FRC Pit Checklist and Competition Packing List (Printable, 2026)

Bring, above everything else: a fully stocked toolbox, a complete set of spares (motors, wheels, belts/chain, and every control-system electronic), and at least three charged robot batteries with a charger. Add ANSI-rated safety glasses, a laptop with the offline WPILib installer already run, your pneumatics datasheets, and the paperwork inspectors ask for — then run the self-inspection pre-check at the bottom of this page before you roll up to the inspection station.

Print this list and tape it inside your pit toolbox lid. Tick every line during load-out and again during tear-down — the second pass is how you avoid leaving a battery charger or a $30 sensor behind in an away venue.

The inspection numbers below are verified against the 2026 FRC Inspection Checklist (Rev. 0) and Game Manual. Weights, sizes, and software versions can change each season, so re-check them against the current-year checklist before your first event.

Tools

• Full metric + SAE hex/Allen key sets (loose keys and a bit driver)
• Nut drivers, a socket set, and a ratchet
• Screwdrivers: Phillips, flat, and Torx
• Pliers: needle-nose, lineman's, and flush cutters; an adjustable wrench and vise-grips
• Taps and dies for your common threads (#10-32, 1/4-20, M3/M4/M5) plus a tap handle
• Blue thread locker (Loctite 242), zip ties, and electrical tape
• Wire strippers, crimpers, a ferrule crimper, heat-shrink, and a heat gun
• Multimeter, soldering iron, and solder
• Hand drill + bit index, hacksaw, files/deburring tool, tape measure, and calipers
• Mallet, small hammer, and a label maker or Sharpies

Spare parts and consumables

Bring a spare of anything you could reasonably break and swap back in under ~30 minutes.

• Motors: one of each brushless motor you actually run (and a spare gearbox if you have one)
• Wheels and tread/traction, plus spare grip tape
• Belts and chain — with master links and a chain breaker — and spare sprockets/pulleys
• Bearings, hex shafts, spacers/standoffs, and shims
• A fastener kit: socket-head screws and nylock nuts in 10-32, 1/4-20, M3/M4/M5
• Any custom bracket or 3D-printed part with a known failure history

Batteries and power

• 3–6 charged 12V, 17–18.2 Ah SLA robot batteries (the inspection-legal spec, R601)
• A smart charger — keep charging to a 6-amp average current and use Anderson SB connectors, per long-standing FRC pit rules
• A battery tester/health meter to check internal resistance and cull weak packs
• Spare Anderson connectors, a crimper, and battery straps

Control system and electrical spares

• Spare roboRIO, Power Distribution Hub/Panel, and one of each motor-controller type you run
• Spare radio (Vivid Hosting VH-109, P/N WCP-1538) and radio-power/voltage-regulator module
• Spare Robot Signal Light (RSL)
• Breakers and fuses: 120A main breaker, plus 40A/30A/20A snap-action breakers and ATC/ATO/ATM fuses
• Ethernet, PWM, and CAN wiring; WAGO ferrules; USB cables; and spare 6 AWG battery leads

Laptop and software

• The Driver Station laptop, fully charged, plus its charger
• Offline WPILib installer already run — VS Code, tools, and vendor libraries all local. Event Wi-Fi is unreliable; never plan to download anything on-site.
• Your robot code cloned locally and backed up to a USB drive
• The roboRIO imaging tool + current-season image, and offline vendor dependency files (REV, CTRE/Phoenix, Limelight, PhotonVision)
• Controllers/joysticks and a spare, plus any USB adapters

Paperwork and documentation

• Printed BOM / cost-accounting sheet (if required for judging or cost rules) and a robot weight sheet
• Pneumatics component datasheets — the checklist notes documentation may be required to prove working-pressure (≥70 psi) and stored-pressure (≥125 psi) ratings
• The Team Compliance Statement, ready for your Team Captain and Mentor signatures
• Drive team roster and the designated ID buttons every drive-team member must wear during matches
• Medical/consent forms, event schedule, spare-parts inventory, and your engineering notebook if you're being judged

Team identity, outreach, and people

• Buttons/pins for pin-trading, stickers, and small giveaways
• Team banner, business cards, and spirit items
• Pit setup: power strip, extension cord, work light, folding-table cover, broom, trash bags
• First aid kit, water, snacks, earplugs, and phone chargers

Robot self-inspection pre-check (2026)

Run this yourself before the official inspection. It mirrors the categories and rule numbers on the 2026 FRC Inspection Checklist, so passing here means very few surprises at the station.

Size and weight

• Robot ≤ 115 lb (52.16 kg) excluding bumpers and battery <R103>
• Robot + bumpers ≤ 135 lb (61.23 kg) <R408>; total inspected weight with swappable mechanisms ≤ 150 lb (68.04 kg) <I103>
• Starting config fits ≤ 110 in (2.79 m) frame perimeter and ≤ 30 in (76.2 cm) tall <R104>, with a non-articulated perimeter <R101>

Bumpers

• Fill the zone from 2.75 in to 5.5 in (6.98–13.98 cm) above the floor <R405>
• Backing ≥ 4.25 in (10.8 cm) tall <R402-B>, with ≥ 2 in (5.1 cm) of legal padding <R402-A> and a cloth cover <R402-C>
• Corners ≥ 2 in of uncompressed padding (measured diagonally) <R406>; segment gaps < 1.5 in <R401>; hard parts don't extend > 1.5 in past the perimeter <R404>
• Red and blue sets, each with the team number in white numerals ≥ 3.5 in tall (0.25 in stroke) on at least 3 sides <R411, R412>
• Removable for inspection quickly by two people <R410>

Mechanical and safety

• No sharp edges or field-damaging traction devices <R202, R205>
• No prohibited materials (only Class-1 lasers, no flammable gases) <R203>; stored energy is safe <R203>
• Scoring elements and the robot can be removed from the field without power <R204>

Electrical and energy

• Single 12V, 17–18.2 Ah battery, securely fastened, all connections insulated <R601, R607>
• 120A main breaker quickly accessible <R612>; PD and breakers visible <R613>
• 6 AWG minimum from battery → main breaker → PD <R609>; breaker-to-wire sizing correct (40A→12 AWG, 30A→14 AWG, 20A→18 AWG) <R621, R622>
• Frame electrically isolated (>120 Ω between a battery post and chassis) <R611>; no more than 4 propulsion motors <R502>
• roboRIO powered directly from the PD with a 10A fuse/breaker <R615>; RSL wired to the roboRIO RSL port <R709>

Pneumatics (if used)

• Working pressure ≤ 60 psi <R808> and stored/main pressure ≤ 120 psi <R807>
• Relief valve set to 125 psi <R811>; an accessible manual vent plug valve <R813>
• Gauges on both sides of the regulator <R810>; components rated ≥ 70 psi (working) / ≥ 125 psi (stored) <R801, R802>

Power-on and software

• Current-season roboRIO image and Driver Station loaded (for 2026: image 2026_v1.2+ and DS 26.0+) <R701, R901>
• Extensions stay ≤ 12 in beyond the frame perimeter (one direction at a time) and ≤ 30 in vertical <R105–R107>
• No unauthorized wireless on the robot or operator console, and no radios in the pit <R707, R905>

Weigh the robot on your own scale the night before, dry-fit both bumper colors, and power-cycle it once fully assembled. A team that clears its own pre-check almost always passes inspection on the first try — which means more practice matches and less scrambling.