INFORMATION FOR FIRST-TIMERS! 

A CHECKLIST 

(or, "Have I packed everything?!")

Initially at least, this page may seem a slightly strange concept, particularly to those of you who've been to Le Mans many times before, but if you haven't been to Le Mans before or if you're not used to travelling to a race outside the UK, you might just find it handy.   This is drawn from my own checklist which I've been using for 6-7 years and which I religiously run through several times before the bags go into the car for the trip. 

At first blush it may all sound a bit daft, naive even, but is there anything worse than sitting on the ferry as it pulls out of Portsmouth (or wherever) and then realising that you've left all your race tickets, or euros or films etc. behind.......?).

You'll have to decide for yourself what you consider to be essential or desirable etc. and what you take with you will depend on several factors, not the least of which will be how much space you've got, whether you're serious about the photography side of things and how long the trip is going to be.  The list is categorised, however, into:-

1.  Clothing

2.  Medical (!)

3.  Camera

4.  Miscellaneous

I'm not going to pretend this list is a complete one.  I'll be interested to hear from seasoned Le Mans campaigners of anything I've left out!  (And I don't mean beer, beer and more beer.........!).

Clothing:

General - Obviously, you'll take as many changes of clothing (if any!) as you think you'll need.  If you're travelling light, however, try and allow for an extra change in case the weather is really bad (like 2001!).  If you are planning to be up and about for most of the time (i.e. like me - not a lot of sleep) take some extra changes of underwear, t-shirts and in particular socks.  Having walked around all afternoon and all night as the race progresses, it's surprising how bloody marvelous it feels to be able to change into a clean pair of socks!

Please think about your shoes.  If you plan to walk for miles and miles, wear a comfortable (and ideally, waterproof) pair.  It is most definitely NOT a good idea to wear a brand new pair of trainers - seeing the light out of their box for the very first time!  If you walk as much as I do during the weekend, you will get BLISTERS no matter how comfortable those trainers felt when you tried them on in the shop!

Specific - A decent waterproof coat is a must, but if its not bucketing down I tend to reserve that for the night.  You may want to invest in a "Jack-in-a-Pack" (from branches of Millets) or some similar lightweight waterproof jacket that folds up very small so you can stuff it in a pocket or attach it to your camera bag. 

Another absolute essential is a hat.  Laugh at your peril......  If it doesn't rain, the sun can get very hot and if you're stuck on the tribunes for 3 or 4 hours watching the pre-race festivities and then the start of the race, the sun will beat down on your head and the back of your neck and I can guarantee you will wish you had worn a hat!  I'm no slave to fashion, so I wear an old floppy white sunhat that I've had for about 10 years - I only ever wear it at Le Mans!  It not only protects my balding head but my neck as well.

Medical:

General - Sounds rather serious, doesn't it?!  In 18 years, I've had relatively few problems, but after severe food-poisoning in '87 and very bad blisters in '96, I've learned enough to appreciate that its definitely a case of "better safe than sorry"!  We all tend to over-indulge, whether on food or booze, and this, coupled with miles of walking, lots of blazing sunshine (hopefully!) and not a lot of sleep can leave you feeling very much the worse for wear at various times during the week-end (or the week, if you're lucky enough to be there for the whole shooting-match).

Obviously, if you have to take medication on a regular basis anyway, make sure you take enough supplies with you to keep you going through the holiday.  And don't forget your E111 from the Post Office - which lasts a year.  And take it with you (not a photocopy either!).  

Specific

Headaches - Paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen or whatever usually does the trick for you.

Stomach upset - Imodium, diocalm or something similar for when things get really bad stomach-wise and bisodol or rennies etc. if things haven't quite deteriorated to that level yet!  

Sun protection - I've mentioned the sun already - take some sensible factor sun-cream and make sure you put some on the back of your neck.  If it's really hot and you're one of the macho shorts and no shirt brigade, put some cream on or run the risk of looking like a piece of boiled bacon by 4 pm on Sunday!

Sore throat - Personally, I've always been prone to sore throats so if you're the same, some lozenges might be an idea.

Feet - Following my "new trainers" ordeal of a few years ago, I always carry not only some ordinary plasters, but blister plasters as well.

Not quite medical, but don't forget to pack useful things like wet-wipes (it gets very dusty if its dry at Le Mans and with sun cream, beer, frites, merguez and goodness knows what else passing through your hands, you can get a bit grubby - especially if your camping), a towel, tissues and, most important of all, a toilet-roll - just in case - anyone who uses the public loos at Le Mans is either very brave or downright foolish!  

Camera:

General - If you're either a serious photographer or an enthusiastic amateur like me, you probably won't need advice about what to pack.  Nevertheless, its a good idea to make a list of what you want to take and to make sure you have all the films, batteries, memory cards and so on that you'll need - because they are very expensive to buy at the circuit!  If you're going to be carrying your camera everywhere you go (like me) don't include anything you know you won't need.  The camera-bag will feel fine slung over your shoulder at the beginning of the trip, but by the end it'll feel as though you filled it with the lead off the local church roof.....!

