You might be wondering what adventure racing is, right? Well, it’s a point where outdoor sports meet discipline and planning. It’s a multi-discipline sport that has many different faces. It can go to something as extreme as kayaking, rafting, and skiing, starting from running and cycling. You have to make the team, grab your best running shoes (or even a mountain bike in some cases), and head out to the woods and other wild places. However, a lot of you might be wondering if such a multi-disciplined sport will affect your budget or not? Or do you need to save a lot for your first adventure racing trip?
While adventure racing is, undoubtedly, the coolest sport on the earth, it can introduce a few obstructions to the financial plan if you are a person who takes your budget seriously. However, it won’t be so expensive if you know how to spend it smartly. Almost all adventure races that incorporate water sports provide the participants with the basics like boats and paddles. So watercraft are not that expensive. However, in the case of races, you’ll get a list from the organizers. It usually includes a bike, helmet, and gear. But these are all one-time expenditures. So if you are planning to make adventure racing a hobby, it won’t be that expensive once you spend on necessities that only need to be about once. After that, you have to pay for the entrance fee and travel-related stuff.
Stuck between adoration for experience and a need to cover the bills, what should an adventure enthusiast do to have all the fun while not compromising your budget? We have given you an estimated budget and a few tips that you can follow to have the best adventure racing experience without emptying your pockets:
How Much Does It Cost?
Getting registered for an adventure race is easy. Once you get registered, you’ll be given a mandatory list of stuff you need to bring with you. The list usually includes bike, helmet, attire, backpack, footwear, and sometimes minor things like a compass. Most of the list consists of items that you only have to buy once. Here is a list of things that you’ll need to purchase and how much they’ll cost you:
Your Mountain Bike.
Buying a good-quality motorbike will approximately cost you somewhere between $1000 to $1500, depending upon the number of features you want. There are advanced bikes that are even worth $5000 and more. However, there is plenty of ways you can save money on a good bike; going for a used mountain bike is one of the greatest approaches to save this high cost. This cost might seem the heaviest among all, but it’s only for one time. You can use the same bike for all of your future races. Just do some research, and you’ll find a bike that best fits your budget. There are a lot of options available in the market for good-quality and cost-effective bikes.
Your Gear.
The adventure racing gears include helmets, outfits, footwear, and backpacks. You don’t have to spend a lot on the helmet. You have to buy the one that does the job, and it’ll approximately cost you something around $60. The clothing outfits can be a hassle sometimes if you don’t do proper research. You can easily spend more than $100 on these if you want to, but searching for season sales, retail stores, or even thrift stores can help you save a lot of money. Another essential gear that you’ll need is your footwear. Footwear usually starts from $75 and can go up to $500 or more. It would be best if you were looking for the right pair, not the expensive pair. Expensive doesn’t always have to be good.
Carrying a hydration pack is essential for your adventure racing. The hydration pack helps you with hydration and keeping your important stuff. It will cost you around $100, but you can easily find cheaper and good-quality products if you look at online sales and retail stores.
Fees and Traveling Cost.
Unlike other costs you incur only for one time, these costs are not a one-time thing. You have to pay entrance fees every time you get yourself registered for any adventure race. The entrance fees range from #30 to sometime above $80, entirely depending on the type and location of the race.
These costs might seem a little too much for your first adventure racing. However, most of them are one-time, and you won’t stop once you start your first adventure racing. You would need to pay for the entrance and travel costs for your future times. Here are a few ways through which you can minimize this cost as well.
How to Save the Extra Cost?
Buy Smart.
Instead of spending too much on the gear rather than the actual race is the smartest approach to save money. Know what you need and what gears make a difference to you. The costliest stuff usually sits in the storage room, and this is exactly why you should avoid such expensive things because they don’t measure up for your necessities. Once you have successfully differentiated between needs and wants, look for amazing deals and discounts to buy the essentials. Your casual outdoor stores have occasional extraordinary deals. Keep a close eye on these.
Save on Travel and Reduce your Cost.
Travelling can cost you a lot if you don’t know how to spend smartly and efficiently. Here are a few ways to save your traveling cost:
Share the ride- Carpool: Riding with companions is more enjoyable in any case, and you can share the exhaustion (switch drivers) while returning when everybody is exhausted from that long race. Besides this, carpooling allows you to split fuel, maintenance, and other traveling costs.
Prefer your local races rather than traveling to another state: Limiting yourself to occasions inside driving distance kills the expense of plane fares and the problem of transporting your race materials like bicycles and stuff. The driving distance depends on you and your team. If you can drive for longer routes, go for it. Expenses like cargo fees, plane fare, and passport charges can be saved if you choose to go by your vehicle to the areas near you.
Utilize your local connections: If you have a big social circle, you are at an advantage. Utilize your connections with local hotel or food chains owner. Give them a call, ask for a discount. There’s no shame in asking for discounts or negotiating on the price. It helps you to stay on your budget and save the extra cost of accommodation.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, adventure racing is an expensive sport to pursue. As fun-filled and exciting it is to race with your teammates and learn to conquer problems together, it’s a bit too heavy on the pockets. If you love adventures but don’t want to spend too much on a single race, adventure racing might seem impossible to you. Luckily, there are many smart ways that you can utilize to enjoy this fantastic sport of adventure racing without hitting too much on your budget. Once you learn the art of coping with financial barriers, nothing stops you from enjoying the adventures you love, at least not your budget.
