A STUNNING ADVENTURE BY FOOT, BIKE AND KAYAK.

This kit list is from our 2022 event - you will be notified of any changes to this list ahead of the event you have signed up for.

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What’s the weather like?
This is the ‘hottest’ time of year in Patagonia (it is the height of the austral summer) but it never gets ‘hot, hot.’ Highs of 1 5 – 22 C are the norm. What is also inevitable at this time of year are the notoriously strong Patagonian winds. Whilst it is arguably a bit more sheltered in amongst the mountains, the Steppe is very exposed. Which means it could be dusty, windy, rainy, cloudy, sunny. Basically it’s a bit like Scotland. On steroids. 

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Sun protection

Whilst the heat of the day will not be fierce, a wide-brimmed sunhat, sun-cream and lightweight and breathable fabrics (ideally with SPF protection) should be packed. As will sunglasses with at least Cat 3 protection. You are outside for a good long time after all. 

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Wet weather gear

So too should wet weather gear be packed. Some waterproofs for the bike and for the trek stages should be taken. The chances of rain are high and you should definitely invest in decent water and windproof garments.

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Bike kit

As well as supplying your own bike, please bring everything you would need to support yourself on that bike – pedals, footwear, tools, pump (we will have track pumps with our bike mechanic but you can never have enough pumps!), puncture repair gear, helmet and bike clothing for summer AND wet weather conditions. Decent cycling-specific windproofs are essential given those dastardly breezes! Please bring it all in a bike box or bag (a bike box preferable to bag as just easier not to damage items in transit – planes, vans, etc). 

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Camp life
For the accommodation, it is all in guesthouses or hotel with the exception of the two nights under canvas in our tented camps. We will provide most camping gear for you, no hefty gear is required. You will need a sleeping bag and a rollmat. Also remember, these are still nights under canvas, so if there are creature comforts that you wish to bring to augment your comfort levels, please do so. We would also advise bringing a towel just so you are self-contained on that and have it with you in the support vehicle. A pair of sandals or flip flops are also pretty invaluable for camp and for kicking back in the evenings, just to air those tired feet. These items are reflected below as recommended items.

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Nutrition
We will insist that you have some salt tablets and other electrolyte replacement items with you – these are invaluable to re-instating equilibrium when you are exerting yourself. Experience shows that good electrolyte management can make or break these types of Endurance attempts. Whilst it is not massively hot, you will be getting moisture beaten out of you with the wind and won’t really notice the ambient temperature, potentially. Some electrolyte tablets for water and other sports nutrition is recommended just to have in your grab bags, so you are self-sufficient with items that work for you, at all times. We will have food and bev for the pit stops, but we always ask that you provide your own sports nutrition as it’s a fairly personal thing and it is by far the best approach to be self-contained in such matters.

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THE KIT LIST

Here’s a rundown. We may revise this nearer the time but this should give you a good idea at this stage.

Note: All items are mandatory, unless it says recommended, where they are, well, recommended!

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Foot section

• Trail running footwear

• Trail running apparel – shorts, technical wicking tee/ base layer, long-sleeved wicking layer, mid-layer (e.g. microfleece)

• Recommended: Running tights

• Windproof and/ or waterproof upper body and leg cover – BUY HERE

• Buff or similar neck gaiter

• Spare base and mid layers

• Socks

• Blister care kit

• 1 person bivvy bag (not survival blanket, must be a bag) – BUY ONE HERE

• Personal First Aid kit – more detail to follow on exact spec nearer to event date

• Running day pack to carry spare clothing, bivvy bag, first aid kit, spare food. Recommend 15 – 30l – BUY HERE

• Hydration system for pack – either bladder or bottle to be secured to pack. Minimum of 2l carrying capacity at all times – BUY HERE

• Cap or wide-brimmed sun hat 

• Recommended: Trekking poles

 

Bike Stages

• Bike: Mountain bike, hybrid or cyclocross

• Bike box or bag (box recommended), if transporting your own bike

• Water bottles: Recommended 2 x 750ml bottles

• Tools – to comprise a minimum of: Cycling multitool, peddle spanner and chain link removal tool

