Tahoe 200 – The Annotated Gear List

After publishing my 2022 Tahoe 200 race report, I got a lot of great questions about gear. In this follow-up article, I list every item I brought to the race, along with some color commentary about why I made certain choices and what I would do differently next time.

Before I left home, I packed everything into 9 labeled ziplock “big bags.” The list is organized by bag (brief video here). I love to geek out on all things gear, training and race strategy, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Onwards!

Bag #1 — Starting Line

Clothing

• Julbo Explorer Mountain Sunglasses 2.0 — glacier glasses are a must-have to protect your eyes from many days of sun exposure.
• Hoka Torrent 2 — not a common choice for longer ultras. I ran the 2019 Tahoe 200 in Speedgoats, but I found the toe box was too tight for me, and the extra padding was unnecessary. One of the best gear decisions I made was to switch to a new pair of shoes every 50 miles. I had three pairs of Torrent 2’s in my regular size (9.5) and one pair in a half size bigger (10) for the final 50 miles.
• XO Skin 5.0 QRT Crew Sock — XO Skin is a great little company out of Frederick, MD. All of my base layers were XO Skin and they treated me right. I ended the race with almost no blisters, which I mostly attribute to the shoe strategy. See above.
• Ultimate Direction FK Gaiters — I’ve tried many gaiters through the years, and these are the best.
• Suunto Ambit 3 Peak (with heart rate monitor) — I lost the first 100 miles of data because it got written over by the second 100 miles of data. Remember to start a new activity every 50 miles or so and sync with the Suunto app on your phone. Generally pleased with the watch, but if I were buying a new one today, I would look closely at the Coros Apex Pro.
• XO Skin Heathered Short Sleeve Loose Fit Shirt (base) — Every 50 miles, I switched to an entirely new head-to-toe base layer. This meant I had four of everything — from undies and socks to base-layer shirts and shorts. This is a lot of gear, but the psychological impact is huge. In 2019, I wore the same gear for the entire race, and I definitely finished the race worse for wear.
• XO Skin Mid Compression Shorts Midi (base)
• Ex-Oficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Mesh Brief
• Patagonia Air Shred Pro (lighter mid-layer/sun shirt) — The mid-layer is the hardest part of the gear system to get right. I liked each of the items individually, but together they made for a kit that led to too many stops and too much extra weight in the pack. I’m working on a consolidated system for the 2023 season.
• Salomon Essential Lightweight Hooded (mid-layer)
• Patagonia Storm Racer jacket (rain)
• Montbell Versalite Pants (rain) — Next time, I will go with the Montane Minimum Rain Pants instead, so I don’t have to deal with the rain pant ankle strap.
• Velcro Rain Pant Ankle Strap
• Black Diamond Dash Cap
• Smartwool Merino Beanie
• Asics Running Gloves (light)
• Buff/Pocket Square

Gear

• Arc’teryx Norvan 14 Hydration Vest (14-liter gear, 2-liter water) — this has been my go-to pack for many years. I love it. I don’t like having anything in my hands, so the bladder was my only source of water throughout the race.
• Petzl NAO + Headlamp with Backup Battery — widely regarded as the best heavy-duty headlamp.
• Emergency Blanket
• Saltstick Salt Tablets
• 500 Emergency Calories
• Misc Bag (Bug Repellant Wipes, Squirrel’s Nut Butter (mini), 3 Cushion Care Sport Strip Bandaids, Earplugs, 4 Potable Aqua (2 tables per liter, shake after 5 minutes with a cap on loosely, then wait a total of 30 minutes))
• Flushable Wet Wipes (with extra bag)
• Vargo Titanium Emergency Whistle
• Plastic Bag for Phone
• Phone

Bag #2 — All Aid Stations — Sleep 

I had an amazing crew (see race report for more details), and they brought bags 2–4 to all of the aid stations.

