Iditarod kit list

Prepare for the Iditarod with a comprehensive kit list for the ultimate adventure.

The final competitor in this years Iditarod Invitational crossed the line on the 22nd March, 22 days 4 hours and 15 min from setting off. I will be making a presentation about my experience on the Iditarod at Mudstock in April, so I thought I would take the opportunity to finally post a list of the kit I carried when I completed the race in 2009.

Bike
I picked up a third hand Surly Pugsley from the STW classifieds. It’s a size smaller than I would have bought new, but it was a bargain and I like the colour. Thanks Jez, and Grant. Here’s how it was built up:

Frame: Surly Pugsley, with a set of bottle bosses added under the down tube so I could put my fuel bottle under there.
Fork: Surly 135mm offset
Wheels: Hope Pro II single speed hubs with low temperature grease. 65mm Surly Large Marge offset, Pugsley specific, rims (with 29mm hand drilled lightening holes). DT Comp spokes and brass Proloc nipples. The front and rear wheels are interchangeable in case a free-hub froze up.
Tyres: Surly Endomorphs
Sprockets: “rear” wheel 25t Endless cycles and 20t On-one. “Front” wheel 22 and 20t On-one. I used the 30:25 for the entire course other than The ‘Burn where I used 30:20. Thanks Brant.
Cranks: Surly Mr Whirly with 30t chainring
Chain: SRAM 8spd with Pedros Extra Dry lube
Pedals: Bontrager King Earl with upgraded bearings and low temperature grease- the stock bearings froze solid at around –20 Celsius, so wouldn’t have been much use. Extra long PowerGrips.
Headset: Chris King re-greased with low temperature grease and with a motivational “What would Stamstad do?” top cap.
Stem: Bontrager Race X Lite 110mm 7degrees rise.
Bar: Bontrager Earl With Bontrager bar ends wrapped in bar tape, Ergon grips, which I’m still not sure if I like. Epic Designs Pogies (which are awesome).
Brake levers: Very old XTRs wrapped in tape so they weren’t so cold to the touch.
Brake cables: Gore extra long
Brakes: Avid BB7
Seat Post: Bontrager Earl 400mm
Saddle: Bontrager Race Lite
Front rack: Scrap from Psyclewerx in Bristol.

Camping
Sleeping bag: Alpkit Devkit prototype. This is getting a few tweaks and will be available as, I believe, the AlpineDream system at some point in the future.
Bivy bag: Alpkit Epic prototype
Sleeping mat: Thermarest Ridgerest
Stove: MSR Whiperlite International
Stove base: MSR Trillium
Fuel bottle: 650ml MSR
Fuel: White gas
Pot: Alpkit MytiPot
Spork: Alpkit Tifoon
Lighter/matches
Drinks bottle: Nalgene with insulated cover

Navigation
Maps: Downloaded from the internet, never used!
Map case: Ortlieb
Compass: Sliva Ranger
GPS: Garmin eTrex Vista Hcx

Lighting
Main light: Exposure headtorch prototype, with triple cell piggy back battery.
Back-up: Petzl Myo XP, with Lithium batteries

Outer layers
Down jacket: Alpkit Devkit proto
Trousers: Rab Latok Alpine
Softshell Jacket:Mountain Equipment G2 Alpine
Waterproof: North Face Hydrogen

Mid layers
Thin: Patagonia R1 flash
Thick: Patagonia R2 jacket

Base clothing
Long sleeve base layers: Endura BaaBaa long sleeve merino x2
Shorts: Endura FS260 shorts non bib x2
windproof tights: Endura Stealth lite tights non bib- Saved my ass (literally) when the hose on my Wingnut broke!
Tights: Endura Thermolight Tights x2

Footwear
Thick socks: Smartwool- Mountaineer x3 pr
Thin socks: Smartwool- liner socks x 4 pr
Boots: Scarpa Mirage GTX w/ Superfeet insoles
Ice grips: Yak Trax Pro, I didn’t need these in the end but Jill’s account of the glacier convinced me they were worth carrying. Next time I think I’d tap screws in to my boots.
Gators: Neo Navigator (Awesome stuff, even if I did break the snow flaps on one of them)

Gloves/hats
Fleece gloves: Mountain Equipment x 3 pr
Windproof mitts: Mountain Equipment
Warm hat: Outdoor Designs- Toptur Infurno
Balaclava: Mountain Hardware Windstopper
Neck warmers: Singletrack Buff and a fleece Combi Buff

Misc
Tools: Fat Spanner multi tool, long 6mm allen key (for my hubs), 8mm allen key shim, Leatherman Skeletool CX
Tyre levers: Michelin
Pump: Topeak Mountain Morph
Poggies: Epic Designs
Frame bag: Alpkit custom
Bivy roll: Adapted from an Alpkit Drydock
Saddle bag: Epic Designs Super Twinkie
CO2: 2x Genuine Innovations Big Air cartridges
Co2 nozzle: Genuine Innovations
Spares: 2 inner tubes, 2 spokes, 2 links of chain, Tip-top and Park patches, some Duck tape (wrapped around the seat post) and several zip ties .
Sunglasses: Gyro Havik with 2 lenses
Goggles: Oakley O-frame persimmon
Hydration pack: Wingnut
Hose insulation: Camelbac- Thermal control kit
2 digital cameras
Dematone
6 handwarmers, 6 toe warmers
First aid kit
4 spare lithium AA batteries
Whistle