The annual gathering · April 21–25, 2027

Unrationed,
outside Zion.

Four days at a basecamp, meals together, two guest speakers, unscheduled hours, and one hard thing in the middle of the week. 

Dates
Apr 21–25
Basecamp
30 min from Zion
Capacity
50 men
Fly into
Las Vegas
Footage from our Zion Traverse scout trip
Footage from our Zion Traverse scout trip.

01

What this is

Four days, one camp.

A bit of orientation, disorientation, and reorientation alongside other men pursuing extraordinary lives at home, work, and play.

Basecamp

Comfortable places to sleep, hot showers, good food, fire pits and gathering space. About thirty minutes from Zion National Park.

Meals

Three a day plus snacks provided. Some of the best moments happen over these meals.

Guest speakers at camp

Approachable. No stage, no slide deck. They will be eating with us and sitting at the fire like everybody else.

Fire

Unstructured, unscheduled, optional. Good hangs guaranteed.

One hard challenge

Midweek, out on the Zion Traverse. Everyone starts the same morning and comes back to the same camp.

Conversations

Small talk second.  You'll be known and get to know others. 

Unrationed men together at a past retreatCommunity
The men of Unrationed — past retreat.
Past Unrationed retreat — time around the fireTime around the fire
Past Unrationed retreat — time around the fire.
Unrationed cap — a man outside, ready for the work

"A man needs a place to be initiated. The world needs him to return."

King, Warrior, Magician, Lover

Save your spot

Four days, one camp, one hard thing.

Register now →

02 — Friday, April 23

DISORIENTATION

The Zion Traverse

The traverse runs roughly 48 miles from Lee Pass, across the high country, down into the main canyon. It is a long, honest line through some of the best terrain in the desert.

Each man chooses his distance: the full traverse, half of it, or a shorter route that is still a real challenge for him. All of it counts. Everyone starts the same morning and everyone comes back to the same camp.

We'll help you pick a distance and train for it. Use the months between now and April to prepare — that part is most of the work, and it starts long before you land in Vegas.

Zion landscape — the terrain of the traverseZION NATIONAL PARK
The terrain of the Zion Traverse.
48
miles across Zion National Park
01
shared start morning
YOU
choose your distance
1
camp to return to

01

Choose

The full traverse — about 48 miles from Lee Pass to the main canyon — half of it, or a shorter route that is still a real challenge for you. All of it counts.

02

Train

Use the months between now and April. That part is most of the work, and it starts long before you land in Vegas. We'll help you pick a distance and prepare for it.

03

Run or Walk

One start line, one long day, and the same camp waiting at the end of it.

As little or as much of it as you choose, as long as it is a challenge.

Save your spot

Fifty men. One week. One challenge. Tell us you're in.

Register now →

03

Guest speakers

At camp, not on a stage.

Both men will be with us at camp. They'll eat with us, walk with us, and sit at the fire. Ask them anything.

Glen Van Peski sewing gear at his desk late at nightSpeaker 01
Still making his own gear, decades in.

More from the field

Founder, Gossamer Gear

Glen Van Peski

Glen founded Gossamer Gear after sewing his own packs at the kitchen table and helped kick off the ultralight movement in backpacking. He has spent decades asking one stubborn question: what is actually worth carrying?

His book, take less. do more., turns that question on the rest of life — possessions, obligations, the stories we haul around out of habit. He is a long-distance hiker, an engineer by trade, and one of the most generous men you'll meet at a trailhead.

I push myself to connect with those who are both interesting and interested.
Known for
Founding Gossamer Gear and the ultralight ethic
Wrote
take less. do more.
At camp
Gear, weight, and what to leave behind
Portrait of Paul WatkinsSpeaker 02
Author, "The Tao of Hard Things"

More from the field

Guest speaker

Paul Watkins

Paul Watkins is a scientist, endurance athlete, speaker, father, and entrepreneur who has spent decades studying the skill of doing hard things.

His work blends science, philosophy, discipline, and stories from extreme environments, including Arctic ultra-marathons and desert endurance efforts. At camp, Paul will help us think honestly about challenge, internal narratives, antifragility, and what it takes to become the kind of man who can meet difficulty without shrinking from it.

Known for
Studying the skill of doing hard things
Background
Scientist, endurance athlete, entrepreneur
At camp
Challenge, internal narratives, antifragility

04

Run of show

The Itinerary

01

Wednesday, April 21

Arrive

Vans leave Las Vegas in the early afternoon — about two and a half hours to camp. Settle in, meet the crew, first dinner together, fire.

02

Thursday, April 22

Ground

Morning movement, then a speaker session at camp. Traverse prep in the afternoon: routes, gear, logistics, and choosing your distance. Early night.

03

Friday, April 23

The Traverse

Early start. Everyone out on the route he chose. A big dinner waiting back at camp whenever you roll in.

04

Saturday, April 24

Slow down

A slow morning, a second speaker session, then crew time in the afternoon to talk through what's next at work, at home, and at play. Last dinner.

05

Sunday, April 25

Head home

Breakfast, pack up, vans back to Vegas.

Save your spot

The dates work. The itinerary is set. Save your spot.

Register now →

05

The details

What's covered, and how you get there.

The road to Zion
The road to Zion
  • Lodging at basecamp
  • All meals
  • Ground transport from Las Vegas and back
  • Zion Traverse transportation and course support
  • A full gear list, sent after you register
  • Fly into Las Vegas and arrive before 2:00 pm PT on Wednesday, April 21

Basecamp is about thirty minutes from Zion National Park: comfortable places to sleep, hot showers, good food, fire pits and space to gather. Capped at 50 men.

06

From the community

What men say about UNRATIONED.

I came into Unrationed looking for a fitness challenge. I found a group of men who actually ask how you're doing and mean it. That's changed everything.
Kyle Watson · TX
The retreat was the hardest thing I'd done in years. The traverse, the men, the fire. I came home a clearer version of myself.
Pat Veilleux · Costa Rica
I didn't realize how much I'd drifted until I had men around me who wouldn't let me hide behind busyness. Unrationed put me back in the room.
Joel Zach · CO
We need places where we can be honest about the weight we're carrying. Unrationed is one of those rare places.
Tony Albrecht · Canada

07

REGISTRATION

Tell us you're in.

Fifty men.

Send this over and we'll follow up with registration details, the gear list, and help picking a distance to train for. 

Angels Landing in Zion National ParkAngels Landing

This isn't a payment. We'll follow up by email with registration details.

50 men. One week. One challenge.

April 21–25, 2027 · Outside Zion National Park