• Rab Sleeping Bag — As a general rule, I don’t sleep in the aid stations. This is the gear that let me nap in comfort in the back of the truck every 50 miles or so.
• Rab Ascent Silk Sleeping Bag Liner — Fancy. I know.
• REI Blowup Pillow
• Thermarest Neoair Uberlite Air Mattress

Bag # 3 — All Aid Stations — Cozy

• Patagonia Alplight Down Jacket (mid-heavy outer) — I tend to run pretty cold, especially when I’m in a calorie deficit. I wore the mid-heavy, heavy, and ski jacket for many of the night sections, especially when it was sleeting sideways.
• Patagonia Down Sweater Hooded Jacket (heavy outer)
• Northface Summit Series Powderflo Futurelite Jacket (ski jacket)
• Long Underwear (top and bottom)
• Ski Gloves
• Knit Cap (heavy)
• Oofos Sandals
• Sun Hoodie
• 2 Pairs of Undies
• Sweatpants

Bag #4 — All Aid Stations— Misc

• Earplugs
• 3 Bottles of Elta MD SPF 45 Spray Suntan Lotion
• Neutrogena Ultrasheer SPF 70 (roll on, face)
• 4 Charged Headlamps — make sure you bring extras for your crew.
• Leukotape
• 2 Handheld Water Bottles (backup)
• Source Hydration 2L Reservoir
• Baby wipes
• Band-Aid Cushioncare Sports Strips
• Leki Distance 2 Poles — I don’t like to carry poles for the entire race. I was one of the few who started the race with no poles, then picked them up when I knew there was a big climb coming up.
• Medical Kit
• Squirrel’s Nut Butter
• Rungoo (feet)
• Electronics (Suunto phone charger cord, 2 Lightning to USB cables, 4 Anker E1 charger bricks)
• Toothbrush and Toothpaste
• 3-Pack Extra Flushable Wet Wipes

Bag #5 — Post Race

• Sun shirt
• Lounge Shorts
• No Sleeve Shirt
• Sweatshirt
• Undies
• Brooks Catamount (walking shoes)
• Socks

Bag #6 — Tahoe City — Mile 30.9 — est. 6/17 6 pm 

Oon each of the bags for individual aid stations I wrote the estimated arrival time, calculated using this excellent spreadsheet.

• Xoskin Long Sleeve 2.0 Form Fit
• Bose Sports Earbuds — I only listen to music at night.
• Nike Running Tights

Bag #7 — Brockway Summit — Mile 50.1 — est. 6/18 12:08 am

• XO Skin Heathered Short Sleeve Loose Fit Shirt (base)
• XO Skin Mid Compression Shorts Midi (base)
• Hoka Torrent 2
• XO 5.0 QRT Crew Sock
• Hat
• Ex-Oficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Mesh Brief

Bag #8 — Heavenly — Mile 100.2 — est. 6 /18 7:39 pm

• XO Skin Heathered Short Sleeve Loose Fit Shirt (base)
• XO Skin Mid Compression Shorts Midi (base)
• Hoka Torrent 2 — I ended up switching back to the shoes I started with.
• XO 5.0 QRT Crew Sock
• Hat
• Brooks Running Tights
• Ex-Oficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Mesh Brief

Bag #9 — Brockway Summit — Mile 150.3 — est. 6/19 6:19 pm

• XO Skin Heathered Short Sleeve Loose Fit Shirt (base)
• XO Skin Mid Compression Shorts Midi (base)
• Hoka Torrent 2 Size 10 — switched to bigger shoes for the last 50 miles.
• XO 5.0 QRT Crew Sock
• Hat
• Ex-Oficio Give-N-Go 2.0 Mesh Brief

Charge the Night Before

• 3 Anker E1 Charger Bricks
• Suunto Ambit 3 Peak
• Bose Sports Earbuds
• Extra Headlamp (Black Diamond)

To Do Race Morning

• Breakfast
• Suntan Lotion
• Rungoo
• Squirrel’s Nut Butter

Josh Goldstein is an ultra-runner based in Los Angeles. He mostly runs 50 kilometers (for speed) and 200-milers (for adventure). He dedicates his 2022 Tahoe 200 to his amazing wife and fearless crew captain, Amanda; his irreplaceable crew, Liz and Hurricane Mike; and his fierce pacer, Alex.