some recommended brand names for rain gear are; Patagonia, Helly Hansen, Kokatat, and REI.
Underwear: 2-3. Bring a few pair of ordinary cotton, nylon briefs or boxer shorts.

Upper Body
You will need at least 3 insulation layers that fit comfortably over each other. These can be of a variety of weights and insulation values to mix and match as the conditions vary. Synthetics or wool both perform well.
Long Underwear Tops: 1- 2 pairs. A polypropylene top and a silk top work well. These are good inner layers and are comfortable while paddling. One turtleneck style is nice.
Sweater: 1 pair. A capilene or synchilla pullover and/or a wool sweater (at least 75% wool) provide great warmth when combined with a Long Underwear top.
Fleece Jacket or sweater: 1. This will probably be your warmest layer. We recommend a heavy fleece jacket, a windproof lined jacket, or a heavier wool sweater that can fit comfortably over the other tops.
Rain Jacket: 1. Your rain parka must be 100% waterproof and roomy enough to fit over your upper body layers. Patagonia (Skanorak), Helly Hansen, Kokatat and many other companies carry high-tech, good quality rain gear. The quality of this piece of clothing could make a big difference in your comfort level during foul weather. A poncho is not recommended as they offer poor shelter in exposed windy conditions.
Underwear: 1-2. We recommend the sports bras made out of Polyester/Lycra spandex. They are warm, comfortable and wick moisture away from your body.

HEAD & HANDS
Poagies/Paddling gloves: 1 pair. Poagies are a specialized mitt designed to go over a paddle shaft for kayaking. A rowing glove or neoprene dive glove will also work well.
Wool or Pile cap: 1. A ski cap or balaclava are fine.
Sun hat: 1. A baseball cap or sun hat to shade your eyes from glaring and reflecting sunlight on the water is recommend.

MISCELLANEOUS REQUIRED ITEMS
Sunscreen and Lip balm: 1-2 small tubes/bottles of Sun protection factor of at least #15.
Toilet Articles: For your personal needs.
Plastic Water Bottle: 1. A bike bottle or a wide mouth liter bottle work well.
Sunglasses: 1 pair. The drugstore counter varieties are not appropriate for protecting your eyes from the glare on the water. Glasses should transmit no more than 10% visible light and be at least 95% UV protected. Chums or another brand of eye glass retainer are recommended.
Extra glasses or Contacts: If you wear corrective glasses or contact lenses we highly recommend you bring along a spare set.
Passport: It’s a good idea to bring a photocopy of the ID page and 2 extra passport photos.
Knife: A small pocket knife can come in handy at times.

SLEEPING GEAR
Sleeping Bag: We require a sleeping bag with synthetic fill (Fiberfill, Dacron, PolarGuard, Hollofil, Quallofil). A bag with synthetic fill will maintain loft when wet, a Goose Down bag will not. You need at least 3 pounds of fill weight. A sleeping bag with cotton lining is not acceptable, they will lose all insulating value when wet.
Sleeping pad: Choose either an extra long closed cell foam pad of 3/8 inches thickness or a full-length Therm-a-Rest air mattress.
Compression Stuff sack: 1. This holds your sleeping bag and keeps it as small as possible.
Ensolite Stuff sack: 1. A nylon stuff sack for your sleeping pad will protect your pad.

BAGS
Many small to medium sized bags are easier to pack in the kayak than one or two large bags. An assortment of colors and styles usually makes it easier to organize. The largest bag you pack in the kayak is usually your compressed sleeping bag. Your clothing and other dry bags should be markedly smaller.

For packing your personal gear you can either use dry bags or small nylon zip bag/duffel bags. Dry bags are specialized water gear. Seal Line, NRS, REI and many other companies carry these bags. We often use a top loading zippered nylon bag with a double handle and a Trash compactor bag to make these bags water proof. The nylon bags with trash compactor bags are a more economic alternative to dry bags.

Waterproof Dry bag: 2-3. Bring small (10 liters) or medium (20 liters) size dry bags for personal items. . It is much easier to pack a number of small to medium sized bags into the kayak than it is to pack a couple of large bags.
Day pack: 1. A day pack for miscellaneous gear and to be used on walks is recommended.
Boat bag: This is a large nylon duffel bag where all your smaller bags, sleeping bag and ensolite pad can be hauled up and down the beach in. While paddling it is compressed and stuffed away empty.

WET SUITS & DRY SUITS
We do not require wetsuits or drysuits though we always dress well for exposure to cold water. It is true that drysuits and neoprene wetsuits do prolong the time one can stay alert immersed in cold water. Wearing one would be wise for the aggressive paddler who is venturing far from any shore or paddling in very rough or challenging conditions. We believe the best protection is good judgment and to be off the water in questionable conditions. We balance our selection of paddling attire for water and surface conditions.

If you usually wear a drysuit or wetsuit while paddling and would like to bring it along then we encourage you to do so. A Farmer John “shortie” or a breathable Gore-tex drysuit are popular options. If you are looking to purchase a dry suit we can highly recommend dry suits manufactured by Kokatat.

OPTIONAL ITEMS
Wind Shirt: 1. A roomy nylon wind shell large enough to fit over your upper body layers is nice while paddling. This wind shirt can also be used in the city as an extra layer.
Wind pants: A pair of light weight wind proof pants are nice to wear over your long johns on cool days.
Neoprene socks: 1 pair. These can be worn with rubber boots, or with sandals. 2-3 mm thick is recommended.
Wool or Polypropylene gloves/mittens: 1 pair. These are nice to wear around camp.
Paddle Jacket: 1. This is a specialized waterproof paddling jacket with a neoprene or rubber gasket collar, we recommend one with a hood such as the Patagonia Skanorak. A rain jacket with adjustable tight fitting cuffs makes a suitable paddle jacket. Kokatat and Patagonia are some excellent brand names. Our guides like to size their paddling jackets over their personal floatation device (PFD) so they can easily change while on the water.
Neck Warmer or Scarf: 1. This is a great extra layer for those who get cold easily.
Camera & Film: Unforgettable memories! Bring a waterproof bag or container.
Binoculars: We highly recommend binoculars as they will let you enjoy a closer look at the birds, marine mammals and the water conditions.
Insect Repellent: 1 small bottle will be plenty.
Mosquito Headnet: 1. Some summers we have no bugs, other summers we might encounter these nasty creatures a few times during a trip.
Stuff sacks: 2-3 small stuff-sacks to organize your personal clothes and toiletries.
Cotton Bandannas: 1-2. Useful for all sorts of things.
Crazy Creek Chair: These camping chairs are nice for sitting on the ground.
Book: Bring a good paperback. We do bring a small “library” of kayaking and Scandinavia natural history books along on each trip.
Camp Towel: A small to medium size. Chamois dries faster than terry cloth.
Trash compactor bags: 6. Heavy duty plastic trash bags to line your bags. They ensure waterproofing.
Flashlight: 1. A head lamp or a small but powerful flashlight + extra batteries and bulb. Especially nice in late summer when it actually does get dark at night.

CASUAL TRAVEL WEAR
Though Laundromats are scarce in Scandinavia, we encourage you to keep your luggage to two items, a large duffel bag or a backpack, and a small second suitcase/bag. A small day pack is nice to have instead of a purse while traveling and sightseeing.

We will be able to store "extra" luggage at the hotel. This means you can have some clean clothes when we return for showers and our final dinner.

Please give us a ring if you have questions about what to bring: 1-800-572-8747 (US) or
070-670 11 53 (in Sweden).

Expect the best weather but be prepared for the worst!