Primal Quest Badlands is just over a week away, and I'm working hard at getting everything in order so I can leave town for the event. PQ is one of the biggest adventure races in the world, and while not everyone can devote all the time necessary to prepare for a ten-day race, that doesn't mean they don't want to give adventure racing a go.
If you've been considering getting into the sport, then PlanetFear has a nice article you'll want to look over. It's dedicated to helping beginners navigate through all the essential gear items that they'll need for their first race, including good trail running shoes, headlamps, backpacks, and a whole lot more, including some that you might not have thought of on your own, suck as the proper socks.
The article offers up some good insights across the board, without bogging you down with too much info. For example, they recommend that when buying your pack you go with something in the 20-30 liter range, and make sure that it has waist and chest straps to hold it firmly in place while running. They even recommend a few specific companies and a pack or two, but don't weigh you down with thoughts on all the pack features you may or may not need.
All in all, it's a good, comprehensive report on the basic gear you'll need for your first few races, which will tend to be shorter, but not necessarily less gear intensive. Sure, the expedition length races like Primal Quest have you out on the course longer, and you may need a bigger pack, but a lot of your gear will translate over to the longer races just fine. But as a beginner, you should just be thinking about getting through the first races in one piece, and not worrying too much about the epic events. At least not yet.
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