Mount Fuji - Equipment

So, if you've been keeping track, I modified my previous post a bit since a few more important things came to mind, and it belonged more in that post than this. If you've already read it, I can sum up the things I thought of in three simple bullet points.

• Going slower than you think means you run out of supplies, so know who you're travelling with and pack according to the slowest among them.
• Know the weather before you go up, and don't if it's going to be bad.
• Medical supplies moved to this post, which details equipment you'll need.

So with that, I'll get on to this post, what you need equipment-wise, as I've finally managed to tear myself away from Dragon's Dogma for a while. This is the stuff that you can find on other web sites - everyone will tell you what to bring, but hopefully I can point out some details that many just gloss over. I'm going to start out with a quote from Utawarerumono, and add my own spin to it.

Food, water, breathable air, warmth. Take away any one of those, and man cannot survive.

Keeping in top shape on Mount Fuji involves doing whatever you can so that you don't lose any single one of these, but fortunately most of these can be handled with ample preparation.

Food

This shouldn't come as a surprise: you're spending hours walking up a mountain away from civilization, so you're going to get hungry. The only question is what to bring up with you.

You'll want a good supply of stuff that won't spoil, or you'll have to eat your perishables before they go bad. Foodstuffs that are compact and lightweight also make for easy carrying, as long as they don't crumble in your backpack.

Grains - The good thing about grains is that they tend to inflate in your belly when combined with water, which means your stomach can feel nice and happy with relatively small amounts of eating. You can purchase rice balls at any convenience store in Japan, but they'll only last a day before they turn into wasted space. I recommend granola bars - one of my friends brought some for the climb and passed them around to us. They were great - non-spoilable, compact, and light. In other words, perfect.

Sugary Foods - Once your stomach's full, the next thing you need to make sure of is that you actually have the energy to ascend. A bag of trail mix works wonders for this - dried fruits and nuts were great for supplementing my climbing diet, and left me feeling slightly energized afterwards.

Actual Food - There might not be any recourse for this but to buy it on the mountain, and prices will be steep. Regular fare on the mountain is about the same quality you'd get from heat-and-eat dinners (or worse), and they'll run you 1200 yen or so. For those of you who are thinking of going for Cup Noodle or anything that requires hot water to make, know that even cold water can be hard to come by if you don't buy it. The bathrooms I found didn't even have running water, and I think the only forms of liquid I saw on the mountain came from a bottle or came from the sky. However, the amount of good that real food can do for you, in terms of nutritious content and for the sheer fact that you can have a decent-ish meal, can be great. Once again, like in the previous post, bring plenty of cash to keep you going, but as a word of warning: you shouldn't rely on being able to buy every last bit of food you'll need on the mountain, as you might find yourself in a place where it simply isn't around.

Water

This one should be so obvious, I shouldn't even need to go into why you need it so much. I mean, you'll be sweating a lot and doing a lot of physical exertion. You're going to lose water, and you'll need to replace it.

Straight water is fine and all, but I'm more a fan of sports drinks. They have other nutritious content that plain water just doesn't have - sugars, salts, and electrolytes, all of which you'll need more of, in addition to the life-giving sustenance we all know and drink. In my case, a one-liter and a two-liter bottle were only just enough, so if I were to do this again (I won't), I'd bring two big two-liter bottles. You can get this stuff on the mountain, but you'll be charged out the nose for it. The going price when I went up was 500 yen for a half-liter bottle - three times the price of what you'd pay for in the city.

Finally, I recommend you don't bring the same flavors up with you. I understand that in Japan, sports drinks usually come in Pocari-esque flavor and lemon flavor, but if you pack four liters of the same stuff, you might start to get sick of it. And a helpful hint: if you're downing lots of fluid hoping to re-energize and it's not really working, you need food instead.

Breathable Air

Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about this one, but don't worry - you'll just be subject to lower amounts of oxygen than most people are used to, and Mount Fuji isn't high enough where the altitude by itself is life-threatening (at least for most people, I'm sure there's an exception somewhere). This means you'll tire out easier, and your rest will get progressively less restful as you go up the mountain. While you can buy canisters of oxygen within the city and at (very few) shops on the mountain, they'll likely only provide a brief moment of reprieve for those of you in need of oxygen.

