Packing list

Saving the best 4K content for last: GEAR!!! This is going to be a long post and probably irrelevant to most, but in the event some future 4Ker wants to get a better idea of what to bring this is going to be thorough. Or, if you’re someone who gets weirdly excited by organizational things like me, this might be a fun read :)

I started researching gear almost as soon as I decided I was going to do the 4K last spring. This might seem a little extra (which, yes, it is) but in reality it was great because that gave me a year to accumulate all of this stuff. Between Christmas, a birthday, and many REI sales that saved me quite a bit of money!

Speaking of money: yes, some of this is very expensive. I did not take the most economical route to gear. But, almost everything lasted the summer and I will continue to use it. This is definitely not a “best gear guide”, but I will give my honest opinion on the gear I used (hint: I liked most of it).

Each 4K participant is limited to a regular-sized backpack and a full-size duffle (provided by Ulman) to make sure that the entire team’s gear can fit in our van. There was a bit of a mix-up with the 2022 duffles (AKA body bags, I could actually fit inside them) but I ended up with a normal-sized 2020 duffle, which is about four feet long and a foot wide. I like to be prepared for every possible scenario so parsing down what I wanted to take to just the essentials was a challenge, as was zipping my duffle at times (especially when my hands were numb from riding)! But, I figured out the most effective packing routine, shipped a few things home, and had room for some things I bought along the way. This page includes a general summary of each main category of my belongings; you can click on the heading hyperlinks or pictures for a more detailed breakdown. Here’s what I returned home with:

Sleep system

Bike + accessories

Clothing

I packed all my clothing and shoes into packing cubes from Eagle Creek and REI, divided by:

Bathroom things

• Toiletry bag
• Quick-dry towels
• Cleansing wipes

Misc.

• Dry bag for electronics, journal, and my parks passport
• Sunglasses
• Pocket clothesline
• Small pair of binoculars
• Dry bag with random things: zip ties, medications, a microfiber towel, pens, Camelbak cleaning kit, etc.
• Extra bike maintenance things
• Hats
• Fanny pack and tote bag
• First aid kit
• Hammock
• Headlamp
• Headbands and Buff
• Bags for dirty/damp laundry
• Swimsuit
• Purse
• Foam leg roller
• Power strip
• Charging block
• Extra bag of toiletries

Things I sent home

That’s “it”! My duffle weighed around 37 pounds and my backpack was around 18 pounds. I know this because I actually repacked everything in full when I got home to prove to my stepdad that I didn’t need to take anything out like he made me because he thought I was over Southwest’s 50-pound limit :) I definitely could’ve survived with less but also kept things pretty light compared to some of my teammates (looking at you, Eli…). Living out of two bags for 10 weeks was eye-opening for me, and although it did feel nice to wear “real” clothes again I found myself mostly wearing “4K fits” for a few weeks after the trip. I also found it a lot easier to get rid of things I didn’t need anymore before my move to Albany!

Until next time,

Lauren