mandatory kit

answering (or not really answering) the question no one is asking: what are you carrying on trail?

i love the aesthetically satisfying gear pictures online that people take before their big mountain adventure or trail race or backpacking trip. with all the items arranged for the assessment of completeness while also appeasing the OCD packer. as a gear nerd, i love seeing what people use and perhaps how minimal they can move with, while also the creative combinations, arrangements, and innovations in multi-use for the most efficient journey.

in my often solo, remote mountain days, i’ve landed on a pretty standard go-to kit with my same pack, poles, layers, tools, first aid, bear spray (i promised mom), water filter, etc. and of course food and water depending on my intended journey.

packing for mountain trail races has been a learning experience. a balance of moving quicker, having aid stations, caloric and hydration requirements, on and on. but it’s been a fun experiment. there’s something sweet about laying out the kit the night before the race, counting food items, filling flasks, picking the socks. it’s like the first day of school.

some mountain trail races have a mandatory kit - the required gear to have on hand for running the race.

the mandatory gear list may be indicated for various combination of reasons - particularly tough terrain, long duration, variable weather conditions, few and sparse aid stations - with the primary goal to ensure safety. it’s the “just-in-case” list.

an example of such gear might include: rain shell, rain pants, headlamp with extra batteries, thermal layer, gloves, extra calories, minimal water storage capacity, first aid, gps, etc.

for the most part, these items are tucked deep in the pack with the hopes and expectations that they won’t be needed. in fact, you might assume if you are digging these items out that things are not going well, or unexpected challenges (or opportunities:) are arising.

in the past several months of chewing through some of the mindset learnings from endeavoring into mountain trail racing, i feel like i’ve started to form my own mandatory mindset kit. the checklist of items that need to be in place and onboard in order to step up to a new crazy trail adventure. things like identity, awareness, calm, confidence, patience, trust, authenticity, love.

but a bit different from the mandatory gear kit, this developing mindset checklist, i’d hope to not be tucked deep away in the pack. i think i’m learning it functions best in the easily accessible front pockets - regularly tapped, front of mind. it doesn’t sound like a great plan to fall to pieces and slow to a nauseous, dehydrated death march before i dig out my "just-in-case supply" and evaluate my identity or confidence - i’ve said it before: those are things i set in place at the start line.

this mandatory kit is set for my safety and success. it means i can navigate the most challenging of terrain, in the toughest conditions, and trust that i’m equipped with what i need. the individuals who set the list are the ones who mapped and marked the course - they know what i need.
and that’ll preach all by itself.