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Mountain Marathon
Equipment Choice Pick
the right, light gear for a mountain marathon. You donÕt
have to be an elite runner to compete fast and light in mountain
marathons. In fact, thereÕs a
powerful argument which says the slower you are, the more you benefit from a
lighter pack, since you may be carrying it longer. IÕve only done two mountain marathon events, the 2005
Karrimor Internation Mountain Marathon and the Saunders Lakeland Mountain
Marathon in 2006. But while I
have limited experience of this type of event, I know a lot about ultra-light
equipment and contribute regularly to the ŌLighten UpÕ section of
TGO-Magazine. IÕve also
benefited from the excellent Nav+Art
course run by
Joe Faulkner and written about it here.
IÕve
striven for years to cut my backpacking weight, and learnt a great deal while
preparing for a five month hike through the USA. In 2002, Liz and I walked the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,658
mile wilderness route. Starting
at the Mexico border, it crosses baking deserts and high, snow choked
mountain passes, on its way to the border with Canada. Click here
to read about it. While the idea of light hiking goes back to the caveman,
the most recent resurgence in interest began in America with people making
their own equipment, out of modern fabrics, so they could hike this trail
fast and light. A cottage
industry has boomed over there and I had the good fortune to meet, and became
friends with, three of its leading lights. You can read here about the founder of GoLite, Demetri
Coupounas; Gossamer GearÕs
Glen Van Peski; and Henry
Shires of Tarptent. When it comes to enjoying a mountain marathon, pack weight is a key factor. Walking with a heavy pack is bad enough, but running with one can be down-right painful. The trade-off is usually presented as comfort during the day against comfort during the night, but this is where mountain marathons differ from long distance hikes. When youÕre camping for just one night, and it follows an utterly exhausting day, your perception of comfort is considerably lower. Once IÕm fed, dry and warm, IÕd have no trouble dropping off to sleep in a tree.
I believe we can learn a great deal from American ultralight hiking, starting with three fundamental rules: 1. choose
the lightest products you can find.
Take kitchen scales into the shop and weigh new items before buying 2. choose
dual use items 3.
discard everything thatÕs not essential Practice lightening up, daring yourself to go a little lighter each time, and push your personal boundaries. You may be surprised at how light you can eventually go. What
follows is my selection of what a competitor of average ability (we were 10th
in the Harter class of the SLMM) can successfully use on a mountain marathon,
and some of the alternatives you may consider. Incidentally, while I have my favourites, IÕm not
sponsored by any manufacturer. PREPARATION Read
the rules. The OMM demands waterproofs with
taped seams, but the SLMM does not. The OMM also requires a space blanket
but doesnÕt stipulate a size - so you might cut it down. The SLMM requires you to carry a pen
or pencil with paper - so tape a Post-It note around a tiny cut-down
pencil. You get the idea. Gather together the absolute minimum
kit required, then decide if you want to take more. For example;
if the First Aid requirements are Ņa bandage and plastersÓ, then the minimum
is the smallest bandage you can find in Boots plus two small band-aids. Put these in a small pile, then add
your own needs. In my case I add
six 400mg Ibuprofen, four Steri-strips and four large Compeed. Wrap it all in Cling-film to keep it
compressed and waterproof, then thatÕs your First Aid. The
night before Š B&B. Most events
(other than the LAMM) give the location of the event centre in advance. If thereÕs a chance of foul weather,
consider booking a nearby bed and breakfast for the night before the race but
make sure theyÕll feed you early enough to hit your start time. The
night before Š Camp. Most competitors camp on
a site provided. If you can, use
an entirely different set of camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, mat,
cooking stove and utensils) all of which might get wet. You want to start day 1 with dry,
well-packed race kit. Aim to
give yourself a comfy night, with plenty of good food for dinner and
breakfast. Acquire
a set of kitchen scales. They donÕt
have to be accurate, provided you weigh all your kit on the same set of
scales, but it helps. KIT SELECTION Š THE BIG SIX Most of
the weight will come from Rucksack, Tent, Sleeping Bag, Mat, Cooking and
Food. Rucksack The
standard mountain marathon sack is the KIMM-lite 32L. Kimmlite has changed its name to OMM, Original Mountain Marathon, and the sack which will suit most
mountain marathon competitors is the MM 32L. They come smaller and larger, but if youÕre following the
guidelines here, 32L will be big enough. Tent ItÕs a
clear trade-off between weight and space, and only you can decide how small a
space you can share with your race partner. Remember, it might be a long, wet night. Sup Air 800g: This is extremely light but looks
very flimsy and might not withstand a windy night on the OMM or LAMM unless
well sheltered behind a wall.
KimmLite
Sub Kilo 950g:
ŅNot so much a tent as a coffinÓ, is how my wife described this tent IÕd
borrowed for the 2005 KIMM. She
hated it and even slept with her head outside in the rain rather than suffer
the confinement. By contrast, I
thought it was an excellent shelter and perfectly survivable for one
night. However, at the time of
writing Kimmlite (sorry, OMM) were not making the tent and had announced no
plans for a replacement.
Coleman
Raid 980g: I havenÕt used this, but it appeared
to be the choice of many top competitors in the SLMM and at £70 it seems a
bargain, provided you can again put up with coffin-like confinement. TerraNova
Laser Comp 930g: Looking around the SLMM overnight campsite this has become the tent
of choice for many people, but itÕs not mine. It is light and remarkably stable, and while I have not
slept in one, I have sat inside.
