First a quick word on why I’ve shared my thoughts on gear, training and strategy for the Iditarod Invitational…
A lot of the information that I have found valuable in my preparations has come from other people’s websites. So I figure that if I am going to take, I should give as well. As I (futilely) try to explain to my one year old, sharing is good. Plus, writing this all down helps me organize my thoughts and re-evaluate my decisions.
Every item I am taking was analyzed and scrutinized for usefulness, weight, size, and reliability. And almost every item has a long backstory as to why it did or did not make the cut. And I would love to share the story of each piece of gear. But I quickly realized that even if someone actually did want to read 2,000 words on why I chose to bring Rode Multigrade Blue/Green kickwax instead of Swix Special Blue, I would never get it all written down before the start of the race on March 1st.
So instead I’ll give you a few words on some of the most interesting gear. And then give you lots of photos.
Skis: Atomic NX-11
I got these skis for the Susitna 100 four years ago, and I keep them specifically for this type of skiing. The NX-11’s are skate skis, but they are shorter than normal (184 cm vs. my usual 192 cm). I’ll put kick wax on them for classic skiing. For a ski with a skate camber, they kick and glide pretty well.
Poles: Exel Avanti QLS
I originally planned to go with a standard strap system on my ski poles, but then I found out that Exel brought back the QLS (Quick Lock System) for this year, after about eight years off the market! I bought every pair of QLS straps that AMH had in stock (three pairs), and matched them up with my old QLS poles that had been gathering dust. I love the QLS because I get the support of a fancy strap system, but I can get my hands in and out of the poles in no time flat. I can get these poles on and off with one hand, and do it faster than a standard strap. I am bringing two pairs of poles, one for skate and one for classic. The extra pair will easily attach to my sled pole and will give me back-up if I break one. Or two.
Boots: Salomon Carbon Pro Skiathlon
Figuring out a boot system has been very complicated. My feet always get cold when I ski. Overboots help, but only to a certain degree (in my case, -5 F) because the cold creeps in through the sole of the boot, which the overboots don’t cover. So I’ve tried all sorts of options to figure out a warmer boot set-up. The other day I calculated that I’ve considered 630 different sock/insole/boot/overboot combinations! (I’ll admit that I’ve only tried on about a hundred of those combinations.)
The boots I have chosen are a pair of Salomon pursuit (combi) racing boots that are a full size bigger than I normally wear. I bought them online for $100 last month (what a deal!), then put an thick Insolator insole in them, with the boot’s original insole on top of that. In most conditions, I will wear wool liner socks, with RBH vapor barrier socks over them. I will also have two pairs of overboots (one neoprene by Salomon, one fleece/nylon by Apocalypse Designs) that I can use either individually or together in extreme cold. I am still worried about cold feet, but this boot system is the warmest I have ever tried. If I get nothing else out of this race, I will have finally come up with a boot system that will keep my feet warm well below zero. It only took thirty years of skiing to accomplish that.
Sled:
In the Susitna 100, I carried all my gear in a backpack and was very happy with that decision. But for this race, there is just too much stuff. More food, more clothes, more fuel. So I’m going with a sled. Building this sled has been a five year project. It took 4.75 years to find the right sled to start with, and then it was a frantic two months to customize it for ski hauling. Most of the sled modifications I made were based on advice from Tim Kelley. I also borrowed a suspension pole design from Susitna 100 racer Mike Beiergrohslein. Since these designs aren’t mine, I wouldn’t feel right explaining them in every last detail. Instead, you’ll just have to look at the pictures.
The sled itself is orange, and for some reason I decided that the cover should be orange too. Safety first!
If you ask anyone who has built a ski sled, they’ll tell you that it is never finished. It’s a tinkerer’s dream. There is always some additional modification that would make it even better. But having said that, I am really excited about the sled. I think it turned out well and it will make hauling much more pleasant.
Food: Lots and lots of junk
I got a good reminder of my rookie insecurities when I dropped off my food drop bags to be flown out to Finger Lake and Rohn. We are allowed 10 lbs, and my bags tipped the scales at about 9.75 lbs. I dropped off my bags at the same time as Jacques Boutet, who has done this race many times. I swear his bags couldn’t have weighed more than a pound. Clearly, he knows something I don’t.
I’ll be shocked if I eat all my food. Each bag contained about 15,000 calories, which should last at least two days – probably even longer assuming I get good meals at the checkpoints. But then again, on my Susitna Shakedown I ate 10,000 calories in 24 hours, so I felt it prudent to use my 10lbs as efficiently as possible. Sausage, cheese, Buckeyes (peanut butter balls), buttery goodness (apparently it’s really popular), Snickers, Pop Tarts. Its all in there. I know this sounds like junk food, and it is, but in terms of calories per gram, it’s the densest stuff around. And I love junk food. One of my life’s greatest accomplishments is eating a dozen of the nastiest Dunkin Donuts in five minutes flat, immediately after finishing a Big Mac Extra Value meal. Trust me – it’s a big deal in certain circles.
Well, that’s the most interesting gear. Here’s photos of the rest of it…
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