The adventure racing season in the US is warming up as the weather gets better and springtime begins to roll in. The start of a new season also means that budding new adventure racers will be sprouting, reaching for their first day at a race. The fundamentals that any adventure racer will be focusing on in this early season are training, year planning, and gear acquisition.

“The new format will bring a lot of new information in an easy to find layout.”

  This week I will touch base with gear requirements. Most beginners should be paying more attention to their race selection and year planning at this time. When you have selected the races you want to compete in this year, you will be able to look at the other two elements, training, and gear acquisition. Selecting an event, or multiple events will give you training distance and goals. Each event is different, and in most cases will have varying gear requirements. So selecting your events can also help you narrow down your needed gear list.

  The gear list is different from race to race because there are not any standardized courses for adventure racing. This is a good thing because the mystery of the course is what gives us the adventure in the race. The location of the race can determine many factors of any given event. The availability of rivers or lakes, will determine what type of paddling will be involved. The availability of hills or mountains in the area will determine what the trekking or biking will be like. If there are any cliffs or ravines, there may be some rope sections. You will need some specific gear for specific disciplines, such as ascending ropes.

  When you sign up for a race you will receive a copy of the rules, which will include a mandatory or compulsory equipment list. Some events may also have a gear list on their website.

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