Discussion: Mini-Rogaine Equipment Checklist?

I will be competing in the MNOC 6 Hour Rogaine later this month. This is my first rogaine and so I am curious to know what kind of gear APers would advise that I carry. I lean very much toward traveling light. This is what I plan to use:

Trail running shoes
Low top gaiters
70 oz hydration pack with 2nd bladder.
Pencil
Pen
A little duck tape for repairs or first aid
Compass
Map bag
10 GU gels
5 Clif bars
Short length of string for route measuring and planning
HRM

Terrain is forested. Fresh drinking water will be available at one station on the course but I don't know how costly the location will be. I suspect that there will be natural water sources on the course. Would it be worth the weight savings and time loss to stop and purify water from natural sources en route?

Back of the envelope calculation looks like you'll be packing ~2750 calories or so in the GU/Clif. That seems a bit high to me if the goal is to pack light. You know your own body -- I usually plan a calorie budget before a long race, and without doing the math, know I'd be carrying considerably less than that. I guess 'cause I have alot of excess body fat, I can afford to :)

And I can't get a clif down during a race. Before yes, during, no way.

I'm sure others can offer more sophisticated calorie planning comments, but in an abstract sense, I think it pays to plan this well before the race. At least I try to.

Forested so shady. I'm not sure what kind of temperatures are likely and perhaps you're a heavy sweater but, if my interpretation that you plan on carrying up to 140 ounces of water is correct, that strikes me as excessive unless it turns out to make sense not to visit the water station.

Also, others clearly feel differently, but do you really need the heart rate monitor? The same weight in fat could potentially be useful as fuel, though it sounds as though you don't plan on letting your body make much use of fat reserves, but unless you're prone to setting too fast an initial pace, how would a heart rate monitor not be simply dead weight?

On food: I wish I knew what my caloric needs are for the race, but I just don't have the experience. I have never orienteered this long before. I was planning on 300 calories per hour and wanted the Clif bars to get some protein. Then, I threw in a few extra to be safe. Perhaps I should toss out some or all of the Clif bars.

On fat: So you think I can choose to burn fat instead of food and still perform well?

On water: I was hoping to start with the second bladder half full. But I suppose I should show up fully loaded and dump excess water if I calculate that we can visit a water station regularly during the race.

On HRM: I am teamed up with a faster runner, so I it will be tempting for me to go too fast. I thought that the HRM would help me to manage my pace. Thinking of the HRM as dead weight, how much difference will the weight of the HRM make over the enitre race? Hmmmmm.

You will almost certainly regret carrying that second water baldder. Keep it light, keep it light, keep it light. You should have no problem finding water sources in Minnesota forest.

If you're concerned about the time required to stop to get more water (and you should be), bring a bottle rather than refilling the bladder. Spot the water, get the bottle out, dip, add iodine tablets, screw the lid back on, and carry it in your hand for a few minutes which does a nice job of stirring it up and completing the purification process. With practice, you can do this without ever dropping below jogging pace.

How much difference will the HRM make over the course of the race? Not much but the idea that unnecessary weight doesn't matter until it reaches some threshhold of significance isn't going to withstand scientific scrutiny under the currently understood laws of physics. Not that your reason for wanting the HRM isn't valid - I just think a better reason is required than force of habit or liking making graphs of your heart rate after the race.

In theory, if you trained yourself to burn fat while exercising, it's almost certain you have enough to fuel a much longer effort than a mini-rogaine. My understanding is this wouldn't work so well for a higher intensity effort since it takes more oxygen to extract a given amount of energy from fat than from carbohydrates, placing a limit on speed while fueled primarily by fat, but I doubt this would be an issue in a race lasting six hours. Nevertheless, it doesn't seem like a good idea to test the theory in a race so I'd stick with gels and other food. And maybe some kind of energy drink in one of your bladders, assuming there's one you know you tolerate well while exercising.

And maybe some kind of energy drink in one of your bladders

Be careful with this one. I made the mistake once of a diluted gatorade in the bladder, and when I got sick of it 4 hours into the race and wanted the taste of fresh water, I was out of luck. Fortunately it was an urban rogaine and I could simply buy water, dump the bladder, etc., and even tho I am no physicist, I'm sure the time loss on this move exceeds the time loss from the HRM.

Obviously, if you are carrying 2 bladders, you can do what you want, but my guess is that you will end up carrying one, and if so, think very carefully about something other than pure water.

