Ultimate Packing List for Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim
May 2019
Fun news over here, I am officially doing my third rim to rim to rim in November and I can’t wait.
Bellow you will find my ultimate checklist. Starting prepared and having everything you need will make or break your experience running through the Grand Canyon. You want preparation on your side when you are running nearly 50 miles in the Grand FREAKING Canyon, otherwise it will chew you up and spit you out. Good luck!
Rim to Rim to Rim Ultimate Packing List
Large Running Vest- My favorite for this particular run is the Race Vesta from Ultimate Direction. Make sure you have a vest that can fit a 2L bladder along with all of your food and miscellaneous things you will need to bring with you that are listed bellow. It’s not so much the brand that matters but rather the size and comfort. When you wear a vest for that long you want to love it. Make sure you test it out on a long run beforehand. You would be shocked at the places you can chafe (PSA- lube on up friends).
2L bladder-Water in the Grand Canyon is fickle. Sometimes certain water stops are working sometimes they are not and it changes regularly. You want to carry plenty of water, the box of the canyon is hot and you will go through more water than you likely think you will. The last thing you want to do is ration your water.
Handheld running water bottle or extra soft flask in front- It’s great to have some extra water. I keep liquid calories in my handheld and plain water in my bladder. It’s an easy way to sneak in extra calories and nutritional needs. If you are bringing poles (which I actually don’t recommend for most- see bellow) then you will need to skip the handheld water.
Lifestraw- just in case. Plus it’s fun to drink from a fresh stream. They aren’t small, if you have a small group that you are running with (3 or less) you could opt for 1 member to bring it.
Water purification tablets- just in case.
Running Clothes- Typically shorts and a tank top but with bring a top layer like a long sleeve or light jacket. You will likely be starting in the middle of the night when it’s quite chilly on the rim. Watch the weather close, you may not need anything. I have needed a light long sleeve for both my March and May crossings.
Comfy Socks x 2- Bring an extra pair. The terrain is quite varied and your chances of a blister are higher than normal. If you are a fan of tall compression socks, the canyon is a great place to wear them, espeically with all of the vertical gain and loss.
Sunglasses
Light colored hat or visor
Buff- don’t forget your buff! It’s very helpful to dip in the river when it’s hot and will cool you off if you wrap it on your head or neck. I even put snow in mine both times on the North Rim- it was such a treat.
Sturdy trail shoes- make sure they are tried and tested. Nothing new. My favorite for an aggressive trail like Bright Angel would be On Running, Solomon or La Sportiva (reach out to me if you have more questions about shoes).
Gaiters- these will really help keep the sand and little rocks out of your shoes. I have done it without gaiters and will be adding them this time. I love the ones from Ultimate Direction.
Headlamp with fresh batteries and extra batteries- You want a good quality headlamp that is BRIGHT. This is super important. Remember you are going to be running down a canyon in the dark. Also, depending on how long you take or time of year you may finish in the dark too.
Anti-Chafe Cream/Lube- Before you begin put it everywhere and I mean everywhere. Also bring a small amount to reapply half way through.
Sunscreen & Lip Sunscreen- don’t ruin your day after high by being fried- no bueno there.
Small first aide kit- blister care, band-aids, ibuprofen, anti-diarrheal, Imodium and a bit of toilet paper. You can even just stick a small amount of each in a zip lock baggy. It shouldn’t take up much room and hopefully you won’t need it but always come prepared.
Salt Tablets- they work great for most not everyone. I recommend taking 1 every hour from about the half way point on. If it is a super hot morning you may want to start taking them sooner. If you can experiment with them ahead of time on a long, hot run that would be ideal.
YAK TRAX (or something similar) when SNOW- They will be needed when there is snow on the North Rim or snow in the forecast. Plan accordingly and DO NOT forget them if they are needed. I haven’t had to use them both in late March (but we did bring them in March) and Early May but from what I have learned if you do early March or sooner you will need them and then November is a toss up depending on the year and the weather/snow situation at the time you cross. You will only need them on the North Rim. The last few miles are steep with quite the drop off and you want to feel sure footed if it’s snowy or icy.
Mettle- Mettle is defined as a person's ability to cope well with difficulties or to face a demanding situation in a spirited and resilient way. The Grand Canyon is not joke and no matter how beautiful it is or how great of a time you are having you are going to hit lows and hard points that you will have to push through. Make sure you are prepared and experienced before you do it. Be ready to lift up and help your running mates when they have low point and then they will do the same for you.
Optional- trekking poles. Poles are a personal prefrence thing. I prefer without but I am also not very experienced with them. It’s a super long ways to carry poles. Remember in a lot of ultra marathons you can drop them off at an aide station when you don’t need them anymore. You obviously can’t do that in the canyon. Unless you are super comfortable with your poles for 12-15 hours I would leave them at home. If you are a hiker or you know you love them ALL day then they might be the right option for you.
Nutrition
Nutrition and hydration are a deal breaker in the canyon. You have absolutely got to stay on top of it or things will go downhill quick and you will be wondering why the heck you went from feeling on top of the world to terrible very quickly.
I recommend that the average female shoot to take in 200-300 calories per hour and that the average male 300 + depending on his size and nutritional needs.
Variety is key! Your gastrointestinal system cannot likely handle living on Gu and chews all day. They are a great option spread throughout the day but you are going to want to bring real food that you know works for you but that is also small and easy to pack. Some of my favorites are stroopwaffles, fig bars, pbjs, trail mix, beef jerky, etc. Last time I even ate a snickers bar on the North Rim and it tasted like heaven on earth.
Liquid Calories ROCK- I bring little baggies full of GU ROCTANE ENDURANCE. There are 250 calories per serving with added caffeine and electrolytes to get you through long, demanding days like running in the canyon. Experiment with liquid calories beforehand on some of your long runs if possible.
Nutrition Ideas. This is what I brought the second time. Most of it is pictured. Keep in mind you won’t it everything but again, you want variety. Also remember it’s a fine balance because you want to have enough but you also don’t want to carry an unnecessarily heavy pack.
Morning Breakfast
Get up early and make sure you get a substantial breakfast in you and have enough time to go to the bathroom. Both times I have had a bowl of oatmeal with almonds, a banana and a piece of toast with peanut butter. It’s worked great. Oh and caffeine, plenty of caffeine in your beverage of choice.
Bonus Tip- CBD Balm for aches and pains. I brought prevail with me last time and put in on my knees and quads the last few miles to prevent any crazy fatigue or pain and it worked like a charm. Funny story but I probably put it on maybe 5 or 6 hikers who looked miserable on our way back up the South Rim. There were lots of hikers hurting (who went way too far down the canyon and let me tell you it’s MUCH easier going down then up), I kept offering it and many were very grateful and eager to take any help they could get.
Rubbing on that prevail on my way back over the bridge. So far prevail has been my favorite CBD balm.