Hi all,
This year I (along with my wife and a couple of my mates) will be doing my first Strathpuffer.
Given that I've not done it nor any other 24, 12 or indeed any event before I'm needing to do a bit of shopping in preparation.
Things I've thought of so far is a tent (but what size?) a gazeebo, some form of heating....well loads of things!
What are the essentials? What area is available per team on site?
Cheers
Paul.
Baby wipes
Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, table, chairs, light, something to cook with etc. It's usually a first come first served affair with regards to space.
Space is limited for camping and only 1 vehicle team is allowed on the site.
Gazebo for storing / fixing bikes under is good. Otherwise its usual winter camping kit plus, somewhere to change out of wet kit, tent big enough to stand in as team HQ
The toilets get dire especially in a muddy race. Take your own toilet facilities if possible. As TJ says there is no space for fancy setups - it's in the woods near a river, so expect cold and mist, and any other sort of weather.
Try a campout before the 'Puffer because it always seems to be colder when you're on the edge of exhaustion and damp. You'll be better able to work it out once you have done that. A wet race will mean everything gets damp. Allow for this. Try not to sweat 
Have nothing marginal on your bike, replace any component that you suspect with new. The 'Puffer is no place to be trying to fix things.
Heating is good, but it's hard to move away from once you stop
If you carry a phone, it will allow your support crew to hang around in the heated marquee until just before you come in- if you get reception You'll find this little courtesy and your own toilet facilities means you get to do another 'Puffer
Solo or team?
Caravan or campervan.....
One more thing - a folding trolley is really useful for getting your gear to the camp site. It can be a bit of a hike.
my folding trolly is in the form of a transit van ..... where ever it lands is pit base alpha !
Last year for us, we were up the road with the camper vans..
Family tent, covered seating and some sleeping. Gazebo to extend the tent covered area, table and seats, gas cooker. Small tents for riders. Pallet to stand on in the slop for me as pit bitch looking after two teams of 4. Workstand, dirtworker, gas lighting.
This year to support a pair of riders, campervan hired for the weekend...... Last year we were lucky, damp but not freezing, we need to look after our riders in a pair, less sleep than a 4 obviously.... Still need a covered work area for me though...
Last year we got a massive blue Horse box... used the stables for servicing bikes and the living space for living in....
Camping at the puffer,dont make me laff.We were made to feel like the poor relations by all the "rich" folks in their vans/campers/horseboxes etc(we were 4 men to a two man tent,and yes we are still mates,just not that "sort").If you think I'm on the sour grapes,wait until three o'clock in the morning, go jump in your local river,roll around in the mud at a farm gate,and piss in yer neighbours wheelybin,all the time watched by folks tucked up in their pyjamas with noses pressed to steamed up windows wondering what the loony next door is up to! - GET A VAN YE NUMPTIE!!!!!!
Horseboxes are far cheaper to hire than campervans. A 4 box sleeper has all the advantages of a campervan plus the covered space out back for bikes and bike repairs.
Otherwise a big tent, we have one of these:
Amazingly spacious and very robust, and take lots of lights (camping and bike).
Get yourself a couple of good patio heaters
We took a chimenia (sp?) and burned a load of caol in it, made our gazebo a little smoky when it first lit but the warmth was a god send.
Would recommend one.
If you are camping, I'd say an inflatable mattress to keep you as far off the cold floor as possible. And a hat to sleep in (not just a hat, obviously).
chubby_monk - Member
... And a hat to sleep in (not just a hat, obviously).
Glad to see you qualified that!
So it is possible to base yourself in a campervan there? I've been told there was little point in taking a campervan as I'd get nowhere near main area??
depends when you plan to get there .....
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