I’m going into my first year of coxing at the university level and have a training camp coming up. Any recommendations for what to pack for the five days? A kind of obvious question I know, but my OCD self feels the need to ask anyways. Thanks!
I’m the same way and yet I still inevitably always forget something, no matter how many list I make.
Personal stuff:
Enough clothes for at least two workouts a day just in case you get gross during the day and want to change.
Casual clothes/team gear for team dinners or other events/activities outside of the rowing bubble
Tennis shoes for running
Shower stuff, towels, etc.
Eye mask and/or ear plugs if you have trouble sleeping (since you’ll probably be in a hotel room with 2-3 other people)
All the chargers and USB cables you’ll need for your phone, laptop, GoPros, recorders, CoxBox, Speedcoach, etc.
Any other medicine you regularly take, plus extra Ibuprofen just in case
Rain jacket + pants, because it always ends up raining on the days when the forecast says “0% chance of precipitation”
Chapstick, particularly one that has SPF in it
Pillow + blankets if you’re staying in dorms rather than hotels
Snacks (Clif bar, raisins, granola, etc.), although you’ll usually get per diem to spend on food once you get there
Rowing stuff:
Notebook + pencil (or two)
Recorder
Multiple wrenches in all the sizes (7/16, 10mm, 13mm, etc.)
Cox box and/or SpeedCoach
Band-aids, tape, etc.
Extra nuts, bolts, spacers, etc. for the boat*
Water bottle(s)**
A backpack or fanny pack of some kind to carry all this stuff on the water with you
* When you get to camp you can ask your coach/boatman if you can raid the toolkit and grab extra parts for at least a rigger or two, plus maybe two extra spacers or so. It’s always good to have this stuff on hand if you have to make adjustments on the water and lose something (like spacers).
** I’ve found that having a spare water bottle on hand during practice is good, especially on hard days when rowers go through their own water pretty quickly. The benefits double when it’s really hot and/or humid out because it helps prevent the rowers from becoming dehydrated.
