WHAT TO BRING...

Boys,

Below you will find some excellent info from Paul Gross - who's tapped into his vast knowledge and experience.

Also I want to mention that there will soon be some additional information posted on the condition of the trail and our route- seems there may be a section that will require a detour of some sort - Wayne has been busy gathering news and using Google Earth - bottom line is we may end up leaving the Loowit trail for a period - but I'm almost sure most of us should make it safely...

FROM Paul "Super Runner" Gross: Here's a list of what I would recommend for the run. This assumes about 12 hours to do the loop. Unless the high temp is going to be less than 40, I run in shorts and a capilene t-shirt. A lot of the rest of this, such as how much extra clothing you want or whether you prefer a camelback to a water bottle pack, is personal preference.

Feel free to hit me with questions on this or anything I might have missed.

1. Shoes - As far as trail vs. road shoes, it's personal preference. Use whatever you're most comfortable in, and don't feel like you need to change just because this is a longer run. I wouldn't recommend gore-tex shoes since your feet may get wet crossing a stream, and these won't dry out. Bring an extra pair of socks if you like to keep your feet dry. I kept my feet completely dry when I did the loop in 2004, but I wouldn't count on it.
2. gaiters - there's a lot of fine volcanic dust which will get in your shoes. Gaiters might help keep some of it out, but I imagine it will filter right into your shoes anyway. I don't remember there being much gravel.
3. ball cap or visor
4. Camelback - I would bring one with minimum 2 liter capacity. There are 2 good places to refill water, conveniently spaced at approximately 1/3 and 2/3 of the way around. The first is a water spigot and the second is refilling out of a clear stream. I didn't treat the stream water, and no ill effects. You can choose to carry less water if you don't mind filling out of streams more frequently (most of the streams are pretty silty) or you're comfortable with less water.
5. light rain jacket
6. extra shirt layer (I would consider dropping either/both this and the jacket, based on weather)
7. light gloves - not sure I'd bring these, but depends on the weather
8. food - your choice as to what and how much (more comments below). I'm happy to make recommendations based on what works for me and what I've seen others use. Don't assume that you can just triple the amount you would take for a 4 hour run - you'll need a lot more, because you've probably taken less than you really needed. As far as quantity, if you think in terms of a good sized lunch and several snacks, that's about the right amount.
9. salt/electrolytes - I drink water rather than sports drink, so I bring Endurolytes on a long run. If you have it in your food or sports drink, you can probably go without. I've found that I'm always better off with more salt than I thought I would need.
10. sunglasses
11. flashlight or headlamp - could probably get by without it if you're comfortable running in the dark. I wouldn't expect it to be dark for very long, and the start is generally above treeline. I have a small flashlight (one AA battery) that I'll probably bring. I prefer a handheld light to a headlamp for running - because of the position of a headlamp relative to your eyes, you don't see the shadows it casts so it's a lot like skiing in flat light.
12. duct tape - I bring duct tape for blisters.
13. toilet paper ("mountain money") - needless to say, this probably goes at the top of the list.
14. Consider ibuprofen, Tums, pepto bismol (the tablets). I usually carry ibuprofen and pepto tabs. A lot of ultrarunner use Tums.
15. sunscreen - put it on before the run so you don't have to carry it.

Optional:
water filter or tablets
camera
maps - the Green Trails maps shown on http://www.volcanorunning.com/runs/MtHood/index.htm are good. Probably only need one set for the group.
compass
GPS - Wayne has one he can bring
MP3 player - but you'll miss Kevin's stories if you're plugged into your iPod
ski pole(s) - might help in stream crossings, but the trail is smooth enough that I wouldn't want to carry these.

http://www.volcanorunning.com/misc/10essentials/index.htm has some more thoughts on gear, although I would say he goes overboard on the "essentials". I think his comments on food are right on.

Food: Take stuff that you'll still feel like eating after 10 hours, even if your stomach is feeling unsettled. That might be gels and cliff bars, or it might be a sardine and mayonnaise sandwich. Probably a combination of sports food and real food. I often use Perpetuem on a long run, but don't recommend it if you haven't used it before. Solid foods that work well for people are turkey sandwich, avocado in a tortilla, PB&J, burrito, cookies, M&Ms, almonds, beef jerky, dried fruit. The most important thing is to start eating fairly early on, and keep eating regularly throughout. Bring food that is easy to eat while you're walking or jogging.