I'm definitely more of an orienteer than a rogainer, but I have raced in some shorter races (less than 8 hours), and in my mind you're planning on carrying way too much. For a 6-hour race, done with my brother (who is about an equal match in stamina and speed), we carried 2 liters of Gatorade, a PowerBar, and one or two gels (all in a small Camelbak). Other than that, we went with trail running shoes, waterproof marker, and little else.

We covered ground very quickly (jog/run the whole way), and if memory serves we would have been 2nd in the 24-hour rogaine that was held concurrently on the same map/controls.

The other guys give pretty good advice, and for comfort sake I'd err on the side of bringing a bit extra (most people don't seem to mind lugging a little bit of extra weight around) - the example I gave above was more of an idea of how little you can get away with. Not comfortable, but do-able.

FWIW, I would take the HRM anyway - it's way more interesting to be able to look at the data and see what you managed to coax your body through after the fact, and the extra weight be damned.

For 6 hrs, I'd eat 1 gu every hour and half a clif bar twice during the race. For fluids, in the summer, I'd carry the 70 oz as full strength gatorade with a pack to mix more at a water stop. Also 2-3 endurolyte capsules if I'm sweating a lot and show any sign of a bonk. If you haven't done an extended summer run on gu, gatorade and capsules, I'd try it first or you may discover you have a stomach like Randy's -- mine is cast iron and can run on a gobbled cheeseburger (CNYO last month).

For clothes, I'd cover my legs with o-pants if the vegetation is at all thick. If it's on trails, then running shorts are ok. I no longer use any gaiters at all.

Wouldn't a small first aid kit be wise? I generally take a small kit like this:

~6 aspirins or Ibuprofein tablets.
Several bandaids, plus sterile gauze + tape
(duct tape, medical tape or athletic can all work)
Small pocket knife or razor,
Needle, dental floss
small led light (keychain size)
10-15 matches or a lighter
anti-sting medicine (sting-eze or meat tenderizer), benadryl.
alcohol swabs
maybe a mini-sunscreen tube.

If prepared well, this whole kit could easily weigh less than one cliff bar. There is really no excuse not to bring these things. Should something happen, it could make a big difference for you or a competitor.

Agreed that you are taking too much food for 6 hrs. In such a short event, you can start off very well-nourished - meal 3 hrs before, gel an hour before, Boost 30 min. before, etc. You'll probably be having a meal immediately after you finish, too. So a snack an hour is probably plenty, and I'll bet that you won't find time to eat them all. Ideally, you should eat food that you have eaten before while exercising. I like Clif bars, but most people I know find them too dry and heavy during a race. For many people, sweet snacks seem less appealing after 4 hrs, so you might want to include a couple of salty snacks, e.g. ziploc with some (crushed) potato chips, peanuts, cheese slice, etc.

Keep in mind that if you use a sports drink, it provides you with calories too. The best drink is one that you've used successfully before, so it's probably too late to make a switch, but many people prefer something less sweet than Gatorade for long events. For a race of your length, a light spare bottle (e.g. from bottled water) could be a good idea, along with a water purification pill. You might want to start with it filled with water, since it can be nice to swig some pure water for a change of pace, but 6 hrs isn't so long that it would be a big deal. I would do a 6-hr race on a 70-oz bladder if I started hydrated, but that is very individual and depends on the weather.

In addition, here are some other suggested packing list items:

Watch

Hat

UV-blocking glasses (clear or slightly tinted) for eye protection to allow speedier movement through forest (depends on personal preference)

Light Elastic Tow Rope with carabiners on each end (in case one partner feels ill, etc. - can be worn like a belt when not in use)

Another vote for a basic 1st aid kit, as blegg mentioned

I also use duct tape, cord and a carabiner to attach the map to my belt loop in case I attempt to leave it behind!

I used to climb mountains and there the mantra was "drink until your piss is gin clear". I always drank more than enough just to make sure that I was covered. Perhaps this background is coloring my perspective on orienteering to my detriment.

When I run in hot weather, 85 degrees plus, I lose more than 2 pounds per hour. That is approximately 1 liter per hour of water loss. I dunno, perhaps I sweat more than most? For the rogaine, I was assuming that I should plan to replace the water throughout the race. So, I was thinking that I should drink around six liters to replace all the loss to finish the race with close to the same body weight. Does that make sense? I sounds like you guys would advise drinking less. Right?

