Gear Q & A

Before going on the race, I had tons of questions. What should I bring? How much should I bring? What kind of pack should I get? Is it worth it to bring my laptop? Is one jar of peanut butter enough? …etc. I emailed some current world racers in an attempt to get some answers, but still, I felt pretty clueless.

 But now that I’m approaching the end of the race, I think I finally have some clarity on all of these issues. If I could go back, there are some things I would have left back at my house and there are some things I wish I would have brought. So this blog is in honor of all the future world racers. I’m writing this blog in hopes that I can save you guys from making some of the same mistakes as I did when packing, and also just to answer some other random questions. This is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section that you will never find on the website, but that you’ve always hoped for. Enjoy.      

THE BIG FIVE

1. Sleeping Bag. My suggestion is to find out your route before you buy your sleeping bag. Many of us bought a down sleeping bag in case of cold weather and we’ve been in summer weather for practically the whole time. Synthetic tends to be less expensive. Most importantly, make sure you get a stuff sack that squishes your bag as much as possible. You will thank me later.  


2. Sleeping Mat. I have the basic 2 inch thick mat. And my back is paying for it. If you have any kind of back problems, this is the area where you should be willing to spend more money. Lightweight but thicker is best.


3. Tent. Two person is a decent size. If you want bigger, just be prepared to deal with packing a larger one. Most importantly, make sure your tent has a good rain fly and plenty of windows for ventilation. 


4. Main Pack. Just find someone who knows what they are talking about. I didn’t. I’m still not sure I do. I do know, though, that I wish I had one with a sleeping bag compartment and I love the front zipper. Get both.


5. Daypack. AIM is right on this one. The bigger it is, the more you will bring. So I would bring a smaller day pack if I were you.

APPAREL:

1. REI. Let me begin by saying that this is indeed a great store. REI is to a world racer like Toys R Us is to kids. But if I had to give you one piece of advice, just know that two months into the trip, you will begin wishing you had brought more of your normal clothes, and less REI quick-dry, extra lightweight, UV Sun protection clothing.  


2. Chacos. I’ve never seen or heard of these before the race, and I hope I never do again.


3. Underwear. A week’s worth should be adequate. 


4. Sweater. Bring one multipurpose sweater or jacket. Even if you are in warm locations, you will use it at night or in air conditioning when you have it.


5. Rain Jacket. I brought one, but I’ve rarely used it. I think that’s probably because I don’t like the color though.


6. Sneakers. If you want to stay healthy and not gain weight, learn to love running. Bring some good running shoes. They double as work shoes when you do construction.


7. Sandals. I’d say bring two pairs. One pair for the shower and one pair for daily wearing. Something that will last. I recommend rainbows-but then again, I’m a California girl.


8. Skirts. We were told we would have to wear skirts about half of the time. I’ve only ever worn skirts to church. Other than that, we’ve been able to wear capris. So if you like skirts, bring a bunch. If not, bring one.


9. Bathing suit. They recently updated the dress guidelines to allow for tankinis as well as one pieces. I’d go for the tankini

SUPPLIES:

1. Nalgene. This is one of those, if you use it at home, bring it, but if not, then don’t. I brought a nalgene and I never used it. Actually, I think they are pretty gross. They smell nasty and are hard to clean.


2. Bible. I ended up buying a study bible a few months ago. I would recommend bringing one if you have it at home. It’s worth it.


3. Laundry soap. It’s cheaper and easier to get it overseas than to bring some special camping laundry soap. Save yourself the space.


4. Towel. I stronglyrecommend going to REI or some other camping store and buying at least one (two would be better) quick-dry, lightweight towels. They are simply amazing.


5. Rain fly. Some people have enjoyed having a rain fly to protect their pack from rain and to protect other things attached to the outside of their pack. I’ve lost two rain flies and haven’t really needed a third  


6. Laundry Bag. This is something I definitely wish I had brought. Some people use a stuff sack or a pillowcase when at location, but it is a lot easier to have a bag used specifically for laundry.


7. Pack Duffel. You need one of these for airplane travel. Definitely.


8. Hand Sanitizer. My team was pretty neurotic about using this stuff in the beginning. But after three months you really start to not care. God made dirt, dirt don’t hurt.


9. Pocket knife. We really did use this to open up cans of food in Africa. Then again, I think the girls can just rely on the guys to bring them.


10. Alarm clock. I think everyone should bring one.


11. Duct tape. If you want to, go for it. I don’t feel strongly either way.


12. Ziploc Bags. Bring a bunch of these. They are crappier overseas or more expensive. And extremely helpful when packing. I put all my clothes in gallon bags. Works just like a compression sack.


13. First Aid Kit. More importantly than bandages, I’d just bring a good variety of drugs. Tylenol, Dramamine, benadryl, etc)


14. Clothes line. I’ve used this once.


15. Cookstove. Our guys brought these. I didn’t really worry about it.


16. Sharpie. It’s great for labeling stuff. World racers love to label food. It will come in handy in other ways too. Plus it weighs next to nothing.

