Dear Future Racers,
You are on the brink of something amazing. You probably have an idea of what your race will look like. But throw that out of the window right now. It is nothing you can possibly imagine. God is about to rock your world. Sneaky Jesus!
So I want to help you pack. You’ve probably have read a few blogs by now of what you should and should not bring. And they are probably right. I’m just here to reiterate what you’ve read. They say repetition is key, right?
I’m saying all of this because I did it. And I did not listen. And now my pack is too big.
For starters, stay true to who you are. Don’t think because you’re coming on the race you’ll magically be a super backpacker, if you aren’t one already. That’s actually the most important tip of all.
Now, look at your pack and half everything you have, and then half that (except for underwear). Keep in mind below will differ between men and women– hints the underwear statement.
It’s important to take into consideration your route too. If you go to Africa first then you’ll probably get rid of clothes and stuff faster but if you go somewhere more western you’ll add stuff faster.
See the list below:
Shoes
– Remember you’ll probably live in sandals so bring a good pair. If you decide to bring Chacos, if you’re like me you’ll want a more feminine sandal when you want to dress up.
– Ok, closed toed shoes are great– one pair is probably good.
Clothes
– Packing cubes are the best! I brought one large for my clothes, one small for my under clothes, and one small for my day pack. But this is where’s a little wiggle room. Some of my squad mates brought 2 large, 2 small and that works for them too. Just keep in mind you will pick up clothes along the way, both cultural and western. You will also get rid of things you’ll realize you didn’t need to bring (because I know you’re not going to follow these instructions completely). Or, you’ll get rid of them because they will stretch out or will get funky after awhile.
– Underwear *important topic*- bring lots. Personally, I brought 25 pairs and I don’t regret any of that. I think I could have brought more sports bras though because we sweat. You’ll sweat more than you’ve ever sweat before. For men, my teammates seem to think 12 pairs (6 for the first half of the race and 6 for the last half of the race) of Exofficio boxer briefs is the brand to go or the target brand.
– Socks– you don’t need a lot. Again, you’ll live in your sandals most of the time. BUT compression socks saved my life during travel days.
Extras
– Bring a journal. Maybe even a nice big one. You’ll probably use it. I was not one to journal before the race but I’ve actually been using it more than I thought I would.
– Books. You probably will be reading more this year than you’ve done in a while. But you do not have to bring a library of books with you. I’d recommend either a kindle or like I use, my iBooks app. I know, I know, you like the paper feel of a book. You can also buy some along the way (if you’re in Asia for sure). If you stay in hostels they usually have a free book shelf.
– Coloring books and extra curricular activities. I actually bought a coloring book during month one debrief and used it the next month and never again. So that depends on you. I mean, sometimes there is downtime so if you like stuff like that then ok. Remember what I said, be true to who you are. I love playing games– I have cards that I love to use. And we played a lot of banana grams month 2. Choose your activities wisely.
I honestly can’t think of anything else at this moment. But PLEASE comment if you have questions. Because I don’t want you to bring too much weight.
xoxo
