Things to know before you leave for the World Race.
So I will preface this with saying that every Squad is different and every persons Race is different. I am just giving you some tips of information from what I learned on my World Race.
~Double and triple check that you really like your equipment. I went the cheap route for my sleeping pad and I hated it! I got the thermarest one and it was terrible. I used my sleeping pad for 6 months. I wish I had the Exped I think it was more expensive but all I cared about was getting the one that was on sale.
Fail.
~Getting all of the things you need can get costly, a few of my squadmates asked supporters to get them items they needed instead of a monetary donation. (Good Idea!)
~Be prepared for things to be lost/stolen/ broken: during my Race I had my Macbook Pro (Thank you Haitian thieves) and my Ipod Touch. I also had a cheap computer I bought get smashed. I have a whole list of things that I had lost, stolen or broken, On a plus side the Lord has used every single item to help grow me in my faith in one way or another. “Things” don’t matter!
~ I realized on the Race that I don’t have body odor ( 8 days no shower or deodorant; no smell) BUT I was still always worrying that I was not going to be able to find shampoo and body wash. Almost every major city I went to has some sort of American brand of everything.
~ When figuring out money you want to spend on the Race, don’t forget to factor in things like shampoo, toothpaste, tooth brushes etc. Also, Debrief usually are in a cool place so you will want to visit the main attractions or the mall, all things that cost money. Make yourself a budget and try to stick to it otherwise you will spend a lot more money that you realize. ( Thank you Thailand)
~check with your bank about international ATM fees. Each country has their own fees on top of your bank fees. I lost so much money just in fees and my bank does not reimburse me.
~If you don’t have a big external hard drive, you WILL want one.
~ I brought a bed sheet with me, very helpful when you have those nights where it is too hot for your sleeping bag but too cold for no blankets at all.
~ I mainly brought Nike dry fit shirts with me. While at training camp I realized cotton shirts in high heat are not the best things to be wearing day after day. Dry fit shirts are easy to hand wash and dry fast! Don’t go out of your way to spend a lot of money on a new wardrobe but they were great all WR.
~ Footwear- I work at Nike so me packing 6 pairs of shoes did not seem like an issue, it was. Long story short, I ended the last 4 months with flip flops only. I used my keens, occasionally but not as much as a lot of people. (some wore them everyday) You could probably get away with flip flops almost all Race, but like I mentioned, every Race is different.
~zip-off pants, I thought they were weird and I loved them so much!
~ I was not one for many big souvenirs; I tried to keep it to little things, some pens, cards, little stuff. This way I did not have to spend a lot of money on sending things home.
I hope that is helps, I know it is not very detailed, but if you are reading this and you are getting ready for your World Race or Training camp, feel free to email me.
