This is a review of the kit I considered, tried, and
eventually used with my reasoning for my choices, how what I used worked and
thoughts on what I would use if I did the MdS or similar again. Obviously
everything below is inherently subjective, but hopefully there’s enough detail
to help you decide if you’re likely to agree with me or not. I have a tendency
to be a little contrary so a few of my choices – the pack for one – were a
little different from the ‘standard’ choices. This did worry me a little when I
turned up at the airport and everyone seemed to have very similar kit, but it
generally worked very well for me.
Overall Summary –
I wouldn’t take stuff to cook with, I would take poles and most importantly I
would take some whisky for the long stage and the end…
Bag
Pack – I used an Inov8 Race Pac 25L with Innov8 bottle holders which was very
comfortable and worked well for me. There are lighter bags out there but it
worked well for me; I wasn’t sure about the very bottom-heavy looking design of
many of the Raidlight bags, preferring more of a taller and thinner mountain
style. The generous pockets on the waist band - which is nice and thick,
spreading pressure – are a good size and very useful for my camera, salt
tablets and snacks. In particular I had no problems with rubbing or bruising on
my shoulders which most of the people in my tent did, despite mine being
heavier than all but one. I don’t know if it was the bag or my training, probably
a bit of both. One feature which would have been useful but which was missing
was webbing on the top, sides or bottom to attach things – not the end of the
world though. I cut down a few straps, securing the ends with gaffer tape but
otherwise didn’t make any mods to my pack.
In terms of size I think I could easily have got away with
at least 3 litres less; I think 20 to 22L would be about perfect. Maybe a bit of a squeeze in the 20L but I
don’t think that is a bad thing – less space to take things you down really
need! There is a 22L Innov8 bag which would be tempting (I know I get on with
the Innov8 fit), or the OMM Adventurelight 20L which I don’t think you could go
too far wrong with. The Aarn bags looked pretty snazzy on the internet but
looked huge and just a bit silly in the flesh with the huge front packs so I
think I’d stay away from them.
The WAA Ultrabag that you’ll get lots of emails plugging is
a very popular choice, though I am happy I didn’t go or it. It is expensive
(and pretty heavy) and I wanted something I could use for other things; the WAA
bag is specifically designed for the MdS and so not well suited to by every day
hobbies. The use of the front pack seemed to be a matter of preference, some
using it some not, though by the size of the bag I think I would have needed
it. Strangely though for a bag designed for the MdS, people did seem to have
problems fixing their number in the required position on their frons if they
had the front pack on.
Front Pack – I
did buy the Innov8 front pack which would have fitted on the front and given me
an additional easily accessible 2L. I decided against it on the basis that I
thought it would keep me unnecessarily warm. In the end I didn’t need the space
(I already had more than enough with my 25L) and I had enough accessible space
in the waist pockets. One thing that you need to be careful about with front
packs, or with pack chest straps is making sure that you can fit your number in
an acceptable position (they’re pretty anal about this). I didn’t have a
problem with just the pack – I fastened the chest strap under my number.
Pack Liner – I
initially thought it would be a good idea to take a pack liner, not really sure
why though – it wouldn’t have served much of a purpose. Just be careful to keep
your sleeping bag away from your back so it doesn’t get damp with sweat during
the day. I packed things I wanted to group together or to (try to!) keep clean
– my night time stuff for example - in zip-lock bags which did the trick
without adding much weight (5g per bag).
Hydration
Water Bottle – It
took me a while to choose my bottles, I wasn’t sure about straws like on the Raidlight
bottles and for ages planned to use my trusty simple Nuun bottles on the basis
that they were hygienic and wouldn’t let me down. In the end I went for the
Raidlight bottles as I got fed-up of taking the Nuun bottle out of the holders
to drink during training runs. I had heard that some people had problems with
them leaking and the valves blocking. I didn’t have any problems with the
valves; I was careful to only mix my powders – For Goodness Shakes and
Ultrafuel – in the water bottles they gave use. They did leak when I added
electrolyte tabs which was annoying, particularly when it made things sticky
but not bad enough to be a deal breaker; they were fine the rest of the time. I
made sure I used only one bottle for the electrolyte which I was very happy I
did by the end as they left some residual flavour in the bottle and by the end
of the week I was beginning to hate the electrolyte flavour so at least I had
one uncontaminated bottle.