Altitude sickness is a real threat on Mount Fuji, and some people handle it better than others. Thankfully, if you notice yourself suffering from altitude sickness, you can rest or make the decision to turn back - it will only affect you as much as you let it.

Warmth

Okay, this part will probably be the longest of the four, since there's so much stuff you gotta pack for. Suffice to say, when you start out at the beginning of whatever trail you decide to take, it could feel like a brisk autumn day, even though it's July. When you get to around halfway up, it's winter. Snow doesn't really melt that well on the top of the mountain, and you'll feel it a quite a few stations before. What this means: pack layers of clothing like you would for winter. They'll start in your backpack and gradually come out of the backpack and onto your body as you ascend, making your load less bulky as you go up. While you might start the climb wishing you'd packed lighter, trust me... halfway to the destination you'll be thanking yourself.

But first, a word about rain. Even if the weather report says there will be none, it's always a good idea to protect yourself from it in case the weather changes. This is because wet clothes tend to stick to your body, take the temperature of the environment (not your body), and even soak up the weight of all the water they absorb. Remember, it is winter on Mount Fuji, and if you spend too much time with clothes sticking to you that are trying their hardest to also be winter temperature, you'll find it hard to keep your stamina... not to mention that you'll be liable to catch a cold.

While going up the mountain, it's not enough to have warm clothing - your clothing must also keep the wet out of them and off your body. Thankfully, certain materials are good at this while not being too stuffy - look for stuff with GoreTex in it. Pseudo-leather with a fleece inside also worked in my case. And just in case you're wondering, an umbrella is a very bad idea - it doesn't protect your legs, tends to be pushed around or destroyed by strong winds, and takes up the use of a hand. It'll also poke any other traveler beside you, so not only will it be a nuisance to you, it'll be one to those around you.

Legwear - Oft neglected and thus the reason I'm mentioning this first, the legs are important to protect from rain (as is the rest of your body) seeing as they occupy the entire half of your body that does every bit of the heavy lifting. If that part of your body is cold beyond the help of rest... well, your arms might be fine, but you can't walk the trail with your hands.
One of my friends bought a pair of rain pants for the climb, I brought my trench coat. In all honesty, rain pants are probably the better option of the two since they're more nimble and probably allow you to shave some carrying weight. I was a little worried the trench coat would catch on something and make me trip while going up. It didn't end up happening though, so maybe I was worrying too much. On the plus side... going up in a trench coat is a lot more stylish.

Waterproof Backpack - Something else that's sometimes ignored, and thus the reason I'm mentioning it second. It doesn't matter what's in your backpack - if it's wet and unusable (like your extra layers of winter clothing you don't need yet), it's just extra weight. Get a backpack that doesn't soak up the rain so that you can preserve your supplies and keep your stuff dry. One of my friends had a water-resistant backpack that came with a waterproof cover - great preparation on his part, though you might not need to go that far.

Footwear - Whether or not you know you're going to be walking in the rain and in the mud, you'll be walking on paths made of dirt, gravel, or volcanic ash. None of that you want in your shoes and socks pestering your bare feet, so you'll need some footwear that won't let any of that inside the shoe. As well, you're going to need soles with good traction so you can step across loose terrain. This means boots.
From my understanding, there are 6 inch boots and 8 inch boots in terms of how tall they are, and either will do. I brought a pair of Belleville 770's (an 8-inch boot), but if truth be told, I didn't have much time to get used to their weight beforehand (and they're a little on the heavy side), so walking was a little harder than I imagined it would be. While I probably could have done fine with a pair of 6-inchers, they still functioned extremely well and I'm glad I got them regardless. Once again, the boots had a layer of GoreTex in them to keep moisture out, and had Vibram soles for good traction. They were also stylish.

Rain Coat - Again, you need something to keep the wet off of you, and that means a coat that doesn't absorb rain. Keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily have to keep you warm so long as your other layers do the job. If your choice of headwear doesn't keep you warm, a hood might be just what you're looking for.

Headwear - Most sites will recommend a hat with flanges, which are those hats with the droopy rims that remind me of flimsy cowboy hats. The point is to keep the sun out of your eyes. I decided to make warmth more of a priority, and went with an actual aviator hat with a front flap that could be unbuttoned and pulled down if needed. Either way, a chin strap is a welcome addition, since that will keep the thing from blowing off your head. You don't want to lose your hat, do you?