FOOD:

1. Peanut butter. Leave it at home. I don’t know where this whole myth got started in the first place, but peanut butter is readily accessible in most places, and costs about the same as America. Same goes for salt, pepper, and any other seasonings.


2. Rice. Come to think of it, this myth may actually be true. We’ve eaten rice pretty much everywhere we’ve gone.


3. Carb-O-Load. Learn to love carbohydrates. If there’s anything that I can pretty much guarantee, you will never run out of rice and bread.


4. Africa Belly. Many people on the squad have suffered from what we like to call Africa Belly. There is one sure way to avoid this unfortunate disorder. Stay away from the Magnum Bars. If you don’t know what these are… keep it that way. 


5. French Press. If you have a moderate like of coffee right now, then I predict by two months into the race you will be addicted. Bring a French press. You can thank me later. (Mug and strainer also recommended)


6. Recipes. Bring some simple and tasty recipes with you if possible. You will end up cooking for your team a lot and it’s nice to have some good options.

ELECTRONICS

1. Laptop. I personally would recommend bringing one if you have one. Sometimes it can be frustrating to get things done when you have to share computers. It’s saved me plenty of time and money to be able to write blogs before getting to the internet.


2. PDA. Most people who brought these never use them. I think they are stupid.  


3. Camera. Duh. Bring one. With a big memory card. And a case for it. Extra battery can be useful as well.


4. iPod. Some people may disagree with me on this, but I absolutely love having my iPod. I fall asleep with it, I travel with it, I listen to audio sermons with it, etc. Also, even if you aren’t bringing a computer, I would at least bring a USB or wall charger for it.


5. Watch. Remember that you won’t have a phone with you, so you might want a watch. I brought some special digital kind that I would never wear at home, but it has an alarm clock, so that’s been helpful.


6. Movies. Some people brought a bunch of movies on either their computer or external hard drive. I wish I had.


7. Headlamp. This is a definite must. I would also recommend looking for one that uses AA batteries and a long battery life. Don’t get one that uses those stupid watch batteries. No good.


8. Cell phone. Regardless of what you’ve heard about cell phones, I would bring one if you have the kind that uses SIM cards. My team wishes we would have brought ours to be able to communicate with each other when we’ve been split up many times. It’s small and it’s worth it.


9. Flash Drive. Bring something of this nature, whether it be a flash drive or an external hard drive.

PERSONAL ITEMS

1. Pillow. For the first six months I used either an airline pillow or a bunched up sweater. Month seven I gave in and bought a pillow. Month nine I went so far as to get a pillow case. I should have just brought one from home.


2. Blanket. Some people bring blankets and some people bring sheets. I brought neither, however, the lovely people at Fly Emirates allowed me to take one of their airplane blankets, and I’ve used it ever since. Bring something.


3. Journal. If you really don’t journal at home, you probably won’t on the race either. I mean I tried, really I did.


4. Books. Bring at least a couple books. Then trade with other world racers. Buy some more on the road. And hope people send you some.


5. Earplugs. I have teammates who couldn’t live without these things. I can’t stand them. I just sleep with my iPod.


6. Eating Utensils. Plate, silverware, mug, bowl. Plastic is better. I’m not a fan of that foldable crap either. Not a good idea. 


7. Eye Mask. People like to go to bed at different times. If you like to go to bed early, and you can’t sleep with the light on, I’d bring an eye mask.

TOILETRIES

1. Sunscreen. You will definitely end up needing sunscreen, and it’s expensive everywhere, even in the states. I’d go ahead and bring some with you.


2. Toilet Paper. Really, you can buy a roll of this when you get in country if you need to.


3. Makeup. You will end up wearing it on the race if you wore it at home. The guys may give you a hard time, but there’s only like 4 of them, so it’s easy to block them out.


4. Bug Spray. I’d bring a small bottle with. No need for a whole year’s supply, you can replenish along the way.


5. Body spray. Apparently, Americans smell funny. Like dairy. So do something about it.


6. Foot scrubber. Your feet are going to get pretty gross. Trust me; you will need a good scrubber to prevent this.

OTHER

1. Passport holder. I have one. It’s been handy.


2. Personal identification. Bring your license; you might be able to use it. Also, if you have your old student ID, sometimes you can get discounts with it.


3. Souvenirs. The best idea is to collect one or two things from each country. I have collected a shirt and a bracelet, and eventually I’m going to make a quilt from all the t-shirts. Some people have done postcards, local currency, something with elephants on it, etc.   

I think that’s about it. Keep in mind that these suggestions are solely my opinion, and yours may differ when you are on the race. Also, as they so often mention in training, every race is different, and things that worked best for us D-Squad-ers may not work best for your squad.