• Puncture repair kit (or slime if you are using that) 

• Your own peddals

• Cycling footwear

• Cycling gloves. Recommended: Spare pair of full-finger length gloves in case of wet/ windy weather

• Full length upper body and leg cover suitable for cycling

• Cycle helmet

• Wind/ waterproof upper garment

• Spare cycling clothing in case you get drenched 

• Socks

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Recommended: Pair of overshoes/ booties are useful for insulation and waterproofing

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Water Stages - kayak

• Buoyancy aid, neoprene suit and boots, semi-dry jacket (cag), mittens, paddle and kayaks will be provided

• You should dress in technical wicking undergarments and mid-layers. These can be the same ones you have used on the run stage, but for the kayak please remember you will be sitting stationary and you WILL get wet. Avoid cotton and use technical wicking fabrics. Pack some waterproofs too as you can switch into these if you get soaked in the semi-dry cag

• If you do have kayaking gear, (such as a cag), then please do bring these if you prefer to wear your own items

• Flip flops or sandals

• Dry bag  medium size (approx. 10l +). Whilst communal dry bags will be provided, there is no substitute for your own dry gear (and food) in your own dry bag 

• Dry bag small size: For phones and other personal items

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General

• Casual clothing for use in evenings and transit stages – no formal wear required

• Recommended: General trekking trousers and robust outdoor footwear, given the type of destination

• Recommended: Towel – travel micro towel or full-size

• Personal toiletries including any personal medication required

• Recommended: Multitool or penknife

• Recommended:  fitnessReading material

• Power bank for mobile phone

• International plug adaptor 

• Overnight bag: Such as a duffel or rucksack

• Transition bag: A smaller duffel, or a small rucksack or drybag. This can double up as your day pack from the foot stages, as you only need this bag on the bike and kayak stages

 

IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES FOR THE EVENT THIS WILL BE COMMUNICATED IN THE PRE-EVENT DOCUMENTATION

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Carrying this kit is a requirement of the Event and forms part of our planning in ensuring reasonable measures are put in place to keep you safe should anything go wrong during this adventurous endeavour. We ask you not to take short cuts or ‘second guess’ our advice. For instance, the carrying of waterproofs is required even if rain or snow is not forecast as a means to prevent cooling down too fast if you get injured in a location that is very exposed to wind or extreme cold – remember you may be very tired and sweaty, and who says the forecast is always right? In the Arctic, being prepared is key. It is therefore important that you carry the mandatory kit at all times.

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The emergency kit is important for several reasons:

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1.            It helps you to help yourself should you have a problem.

2.            We are in this together and you may need to assist others if they have a problem.

3.            In the case of an incident our Event Control and safety teams will make decisions based on the knowledge that you all have this equipment.

4.            Carrying the kit is a requirement for everyone and hence provides an equal and fair challenge.

5.            It is part of our risk assessment process that is shared with insurers. Your insurance may be invalid if you do not follow our advice.

6.            If your lack of kit preparation contributes to making an incident more serious, then you may be avoidably drawing resources from our medical team and the emergency services at the expense of others.

7.            Without the kit you will be unable to complete registration. If during the race you are not carrying the mandatory kit then you will be disqualified and deemed to have not completed the challenge.

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GPS

We intend for you to follow ‘the line’ on a GPS-enabled device – this can be your own or you can rent one from us. Our suggestion here is a mobile smartphone with the Komoot App installed, GPX files uploaded to the app and the routes downloaded for offline use. Many other similar apps are available. You can mount this on your bike in a cradle; and you can use it on foot.

 

An alternative is to have 2 devices, a Garmin Edge bike computer (or Wahoo, etc) for the bike stage AND a GPS-nav-enabled watch, such as one from the Garmin Fenix series or a similar spec for the trek/run stage. It’s always advisable to have the routes downloaded to an app on your phone as a back up, whichever option you go with.

