Prerequisites for Hydro Field Camp

You should have at least completed the sophomore year in a geology or similar Bachelor's degree program. We strongly recommend, but do not require, that you take a class in hydrogeology before coming to field camp. You will get more out of the field camp experience if you already know the basics.

Students enrolled for graduate credit must have an undergraduate degree and must have taken an undergraduate class in hydrogeology.

Recommended Equipment

The following is a list of equipment that you will need, or is recommended, for field camp. Some items are available locally. Other items can be ordered. Ben Meadows and Forestry Suppliers carry the items, as do a variety of other companies. The product codes for some of the suggested items are given below. The websites for those suppliers are listed below.

www.benmeadows.com
www.forestry-suppliers.com 

The items listed below (through the calculator) are needed on the first day of class.

Field Equipment

• Field notebook: You will need a bound book with lines and graph paper. The bookstore has some, also Forestry Supplier, 49352
• Compass: You will need a compass that has a sighting mirror and an inclinometer. Here are several that will work.
  • Suunto MC-2, Ben Meadows 101884
  • Silva Ranger, Type 15, Ben Meadows 101924
  • Brunton, Eclipse Model 8099, Forestry Supply 37400. A Brunton pocket transit will also work well, but they are considerably more expensive than the compasses listed above.
• Clipboard: Conventional clipboard will be satisfactory. A clipboard with a cover is preferred , and one that will store extra sheets (Forestry Supplier 53190) is even better.
• C-thru ruler and protractor: This is both a ruler with parallel lines and a protractor. It is handy for drawing maps. Get a few of them, they are useful and cheap.
• Engineer scale: Available at Bookstore or Clemson Variety and Frame Forestry Supplier, 45972
• Graph paper: 5 or 10 squares per inch
• Calculator: something to do simple calculations in the field

Useful Equipment

• Hand lens: Available at Bookstore, the one you have from mineralogy would be fine.
• Colored pencils: useful if you already own them
• Rock hammer: useful if you already own one
• Acid bottle: useful if you already own one

Personal Equipment

We will be outside in a variety of conditions and you should have the appropriate clothing and equipment to take care of your personal comfort. Shorts and a T-shirt will be fine for most days, but long pants are recommended for some situations. It is probably best to avoid wearing sandals because they can be uncomfortable in tall grass and uneven terrain. These things will be useful during some of the activities

• Comfortable shoes, boots with ankle support even better
• Rubber boots, waders, or some type of footwear you can get wet and muddy (I use old athletic shoes)
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Rain gear
• Field backpack
• Water bottles
• Hat

Lunch

You should be prepared to eat lunch in the field every day. Some days we will be in the department and it will be possible to buy something to eat. However, it will often be inconvenient to buy lunch when we are in the field near Clemson, so you should plan to bring something to eat or you may get hungry by dinner time.