Sports Drink: I have been using a GU powder but the bladder that have is a platypus and has a small opening. How do you guys get the powder in the small hole quickly at a water station? I have also found that the powder does not dissolve well in ice cold water. Any hints on that?

Glasses: I stopped training in the local woods and switched to trail running mostly because I had some close calls with my eyes, even though I wear glasses. How many orienteers were eye protection?

Bash: What's the tow rope used for?

Towing.

Orienteers/adventure racers talk a lot about hydration too. Chances are that when you climbed mountains, you were out for longer than 6 hrs at a time. Also, you might have been at altitude, where drinking extra water is advised. You mentioned how much fluid you lose while running, and you might find that you lose a bit less while rogaining, since the pace tends to be less than your top intensity, and hopefully you'll spend some time in the shade.

In the days before a race, I try extra hard to stay well-hydrated, so that I start the race "topped up". There are people on Attackpoint with better knowledge of physiology than I, but I believe that scientists have determined that most people's bodies can only absorb about 750 ml of fluid per hour, even if they are losing more. If you're a heavy sweater, I'd think that taking salt or electrolytes after a few hours would be more important than increasing your fluid intake. Given that you will drink immediately before and after the race, I'd guess that 3 litres (100 oz) and a water purification pill would get you through a 6 hr event - if it's not too hot.

I use a Camelbak, so I haven't had the problems with the powder that you mention. We have a little funnel that we take to longer adventure races for our support crew to use, but we wouldn't carry it with us. If I refilled a bladder in a 6-hr race, for efficiency, I'd be inclined to just add water and dilute the remaining sports drink in the bladder. As the race goes on, I prefer a lower concentration anyway. As for getting the powder to dissolve in ice cold water, that won't be an issue if you visit a water station at an August rogaine! I use eLoad, and I have to shake up the bladder a bit, but it dissolves just fine.

As Tiny points out above, the tow rope is used for one partner to tow the other (and yes, I've been at the end of Tiny's tow rope). This is standard practice in adventure racing when the terrain permits and one partner feels stronger than the other. The idea is that you do whatever it takes to get the team across the finish line first, whether that is taking your partner's items in your pack or pulling him/her up a big hill or whatever. In adventure racing, it is considered poor form to refuse to be towed if the terrain is suitable (i.e. good footing, not thick bush) and you are falling behind. On foot, it is most useful on road runs or good trails. Tiny and I did a long race together last year where by nightfall, I was towing our strong male teammate who is almost 15 yrs younger than me, but suffered from serious cramping. By the next day, I was at the back end of his tow rope when he was back to his usual self! In a 6 hr race, you may not see it as much, but throughout longer events, there is an ebb and flow of who feels stronger, healthier or sharper with the map at any given time. It's important not to let one's ego get in the way of letting one partner or the other take over some aspect of the racing when they feel better, whether it's the physical work or the navigation.

We usually use a strong, light, elasticized cord, available at outdoor stores, with a carabiner tied on each end. The cord goes around the waist of the front person (you could do this with solid webbing to prevent tightening), then feeds through the carabiner to the back person, who clips it onto their pack waist belt. There are many variations, e.g. clipping the carabiner onto the backpack of the tower and running the cord around the waist of the towee. You want maybe 2 meters between the tower and towee - it's good to do some practising beforehand.

I am a newbie, but this strikes me as hilarious. So you tow a guy through terrain stumbling on their feet? Are normal pack waist straps strong enough? Does anyone ever get towed while laying down? Or passed out?

*SIGH*
If I suggest this equipment item to my partner, I will probably be the one getting towed.

People from outside the sport of adventure racing usually find the concept of towing hilarious, but it's a sensible strategy to help the team cross the finish line as quickly as possible. You would never tow someone stumbling on their feet - hence the comment about "when terrain permits". The idea is that the person doing the towing uses a bit of their energy to help to pull the person behind a bit faster than they would go on their own. Both people are both working as hard as they can (or as hard as they feel appropriate at that point of the race, e.g. they might be powerwalking up a big hill), and they are both going the exact same speed, which is what you want in a team race. Adventure racers know that there is no value in having the stronger teammate get to the top of the hill first and stand there tapping his or her toes. We've done towing on foot, on bikes and in boats. While it might have seemed funny to us at first, we've gotten over it!

