Equipment For Ragnar Trail: Camping Gear
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 “, target=”_blank”>Eddie Bauer Olympic Dome 6-person tent, which is where we kept our equipment and slept. The combination worked great, but many iterations of tents, sun shades and tarps filled the parking lot campground with a hodgepodge of colors and shapes.
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.
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 “, target=”_blank”>Goal Zero Sherpa 50 solar charging kit gave us power to keep cell phones and computers functional while keeping in touch with loved ones and sharing photos and reports online.
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.
