Gear review: GRC Class 095
Before I sit down to collect my thoughts and write a full entry about the challenge itself, I’ve decided to do a review of the gear I posted and explain how certain things worked and others, not so much.
So, based on my original packing list:
- Ruck - GORUCK GR1 to be picked up at the rally point the night of the Challenge.
Can’t say enough good things about this pack. It was by far the most comfortable backpack I’ve ever worn. I’ll write a post about the pack itself soon—trying to include it here would make the post way too long.
- Four bricks, wrapped in (a) an old towel, (b) duct tape, (c) trash bag for waterproofing, (d) more duct tape.
For me a big part of the challenge was doing little things wherever possible to make life easier for myself, enabling me to contribute more to the team. The way I lashed my bricks into the molle on the GR1 is by far the best example of this. I used zip ties to keep them high and tight against my back, preventing them from bouncing around as I jogged through the challenge. Definitely a leg up compared to everyone else.
- Headlamp - Princeton Tec Remix 2 w/green LED.
The green LED was a great idea for the challenge. In DC we were often moving in low-light environments where a bright white LED was almost blinding; the green LED mitigated that problem by being dimmer and a bit easier on everyone’s eyesight, while still providing me with an incredibly bright white LED in conditions of near-complete darkness.
- Gloves - UnderArmor Coldgear running gloves. These are thick, seem very warm, and fit snugly.
These gloves were great considering what they were designed for—they insulated very well even when slightly damp, but more importantly protected my hands from cuts and scrapes during log PT. Unfortunately they didn’t insulate well when wet—when they eventually became waterlogged about halfway through the challenge, my hands were uncomfortably cold until I was able to change into a backup pair of north face gloves I only brought on a whim.
- Base layer - UnderArmor Heatgear compression t-shirt.
At the last minute I decided to wear an UnderArmour Coldgear compression mockneck shirt as a base layer as well. The weather was colder than I’d initially anticipated and I thought I’d need the extra layer. It was a great idea and I think keeping my core warm was really helpful throughout the challenge.
- Midlayer - UnderArmor Coldgear fitted longsleeve crewneck.
The combination of this shirt as a midlayer and the very insulting baselayer underneath was critical to keeping me warm. Both dried very quickly and didn’t hold much water even when soaking. They were the perfect material for a cold-weather challenge.
- Bottoms - UnderArmor Coldgear running tights.
Same as the above—the fabric performed admirably and insulated very well even when soaking wet from water crossings. That said, I wish I’d worn some kind of quick-drying layer over the tights, to add another level wind protection.
- Windbreaker - North Face shell.
I used this as a reserve layer and didn’t put it on til the coldest part of the day, around 0700. After being cold and wet for several hours, it was a great insulator. For anyone running a cold-weather challenge, it’s a good idea to have something like that in your back pocket for when things get really cold.
- Saucony Kinvara running shoes.
I’m still up in the air about which shoes were right for the challenge, even after taking it. My Sauconys performed really well, but I didn’t anticipate the wear on my ankles that the challenge caused. They also allowed some mud and grit into the shoe itself, which made running very uncomfortable for that last 2.5-3 hours. I don’t think the Solomon’s I was also considering would have given me the same ankle problems, and I know they wouldn’t have let as much grit in through their denser mesh.
I chose to wear the Saucony’s because I expected to do a lot of fast running, but my class was relatively exempt from that particular kind of torture. I think I’ll try out the Solomon’s next time.
- SmartWool PhD socks.
Wool insulates even when soaking wet from creek water and mud, and these socks did a great job of keeping me as comfortable as possible throughout the challenge. I really felt bad for the people that were wearing cotton.
- GR TAC hat.
Worth bringing along for when it was too warm for my fleece hat but still chilly enough that I wanted something on my head.
- UnderArmor fleece beanie.
The last example of UnderArmor really saving me on the challenge. A hat is a hat, but this one was really warm.
- Water (1.5 liters) and food (2 clif builder’s bars, 2 clif chewy granola bars, 2 GU gel shots, peanut m&ms).
I was initially worried about not having enough water, but as it turned out I brought home at least half of a liter. The same is true for the food I brought along—I ate some of it, and shared what I could, but still brought home about half.
That really sums up the challenge in a nutshell. I didn’t bring home water because I didn’t drink it, but rather because everyone offered everyone else their bottles, often before even drinking from it themselves. The challenge is a team effort, and there’s no way even one part of it could be done alone.