I've found that any pack waist band is strong enough. It's not a strong tug most of the time. And as mentioned, there are other configurations that people use, e.g. around the waist. I've seen one team that just used a piece of surgical tubing that looped around the towee's back and came back to the tower.

I would never enter a team event without a tow in my pack. It weighs less than 200 grams (use one of those junky key-chain carribeeners to keep the weight down) and can save you huge amounts of time if one of you runs into trouble.

Like most packs designed for Adventure Racing, mine has a tow loop, both front and back. The tow comes on and off very quickly when using the beener. If you're really concerned about tripping in thick stuff, just holding the tow in your hand achieves most of the benefits. The person towing will always want it clipped to the pack to distribute the force.

This tow thing is starting to make sense...

I always wear eye protection. Clear lenses or light yellow or orange, depending on the canopy and weather. Takes one stress off your mind - eyes are kinda hard to replace.

im not very experienced but for eye protection if you are uncomfortable running with glasses you could always wear a hat and pull it down enough to protect your eyes but still be able to see when you are about to run through something rough, thats what me and my brothers do although we should probably try to get used to the glasses cause they seem safer. i guess you could always wear both

Regarding hats: something that is capable of poking your eye out is probably quite capable of knocking a hat off, too.

At the last EcoChallenge North America, racers rappelled 400' down a waterfall, trekked through rough terrain at night, and paddled for hours on Lake Superior, amongst other things. The most serious injury of the race? A guy poked his eye on a tree branch and had to be evacuated to a hospital. It's not just the injury - it's the chance of infection.

Having said that, I'd guess that a minority of orienteers and adventure racers wear glasses. But it's mandatory gear for me.

youve never seen my brother put on a hat. hes so paranoid about it coming off he once duct taped it to his head- not so bright. we're trying to adjust to use glasses but the keep sliding down and keep falling off...any advice?

The branches can hit below your hat brim, too, and they are always moving and snapping back into place as you travel. For adventure racing, I wear both hat with brim and glasses, but my hat has been pulled off too many times in orienteering (not enough duct tape, I guess), so I now just wear the glasses for O unless I'm expecting a long, sunny race.

If your glasses fit snugly, they shouldn't come off, but most outdoor stores sell straps to hold them on. The problem that most people complain about is fogging up in the rain. Valid complaint. But like Barbie says, eyes are hard to replace.

Another problem with wearing a hat is that one day I ducked under a tree and of course couldn't see the branch because of the beak, came up too soon and knocked myself out. The rest is history... I was never the same after that ;-)

Regarding eye protection, I find that my glasses stay on my face real well, even without duct tape or, heaven forbid, Croakies. I would name the brand, but Eddie would accuse me of advertising.

I always wear glasses when I orienteer (because I like to be able to see far, but it's also nice eye protection) and never have a slippage problem. It's all about the nose. You need a nice, bony nose and you'll never have any issues.

Food: 1 carboshotz or other gel plus 1 chockie bar per hour
Drink: 2/3 strength gatorade. I use a 3L camelpack and would take the powder to have one refill, but if not feasible, just eat a bit more in the second half
Tape: for any emerging blisters / repairs
Ibuprofen tablets. A couple to take at the drink stop half way - these work wonders for me :)

Run in whatever you're used to that is comfy and I'd forget the HR monitor - just no real point. If you're feeling knackered, you probably are.

Towing is great in AR's which are longer and have more tracks (at least in my experience), but if you need one for much of a 6 hr race then you're not a particularly well matched team and won't be winning anyway and they're more problematic the thicker the bush gets. The guy doing he towing has to be pretty strong for it to make a huge difference (says the guy who was the deadweight on the back end of the rope for the last hour of my last race...)

In terms of planning I take a pin-up board and string and pin every control, so that you can quickly and easily measure different route combos / work out points/km for different sections - but that's getting highly unnecessary if you're not hell-bent on winning...

but if you need one for much of a 6 hr race then you're not a particularly well matched team and won't be winning anyway

Might be true at some races, but many competitive mixed teams (my usual partner is female) can benefit even in shorter events from a tow.

