Hood-To-Coast Relay Packing List

Most every year about this time I head to Oregon for a 197 -mile, 12 person team running event called The Hood-To-Coast Relay. Every year I make up a new list of things to bring (since you spend part of the time even miles away from a country store), and every year I forget something, or think of a new thing I think would have made my race more "enjoyable".

Since this is a traveling event, and there are many other long-distance relay races across the United States, I figured I may as well post the list for others. Add your brilliant additions in the comment section. This post will continue to evolve.

H-T-C Packing List
In addition to 11 very fast friends ad two vans, you should bring:

• 3 sets running clothes (please!)
• 3 pair running socks
• underwear/support/compression wear
• Running shoes
• Reflective vest (required for running night legs)
• Flash light (for running night legs)
• Spare running shoes
• Spare pair of shoe laces (works well to tie number on with also)
• headband, bandanna, or wrist band for hot runs
• Sunglasses, glasses, contact saline etc.
• Fleece jacket/hoody for after runs
• Sweats for in between legs
• Flip-Flops
  
• Change of clothes for beach after-party
• Hat (for sun or rain)
• Towel
• Washcloth or wet ones (even better when there is no water around)
• Toiletries, (deodorant, please!) including paper soap and shampoo
  
• Band-aids
• Blister cushions, Second Skin
• Plastic Bags or Ziplock bags for used sweaty clothes and or shoes
  
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Body glide
• Small toilet tissue roll (for the later teams, there is a good chance the t.t. will be gone
• Advil/aspirin/Tylenol
• Airborne (take before and after the race)
  

Gadgets:

• Extra Batteries
• Cell Phone Chargers, other chargers
• Headlamp (LED is best)
• Print-out of your 3 leg courses, so you don't have to fight for the race manual
• Mp3 player
• Running watch (Garmin GPS systems do not always pick up satellite signals on the back roads)
• car charger for phone and Mp3 player
• Safety Pins (to secure numbers)
• Trash bags (for trash, and unexpected rainstorms)
• ALARM CLOCK, or know how to use your phone as one, so you do not oversleep and get to your exchange point late!

Food and Beverages:

• Caffeine laced-drink
• Cheese (to slow down the the last minute trips to the bathroom right before your run)
• easily digestible carb/protein mix for right after each run
• Gu, if your run is long, or Lava Bar (if you are more of a hedonist than masochist).
  
• spork, to eat with
  
• Water bottle
• Sports drink or something with electrolytes (salty)
• Really good brownies/cookies/candy to bribe your way to the front of the porta-potty line

Optional:

• Waist belt (for carrying Gu, water, mp3 player, phone, etc.)
• Sleeping bag
• Pillow or Pillow Case to stuff your clothes in to make a potable pillow
• yoga mat or Thermarest mattress for sleeping along roadside
• swim suit
• running gloves
• camel back (portable hydration system)
• ear plugs (to block out noise while trying to sleep)
• night mask (to stop those friggin' headlights from blinding you while trying to sleep in the parking lo. . . er . . . field.
• Visine
  

In Each Van:

• Roll of packing tape to tape stuff like race number in van windows
• Extra copy of the race manual
• Cooler and ice
  First aid kit:
• instant ice pack
• Neosporine
• large size band-aid patches (for night-time pavement rash)
• ace bandage
• athletic tape
• moleskin
• wasp sting treatment
• Sharpee permanent marker
• Maps Digital
• Walkie-talkie - there are several spots where mobile phones don't get a signal
  
• assorted art kit to decorate van in the beginning while you are still enthusiastic