As we think about Mongolia, here is what I will be taking. (If I was organized I would have taken a photo of all this kit before it got packed, but I was not)
By the numbers, 6 days of racing needs a lot of stuff (Leah and I have also taken the Mechanical Service that is offered by the race, so we do not need to carry as many spare parts, such as a spare chain or latex for the tires). Below is what we will be each taking, (Leah is taking similar stuff). After the race, I will make a note of there stuff I did not use, and would leave behind if we were to come back.
Bike: Canyon Lux 2019 8.0 Race
Tires: Front - Schwalbe Racing Ron. Back - Schwalbe Racing Ralph. Both tubeless
100L Evoc duffel bag. Waterproof, and has straps. Max size you can have.
Garmin 830 - you must have a GPS. the course is marked with poles, but the locals like the poles and often take them. The GPS is essential.
Helmet
Bike parts
3 spare tubes. I will run tubeless, and will carry one tube on the bike.
4 x 25g CO2 canisters in case i get a flat. (I will race with 2 on the bike. Post race, give these to the local racers as you cannot fly with them)
Tiny puncture repair kit in case I have a very bad day of flats.
MTB pump - I will race with this as a last resort (I had a bad experience of flats 2 years ago, so am cautious)
Small multitool - I will race with this
Ass-saver - a small luxury if the weather is crap
Spare derailer hanger. Very important
1 x spare tire each (Hamish 29” and Leah 27.5”)
Spare cleats
2 x sets of spare brake pads. They are light to carry
Hex and Allen keys for basic maintenance. (Post race comment: I will leave these in the bike bag in future, as did not need them)
Electrical tape to tape gels and bars to my bottles that get dropped at the feed stations
Sharpie pen for labelling everything
6 water bottles. 2 on the bike, and 4 bottles are transported to the aid stations each day
Camelback. Leah races with it, and I will use if it rains a lot. Is the wet, bike bottles on the bike get really horrible. Thing wet horse, sheep, and goat shit!
1 x travel track pump. It is a luxury but means we have our own pump in camp. (Post race comment: I will leave these in the bike bag in future, as did not need them)
Food - we will fly with
15 Cliff bars
5 other random bars to mix it up (Snickers and some flapjack bars from Germany)
33 energy gels, including quite a few with caffeine.
25 Electrolyte tabs (SIS GO. No sugar)
1 tub of SIS GO Electrolyte (with sugar)
6 x recovery shake mixes
(Post race comment: Add extra protein powder for pre-bed drink)
Food we will buy in Ulaanbaatar
Muesli for breakfast (the one time you can control the food)
(Post race comment: People were very jealous of this during the race!)
Long like milk for breakfast, again you can control this
Cookies and snacks
4 big bags of salted nuts for post ride snacking
Dried fruit for in camp
Instant soups in camp in case our stomachs go bad
Camping stuff, as we need to camp one night
Sleeping bag
Sleeping bag liner
Sleeping mat
The organisation provides everything else
Clothes
Race clothes
Mountain bike shoes
3 x cycling top and bottoms
1 x gillet
1 x waterproof jacket Castelli shake dry. Super light, breathable and waterproof
3 x race socks (wool)
2 x cycling gloves (1 full finger and 1 part finger)
Wool arm warmers
Knee warmers
Leg warmers
Booties (I get cold feet!)
Winter gloves
Wool liner gloves
Short sleeve Gabba (I hope I do not have to use the winter stuff, but better to have it than not!)
Wool mesh base layer
General clothes
1 trousers (zip off, as they can double as shorts as well)
1 pair shorts
1 running shorts for massage
1 x super light t-shirt for message (as it will smell of massage oil)
2 x Armadillo Merino under wear as they do not smell!
1 x Armadillo Merino long sleeve wool top Can also be used as a racing baselayer is the weather is really bad)
1 x Armadillo Merino wool beanie (can be used in camp at night and also for racing if it is cold)
Baseball cap
Down jacket - essential!
Boxers to sleep in
1 x compression socks wool
1 x normal socks wool
1 pair of camp shoes
(Post race comment: Add lightweight flip-flops or sandals)
Towel
I will leave the following in Ulaanbaatar, as post race everything is dirty:
1 x jeans
1 x nice shirt
1 x clean underwear
Clean socks
Bike travel bags
Other kit:
Sunglases
Basic first aid kit and ear plugs
Toiletries, and plenty of soap, although the water is so cold, you may not want to use it..
(Post race comment: Add baby wipes and hand sanitiser))
Chomias butter
2 rolls of toilet paper. If you stomach goes “bad” you will need it!
Sunblock
Ipad (for writing on)
Iphone and local sim (MobiCom worked well)
Kindle with plenty of books
1 x USD plug charger with 2 USB charging ports
2 x USB cables for charging Garmins
Point and shoot camera and charger. I race with the camera and take photos when I can.
Head torch
10m of cord to use as a clothes line
Some wooden pegs, as it is windy, and clothes blow away (These may be one of the most useful items we travel with. Hotel room laundry is much easier with pegs to help dry your clothes)
Paperwork
Passport and Mongolia Visa
Compulsory medical questionnaire completed by a doctor
Mountain bike racing insurance. This is special insurance that covers mountain bike racing, as our travel insurance did not covert it.
The essential cord, and pegs to create a clothes line from MBC2017