Scientific equipment has an important symbolic value in At the Mountains of Madness. At the beginning of the expedition, Dyer takes a long and detailed inventory of everything the team plans to take. Their equipment is so advanced and so cutting-edge that brand new tools have been invented especially for this trip. Dyer’s proud descriptions reflect the misplaced confidence and arrogance of the scientists. They believe that they are among the smartest people in the world, and that their equipment will finally allow them to demonstrate their intellect to the academic community. The detailed list also symbolizes their level of preparedness. Dyer is happy to suggest that the scientists were once arrogant, but he does not want anyone to believe that they were underprepared.

At first, the equipment functions well. The scientists’ initial explorations are rewarding, and Lake soon makes an important discovery. Not long after this, however, the equipment begins to fail. The surgical tools are not sharp enough to cut through the Old Ones’ skin, while the radio ceases to work. The presence of the Old Ones drives even the dogs into a rage. The scientists and their equipment might have seemed cutting-edge and ready for anything, but the failure of their equipment now suggests that this confidence was misplaced.