One option I didn’t even consider was a bladder. My
Camelback is my go-to in the UK but I was worried about hygiene in the heat
without the ability to wash it out. I am also normally paranoid about it
leaking which is a pain when you’re out for few hours near lots of water, but
pretty much terminal in the middle of the desert leaving you with no way of
storing water.
Required Kit
Venom Pump – Just
got the standard venom pump and took the pump and a medium size nozzle – the
whole kite it pretty heavy. I did try using it before I went but fortunately I
didn’t need to use it!
Signalling Mirror – Again just bought a seemingly standard square
signalling mirror with a hole in the middle for aiming the reflection.
Compass – I used
my normal Silva compass – pretty standard size. Could’ve found a slightly
smaller and lighter one I suppose but it wasn’t heavy and there were higher
priority things to spend money on. In
the end I didn’t need it – there were so many people in front of me!
Knife Card – The
rules require you to have a knife; I opted for the Victorionox Jelly Swiss Card
which had a knife, scissors, tweezers etc but is nice and light. The knife did the job well enough and the
scissors were very useful. I didn’t use anything else, though I suppose the
tweezers could’ve come in handy. So it worked well, but in future I might see
if I can find a slightly more substantial knife and scissors that are just as
light if not lighter.
Passport – Obligatory
obviously – no modifications! I kept it in a ziplock bag which kept it clean
and nicely sweat free (you don’t really want a soggy passport…).
Cash & cards – I
took two cards with me along with the 200 Euro required by the rules. Could’ve
gotten away with one card but I like having some redundancy! It didn’t weigh
much anyway. I also took my BMC insurance card with all the relevant details on
it.
Safety Pins – 10 small safety pins for attaching your
number; also good for draining blisters.
Lighter – Just a
normal plastic lighter, had more than enough fuel.
Space Blanket – I
took a normal compact foil blanket. I didn’t cut mine down, but others did – I
would probably do this in future.
Whistle – I had
one built into my pack – not the loudest, but you do have your flare if you’re
in real trouble…
Torch and spare batteries – I took at Petzl Zipka
Plus; at 71g inc batteries was the lightest I could find. It sacrifices a head
band in favor of a lighter retracting cord. This was perfectly good for
walking about and in camp, but had I been moving faster in the dark on the long
stage I would have had problems with it staying in place on my head so I would
go for the slightly heavier version with a head band in future. On the other
hand if you’re sufficiently fast that you won’t have to spend long out in the
dark then it might work ok (you could hold it), but not for a significant
period of time.
Camp / Sleeping
Sleeping bag – I went
for the PHD Minimus bag with the water repellent and windproof outer. It worked
very well for me, a very nice bit of kit. I would definitely go for their kit
again. It is rated (approximately) down to 6 ish degress for comfort with 0
degrees for more hardy people (I don’t feel the cold too much) and I was
actually a bit too warm most of the time. It did keep me warm when the wind
picked up in the night though – being windproof was helpful. I think the nights
were reasonably warm for us this year and so I don’t think I’d risk going for
anything lighter. A few people in my tent had Yeti bags – the Passion 3 – which
they seemed to love. They looked nice to me but are significantly more
expensive than the Minimus and seemingly no better quality, and a little
heavier I think, maybe I’m just biased.
Sleeping Mat – In
the end I used a Multimat Superlight half-length mat (110g). Initially I bought
a Thermarest Z-lite mat which I was going to cut down but couldn’t work out how
to attach it to my pack. It was also going to be quite heavy. The Multimat mat
was lighter (and significantly cheaper), though at the expense of comfort. The
length was fine for me (I’m fairly short) and it did the job, though in future
I might consider not taking a mat. The main thing for me was that it gave me
some easily identifiable space which was my space in the tent. The Thermarest
certainly looked much more comfortable and one of the guys in my tent cut his
into a torso shape which seemed to work, though it wouldn’t leave much scope
for moving in the night.
The other alternative is an inflatable mat. I chose a foam
mat as I had heard stories of mats being punctured and becoming useless. A lady
in my tent used on which seemed to be fine, and I’m sure some gaffer tape would
fix most punctures. They are a lot more compact than the foam mats – I would
consider taking an inflatable mat in future if I was taking a mat.
