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
- 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