I feel the two tents above make better use of space for less money. TarpTent Rainbow 2
1100g: Not
yet available, and will have to be imported from the US, but IÕm waiting to
buy one of these. I used a
TarpTent on the 2002 PCT hike and I highly rate Henry ShiresÕ designs. Big
Agnes Seedhouse SL1 1300g: I used this on the 2006 SLMM and thought it superb. ItÕs stable and surprisingly roomy
with a good size vestibule. The
poles fold in small sections which are easy to pack. Titanium stakes will cut another 100g
from the weight. If you donÕt
want to be cramped, then the extra weight is worth it.
Simon using Seedhouse SL1 Sleeping
Bag This is a
very personal choice. There are
just four variable components to a sleeping bag; fabric; zips and
drawstrings; construction; and down.
Pertex quantum is the lightest fabric, but doesnÕt shed water. Zip-less bags are great provided you
donÕt need to vent them.
Construction ought to be box-wall to avoid cold spots. Down varies depending upon
Ņfill-powerÓ (the higher the number the fluffier the down and the more warm
air it traps) and quantity Š youÕll probably want between 200g and 400g of
down. Consider
how youÕll use the sleeping bag.
If youÕre buying a bag specifically to travel fast and light, or plan
to use it no more than one night at a time, you might choose a much lighter
bag than for a long back-pack.
For added warmth you can sleep in all your clothing, including waterproof
trousers, which you wouldnÕt run in.
In cold weather, carry a down bodywarmer. HereÕs a list made in early 2006 before choosing the PHD
Minimus.
Sleeping
Mat The
trade-off here seems to be the classic comfort against weight, but thatÕs not
necessarily the case. In summer,
if youÕre camped on soft, springy grass then you may decide you donÕt need a
mat. Indeed, a sleeping pad is
not part of the minimum kit list for the SLMM. The KIMM / OMM in October is a different matter, as you
will probably need insulation from cold ground. Small
thin sleeping mat: This is my
choice. I found a thin, cheap
sleeping pad, cut it down so it was as long as my shoulders to bum, shaped
the top and bottom edges, then scored it in several places so I could fold
rather than roll it. It weighs
150g and slips snugly into the back of my KimmLite sack, replacing the back
padding which came with it. Balloon Bed: It looks like a joke, but it
works. Thin, toy balloons of the
type used to make dogs and giraffes for kids at funfairs, are inflated and
slipped into a pretext cover, turning it into a weird lilo-type-thing. ItÕs fiddly and the balloons loose
their inflation overnight, but it is popular among some MMÕs.
Ridgerest: For a comfortable sleeping pad at
a light-weight this is my choice.
ItÕs cheaper and lighter than a thermarest and almost as
comfortable. I used this type of
mat for five months on the PCT, before going to the MSR factory in Seattle to
watch them being pressed in a machine which looked like a giant waffle-maker. Even when cut down it probably wonÕt
fit inside your rucksack, so youÕll have to rig up a fixing system. Food
and Cooking ItÕs best
to think of this as a ŅsystemÓ.
Pick the food which will work with your cooking system and you can
really cut weight. My choice is
to take dehydrated meals which can be eaten from their pouch, so ŅcookingÓ
simply means boiling water in a small pan. I also take instant custard power in a zip-lock bag (just
pour in boiling water) and drop in chunks of Soreen malt loaf. Nuts, chewy bars, sweets and mint tea
bags (no milk) complete my food selection. Peak Ignition Titanium
Cooker: is my
choice of stove for its weight, power output, and I donÕt need to carry a
separate lighter. Take a double
thickness of aluminium foil as a wind-shield. Ti-Lite Mug: The titanium mug/pot I bought in Canada isnÕt available in
the UK, but this seems better.
You can boil water in it, then drink from it once the rim has cooled. Titanium Spork: You could go all the way with one
of these, or use a simple plastic spoon. KIT SELECTION Š CLOTHING I wonÕt
dwell on the subject of clothing.
Most people will use what they already have. If you run in the hills, youÕll know what footwear you
like to use, but IÕm a big fan of Inov8. My only advice is to weigh each item and consider whether you have a lighter alternative, because you might be surprised. The difference in weight between two seemingly identical fleece hats can be 100g, and all those 100g quickly add up. HereÕs what I use.
KIT SELECTION Š SMALL BUT IMPORTANT ITEMSHeadtorch: For getting around camp, the Black
Diamond Ion
is probably the lightest headtorch available. However, if youÕre doing a longer course at a time of year
when dark comes early, you may need a more powerful headtorch like the Petzel Tikka. Rubble
liner: I use
a thick rubble liner, bought at B&Q or a supermarket, to line my
rucksack. ItÕll protect the down
sleeping bag and other clothes from heavy rain and the wet tent on day two. Zip
lock bags:
Make excellent water carriers, although it looks like someone has stolen your
goldfish. Take two for water,
and two bags to wear in camp, over your dry socks, when you have to slip on
wet footwear.
Ear-plugs: Your partner my snore or your
tent might be near a loud snorer. Water
bottle: I
prefer a water bottle to a bladder as itÕs easier to fill when running and
youÕre not tempted to carry a heavy load of water. Click
here for my full SLMM kit list If you
have any ideas / tips / suggestions, IÕd love to hear them please!
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