We are currently prepping for camping in Utah. In three days we head to Utah for the Bryce Canyon ultra marathons. As he mentioned yesterday, Dwight is running the 50 Kilometer race at Bryce.
What is a little different about this trip is that we will be camping before and after the race.
We have camped as volunteers for an ultramarathon, but never when Dwight is running. This could either be a fabulous idea or a spectacular failure!
As I write, Dwight is running in the Sacramento mountains – his final long run before the race next weekend. He just discovered the two soft flasks that he carries in his running vests have small holes in them. We’re going to try duct tape – trying to buy new ones is difficult the week before the race – they are not exactly available at the local sports store.
This afternoon we will check our camp kitchen box and finalize our plan for food for the trip. Food takes extra planning because we like to limit the amount of shopping we do on these trips, we have to account for my food allergies and Dwight’s need for lots of calories post race!
Bryce Canyon is about 12 hours drive from here in Southern New Mexico, so it’s quite a journey there and back.
So what do we pack for a trip like this? We don’t pack light. This is definitely a car camping trip! In addition to the gearboxes (which contain electrolytes, gels, and all the things needed for crewing an ultramarathoner), It’s important that we are comfortable so Dwight is able to sleep well before and after the race — this kind of distance is not easy on the body.
This will be the first trip where we have taken the canopy and the small burner stove, so this trip will determine if they go with us again in the future.
The photo on the left shows our setup from our camping trip across Colorado last year!
Camping Gear
- Everest Camp Stove
- Coleman small burner stove
- Tent (2 person)
- generic Groundsheet
- Folding camp kitchen
- 2 x Sleeping mats
- 2 x Sleeping bags
- Hammock
- 2 x headlamps
- 2 x folding camp chair
- 10 x 10 canopy.
- 2 x pillows
- Rubber mallet
- fire lighting supplies
- 1 x cooler (Esky in Australian)
Kitchen Box
- 2 x aluminium cups
- 2 small bamboo bowls
- 1 x chopping board
- 1 x saucepan
- 1 x saute pan
- 1 x tub for washing up
- 2 x Furi knives in sheaths
- biodegradable dish washing detergent
- 2 x dishtowels
- 1 x 6 egg keeper
We are looking forward to visiting Zion National Park following Bryce Canyon. It’s a busy time of the year, so all of the camping there is first come first serve. We’ll let you know how that pans out!
Do you have “must-haves” on camping trips? we are certainly not backwoods campers, so while we like compact we are not as concerned about weight as some people. There is a natural wear and tear that happens (we just had to replace one of our sleeping bags because the zipper broke – after 10 years).
I will be working on this trip, and will write a post over the next few days about what tools and equipment I am using to make that happen.
Listening. Observing. Participating. Writing. Photographing. Reflecting.
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Traveler. Scholar. Photographer. Writer. Dreamer. Teacher.
Anna Rabe is a speaker, writer, and social entrepreneur. She is proudly Team Rabe. The American Identity Tour is a crazy adventure marked with photos and word and inspired by the incredible women in Anna’s family, especially her late grandmother, whom she knew as Nan-Nan. Anna is currently finishing her book, “Not a Pedestrian Life.”