Gloves - There could be other options, but I went with snowboarding gloves and a pair of liners for these, as they're pretty much designed for everything you'll be dealing with on the mountain. They need to keep rain and snow out, they can't be too bulky, and as a bonus, they're intended to be used in cold temperatures while in the midst of strenuous physical activity. My particular set of gloves, a pair of Dakine Rovers, came with a wrist strap as well, which was a very welcome feature since it meant I could slip off my gloves and take out my camera without worrying about them blowing away. The liners I could have done without since they were always on whenever the Rovers were on unless I had my camera out, but they still were a nice addition that still kept some warmth in when I was taking pictures, and they only cost 10 bucks.

Change of Clothes - Just in case you do get wet despite your best efforts, you'll want something dry to change into the moment the rain stops bothering you. I also recommend a pair of pajama shorts, since it'll make sleeping that much easier. In case you've got lodgings on the mountain and don't have any dry clothes, it might be a better idea to sleep without much on. From what I hear, a good blanket will keep you about as warm with clothes as it will without, and sleeping with wet clothes will be unrestful and can get you sick.

Other Stuff

Now that survival has been taken care of, here's all the other stuff you'll be needing. Keep in mind there's a common thread in everything I've mentioned, and that thread is maintaining your health. Health is priceless. I think I spent some three or four hundred bucks weeks before I left for Japan just getting equipment to make the climb, but every last dollar I spent, I'm seriously glad I did. Like in my last post, being wise about your spending also involves shelling out for things when you know you need them. So don't be shy in the face of necessity, and definitely don't be shy when you'll be turning your back to your health otherwise.

Flashlight/Headlamp - Probably the single, most basic thing you need, and the one that everyone should think of. Regardless of whether or not you plan to do any climbing in the night, you might find your plans changed without too much choice. I'd strongly recommend a headlamp since it frees up a valuable hand slot. Get spare batteries, too.

Signal Whistle - If bad stuff happens, blowing a whistle takes a lot less energy than yelling, and the signal goes further. Seriously, this one's like 5 bucks at Walmart and comes with a compass and thermometer attached, so do yourself a favor and grab one in case the worst should happen.
Just so that you know, if you're nowhere where people can hear your voice and you need help, the international distress signal is 6 whistles spaced evenly across a minute (or six of some sort of signal every ten seconds), flowed by a minute of rest before repeating the entire process. The response is the same, except with three whistles instead of six, but keep signalling even if you hear a response since that will help them find you. I guess the last thing you have to hope for is that whoever hears it knows what it is, but you can't help that. Intuitively, any staff in a shop on the mountain should, or if they don't, they should know something's up if they keep hearing it.

Basic Medical Supplies - Again, goes without saying, but you should be able to patch up minor wounds. Small and large bandages and some disinfectant would help, or you can bring gauze and medical tape.
One unfortunate woman we met on the way, though she presumably didn't go tumbling off the side of the mountain, had broken two of her toes on the way up. I'm not saying you need to bring plaster and know how to make your own cast, but you might have to deal with something similar. Thankfully, the group she was with had some tape on them and the woman was able to descend the mountain and get off.

Your Medication - I don't think I should have to say this, but just in case... if you're on medication when you plan to go up, bring it with you.

Toilet Paper - I didn't run into this, but some restrooms on the mountain aren't very glamorous fare. I hear that some of them don't even have toilet paper, so bring your own. Camping toilet paper might be a good idea, since it's made to be more compact than most regular use stuff, which means it's easier to carry and won't run the risk of getting torn up. And just so that you know, about all of them you have to fork over 200 or so yen to use.

Trash Bag - It doesn't have to be a full-sized one, and well... it shouldn't be a full-sized one (a plastic bag you get at a store should do), but on Mount Fuji, all trash you make on the mountain comes off the mountain with you. So you'll need something to store it in so it doesn't get all over your backpack. Keep the place beautiful, and all that.
Do note though, that when I say every piece of trash you produce comes down with you, I mean it in the most literal sense of the word. One of my companions vomited in a bag, but no one would deal with it for him and he had to take it down the mountain himself. So remember, everything comes down with you. Even vomit in a bag.

Camera - So you can take a Power Shot of all the Kodak moments you come across. Keep in mind, though, stopping to take pictures means going slower.