The guy doing he towing has to be pretty strong for it to make a huge difference

The first time I ever towed someone was near the end of the 2005 North American Rogaine Champs. I'd dawdled too long looking for our last control, and we had more than 6 km to run back to the finish on a dirt road. For every minute we were late, we would lose a huge number of points. If we were 15 minutes late, we would lose everything we'd collected in 24 hrs. It was one of the hardest things either my partner or I have ever done - believe me, the person on the back of the tow rope is working hard too, since their body is moving faster than it does naturally. But we got back 49 seconds after the deadline - and the organizer ruled that we lost NO points because we weren't a full minute late yet. So towing doesn't have to make a huge difference to make a difference!

many competitive mixed teams (my usual partner is female) can benefit even in shorter events from a tow.

Fair call - I admit I hadn't been thinking mixed teams when I was contemplating this (although the female on my AR team was much stronger than me for the last 6 hours :) )

I guess the overall value of it will vary greatly from area to area - I've never had to finish a rogaine with a 6km track run...

I stopped orienteering while wearing a brimmed hat because I kept running into solid branches with my forehead. I couldn't see them coming because of the brim. I came to the conclusion that some day I would get knocked out cold. Now the only time I wear one is in the rain, to keep my glasses dry.

But we got back 49 seconds after the deadline - and the organizer ruled that we lost NO points because we weren't a full minute late yet.

That was nice to your team, but not fair to the rest of the teams. Rules mention a penalty for every overtime "minute, or part thereof".

You're right - it looks like we DID get lucky - although the full text is: "Teams finishing late will be penalised at the rate per minute or part thereof specified in advance by the organisers" - which might be considered to leave things open to interpretation by the race director, depending on how you read it. In any case, we were one of only two teams in the Open Female category, and even with the penalty, we would have had 1270 pts vs. 550 pts for the 2nd place team. And we still would have been behind Sharon Crawford's amazing Super Veteran Female team!

Anyway, my real point was that towing can make a difference even in a 6-hr race.

And it ain't just the girl who gets the tow! A few years back I was in a 7-hour adventure race and had just finished doing most of the work on the biking leg. We were tied for first with about 10 miles of trekking between us and the finish. Both of my teammates were excellent runners, so I expected that I would have my hands full just keeping up. It was a really hot day and my other male teammate began to cramp almost immediately into the run. I was in no shape to tow, so we hooked him up to Amy and she dragged him all the way around the course. We didn't win, but it did save second place. Without the tow, it would have been a DNF.

True. In GHO's 25 km team adventure runs, there is a top Coed team whose female member often pulls one of her male teammates across the finish line. She is an ultrarunner who doesn't navigate. It takes her 2 hrs to warm up, then for the rest of the race, the boys carrying the maps have to chase her!

Socks: Is it recommendable bring extra socks and change out the wet ones during the race with water crossings?

I suppose the answer would depend on how serious you are about winning. My guess is a really competitive team would never change socks in a six hour rogaine no matter how wet.

Caffeine: I am an enthusiastic tea drinker. Is it advisable to increase, decrease or maintain one's normal daily caffeine intake during a long endurance event?

I don't know anyone who would change socks in a 6-hr event. I usually change to dry socks halfway through a 24-hr rogaine, but I'd be in the minority amongst our friends. Your feet will probably get wet early and stay wet, but they shouldn't get too damaged over 6 hrs. You may want to pre-tape blister-prone toes, etc., but be sure that you practise this so that the tape doesn't end up causing blisters. I don't do any taping, but I slather silicone-based foot cream on before putting on my socks. It extends the length of time before your feet get soft, wrinkled, and more susceptible to blisters. Other people prefer foot powder.

According to Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, a sports nutrition expert and adventure racer, at minimum, you want to maintain the level of caffeine that your body is accustomed to. In fact, caffeine can even improve performance to some extent. In a 6-hr event, this should be easy - just have your usual breakfast. In a 24-hr event, some people like to have extra caffeine - chocolate-covered espresso beans or Wake-up pills.

I found some Clif bars and GUs that have caffeine, so I am all wired up.

So here's a contrarian position on dry feet -- don't bother:
Having done an entire 24 hr rogaine in New Brunswick a couple years ago in the tail end of a tropical storm, I find I have less blister trouble with wet feet than dry ones. In fact, if I feel a hot spot developing, I'll step in the nearest stream and get my socks totally wet. By the end of the race, my feet may look like prunes, but no blisters. Not like running in hot, dry, dusty New Mexico where the blisters formed, broke, peeled and bled!

