#10 essentials

Norman in a global pandemic:  Marathons RuPaul’s Drag Race

My 10 Trail Running Essentials to Stay Safe on the Trails [VIDEO]

As trail runners, we like to carry the absolute minimum amount of gear so that we can travel as fast and light as possible. But things can change in a split second with something as trivial as a rolled ankle or simply by getting a little lost, turning what maybe should have been a 2 hour run into an 8 hour slog. You might need to hunker down to wait for help, or find yourself stopping to help…

Every time I get ready to hit the trail I face the challenge of trying my best to pack lighter and smarter than the last time. I have had mixed results. Over the past fifteen or twenty years the ‘go lite’ movement has really taken off. Nowadays it seems that most of the people one meets on the trail are sharing base weights, and exchanging the various strategies that they have employed in the quest to go lighter and smarter.They do a lot more than saw off their toothbrush handles. 

There are some things that are difficult to impossible to work around in the effort to go light. For example, carrying enough water in dry areas or sections is a big consideration. One liter of water weighs about 2.5 pounds. Carrying three liters approaches eight pounds alone.

Stoves and fuel are another challenge. In the southern sections of the PCT I have met people who go ‘stoveless’. This takes on many forms and is a very individual decision. 

Clothing can be one more problem to solve. Rain gear or no rain gear? Boots or trail runners? One extra change or no extra change? You can see the path to lighter and smarter is marked by numerous questions and considerations.  

There are many keys to going lighter and smarter. First of all it is probably a pretty good idea to not pack when you are hungry. In addition to simply buying and assembling your food, get rid of the extra packaging. If you know how many calories you will actually eat, you can choose light but calorie dense foods that will help you reach that target daily caloric number. 

When I meet up with my hiking partners we determine what we have together that is redundant. Someone has the camera/phone, someone else the first aid kit, and someone else the stove, etc. Our group doubles or triples up on our personal items and to be honest that seems like a small sacrifice to me but for the casual observer may appear to be ridiculous. 

Over the years we have continually downsized our portions of bug dope, toothpaste, and medications. We use small canisters and plastic bags to reduce the size of things.We are continuously trying to carry less and it has been an ongoing evolution of sorts 

Multitasking  items is one more great strategy. Determining what can be used in more than one way is the epitome of efficiency. A pot can be a wash basin. A bandanna has multiple uses. Socks, in  a pinch, can be mittens. Some use their hiking poles as selfie sticks, just go to You Tube for the proof.

 We have yet to give up our tent. We did try a tarp but the combination of bugs, wind, and rain convinced us that wasn’t the best fit for us. Sure we could multitask our hiking poles to hold up that tarp but when the rain came there just wasn’t enough space in the middle where we all migrated to get out of the drops. The tarp has stayed home ever since but not for so many of our peers. 

With my partners, each of us usually carry a ‘spork’ as we need that and our own cup for breakfasts. Later in the day, we use our utensils to share a mutual bag of freeze dried something or other. Each of us also carry a journal  and something to read.Some people eliminate those items and do it all on an electronic device, reading, journalling, taking pictures, and for some, blogging.  

As for what to wear, well that is something that is as different as one mile can be from another along the PCT. I have to admit that hiking in the North Cascades has either prepared me for the worst or has just made me paranoid for all the worst case scenarios that can march through my head. Mostly I am cautious at best and in the very least would make a Boy Scout  proud. I am very prepared and my preparedness has plagued me as I have ventured beyond the North Cascades and tried hard to lighten my load and adjust to my new surroundings each time. 

In the early days the clothes I wore and packed were pretty good for being outdoors but they were heavy and bulky. Since that time, I have gotten so much better at choosing what I bring and wear. I have left my wool sweater and replaced it with a light down jacket. My army surplus trousers have been  replaced by shorts and a medium weight set of poly-pro long johns, my cotton t-shirt with a light poly-pro top. Needless to say I have reduced not only the number of clothing items I bring but the weight of each one too. Unlike some  ‘go lite’ people, I do carry more than one pair of socks and a few other items. Wherever we are we always carry raincoats, sleeping bags, and pads.

Knowing what you have and how to find it in the dark is the other challenge. Some people will mark things with glow-in-the-dark tape. I haven’t done that despite how good of an idea it is. Honestly, I am usually in my bag well before dark. I am not sure I would appreciate the tape as much as I appreciate the idea. I do carry a headlamp. Headlamps are a small sacrifice in weight and provide me that extra assurance I can find my hat if I get cold in the middle of the night or determine what is making that racket outside the tent.

There are any number of ways to hike lighter and smarter. If you have ideas that work for you and you would like to share them, we would be happy to share those here. Send us your ideas at [email protected]

1. a laptop or a tablet with keyboard

This is really basic, but having some sort of an electronic device is going to make your life way easier.

2. a bag or a backpack

It should be sturdy and big enough to fit all your books and other stuff you need to carry.

3. binders/notebooks/folders

You need any organizational system that suits your personal style for your notes and handouts.

4.calendar/planner/agenda

This is really important for your time management and for remembering when you have your tests/exams/due-dates.

5. highlighters/colored pens

Highlighting, underlining, color coordinating... they all makes studying a little easier and puts your visual memory up to work.

6. index/flags (for the Codex)  + sticky-notes

Using flags to annotate important/usual articles in the Codex will save you time. Also, adding sticky-notes with important information related to the articles will help you understand better the meaning of them.

7. headphones/earphones

They are really useful when you need to zone out while you have to work in a public space (cafe, library, in school).

8. snacks + hand sanitizer

If you have to spend a large amount of hours in school or if your courses are 2-3 hours like mine are, you will get hungry. So having a snack with you (preferably something healthy) and a hand sanitizer to clean your hands for the "feast" will be a life saver in those situations.

9. water bottle

Staying hydrated will help you stay focused.

10. a usb stick

I always use my usb stick to be able to print my documents/courses.