Gear Up!
We all know that sinking feeling of lifting our running pack up right before a race… It’s the moment we curse ourselves for never having trained with the full bladder, or even just the compulsory kit. All those long runs with a comfortable and lightweight running vest but never did we bother to pack the race day gear and train the upper body, shoulders and mind to carry a 5kg pack on race day!
Well, let me assure you, this is not a mistake you want to be making for DGT Run. Because it’s not going to be a 5kg surprise that you sling onto your back. Oh no. This is going to be a 10kg plus diminutive hiking backpack that you hoist onto your shoulders! And you’d best be doing everything in your power to keep it as light, comfortable and efficient as possible. And then, because it’s still going to be heavy, you’ll want to be training with it. As in wearing it all day, most days, around the house and in the garden. Sound stupid? Maybe. But that sinking feeling, remember?
If you read the last DGT Blog How Slow Can You Go? then you’ll hopefully have some idea of the pace at which you and your partner expect to move on the traverse. You’ll also know that it’s going to be closer to a hiking pace than a running pace, hence you can expect your bag to resemble a backpack more than a hydration vest. But this doesn’t mean that weight won’t matter, and you can pack anything and everything, nor does it mean that the compulsory kit list is exhaustive and by merely complying with that will you be comfortable for 100 hours in the mountains.
Whenever you set off into a mountainous environment you need to be aware of the unpredictability of mountain weather. For example, a simple afternoon rainstorm may cause temperatures to drop to near-freezing, a November snow blizzard in the Drakensberg is not unheard of, and navigating in cloud or mist above 2800m for three days can become a real daytime nightmare… Of course, the chances of any such conditions are not particularly high and a modern-day weather forecast allows some degree of anticipation, yet still the DGT is a mountain run and the gear you decide to take with may be lifesaving (or useless) should you find yourself in unpleasant conditions…
Let’s start by breaking down the compulsory kit list of the race in a simple table format and validating each piece of gear as necessary.
In addition to the above compulsory gear, below are a few recommended items which may be included in your gear, should conditions necessitate their use. *Also think about having backup sets of clothing for potential drop bags, if allowed.
Tent
Unfortunately, no bivvy bag can replace the shelter provided by a tent. Should a full night rain storm persist, a tent will be a huge advantage in being able to change into dry clothes, have a warm meal or at least a dry meal, and gain a few hours of quality sleep. If your goal time is between 85 - 100 hours, we would strongly recommend taking a small 2-person tent along. It could mean the difference between pulling the plug or finishing.
Spare socks (2 pairs) - There’s not much that compares to a fresh pair of socks after a rough section on the feet.
Spare set of thermal base layers
Spare waterproof jacket
Breathable windproof jacket
Down jacket
Sunscreen, sun glasses and lip protection
Jetboil and instant warm meals (eg. Forever Fresh freeze-dried meals)
Gear selection and discussion for an adventure on the scale of a DGT, especially a “faster” DGT, is really so exciting and interesting that a simple list just does not suffice. Take the time to chat to more experienced hikers or athletes, read reviews and go into gear stores to try things on. Weigh up the pros and cons of every piece of gear you add to your pack. Do not take anything that has no purpose or for “just in case”. There needs to be a realistic situation where you would use every item in your pack.
Just last November we had 3 days of scorching African sun overhead followed by 3 days of cloud, rain, overnight frost, midday hail and eventually even snow, during a DGT. As already stated, the mountains are an ever-changing environment and it is the team that best adapts to this diverse environment that will be most successful. This all starts in the planning and preparation phase of which gear is such an integral part.
Another important aspect of gear selection is to decide what gear will be most appropriate for the task or challenge at hand. A real-life example usually explains things best… Here’s Pierre’s account of a recent “bad weather” example from Ultra Trail Snowdonia 100 miler in Wales as an example.
The mountains of northern Wales can be a very hostile environment when it comes to the weather. I was looking at the forecasts for our race dates and it was clear that we were in for a rough ride. I knew it was also not going to be a “fast” 100 miler… With over 10 000m of ascent and terrain very similar to the Drakensberg, we would need proper gear for those long dark and cold hours.
This is where we had to decide what gear would be most appropriate given the challenge and possible conditions… Fortunately we decided to not only pack our Inov-8 “race” waterproofs, but also our Black Diamond “mountain” waterproofs. Both sets of waterproofs passed the event’s requirements, but which set would help us to survive the elements, allow us to carry on when others turned back, and have us maintain our pace when others slowed down?
If it had been all moonshine and roses then our super lightweight Inov-8 Ultra Shells would have been perfect, but after an hour of torrential rain and wind speeds of up to 80km/hour, this brilliant piece of gear was simply too light. This we realised as we stumbled into the 4th checkpoint just before a long mountainous section of the race. We quickly stripped down, got some dry thermals on and then donned our Black Diamond Fineline and Stormline waterproofs. As we headed out into storming gales and freezing rain, all the while gaining altitude, we were able to move at a consistent pace. The hoods of our jackets are designed for bad weather, and they protected our faces against the driving rain. The pockets allowed us to keep our hands dry and slightly warm, even though our gloves had been drenched for ages. Our waterproof pants weren’t merely flapping in the wind looking like they might tear, but genuinely protected us from the elements that kept battering away with increasing ferocity.
All this makes for a wonderful story of course, but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Between CP4 and CP5 numerous athletes actually returned to CP4, conditions being too severe. They were wet, cold and literally fearing for their lives. Yes, we were cold too, but we never feared for our safety, and we actually passed other athletes, making up time on the two leading runners. I don’t for one moment think that this was due to superior fitness (one of the leaders was a former Spine Race winner and much better athlete than I’ll ever be!) but purely the fact that we felt safe and confident in our gear, which allowed us to carry on knowing that we would reach the next checkpoint in a good enough condition to continue racing.
So, when deciding on any piece of equipment, ask yourself: What was the intended purpose of this piece of gear? Why was it designed? Was it designed for fast and light - is it able to withstand 30, maybe 60 minutes of rain? Or should I rather go for something slightly heavier made specifically for the high mountains? What will keep me on the mountain, and save me from abandoning the race in the worst possible conditions?
As the old saying goes: Those that fail to plan, plan to fail. So rather put some thought into your gear selection. It might just save your race, or your life.
*Full disclosure - both myself and Nicolette are Black Diamond and Inov-8 athletes.