That's not contrarian - just smart! When I've changed to dry socks in long events, it's not because of the moisture - it's because of the grit that comes from walking through muck and sand all day. If I had gaiters that worked perfectly (and if I always felt like wearing them), this might not be an issue. As you say, a nice clean, cool stream feels yummy on the feet, especially in summer. The silicone (not petroleum) foot cream can still help by delaying the prune effect. Pruney feet are more vulnerable to blisters than, um, plummy feet.

I agree with kadley about wet feet warding off blisters. Any rogaines that I've done where it's been real wet right from the start, I've had absolutely no blister problems. Then there was a rogaine where I started out dry, I felt a blister coming on after 3-4 hours, but we then had to walk through an ankle-deep swampy section. The blister problem went away, never to recur.

I also don't disagree with Bash about fresh socks being helpful in avoiding grit, though.

By the way, what is the silicone foot cream that you use?

I heard of one cream called Hydropel.

I learned about silicone-based creams from adventure racing world champion Ian Adamson. He described it as being like Goretex for the feet. It lets your feet breathe while protecting them from moisture. He said that some other creams or glides, including petroleum-based ones, would not let the feet breathe.

I've only found one brand around here - Barriere. It is not sold as a foot cream. We find it in the baby section of the pharmacy, along with the other diaper rash prevention creams!

Apparently Barriere is only sold in Canada. Too bad. Hydropel is expensive to mail order and seemingly unavailable in Minneapolis running stores. Does anyone know of a Barriere like diaper cream sold in the USA?

Towing is great in AR's which are longer and have more tracks (at least in my experience), but if you need one for much of a 6 hr race then you're not a particularly well matched team and won't be winning anyway and they're more problematic the thicker the bush gets. The guy doing he towing has to be pretty strong for it to make a huge difference (says the guy who was the deadweight on the back end of the rope for the last hour of my last race...)

Like many other Attackpointers, I have extensive towing experience, and I have even distilled this experience into a high performance* towline that I build and sell: WeGo Team Link

* The main differences between using the WeGo Race model and a piece of thin bungee cord with a couple carabiner clips are slightly improved ease of use and improved comfort/versatility when towing at a variety of forces.

Anyway, several points to address:

1. Towing indicates a team that is not well-matched.

Bash addressed this already, but there are many reasons that a person's ability can fluctuate during an ultra-endurance (3+ hour) race, especially one involving rugged terrain and changes in weather. And of course, teammates can be good at navigation or at running, and it is common for a strong runner to team up with an expert navigator who is less fast afoot, since a few navigation mistakes can negate the benefits of superior running ability.

2. Same sex teams that resort to towing are unlikely to win.

I and a teammate won a "6-hour" rogaine (in under 3 hours, if I remember correctly) this Spring, where I towed him up most of the hills. There are numerous other rogaines or adventure races in which my team has towed one or more men and has either won or been in close contention for a win.

Regardless of whether a team is in contention for a win, towing can greatly improve the result. As a top-of-my-head estimate, I would say that on teams I have raced with that have towed, it has typically improved the team's placing between 1/4 and 1/2. (Placing 1st rather than 2nd would be an improvement of 1/2. Placing 12th rather than 16th would be an improvement of 1/4 = (16-12)/16).

3. Towing becomes increasingly problematic as vegetation gets thicker [or as terrain generally becomes more rugged].

True, but it can still be very useful. As teammates become practiced at towing, towers and towees can learn how to communicate and how to modulate their towing force in such a way as to move most efficiently through rough terrain. For example, a good tower knows to let up a bit when passing an obstacle or other rough bit of trail or terrain.

4. The tower has to be very strong for towing to make a big difference.

Bash and ebuckley have described how drastically towing can improve a team's result when a teammate is bonking or cramping, and I could relate several similar anecdotes. Even when one teammate is merely a bit faster than another, towing can speed up the team enough to make a significant difference, especially over a long race, and it can prevent a slower teammate from bonking by trying to keep up with faster teammates. Given all the gear that people buy, carry and sometimes use to shave seconds or speed up fractions of a percent, carrying and using a towline is one of the most--if not the most--cost effective gear investments an endurance team racer can make, even if you splurge and order my deluxe $30 towline rather than spending a few bucks on a length of thin bungee cord from an outdoor supply store.

