Then you have to ship the food off to all of the checkpoints, and that costs a lot of money to do. So getting the food ready for the Iditarod is not easy or cheap. You also have to make sure it won't spoil, so you need to send it at the right time. Iditarod rookie Rob Groggier of Baseman, Mont., drags supplies to his team at the Rainy Pass checkpoint. Mushers ship food and supplies to checkpoints in advance.
Mushers also have to pack for the the dogs.
If the trail is rough they would pack booties to put on their dogs' feet. If their teams' feet get cracked, they would need to have some salve to rub on them. Some of the dogs take medication and the mushers must have that with them. Also, most mushers carry vitamins for their dogs. The dogs could get cold so mushers need to pack doggie coats.