The process – which began on Monday – takes about a week and will run through Sunday evening, but in terms of the preparation required to pull something like this off, it's a task that has been several weeks – and even months – in the making.
"We've been preparing all offseason, but normally it's about right around the end of minicamp in June that we really dial everything in," McKenney said. "We try to get as big of a head start as we can, especially with this Brazil game coming up in Week 1. Some of the work for that game will take place in St. Joe, so we've just been trying to chip away at every little thing that we can."
It all makes for a big responsibility as McKenney and the rest of the equipment staff aim to have anything and everything the football operation may need during the Chiefs' time in St. Joseph. The idea is that everyone – from Head Coach Andy Reid to the 90th player on the roster – can focus entirely on football without having to worry about things like inventories and logistics.
Fortunately, McKenney and his fellow staffers – which includes seven full-timers and 10 interns – are led by the best in the business in Equipment Director Allen Wright, who has been on the job for more than 40 years.
"It's been awesome \[learning from Wright\]," McKenney said. "He's a household name – not just in the equipment world, but in Chiefs Kingdom. He's been here north of 40 years, and this is my eighth season, so being able to learn from him has been incredible."
Wright and McKenney are part of a staff that includes Chris Shropshire, Cale Kirby, Jay White, Niko Barber and Logan Love. It has repeatedly been recognized as the top crew in the NFL over the years, and once again – for the 15th time since 2010 – the Chiefs' equipment staff is leading the annual pilgrimage to St. Joseph to kick off a new season.
"Training Camp is a fresh start for everyone, and that includes us," McKenney said. "We have new gear to show off – new helmets, shoulder pads and cleats – but it's also just a new team, so I'm always excited to get up there and start working."
The first practice of Chiefs training camp open to the general public will take place on July 23. For more information or to reserve tickets, [click here](https://www.chiefs.com/trainingcamp/).