The MNOC Six Hour Rogaine is history. I am very happy with our 2nd place finish. This is what I ended up carrying:

Trail running shoes
Low top gaiters
70 oz hydration pack, full
32 oz platypus water bottle, empty.
water purification pills
advils
salt tabs
Pencil
Pen
A little duck tape for repairs or first aid
Compass
8 GU gels
1 Clif bar
Short length of thin, strong cord for equipment repairs, etc.

These things served me well. Thank you all for your advise. Our good result may be due in some small part to your help. Traveling light through the woods is a joy.

The weather was cloudy around 70 degrees. So, we did not need much water. We purified from natural sources at two places for approximately 4 liters of water consumtion during the 6 hour event.

Your advise to carry less food was right on. I had pretty consistent energy throughout the race, eating every approximately 100 calories every half hour.

I had a little minor cramping in the legs in the last hour and a half. I finish the race slow, yelping a few times. My teammate turned me on to salt pills, I am not sure if they helped. He seemed to think that if you had cramps, you need more electrolytes. I am not so sure. I think that a well-hydrated and well-electolyted athlete can get cramps from just plain old working far beyond normal physical exertions. What do you all think?

Not sure if there are other possible causes, but our local sports nutrition doc still recommends giving electrolytes to a teammate who has cramps. I've seen people use different things - salt, Rolaids, Tums and capsules designed for the purpose, e.g. Endurolytes from Hammer Nutrition. Some people lose electrolytes faster than others, and some seem to be more prone to cramping in general. I've never had a cramp, but I've listened to some horrible screams, so I can empathize.

Hey, congratulations on a fantastic result!!

I think replacing just sodium is probably not as effective as replacing sodium, potassium and calcium all at once. Gookinade (hydrolyte ERG) is excellent for this. doing a google search makes me think that salt pills are sorta a waste of time..
http://www.hhmi.org/cgi-bin/askascientist/highligh...
(as a side note related to the linked article, in college I worked in a lab where we injected Angiotensin II into the rat brain and the rats would immediately go over to the water bottle and drink like there was no tomorrow)

As to cramping even when well hydrated and electrolyted.... sure fatigued muscles cramp and I don't think anyone has pinned down all the reasons for the cramping, but don't let that stop you from going above and beyond to counter-act dehydration symptoms. Science is not sure about what else causes cramps but it is very clear on the fact that poor balance of electrolytes will give cramps.

When I mentioned salt pills, I was using the term generically. I think they were some kind of specialized electolyte replacement capsules. I am not sure what brand.

Ross, salt pills are a difference between life and death. You have to fill your bladder, your kidneys, your whole digestive tract, the intestinal cavity, the lungs, and the brain with Gookinaid to get enough sodium in your system for exercising beyond 3–4 hours.

A typical Western diet-eating person has enough sodium in his/her system to last for about those 3–4 hours of exercise. Beyond that, one needs to supplement at between 200 and 400 mg of sodium per hour, depending on sweat rates (500–1000 mg of sodium chloride). If there is a lack of sodium in the body, at some point sodium channels in nerve cell walls shut off. Usually the part that fails first is the brain stem, so one dies of cerebral swelling. There have been numerous documented cases.

Gookinaid indeed has potassium, sodium, calcium, and I think magnesium to provide supplemental electrolytes within that 3–4 hour period. It cannot be a sole source of nutrients for runs of ultra duration.

For a 6-hour rogaine, it is very likely that the few energy bars and snacks you eat during the run may provide you with the additional 400–800 mg beyond the 4-hr mark. I have run ultras while electrolyted to the max, and still got cramps. These could not been anything but muscle overuse cramps. Scott Jurek seems to think most ultra runners are not physically strong enough, and primarily suggests one-legged squats. This was in a recent issue of the Trail Runner magazine.

Tundra, I am confused about what you are recommending. What exactly would you recommend eating and drinking for a six hour slow run in 80 degree weather?

One gram of salt (NaCl) every hour for three hours, starting at 3:00 into the run. You can break it up into smaller doses, and can wash it down with Gookinaid if you'd like, or another electrolyte drink. As to food, 250 kcal per hour of carbs; more or less depending on your individual requirements, some protein maybe, etc. My post that preceded your question was not really a recommendation; the extesive discussion above seems to reveal that there can be quite a range of opinions according to individual preferences. The sodium intake, however, is not optional. It is a safety requirement for your body to not shut down or fail if you'd like to keep going.