Towing and Sharing the Burden
Towing is a central concept to adventure racing – at its core, towing involves the team working together to increase its overall speed. Towing can be tough on all involved – the “tow-er” must bear the burden of pulling extra weight. The “tow-ee” must overcome the natural sensitivity that they aren’t pulling their own weight. Nonetheless, as racers gain experience, the strength to ask for help and to accept it when offered is developed. This type of communal thinking takes time but is critical.
Various techniques can help reluctant racers to accept assistance. The key is to understand what type of communication will be most effective. It is seldom useful to ask a newer racer is they need to have their pack lightened or given a tow – the answer will almost always be “no” until it’s too late. Instead, simply informing the struggling team member that they are going to be given a tow, or that some weight is coming out of their pack may do the trick. Promising the struggling racer that they will be called upon later in the race to take extra weight or provide a tow to another member may help overcome the ego (and often that promise will be fulfilled, when strength dynamics shift as they often do).
Tow systems for trekking can be very simple. The most simple form of tow system, which is perfectly adequate for a sprint or endurance race, is some sort of shock cord, attached to the two racers, often via mini carabineer. The length of the shock cord is a personal choice. We have found it useful to use 10 foot long cord, but to have a portion of it (around half) static cord to reduce the overall elasticity of the tow system. Note: bike and kayak towing systems are typically more complex due to safety reasons.