Pillow – This is
definitely a luxury, though there are some very light inflatable ones about. I
got a 50 odd gram inflatable one but decided against taking it in the end and
ended up using my fleece instead. It would make sleeping easier I think,
particularly if you’re not used to camping and they are very light as luxuries
go. I think there is a 32g Mammut pillow
on the market which would be a good choice.
Ear Plugs – Light
and very useful!
Evening Top – I
took a lightweight polartec top which doubled up as a pillow. I didn’t need any more an could probably have
got away with something even leaner but I would’ve wanted the warmth if it had
been much cooler. I did lust over the
Montane Fireball smock – a lightweight and very compact synthetic down jacket
but there were higher priority bi of kit to acquire.
Evening Bottoms – I
took some Under Armour Recharge recovery leggings. These were pretty
light-weight at just over 100g and the compression was helpful overnight. It
also gave me something ‘clean’ to put on my legs to sleep in and added a bit of
extra warmth. If you’re not too fussed by any of this you could get away
without them, and I suppose if you’re taking calf guards you could just keep
them on to aid recovery. Mine were filthy though so it was nice to take them
off and keep them out of my sleeping bag.
Evening hat – I
planned to take a light-weight hat for warmth at night. It was definitely not
needed and after the first night in the desert I decided to leave it in my
suitcase. The hat I had bought was very
nice though – Mountain Hardware Zerna Beanie – only 36g. I’ll definitely be
using it for other trips.
Slippers – I took
some slippers to wear around the bivouac but threw them away after the first
stage as they were rubbish. The ones I took were ‘official’ MdS slippers off
the MdS boutique which was a mistake – they gave no protection from rocks and
my feet go covered in dirt, not good if you have blisters. Anyway from then on
I used the running shoes with just my outer socks in when I was in camp which
seemed to work ok. I would say slippers probably weren't worth the weight.
Cooking
Stove, Pots (Ti)
& Fuel – In retrospect I don’t think I would take a stove if I were to
do the MdS again. It would have saved my probably 200g or so and to be honest I
would have been quite happy eating the meals ‘cold’, and it was a lot of faff
sorting the stove and heating the water.
During the day you could heat the water to a fair temperature just by
leaving a bottle in the sun and for breakfast I would just have something that
didn’t need any heat (e.g. cereal). The
exception might be after the long stage (I got in at night) when cold sloppy
freeze dried food might not be very pleasant.
However I didn’t really feel like a proper meal at that point and was
happy with snacks.
If you do want to take a stove, the Esbit titanium pot and
ting 14g stove were great (I just resented carrying them and didn’t want to
throw them away!). I was fine with 1
fuel tablet per meal (the water was general already reasonably warm), and on
that basis you could get rid of a lot of the 20 tabs in the packet that you get
from the MdS boutique.
Spork (Ti) – I
took a folding Esbit titanium spork at 18g which worked well enough but I
didn’t need the ‘ork’ bit. The folding
feature wasn’t really necessary and made it more difficult to clean (very
important!). I think Esbit also do a non-folding extra-long titanium spoon which
would be great to keep your hands as far away from your mouth and food when
eating out of the meal bags.
See my food post for my food thoughts.
Hygiene
Alcohol Gel – This is an absolute must and needs using
everything you put your hands anywhere near your mouth, or anything going in
it. I was really worried about not having enough and settled on a 50 ml bottle,
though I managed most of the week using a 30 ml Purelle bottle I rescued from
the bin before the first stage in a fit of paranoia about not having enough. I
think 50 ml is a good bet though; however it does make a big difference how
accurate the top/nozzle is, as this lets you control how much you are using and
affects how efficient your use is. The Purelle top was better than the Carex
one I originally took with me.
Wipes – These are
a worthwhile luxury – the two wipes I had per night made a huge difference to
me psychologically. I’m not sure how much cleaner I actually ended up – I’ve a
feeling I just spread the dirt around – but I felt better and much more
comfortable in my sleeping bag afterwards.
I took Wemmi Wipes which come in tablet form which you add a little
water too and they expand into a cloth. They are pretty effective and are tough
enough to be re-wetted and used more than once. They have the advantage that
they are light but they aren’t anti-bacterial which would be a good idea given
the conditions. The alternative would be to (partially) de-hydrate some
anti-bacterial wet wipes and add water when you want to use them.
