Your first RC drift carpet night: the packing list

A carpet drift night is the best way to become competent — repeatable surface, warm room, other drivers to learn from. It is also the first place a lot of new drivers bring an under-packed kit and spend the evening borrowing tools instead of driving.

The car and the power

- Your drift car, charged and pre-set - 4 x 2S LiPo packs, charged (you will burn two and be grateful for the other two) - Charger + balance leads - Extension lead, 3m or longer (carpet venues are stingy with sockets) - Battery sleeve or LiPo-safe bag

Tyres and rims

- One fresh set of tyres on rims - One backup set (the one you are already running) - Masking tape — one cheap roll - Tyre cleaner spray (the contact-cleaner kind, not brake cleaner) - Wheel marker pen

Tools — bare minimum

- 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0mm hex drivers - Long-nose pliers - Side cutters (for zip ties and body pins) - Box spanner for wheel nuts (usually 7mm)

Spares box

- 4 x body clips, 4 x body pins - 2 x replacement steering balls (they break first) - One servo horn matching your servo - One spare motor pinion (you will drop one) - Zip ties, five of each short and long

Comfort kit

- A hand towel (you will wipe down a wheel with it) - Water or coffee — venues are dry and the air is warm - A notebook or phone notes app (setup changes are impossible to remember without) - Earplugs if the venue is particularly loud

What NOT to bring

A full workshop. You do not need shock oil, diff grease, spare chassis plates, or electronics you have not tested. Leave them home. First night, keep the kit small and focus on driving.

When you arrive

- Check in with the desk, pay for your session - Park away from the track so people can walk past your bench - Do one lap slowly to feel the carpet before committing - Ask the two fastest drivers there what car they are running. This is the single best way to learn what works.

Bring a charged smile

Carpet drift nights are the nicest room in RC. Drivers are invariably keen to help a new face. Ask questions, listen, drive lots, and bring a couple of pound coins for the vending machine.