TRAIL SETTING

IMG_3979

1. Core Principles

  • The Goal: Fun, safe, and social. A normal run should last around 1 hour (max 1.5 hours for extreme Rambo runs).

  • The Golden Rule: A well-laid trail brings the entire pack back to the beer bucket within 5 minutes of each other.

  • Avoid: Monster mountain climbs, endless steps, or splitting the pack for hours.

2. Location & Preparation

  • Venue: Anywhere in Ho Chi Minh City. Pick a spot with shelter (for rain) and easy access for the beer bucket without annoying the public.

  • Recce: Walk the trail at least once (preferably twice) to check the route and timing.

  • Parking & Transit: Ensure free parking nearby and don't make hams carry beer too far. Include public transport directions in your announcement.

  • Announcement: Announce it at the previous Wednesday's hash, or get it to the Website by the weekend before.

3. Trail Design

  • Types: Provide a Rambo (longer/harder) and a Wimps (shorter/easier) option so everyone can participate. For A-to-B runs, arrange bag transport to the finish.

  • Timing: Best to set the trail on the day of the run. A 60-minute run takes about 2.5 hours to lay.

4. Marking the Trail

  • Visibility: You are laying in daylight for a run in the dark. Don't use colored chalk that disappears under streetlights.

  • Spacing: Flour blobs or arrows every 25–30 meters (even closer in busy streets). In the jungle/shiggy, use toilet paper with a direct line of sight from one piece to the next.

  • Wet Weather: Use large flour blobs, rice, or 3/4-ply toilet paper. Place marks under overhangs. NEVER use plastic bags or plastic tape (biodegradable only).

  • Respect: Do not mark under flyovers (it stays for years) or in park flowerbeds (gets washed away). Keep markings neat.

5. Keeping the Pack Together (The Tactics)

  • Checks: Aim for ~10 good checks per hour to slow down the Front-Running Bastards (FRBs). Avoid a hard check right at the start.

    • Open Checks: FRBs must mark the correct trail direction using foot scrapes, sticks, or stones on the circle rim.

    • Closed Checks: Hares/FRBs must destroy the incorrect arrows, leaving only the true one clear.

  • On-On Marks: Must be within 100 meters of a check (much less in noisy towns) so voices can carry.

  • False Trails (Tees): Must end with a T and should not exceed 100 meters.

  • Check Backs (CB): A circle with "CB". Sends FRBs back to find a missed turn. Do not overdo it, and never write "ON ON" before a CB.

  • Fishhooks: Forces a set number of FRBs to run back around the last runner. Max one per run.

  • Protocol: Only use Saigon Hash symbols. Do not mix protocols from other hashes.

6. Beer Stops & Briefing

  • Beer Stop: Great for special runs to refresh the pack and hold up the FRBs.

  • Briefing: The Hare must clearly explain any unique markings, safety hazards, or special instructions before the pack takes off.

ON ON!