New Kit!

Next weekend I am running North Dartmoor to South Dartmoor. This is a bit of a last-minute entry for me and I have decided to do it to practice fuelling, which I feel is something I have not yet mastered on these long runs and also feel it is the key to having a good experience or not as the case maybe.

In October I am doing a two-day event, 75 miles over two days so really need to crack this eating/drinking before during and after thing. I particularly want to give up the caffeine gels, although they work and get me to the end they also make sleep impossible and with the prospect of having to run another 30+ miles on day two I will need some sleep! Anyway that’s why I have entered yet another epic event, (thats my excuse and I am sticking with it) that and its localish and I love Dartmoor, gonna be beautiful!

The Crossing has a statutory kit list……..

Capacity to carry 1 litre of water
Survival blanket
Whistle
Spare baselayer – long sleeved
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof trousers
Hat/Headcover (buff/cap)
Emergency food
Mobile phone with Emergency numbers stored

Fortunately I had most of the required kit, I only had to purchase the waterproof trousers, I can’t even imagine running in them though without driving myself mad with the swish/swash sound generated when they rub together, to say nothing of the perspiring that would occur! But they are required kit so I will pack them, I don’t fancy getting to the end of the 34 miles to get disqualified! Now its all very well having all the gear but my compact hydration pack was never going to hold everything, well least that is what I decided late last night!

Much of the night was spent researching on the web. Some of the packs are very nice I am sure but at £150 I expect them to carry me, not the other way round! Then I realised they came in sizes too and gender, oh my this was getting complicated. This coupled with the short time frame and possibly having to pay for express delivery (oh the shock, I hate paying for postage BUT express??? this was not going to happen) I abandoned the web and this morning set off to shop the old-fashioned way.

Now as you know Devon is fabulous, fabulous for scenery, fabulous for beaches, fabulous for cream tea, fabulous for hills, but it is not fabulous in its abundance of sporting shops. I was not holding out much hope

First stop Up and Running. I flicked through their small selection, discarding those too small, too bulky and too expensive. Fortunately Up and Running is located within a Snow + Rock shop and as we wandered to the back of the shop it occurred to us that they might stock packs. Bingo. One Osprey pack found, right price, nice colour and lots of pockets. The only down side is it doesn’t have a bladder included but I am hoping the one from the Camelbak will it, I guess I should check that out!