Night Racing Check List:

A quick guide to what you might need or should expect for a night stage race:

ü      Dogs preferably wearing harnesses with light reflective strips sewn/stuck on back and collar

ü      Headlight securely mounted on rig at handle bar level with a dry cell battery also securely attached.

ü      Always have a backup light usually in the form of head lamp

ü      Attend the mushers meeting. Markers on a night stage will be a totally different arrangement. Clear instructions will always be given at the mushers meeting.

ü      Ensure you have enough handlers to help at the start line ideally one per dog. It is not always easy for the musher to see, from the back of a rig at night, that a dog is not tangled in the excitement before take off.

ü      Always inspect that your rig and lines are in good working order in daylight before you attend the race.

ü      Relax and enjoy the exhilaration of a night run!

ü      Tuck up the dogs for the night and enjoy hot stovies and a wee dram to heat you through. (Just the one as you have to do it all again in the morning!)