WHAT I CARRY FOR A trail RUN

Photo: Trail running in Torres del Paine, Chile.

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I often get asked what's in my pack when I am out running trails - tough question, with many variables, some examples of what impacts my packing list:

• conditions - hot, dry, wet, winter, etc.
• distance - will I be out all day, or even multiple days
• bears
• water sources
• topography - tundra, jungle, high alpine, desert, etc.

There are a few key items I carry, no matter the conditions, that I consider nearly non-negotiable:

• a small foil emergency blanket
• a tuque (non-Canadians click here )
• light gloves
• a non-cotton bandana/Buff
• a tiny multi-tool or tiny folding knife
• a lighter and/or matches
• firestarter of some type (I generally carry 2 Coghlan's Fire Sticks)
• a long sleeve technical top, always merino wool
• an ultralight water-resistant & windproof jacket
• a compression wrap for a sprained ankle or wrist (may also carry a very small first-aid kit depending on plans)
  
• a headlamp
• a water bladder or some way to get clean water, like  tablets or a filter device like a Lifestraw or MSR Trailshot
  

Quite a bit of gear for any run, but if you think of the most benign and very common injury like spraining an ankle, this equipment would get me back to the trail head, or worst case, get me through an unplanned overnight, alive without endangering search and rescue personnel trying to find an unprepared person. Consider that a lightly injured runner say 90 min from the trail head, would now need to return that same distance at 1/2 or 1/4 speed, this could make for a very long day and night.
Of course, winter running, especially long runs, or fastpacking requires I carry additional gear, but the list above is a good safe minimum for any trail outing.

In future posts I'll discuss specific gear I use: backpacks, runners, clothing, etc.

Get outside, get off the pavement.