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The Ultimate Packing Blog For Future Racers
Yes, you read it right! This is the ULTIMATE packing blog for future racers so look no further. It is the perfect guide for what to bring…. That is if you are a girl who is leaving in January for Central America then Southeast Asia then 3 months in Africa and finally back to Asia to land in India in November. Yes the countries and climates matter. I know what it is like to be getting ready for the race and blog stalking on a daily basis trying to figure out what to bring. It took me months to get my packing list together then I still spent 3 days packing and repacking when the time came. So I know how you are feeling, trust me. But also trust me that you can’t screw this up. You have to bring the things that suit you and suit your race and route. I know it feels like you have to be prepared for every single possible scenario that may come up in the next year, but you DON’T! That should make you breathe a sigh of relief. You will pick up and drop clothes all year. You will trade things and share things with team mates… boy will you share things haha! There are pharmacies everywhere with any medicine you may need. There are grocery stores everywhere that sell toothpaste. You are going to be ok!
With that said, I do want to share with you what worked for me on the race and also the things I wish I had brought and the things I could have left at home. Let’s start with the big stuff.
I went with a rolling duffel bag and never regretted it once. I watched my squad mates lugging around their big heavy awkward bags inside their airporters, dragging them down the street. Everyone was jealous of my bag. Ultimately the choice is yours. I got an LL Bean Adventure Duffel Extra Large. The extra large size has similar dimensions to an Osprey airporter so you can be sure everything will fit inside. I got the bright yellow color and I could spot it immediately in the pile of everyone’s black airporters and see it first in the baggage claim at airports. The color is also good for theft deterrent. I never had a situation where I would have needed a backpack on. Maybe you will. Again, get what suits you and suits your race.
I had a Kelty two person tent. It was nothing fancy and cost me $60 on clearance sale at Dick’s Sporting Goods. It served me well and was plenty roomy for myself and my stuff, but not so spacious when you needed to share a tent with someone else. I only lived in it for 2 months- Nicaragua and Honduras. Other than that I just used it a few times for fun in Africa. And you better camp out under the stars in Africa when you get the chance. Africa is freakin gorgeous. And if you are lucky enough to land in Pelacaguina, Nicaragua go sit on the hill outside the church at night and I guarantee you will see shooting stars J
Ok, now here is the thing I know you are dying to know about- sleeping pads. If you spend more money on your sleeping pad than all your other equipment combined then so be it! I slept on my sleeping pad on the floor 7 months out of my 11 and put it on top of the mattress a couple of times when I had a bed because the beds can be that hard. A lot of my squad mates had issues with their sleeping pads and most didn’t survive the entire race. I used an Exped Synmat 7 and it was glorious. Very comfortable and it lasted me the entire race. It is actually back out on the field with a former team mate who is now a squad leader. I would totally get this sleeping pad again.
My sleeping bag was a gift. I used a North Face bag designed for 35F temperatures. It was hot for us all year long. Other than a few cool nights in Honduras and Kenya we basically sweated for a year. Therefore I used my sleeping bag liner way more than my sleeping bag. Get a liner or bring a light throw blanket that folds up small. Some team mates of mine even had a sheet. Point is it is going to be hot and you will want something light to cover up with. I also had a small Quixote travel pillow. By the end of the race it was pretty flat but I would do it again simply because I didn’t want to carry around a full size pillow. Plenty of people did, again, bring what suits you.
Alright, so those are the big ticket items. Now for clothes and the miscellaneous items I could not have lived without………
TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!!
