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Run, Camp, Sleep…Repeat. How To Complete a Ragnar Trail Relay

Written by Sean McCoy Jul 30, 2013 2:25 a.m. ET

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Equipment For Ragnar Trail: Camping Gear

Team GearJunkie’s home base during the Ragnar Trail Tahoe.

The unique format of the Ragnar Trail races requires competitors to camp in a centralized base area where transitions take place. This also happens to be party central and the recovery zone, and as such it requires some unique equipment.

Tent/Sunshade — At Tahoe we were required to camp in a parking lot due to construction at the base of the Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort. Tents and sunshades provided protection from the elements. We chose a Kelty Shadehouse as a place to keep out of the sun, eat and relax. It butted perfectly against an

Eddie Bauer Dome 6 Person Tent

Action Wipes — Before crawling into a sleeping bag after each leg, we cleaned our nasty, dirt-covered legs with these large, moist towelettes. Action Wipes did the job and freshened us up for a few fitful hours of sleep.

Action Wipes came in handy with no showers in sight.

Rug — Some sort of ground cover, such as a tarp, ground cloth or rug, will help keep the dust down at campsites or make it more comfortable to hang out in a parking lot.

Music — The event features bands, but a few choice tunes helped perk up our attitudes and drown out the hollering crowd. We used a waterproof and durable Bluetooth speaker from Ecoxgear to jazz up our stay.

Solar Charger — The

Table — Some sort of portable table is key for sitting around for hours waiting for a turn to run. We got lucky and found an abandoned picnic table in a nearby open shed at the ski area. We hauled it back after the race.

Decorations — Piñatas, blow-up toys, swimming pools… it seems like everything is fair game for a Ragnar Trail Relay. The organization just asks that decorations be as sustainable as possible, including items that can be re-purposed and don’t have to throw away. Get creative to win this category, because we saw some pretty impressive campsites and costumes on the course. At a Ragnar, fun is what it’s ultimately all about.

—Sean McCoy is a contributing editor. He raced on Team GearJunkie in the 2013 Ragnar Trail Tahoe event.