Paris Catacombs - Packing List

[Oxygen Thief]

This is my suggestion for a packing list for Paris.

These are 'the basics' based on experiences from previous trips. Remember you have to carry everything around, it becomes uncomfortable steadily and surely.

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Essential equipment is marked with an asterix *

Personal items.

* Eurostar or flight tickets
* Passport (Mandatory - you can get arrested for not having it on you)
* Euros, wallet, cards
* Mobile phone and contact numbers
* Waterproof case for above kit

Essential Clothing and equipment...

* Your usual exploring clothes. Combat trousers, or other quick drying material is ideal, Jeans not so ideal. Don't bring a bulky coat, use a lightweight alternative. Your exposure to weather is going to be limited.
* Waders (preferably thigh height, rather than chest waders, or wellies). Insoles and big socks are good but a bit pinchy at times. If you are using these then buy your waders one size too large. (You can wear wellies or boots but you will get wet.)
* Headlamp
* Spare light source ie torch or head lamp
* Spare batteries for each
* Rucsac, about 40 - 45 litres should be sufficient. Old and dirty is good. Low centre of gravity and not too high also. Do not take a rucsac larger than this - it's a liability. Caving bags are also good if you have one.
* Personal First Aid kit
* Sleeping bag (2 season will be OK)
* Cutlery or a Spork
* Food and drink - discussed below

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Non-essential...

Helmet
Lamp attached to helmet
Knee pads - for those crawls - not essential but very nice if you can.
Camera, batteries, accessories
Tea-light candles if requested
Music (CD, MP3 etc)
Toothbrush and Toothpaste
Toilet paper for emergencies
'Ladies things' and a bag or two for disposal.
Imodium tablets (pop one before you go if you want)
A bag of sweets and chocolate, for when your energy levels need a quick boost.
Foil blanket
Foam sleeping mat or something to insulate from the ground (small as poss). Blacks do a small air bed for £10 - 20. Thermarest short sizes are OK but much more expensive and really, not as comfortable.
Rubbish bag - we don't leave trash down there, everything comes out with us.
E1-11 Medical Card - https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do

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Group Leaders...

Need to take the following...

* Map (Laminated or otherwise waterproof)
* Spare Map
* Compass (Silva)
* Spare Compass
Detailed maps of individual networks

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Food and drink...

You will need food and drink.

No need to carry anything over though it can all be bought locally The local shops are very good and sell everything we need.

Eating well and not drinking too much alcohol beforehand (yeah yeah I know) will help greatly.

Don't count on bringing a camping type stove, it has a high chance of being confiscated in transit.

Here's a standard list. It's your responsibly to take enough (but not grossly too much) for a high-energy high-impact trip.

* Water (= life). 2 litres or more. Can be replaced with energy type drinks. Camelbacks or similar are not recommended, we've seen them burst many times.
* Food. The first day we can eat fresh cheese, bread, meat and salad. Simple and healthy. Day 2 more of the same. A self-heating meal is great for the small hours when you need core warmth. See review post below for recommendations.
* Alcohol... is acceptable within safe limits. Can you climb a 30 metre wet vertical ladder with a rucsac whilst wearing waders, SAFELY, while drunk or impaired? Two or three beers is a good amount down there. Any more, it's an extra dead weight to carry, it's dehydrating, and you'll be up in the middle of a night for a piss. [/I]

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Notes...

Don't be late. Better to arrive several hours early than 5 minutes late. Don't assume we will wait for you.

Bring a small bag with a set of clothes for your return journey and leave it at Gare du Nord in the secure lockers for 4 Euros.

Travel out in your exploring clothes, with your waders in a separate lightweight bag or attached to your rucsac. Wear the lightest smallest footwear, trainers ideal. Get changed into the waders at some point determined by the group leader. You then carry your trainers underground. You will be wearing waders 100% of your time underground.

Cut your toenails very very short. When you stub your toes it will reduce the impact.

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To print this list click here... http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/printthread.php?t=5644
Any additions or amendments, please discuss in a new thread, I'll update the list as required.

[Oxygen Thief]

We did a field test of the self-heating meals.

Here's our review... (edited to show top two viable options only, the rest failed even basic functions.)

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In First place... by a long way...

Hotcan http://www.hotcan.com/

http://www.hotcan.com/images/home/new/all_day_breakfast.jpg

Pros: Very tasty, and a lot of it. Reliable. Scorching hot. Robust packaging.
Cons: Heavy, inflexible packaging (which makes it robust - a pro :crazy).

However, we'd rather have one of these than two of any other brand.

You can get them by mail-order from the above website.


In Second place...

Wayfarer, by Westlers. www.westlerfoods.com/wayfayrer/hotfoodkit.php

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b266/cjwinternet/Misc/self%20heating%20meals/HFKmeatballsandpastapacklowresWinCE.jpg

Pros: Lightweight and flexible. Good shelf life.
Cons: Tastes disgusting, especially when cold, which it normally is because the heating packs are useless.

You can get these at Blacks and other good outdoor shops. make sure you get the self heating ones, the packaging is almost the same as the non-heating meals.

[Oxygen Thief]

To buy waders in Paris, we used this shop...

La Maison de la Mouche Dubos. 1, Blvd Henri IV. 75004 Paris Tel: 01 43 54 60 46

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=pont+du+sully&countryCode=FR#map=48.85178,2.36458|17|4&bd=useful_information&loc=FR:48.85178:2.36458:17|boulevard%20henri%20iv| Boulevard%20Henri%20IV,%2075004,%204%C3%A8me%20Arr ondissement%20Paris,%20Ile-de-France

Among the tourists walking around Notre Dame, on the Ile de la Cité, some strange ritual goes almost unnoticed. Mostly men -sometimes a woman- with long poles, involved in strange and graceful movements.
They are members of a cult with a growing popularity: fly fishermen. And the reason for their visit on the little island in the middle of the Seine is "La Maison de la Mouche Dubos". The Maison Dubos (pronounce "du-boss") is the temple of the fly fishermen, the shrine of the "golden olive" or the "medicine fly" or of "watson's fancy", all great trout flies. Founded in 1934 by René Dubos, La Maison Dubos stocks over 2,200 references of flies and 400 varieties of fishing rods. It is now run by his 40 year old grand child, "Monsieur Nicolas", who took over in 1994. "I got bitten by the bug when I was very little," says Nicolas Varnous to explain his passion for the sport, almost a zen practice. "Fly fishing is an art that one needs to be worthy of. Fish don't jump in your bag. You need to understand the river, its water, the speed." Since this splendid store which has remained practically the same in 65 years, opened its doors, most of the world's great fly fishermen have paid a visit to the Maison de la Mouche Dubos: Hemingway, Charles Ritz, Sidney Bechet.

This place was also suggested to us... Des Poissons Si Grands, 160 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris

[Oxygen Thief]

Au Vieux Campeur - where to find the shops:

http://www.auvieuxcampeur.fr/adresse_parisql

The carbide, lights, climbing kit are at 48 Rue des Ecoles http://goo.gl/maps/O9mw

Food and Gas are at 6 Rue Thénard http://goo.gl/maps/kCcS