In the past, I have always taken two plastic bags with me, one in which to keep the spare unexposed reels which I don't want to carry in my camera bag.  (These will swap around depending upon the light and the weather) and a second in which to store the exposed reels.  I keep the bags in my main bag in the car or at the hotel and swap the films over, whenever I get the chance.  As it happens, for 2004 I've gone fully digital, so I don't need to worry about films any more - yippee!  

Specific

Camera and lenses.  Pretty obvious, I guess!  I'd love to have more but having splashed out on a new Canon EOS10D recently, I only use 2 lenses, both zooms, one 28-80 and the other 100-300.  I also have a 2x extender which enables me to get "into" the pits from the tribunes.

Flashgun - of limited use to the "ordinary" spectator, as the debris fencing completely ruins flash shots at night.  But there are one or two places where you can avoid it.  N.B.  If you only sport a compact camera, you might as well not bother trying to take pictures of the cars at night!  (But its amazing how many people try.....!)

Films - If you can afford to, take more than you think you'll need.  I have always taken around 30 reels of 36 exposure (I'm not a "slide" film person!).  10 x100, 10 x 200 and 10 x 400 ASA.  Occasionally I'll take a couple of 800s (or even 1600s), just in case I fancy a bit of grain!  I never ever buy my films in the high street shops, I always get them at a decent discount from www.7dayshop.com.  Try them, I recommend them for anything photographic (and no, I don't have a deal with them!).  

Batteries - Make sure your camera battery is in good nick (or you have a spare).  Charge up any rechargeables and don't forget to pack the charger!   Don't forget batteries for the flashgun or any remote controls, and that your batteries are also charged up for your video camera, if you're taking it.

Memory Cards - A new one for me in 2004.  You'll need to work out how many shots you'll be likely to take (and at what resolution) and take along as many cards as will be needed.  Of course, digital users have the advantage of being able to dump those reject shots straight away.  For 2004, I'm reckoning on taking along 3 512 meg Compact Flash cards.  Of course, if you have a laptop to tuck away somewhere safe, you can download back at the hotel as and when you like.....

Tripod - I only ever use my tripod at night or in the early morning.  Essential for those wonderful light-trail shots (that so many like me try to achieve and fail miserably every year!), if you can find somewhere without fencing in the way.  Only carry it around if you have to - otherwise leave it tucked away (safely locked up) in the car if you can - like the camera bag, they get very heavy when you've been carrying them for a few hours!

Monopod - I don't much care for the things myself (although I have one), but they're much easier to lug around than a tripod and can come in handy for that extra little bit of steadiness, particularly if your camera is sporting a long zoom.  

Torch - What?  I hear you say?  Yes, pretty essential, actually.  A small Maglite is extremely useful for reading the display on your camera in the middle of the night (without using up your battery on the backlight).  

Cleaning - Before I set out on the trip I always give camera and lenses a good clean.  Whatever the weather at Le Mans, everything will suffer, whether from water if it rains or from the dust if its dry.  If its hot you'll end up transferring sweat to the camera and need to watch out that your fingers (and the remnants of that last merguez!) don't find their way onto your best lens!  A blower brush and/or some lens tissues may come in handy.

Miscellaneous:

General - OK, to finish off then we have the silly little bits and pieces that are so easy to ignore or forget which you only realise you need when you're at the circuit and can't get them!  Either that or they're the absolute essentials, without which you're stuffed!

Specific

Toothbrush/toothpaste - After a couple of nights on an endless diet of burgers, merguez, frites, beer, wine and Gitanes, believe me, you'll be desperate to brush your teeth!

Shower gel - likewise, if you get the chance to have a shower, whether somewhere at the circuit or at your hotel, it's amazing how revitalising it can be!  When choosing your shower gel, the most important thing is not the smell!  Make sure it has a very securely-fitting cap, or, like me in '95, you'll end up with a bag full of the stuff and richly perfumed clothes!

Bumbag - This is an absolutely essential piece of kit as far as I'm concerned, which I use not only to carry some of my cash (by the way, never keep it all in the same place!), but also my small pocket radio, a pen, and my cigarettes.

Spare specs - if you're like me and can't see your nose in front of your face without your specs, make sure you take a spare pair - along with your sunglasses - well, we need to be optimistic, don't we?!

Radio and headphones - another essential item, for listening to my mate Paul Truswell on Radio Le Mans.  There are some very nice radios on the market - pick the smallest one you can find which will tuck into your shirt pocket, your ticket-holder (see below) or bumbag.

And what else?  Well, you had better not forget these:-

Passport - well, I think its always best to state the obvious.....

Tickets - if you've bought them in advance.

ACO Membership Card - if you're a member.

Ticket holder - one of those cheap and cheerful plastic holders which dangle on string around your neck - absolutely invaluable - keep all your tickets in there and you can even perch a small radio in it as well!  You can buy the holders at the circuit for next to nothing or if you're on an organised tour, you'll probably get them as freebies anyway!

Cash and credit cards - don't forget to pack the Euros you bought in advance.

Pen and pad - always handy.