Recommended Gear Overview

The following items are some that the Race Director, Organizers, Volunteers and Participants have considered as the result of years worth of experience running Trail Ultras across Australia and the World! 

For some participants, this won't be your first rodeo, and you've no doubt got a good system that works. For others, if this is your first Ultra, you might be wondering "What do other people carry?"

Please note that these are recommendations only, and you ultimately need to find what works for you. It all comes down to packing the minimum MANDATORY items you're required to have, and then choosing what additional items might make your day easier and more enjoyable, and trading these additional items off when taking into account the weight of your pack.

From experience, you might not get this 100% right the first Ultra you run, and then, even after many years of Ultra's, some days you wished you'd brought something along, and other days what you did bring along may not have been fit for purpose, or not used at all!

That's all part of being an Ultra Runner! Adapt, Overcome and Run!

GPX Watch

• With the course loaded onto your watch. It just makes sense when you're doing these big distances. 

Hiking Poles

• Hiking Poles, for some people can be a god-send. For others, they find that they just don't need them. But if you do decide to use them, we'd recommend that you've at least carried them on a few of your longer training runs, and become comfortable with using them, as the motion of using them doesn't necessarily come naturally for some people.

• Pros:

  1. • During long uphill climbs, they can help take some of the load off your legs, so you're not doing all of the push with your legs.

     • During long down hill descents, likewise, they help stabilize you and take some weight off your legs.

     • During technical sections, they offer a little bit more stability which could prevent unfortunate twists, rolls or slips.

• Cons:

  • • It's another thing to figure out how to carry - particularly as you want them to be easily accessible when you need them, but not in the way when you're not using them.... however, the Carbon Z range of poles, when folded, come in at 41cm long and a mere 225g

    • They may be more of a hindrance if you're running through overgrown trail.

• Have a look at the range of Trekking Poles available at our partner Paddy Palin for further information.

Thermal Gloves

• Great for those chilly morning starts, or the days where you know you're going to end up running into the night.

• They can also be handy if you're anticipating using Hiking Poles for long periods of time, to provide a bit of extra padding for your hands. But most of the poles these days have very comfortable grip and strap configurations anyway.

• Some gloves have "tactile tips" which allow you to open your phone, check directions, make calls, and most importantly, take exceptionally cool trail selfies to share with your friends and convince them to run trails!!

Nutrition

• On the welcome page under our sponsor Hammer Nutrition's banner, there's a great article on race fueling and some of the science behind it.

• This is one area that requires YOU to figure out, based on trial and error, what works for YOUR body, being able to recognize the signs that something is not right, and knowing how YOU can change your nutrition to overcome this problem.

• Whilst there will be stocked aid stations along the way, most experienced runners will have their own combination of drinks, gels, chews etc to ensure they are properly fueling along the way.

• At the back end of long runs, it's also nice sometimes to have normal food. In some of your later drop bags, or with your support crew, consider things like pre-boiled and seasoned baby potatoes, fruits (watermelon is a firm favorite), chocolate, red-bull, your favorite sandwiches or bakery treats....once again, it's up to trial and error and finding out what's going to help you get the job done.

• A seasoned runner once said "Trail Ultras are basically an event where adults move on their legs for long periods of time and have competitions about who can eat the most kids food along the way!"

Personal Hygiene & First Aid

• Let's face it. We're human. And what goes into our body (see above!!) must eventually come out.

• A small zip-lock bag with some folded toilet paper, and another small pack of wet wipes, will mean you won't have to worry about waddling into the Aid Station and bolting for the toilet. Be ware of the runner who comes into the aid station missing one sock!

• A small first aid kit with Band Aids, blister kits, alcohol wipes etc will be a godsend if you or another runner have a bad fall and need to do a little spot of patching up on the side of the trail. There's some great little kits available from chemists etc, or make your own in a small zip-lock bag, compress the air out of it and you won't even feel it's there.

• Sunscreen.

• Body-glide / Lubricant.

• Deep Heat / Muscle Cream in your drop bags.

• Likewise, in your drop bag, a fresh change of socks, shorts, shirts and buffs, as well as a pack of skin-friendly wet wipes, can offer a real lift when you're faced with another 20k to go. You'll leave feeling fresh and ready to take it on!

Clothing

• Definitely mandatory! But that's where our request stops!

• It needs to be comfortable, something you've run with before and you know doesn't have any little scratchy seams or niggly tight bits.

• Hats, sunglasses, calf socks, compression tights or pants, arm warmers, gaiters for your shoe/sock interface etc...

• It's a big world out there in terms of clothing equipment, so we'll just finish off by saying "If you're comfortable, you're happier. And if you're happier, the day will go quicker".