Loo Paper – Now I
spent a good while deciding how much and what brand of loo paper to take. It
wasn’t something I wanted to run out of, particularly I had had been
unfortunate enough to have stomach problems! One guy in my tent did and was
always in need of more – not a position I’d really want to be in! I took the
view that it was relatively light and I could easily get rid of excess if I
needed, so took a fairly large amount - about 12 sheets a day - which worked out
as about 2/3 of a roll, though I took it off the card roll. I had more than
enough in the end, though I was lucky enough not to have any problems in the
tummy department. Quality is definitely more important than quantity though – a
sheet you can use on its own or more than once (in one sitting!) – is better
than one that will fall apart, even if it is slightly heavier.
Toothbrush &
Toothpaste – I took a 20ml tube (though I could easily have got away with
less) and a basic toothbrush that had a thin handle. I worked out it would only save me 3g if I
cut the handle down and I was keen to be able to brush my teeth without getting
my hand too close to my mouth, so I left it as it was.
Medical/ Spares
Sun cream – I
took a 50ml spray bottle of P20 factor 50+. This worked very well for me; I
think I could probably have got away with less but I wouldn’t want to risk it.
Lip balm – I took
a small stick of factor 50 lip sunscreen. My lips did get pretty crusty but I
think they’d have been a lot worse without it!
Electrolytes – I
took some Nuun and High 5 Zero tabs – 2 per day which I put in each days' food
packet. I only had two flavours which were ok until the marathon stage when I
decided I was fed up of it. You don’t need it – the salt tablets will keep you
alive (most electrolyte tablets don’t have much sodium in them), but I think
they helped and it was nice to be able to drink something that wasn’t plain
water. Until I got fed up of the taste that is!
First Aid Kit – I
took: Dioralyte, Immodium, Deep Heat (required by rules), Savlon (required antiseptic).
I didn’t take any pain killers – I had read that Ibuprofen wasn’t a good idea
and hadn’t considered paracetamol. I’d probably take some paracetamol just in
case, though I was proud I completed it without any pain killers in the end. I
also took some ant-acids as I had had some acid reflux problem in training.
Foot care wise I took Hapla Band tape which was good though
I’d probably take some more heavy-duty tape (e.g. KT tape) instead or as well.
I bought some Friars Balsam but didn’t take it in the end. It does a good job
helping the tape to stick and can be used as a mild anti-septic but it has a
habit of migrating out of the bottle (it does smell quite nice though!), and I
wanted to be able to use my anti-septic in places I didn’t want to get sticky
if I needed…
Body Glide – A
key bit of kit! I took a 12.8g stick which did the job nicely. Worked well on
my feet and in other places I won’t mention!
Duct Tape – Very
useful spare – you shouldn’t need much but it is invaluable for repairing
things. I found it particularly useful for mending the front of my gaiters when
they got scuffed up my sharp rocks.
Other
Camera &
Batteries – I am quite keen on my photography so I was dead set on taking a
camera but obviously couldn’t take my big heavy SLR. I went for an Olympus
Tough camera which did the job nicely and was nice and tough with no-where for
sand to get in. It was a little weightier than I would have liked though. I took two spare batteries - I didn’t want to
run out – and they weren’t too heavy.
Pad & Pencil –
I took a small Argos pencil and an A6 pad to make notes with as I went through.
This was a luxury but I’m glad I took something to record the experience with
as I went along.
Mp3 Player &
Headphones – I took some simple ear bud headphones and an Ipod Shuffle
which was nice and light. I didn’t listen to music much but it was helpful on
the night stage and during the odd low period.
I didn’t have any problems with battery life.
Running Kit – Spares I Carried
Socks-Liner – I wasn’t
sure how my feet would be faring and what state my socks would be in so I took
two spare pairs of socks. I could probably have got away with one (or even
none) but I was glad I took them.
Socks-Outer – I had
planned to take a spare pair of outer socks but these got culled in my weight
reduction strip-out. I wouldn’t have needed them in the end – the change of
liner socks was enough.
Underware – I took a
spare pair of boxers which I did use but I could easily have done without – I
didn’t feel much benefit for changing them as I was already so dirty. I
probably wouldn’t bother in future.
Running Kit
Poles - I didn't take these but I deinitelty would in future. They would have taken some of the pressure off my feet and spread the stress on my body. I would have needed to train and build my upper body up a little think.
