ADVENTURE RACING GEAR

Gear! My favorite part of adventure racing. I love adventure racing gear! I like the challenge of finding ultra-light gear that performs.

I am what would be called a weight-weenie as I even cut the tags out of my shirts. Hey it all adds up!

My friends laugh, but try it. Cut all the tags out of your shirts, extra straps off your backpack, take the wrappers off your food. You will be surprised what it adds up too.

You'll find on this page adventure racing gear we use and believe in. There will be all kinds of gear on the race directors list. For instance once we had to carry an eye patch…an eye patch? So although I give you a good gear list, check your individual race for specific gear.

Our gear lists for expedition races can be up to 6 pages long.

ADVENTURE RACING GEAR I LIKE

I have struggled with a shoe I really like for some time. My feet have gotten wider since racing and I need a large toe box.

I finally found the shoe! At Backwoods here in Texas a man named Michael helped me. He knew I wasn't really happy with the shoe I was about to purchase so he talked me into trying the Vasque Aether Tech 7574. They were incredible. I did my first run in them, a marathon, with no blisters.

I wore the same pair for all 10 days in Primal Quest. I started with a size and 1/2 too big and they worked perfect. The reason being is the lacing system allowed my feet to expand. It has a twist lock similar to snow boots. The lacing was fantastic.

The shoes also held up fine. I usually have to trash my shoes after an expedition race.

They also drained well. I give these a 10 of 10. The price is steep, but since I normally go through 2 pair of shoes it was worth it.

I wrote Vasque about it, and maybe the new ones will be better....though I still buy these.

ADVENTURE RACING GEAR: BACKPACKS

1. Get the smallest pack possible for your race.

2. Make sure you can access the water bottle holders easily. One of my packs I cannot access the pockets and it makes the pockets useless without a teammates help.

3. Make sure it is comfortable with comfortable hip straps.

4. Make sure the length is good for your torso. While a backpacking back pack will ride on your hips, an adventure racing back pack may sit up higher. It really comes down to your comfort level.

5. Try to get pockets that are large and easy to open. If you cannot you can add your own pouches.

The best place to find the latest adventure racing packs is at Mountains Plus Gear.

You will not have to search for the lightest best pack as they normally carry it! I trust them and their customer service is superb. I like that they do all the research for me.

I use a hydration pack for sprint races and a 17 liter pack for 24 hour races and expedition races. If we have to carry all our climbing gear, I use a 31 liter pack at times. I carry the Salomon XA 30 for expedition races and the 20 for shorter races. A lot of my friends like the Gregory packs.

I also carried a GoLite until it tore up after 5 years. It was a great pack as well, but didn't handle the 30 pound loads we carry in expedition races, so I went to Salomon.

DISCOUNT ADVENTURE RACING GEAR SUPPLIERS

MOOSEJAW

Moosejaw is my favorite company. They have a small town feel, but with great inventory. They will take care of you!

Moosejaw Rewards gives you 10% off regular priced items and 5% off sale items.

Moosejaw offers free shipping on Adventure Racing Gear from Salomon, Camelbak, Arcteryx, Go Lite, Moosejaw and much more!

Moosejaw Rewards is free! I highly recommend this company.

MP GEAR

This company offers free shipping on adventure racing gear. They have a lot of products specific to adventure racing therefore you will be taken care of. They too are a good company with good customer service.

REI

REI is a great store, but don't expect people to have knowledge about adventure racing. They sold a friend of mine two right hand ascenders!

That said, you can "Save up to 60% at REI Outlet." And the gear inventory is the best I've found.

HAMMER NUTRITION

Save 15% on your first order by going through this link. This is good stuff and I love it!

N101

This is a good low price place for your electrolytes and supplements. Once you use the 15% off at Hammer Nutrition for your first order, it is best to switch to this store for the best prices. You won't find significant savings on Hammer Products as they don't allow prices to go below a certain point. But by going to a store like N101 you can combine, with other products and save on shipping!

N101

KIM'S ADVENTURE RACING GEAR LIST

Below is my adventure racing gear personal list. This is not the race list. There will be a lot of items on there, that I have not mentioned.

TEAM GEAR

First Aid Kit

Be sure and check required gear for the race.

Blister rash kit- skin pads/Lueco tape/Body glide/Gloves in a Bottle

One knife with scissors and tweezers

Water Tablets

Floor pump

One bike tool

Portable camera

Duct tape

Map case or bag for passport

Towrope

Kayak wheels

Yard stick for drawing lines on map if not marked

Backpack staples

Sunscreen

Bug spray

Knife

Buff

Socks

First Aid Kit

Batteries

Trekking

Backpack

Extra socks

Poles

Cycling

Helmet

Extra Pedals

Gloves

Chamois Butt'r -A must have! (I also use Hammer Chaomois Butter and like all but the smell.

Tube

Repair kit

Pump

Co2

Bike Light for Handle Bara>

Paddle Gear

Boat Sponge

Gloves-I use my bike gloves

PFD

Paddle

Platypus

Navigation

UTM Plotter

Compass

Pencil and pen

Highlighter

Small pad of paper for pre-race notes

Zip lock bags

Map case

Altimeter

Night Gear

Headlamp

Glow Sticks

Check Required Gear

Waterproof jacket

Poly pro shirt

Whistle

Space blanket

Extras

Ziploc bags

Chair

Tarp

Sunglasses

Water bottle

Platypus

Clothes

Hat

Tight

Pants or shorts

Long sleeve hiking shirt

Socks

Shoes

Clothes for after race

Food and drink for after race if it is a race I am driving too.

Ice chest

Hammer Gel

Sustained Energy

Hammer Bars

Clif Bars

Goldfish

Chips

Dried fruit

String cheese

Oranges

Sandwich

Pretzels- I can eat prezels when other things will not go down.

Hammer Supplements