written by The Trail Co.
on 29 March 2023
The UTMB and races at the World Series Finals week – the TDS, CCC, OCC – require an extensive, almost overwhelming amount of mandatory gear. But don't worry – we've got you.
All the UTMB mandatory gear is there to keep you safe in event of inclement weather, stoppages, or unforeseen circmstances. We reccommend you get familiar with all your mandatory gear so that you can safely and comfortably tackle the UTMB, TDS, CCC or OCC.
Our UTMB gear guide is here to help you shop with confidence so you'll have the right gear to get the job done on race day.
*Friendly reminder: while every effort has been made to keep this up-to-date, race organisers sometimes need to make changes to mandatory gear lists to keep runners safe, or inline with weather forecasts nearer the day. It's always best to check the latest mandatory gear information for UTMB or supplied by the race team for your event before attending.
| UTMB | TDS | CCC | OCC | |
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| Running Pack |  |
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| We Recommend: Salomon 12 Set with optional Quiver for running poles | ||||
| Smartphone with LiveRun | |
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| Personal Beaker (15cl minimum) | |
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| We Recommend: The Trail Co. Soft Cup | ||||
| 1l Water carrying capacity | |
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| We Recommend: a combination of bottles and hydration bladder | ||||
| 2x Headtorches, with batteries (minimum 200 lumens) | |
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1 x |
| We Recommend: Main torch Petzl Nao RL and secondary torch Petzl Actik 600 Lumens | ||||
| Survival Blanket 1.4m x 2.0m | |
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| We Recommend: Emergency Blanket | ||||
| Whistle | |
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| Self-adhering bandage tape (100cm x 6cm) | |
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| We Recommend: Conforming Bandage 7.5cm x 4m | ||||
| Food Reserve (800kcal) eg. 2 gels and 2 powerbars 65g each | |
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| Check out our extensive trail running nutrition options | ||||
| Waterproof Jacket min 10k/10k. Must be seam sealed, have a hood, and no large non-waterproof sections | |
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| We Recommend: M's inov8 Stormshell / W's Salomon Bonatti WP | ||||
| Long-legged trousers or race leggings (or combo of leggings and socks to cover the legs) | |
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| We Recommend: 360 Degrees Thermal Pants | ||||
| Cap, bandana, or Buff® | |
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| Pick your preferred style from our headwear and caps | ||||
| Additional Warm Layer: non-cotton long sleeve weighing minimum 180g (M's size M) | |
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| We Recommend: SportzTrek Thermal LS | ||||
| Beanie | |
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| We Recommend: 2XU Ignition Beanie | ||||
| Warm and waterproof gloves | |
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| We've got some waterproof gloves on the way soon! regular gloves | ||||
| Waterproof overpants | |
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| We Recommend: Mac In A Sac Unisex WP Pants | ||||
As well as mandatory gear, it's worth noting that the The UTMB, TDS, CCC, and OCC all have additional mandatory gear for hot and cold weather conditions.
And although the list above is extensive, it's the basic madatory kit. We'd also consider packing the following for your comfort on race day:
Top tip: it pays to practise training with your mandatory gear in your running pack during longer runs. This will help you get used to carrying the weight and help you to work out the best place to stow all the gear for maximum comfort and easy access.
Unlike the majority of Australian trails, the UTMB, CCC, TDS and OCC will take runners to heights of over 2000m above sea level, where it's not uncommon to experience serious alpine conditions and changeable weather.
A good waterproof jacket will not only keep you dry but will also keep you warm by stopping the wind, and stop you from overheating by allowing heat and moisture to escape through its breathable membrane. The more waterproof and breathable your jacket is, the better it will perform in mountainous conditions. The UTMB stipulates your jacket must be seam-sealed, have an integral hood, and no large non-waterproof sections and a 10k/10k waterproof / breathability. We recommend at least a 20k/20k waterproof / breathability combo for the best performance and comfort, like one of the jackets below:
For even the fastest of runners, the UTMB will take around 24 hours (and can easily take over 30hours+ for us "normal" ultra-runners) to complete, which means running through at least one night. Considering that most runners will head into the mountains in the dark for a second time, we reckon a bright head light, with a long-lasting and replaceable battery is a must. We'd recommend Petzl's Nao or RL range with their programmable lighting, brightness, burn time, and replaceable battery options.
We also suggest yo don't skimp on the backup light either. In the event you need to use it, you'll be glad of having a good one if your main torch fails. Go for one with decent brightness (UTMB stipulates 200 lumens minium but we'd go higher), as you probably won't notice carrying a few extra grams.
To carry all that gear comfortably, you're going to need a high volume pack. Our best-selling hydration vest is the Salomon Adv Skin 12 Set due to its generous capacity, accessible pockets and comfortable fit available in sizes to fit most. But if this isn't your bag, there are plenty of other great large-volume options from Ultimate Direction and Nathan that'll carry all the gear on the list.
You can also expand the capacity of an existing smaller pack by using a quiver to stow away running poles when you're not using them, or a running belt as a good way to add carrying capacity without having to buy a whole new, bigger pack for one race.
The Tor Du Mont Blanc offers all-you-can-eat vert. The UTMB boasts over 10,000m of elevation gain over the 100-mile course and all of the downhill to match! With that amount of climbing, using running poles for a long-distance event like UTMB, TDS, CCC or even OCC will help take some of the strain off your legs during race day.
We reckon that trail running poles are the perfect companion for these kinds of mountainous ultra-trail races, and that a pole quiver or running belt or band designed to carry poles is a handy hands-free option for when they're not in use.
Top Tip: train with your poles on your longer training runs to get used to using those upper body muscles so you don't get caught out on race day! Practise getting the poles out and packing them away so you'll be ready when you see a climb up ahead.
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