Socks-Liner – I decided
early on that I would go for a double layer – a liner and an outer sock. I used
Injinji Liner Toe Socks for the inner
sock as I knew from past experience that the main place I tend to get blisters
during a long race is between my toes. It also gave the flexibility to use just
the outer sock if my feet became too large, e.g. because of swelling or because
of taping. These socks worked very well for me and I got very few blisters.
Socks-Outer – For the outer sock I used X-Socks Speed Metal
socks. There are quite expensive but are tough and have an amazing cooling feel
to them with plenty of ventilation. I was worried my feet might get too hot in
the two layers but they were fine – the combination seemed to work well for me.
The dual layer approach allowed the movement between the layers instead of
against my skin which will have helped with the blister situation.
Underware – I used Under
Armour boxers which were very comfortable and prevented any chafing. I had used
these extensively in training as well and never had any problems.
Calfguards – These
were great – gave lots of support and helped reduce the amount of skin exposed
to the sun. I used CompressSport calf guards which seemed to be very popular
and they are very tough. I used my normal size but one of the guy in my tent
used a size bigger than normal to account for his legs swelling. I didn’t feel
any discomfort with them being too tight but this might be a good thing to
consider.
Hat – I used a
Raidlight cap with a cape for the back of my neck. This protected me well from the sun and kept
me as cool as possible, though in future I think I would try and find an
equivalent that had a cape that attached further round the sides of the hat as
the loose fabric (attached with Velcro at the back) tended to flap in the wind
and wouldn’t stay over my neck. Tucking it into my buff did help this though ad
I didn’t get burnt so it wasn’t that bad.
Buff – The Buff
was great – protected my neck, absorbed sweat and would’ve acted as a good
filter to breathe through had there been a sand storm.
Top – I took two
options out with me and decided when I got there. I took a montane long-sleeve
top (factor 50+) which was loose fitting and a white Under Armour Heatgear
compression top (also long-sleeve). I
decided on the Montane top which worked well – I did like the loose fit
allowing air to move around. However I
think the UA top would have been good as well as it had noticeable cooling
effect, particularly when damp. One
thing both of these tops was missing though was a collar which would have been
beneficial to protect my neck and would have made the back of the cap flapping
about less of a problem. I was pleased I paid attention to the SPF though – it
would not be good to think you were protected and end up getting burnt through
your top.
Arm Sleeves – I
opted for a long sleeve top which worked, though the other option that a couple
of my tent mates went for was a short-sleeve top with arm compression sleeves.
This seemed to be a good compromise – they seemed to have a good cooling effect
while being tight on the arms and allowing a loose fitting top to be worn with
them. I’d probably go with this option in future, but either way I would go for
covered arms.
Shorts – These
were 2XU compression shorts. They did the job nicely combined with my boxers –
helping to keep my legs in shape and keeping and out of my nether regions.
Definitely would use these again.
Shoes – I tried
various different options and these are a very personal choice. I settled on
Brooks Cascadia trail shoes as (for me) they gave a good compromise between
protection from rocks and cushioning. Lots of people used road shoes though and
were fine, and some people used more hard-core trail shoes, though I’d probably
stay away from these just because of the battering your feet would get.
Gaiters – When I
was gathering my kit this was a choice between Sandbaggers and Race Kit
gaiters. In the end I went for the Race Kit ones – mainly because they didn’t
have any Sandbaggers ones in my size when I wanted to by mine. In retrospect
though I’m pleased I did go for the Rake Kit ones though, as they are less
baggy and more compact than the Sandbaggers. They are simpler in sizing as
well, with only two sizes to choose from which makes things easier if you panic
and decide to change shoes size. I was a little concerned that when I tested
them out at Formby the fronts kept lifting up from the Velcro, but even then they
didn’t let any sand in. In the end I had no problem with this in the Sahara
(nor did anyone else by the looks of it) – I think it is just that the more
moisture laden sand in the UK is harsher on the Velcro seal. Anyway, very
pleased with them; the only improvement I could think of would be some
reinforcement at the front as the sharp rocks have a tendency to attack the
nylon. I think a few people mentioned this to Colin of Race Kit who was out
there this year, so I’d imagine they’ll address this pretty quickly.
Sunglasses – Based
on good reviews around the internet I went for a pair of Julbo Trek glasses
with Zebra lenses. I can’t really fault them – they did their job perfectly and
were well ventilated. I’ve even managed to accidentally shut them in a door since
and they didn’t get so much as a scratch.
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