 

If you have no such devices, Rat Race owns a set of Garmin Edge 830 bike computers and a set of Garmin 66i hand held navigation devices. If you would like to rent either of these, you must let us know by request in the form that will be sent to you closer to the event.
 

The reality is, the route-finding on this one is not very hard at all with the suite of resources we will be deploying. So don’t worry about it too much. But having the GPS with you and following ‘the line’ is always handy and will give you a real sense of progress along our route.

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Bags

There are 3 bags to be considered for this journey.

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1.) General ‘overnight’ bag (recommended: Holdall or duffel) for spare and general kit. Please go for a MAXIMUM size of around 60 litres and no more than approx 15kg pls. This bag will go forward on each stage and will be available when you get to the overnight location, each night. So you will not see this bag during the day, until you arrive at those locations. We will store it for you while you are on the route.

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2.) Daypack or running vest. This is the bag you will carry with you when you are on the run/ trek stages so you will need it on days 1 and 2. It should contain the mandatory kit, spare clothes, food and water.

3.) Transition bag. This can be a duffel, it can be your daypack itself or any type of soft bag. You will keep this on the vehicles and it will tbe ypically accessible at a designated daily Bike and kayak Pit Stop. Usually this is the middle (approx. lunchtime) Pit Stop. You can keep changes of clothes, bike spares and tools, scooby snacks and hydration supplies in this bag.  

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TRAINING

For an undertaking of this nature, where we are clearly talking multi-sport, the training should reflect the task at hand. Remember, it is not a race. Set yourself up with a good base fitness and plan for success in doing the distance and being on your feet.

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Bike

Get out on the bike for some long rides, but consistency is best. Get out whenever you can and don’t worry too much on the distance. Time in the saddle is key. You should seek out the opportunity to do some back-to-back rides, where you go out one day and then out the next – to feel what it is like to really be tired when you go multi-day.  That is something that, unless you have done it, you won’t necessarily be prepared for. It is good to know what that feels like. Make sure you seek out some hills, too. Whilst we don’t have many huge ascents on the rides here, hill training just makes you a better and stronger rider. And will equip you better to deal with that ferocious Patagonian wind.

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Kayak

If you can access kayaks, get in one and go for a paddle. Just feel what the boat and the paddling action feels like; then do what you can in the boat. It is of course appreciated that kayaking is probably the hardest discipline to train with if you do not have regular access to boats or water. A weekend paddling skills course is invaluable in growing your confidence. We have some that we stage in the UK. Details are here. The river has some flow in it (meaning we will go quicker than if it was totally slack) and the boats will be good and stable. You do not need mega skills. But 45km is still a long way in a boat. If you are not used to working your upper body, it’s probably a good idea to do some conditioning so that your core and your arms don’t fall apart half way through. The best way to practise this is, well, to go kayaking. If you can’t, just do some upper body and core work. Fitness and endurance will carry you through; and a good propensity to dealing with weather, whatever that may throw at us.

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Trek/Run
You may wish to trek or run the foot stages. Either is fine and we have time for you choose either, or a bit of both. In all cases, time on your feet will be the key. Practise your nutrition, practise in differing conditions and with differing clothing. Like with the bike, if you have the opportunity to do some back-to-back work, where you go out one day and then out the next – to feel what it is like to really be tired when you get on your feet again – that is a great start. And makes sure you seek out some hills. If you don’t live in a hilly area, seek out some mini weekend trips that take you up some mountains perhaps. Use these training missions as a way to explore new places. More than anything else, the journey to getting to the start line is part of the fun of an event like this. Embrace these training opportunities and you will find that it doesn’t feel like training at all: More like an extension of the adventure.

Ultimately, our advice for something like this is to go at your own pace, front up to several hours for 6 back to back days of repetitive exercise and train to that. And you’ll be OK. Naturally, we are always happy to dive into folks’ individual questions on this. But the important thing is – don’t worry too much – we are there to support you. Get yourself to the start line in a decent condition and you’ll get it done. That is the Rat Race way.