TransRockies: Gear List

I've gotten a few questions about what I'm bringing in terms of spare bike parts, equipment, gear, nutrition and the like so I thought I'd try and detail as much as possible about what I'm going to be bringing. But keep in mind that I can only bring this much because I'll have a support crew following us from stage to stage, otherwise I'd be limited to whatever I could fit in the duffel bag they provide us.

The Bike
I'll be riding my Mooto-X YBB 29er. The bike served me very well in the 24-hour race at Spokane and on the Kokopelli Trail and although I may wish for more rear suspension at times, the bike is very reliable and I enjoy riding it. The bike has a new seat, new brake pads front and rear, and a brand new Ignitor 2.1 tire on the front and Crossmark 2.1 tire on the rear. The drivetrain is still running very well so I'm not going to make any changes. The bike was just given a tune-up and the hubs are packed good, the bottom bracket is in great shape, and the brakes are freshly bled and oh-so-tight just how I like it.

Here's what I'm bringing in terms of bike-related parts for repairs or changing conditions:

1- Spare set of WTB/Shimano wheels with brake rotors and Kenda Klaw 29x1.9" tires pre-installed. I'll switch to these if it gets really muddy (highly unlikely).
1 - 29x2.1" Maxxis Ignitor tire
1 - 29x2.1" Maxxis Crossmark tire
3 - Avid Juicy 7 replacement brake pads
3 - Sram PC-991 chains
3 - Sram Powerlinks
2 - Sram cassettes PC-990 and PC-970
2 - Jagwire cable & housing kits
2 - 22 tooth XTR chainrings (BlackSpire)
4 - 32 tooth XTR chainrings (BlackSpire & Shimano)
1 - 46 tooth XTR chainring (Blackspire)
7 - 29" tubes

All of the above is in a cardboard box. I also have a bike toolbox with my tools, lube (dry and wet), grease, bike wash, brushes, and plenty of Chamois Butt'r, suntan lotion, and bug spray.

My Pack
I'll be riding with the North Face Hammerhead 100oz hydration pack which I'll keep filled with Nuun, my electrolyte drink of choice (I'll have a water bottle filled with PowerBar Endurance drink on the bike). Also in the pack will be a couple of tubes, plenty of CO2 cartridges for flat tires, about 10 feet of duct tape, tire repair kits, mini-tool kit, the Powerlinks, a small first-aid kit, possibly bear spray, wet-wipes, extra lube, and my food for the day. I'll likely carry a 5.5oz can of V8, two PB&J burritos, several Gu's and a bunch of Cliff Bloks for each leg of the race and extra Nuun tablets to refill the reservoir at checkpoints. I'll also have a very compact rain jacket and likely a small cap and gloves.

Clothing
Another benefit to having a support crew is that we'll be able to get laundry done once or twice during the race. Which means I don't actually need to bring seven clean uniforms -- this is very good since uniforms are extremely expensive.

1 - pair of short-finger cycling gloves
1 - pair of full finger lightweight winter gloves
1 - Tirreno helmet
1 - pair of Shimano mountain bike shoes
1 - pair of microfleece glove liners
3 - pairs of bib shorts
1 - pair of 3/4 length big shorts
4 - short sleeve jerseys
8 - pairs of socks of varying thicknesses
1 - sweat band
1 - skull cap
1 - microfleece cap
1 - microfleece ear band
1 - pair of microfleece knee warmers
2 - pairs of microfleece arm warmers
1 - pair of neoprene shoe cover booties
1 - pair of Gore-tex sock covers

When it comes to camp clothing, I'm just going to bring some jeans, some shorts and t-shirts, and a fleece sweater or two and a jacket. I'll bring both sandals and my trail shoes for lounging around camp. Also going to bring a pair of swim trunks for the lakes & streams we'll be camping near. Naturally, I'll have a bag of toiletries as well as a book (I'm going to start "The Kite Runner" finally) and probably my Nintendo DS too. At least for the drive home from Fernie.

Food & Drink
Breakfast and dinner are included in the TransRockies "Epic" registration package and we bought Kristin and Lindsay (our suppport crew) meal passes so they can join us. That said, the lines are going to be super long for breakfast and it's good to be a little self-reliant. Not to mention there's going to be plenty of time for beer each night.

So we have a cooler of Fat Tire ale and VitaminWater packed up with ice, plenty of instant oatmeal and Nutri-Grain bars, some pita bread and a really tasty tub of hummus from Costco that I ate everyday on our Utah trip, a loaf of raisin bread, coffee, and a giant barrel of pub mix. Also have all the makings of my PB&J burritos, some V8, Gatorade, and water. And a bottle of wine. Kristin and Lindsay will either be eating lunch out each day as they drive from stage to stage or just snack as they wait for dinner with us.

Camp Stuff
Now this is where having the support vehicle really helps. Instead of trying to smash a sleeping bag and pad into the duffel with everything else I'll need, we can just leave them in the truck. This means I can take my much comfier lumberjack-style sleeping bag instead of my lightweight backpacker one. And chairs.

4 - camp chairs
1 - folding table (maybe)
1 - 30-degree sleeping bag (Fahrenheit)
1 - fleece blanket
1 - pillow
1 - Thermarest air mattress
1 - single burner camp stove
1 - percolator and set of compact cookware
1 - Coleman lantern
1 - pop-up canopy

Kristin and Lindsay will be sharing a tent and bringing their own sleeping bags and pads of course. Brett and I kicked in a little extra money to get separate tents -- we're going to see plenty of one another without having to share a tent too.

Lindsay arrives around noon tomorrow and then it's time to pack. Hopefully we can fit all of this crap into the Element. I'm so glad Brett is driving separately (he's heading to Montana after the race to visit family) as there's no way we'd be able to fit this all without taking out one of the seats. It will be easier once we get to Panorama, as then we can fold-up the third seat and spread the gear out a little better.

More posts about TR tomorrow and probably through till I get home and find something else to write about.