I may not have won. I may not have even been in the top half. But I did spend a ridiculous amount of time on my kit.
For many bits of kit there are options. Some options will suit some people, some won’t. Here is an opinion you can take or leave, but at least it’s an opinion. I found far too many sites and blogs before I did the MDS that just said it’s a personal preference. That left me guessing for quite a few items.
If you have the luxury of a few choices, then test. Please don’t test as much as the guy I saw in full MDS gear doing Pilgrims (including sand gaiters). But test as much as you can, especially the key bits. Trainers, rucksack, shorts and socks. Anything that has the potential to take you down at the event should have been tested to death.
My total weight (minus water) was 9.15kg at the start. I definitely could (and should) have gone lighter.
My reviews are below, but take a look at Peter’s and Jason’s to compare.
I used the WAA Ultrabag 20 litre rucksack. It was the second rucksack that I’d tested and I knew after the first run that this was the one.
Following trainers, your rucksack is probably the next most key piece of kit. It needs to fit all your kit, not chafe, not break and also give you easy access to everything you need on the move.
The Ultrabag design team (basically the MDS crew) had really thought through all of this. It was comfortable, had lots of pouches and gave easy access to kit. It hugged my body well so didn’t rub my lower back which I saw affect quite a few other competitors badly. I did get some shoulder chafing, but nothing too bad. As a minor bonus, it also includes the whistle on the should strap which is part of the compulsory kit.
The only downer I found with it was that it was a touch small. I opted for the front pouch to give a little bit more storage space (see below).
I made the mistake of initially buying a rucksack on the fly at the MDS Expo without having done my research. I bought the Ultimate Direction Fastpack 20. It was too small, access to kit was difficult, there were limited options for storage at the front for snacks. Above all, the straps came in across my chest and during the Salisbury Plain Marathon they rubbed my nipples raw!
Price: £135 (2022 price converted from Euros)
Weight: 640g
The front pack for me was a necessity rather than a want. It added another 4l carrying capacity on top of the 20l for the main bag. I hadn’t trained with it (or even attached it to my bag) before I arrived at the MDS, so broke my testing rule, but it was a cracking bit of kit. It was perfect for storing the roadbook, salt tabs, phone etc. Basically anything that you needed easy access to. It also had elastic loops at the top for a 1.5l water bottle.
Price: tbc
Weight: tbc
Finding the right trainers was my biggest nightmare. I didn’t find the right ones until March, less than 2 months before the start. I went through multiple size, width, cushioning and drop options until I found the perfect ones. It took a lot of time, money, painful feet, and a calf injury to get there.
By far and away the most recommended brand from people I spoke to for the MDS was Hoka, so that’s where I started.
Hoka Clifton 8 - I wanted a road shoe for when I couldn’t run on trails. A great trainer, but I went through three size options (including going for the wide variant). I went up half a size each time until I was 1.5 sizes larger than normal, but I still ended up with battered toes and black toenails.
Hoka Challenger ATR 6 - I bought these at the same time as the Clifton 8’s, but for trails and had the same problem, even with the wide size.
Hoka Speedgoat 5 - My last try at a Hoka. Surely they must work if everyone is recommending them? Nope, same story. They were just too narrow and pointy, even the wide fit, so I ended up with battered toes.
I was then recommended to try Altra’s for the wider toebox to try and stop the toe battering.
Altra Lone Peak 6 - I initially loved this shoe. It totally stopped the toe problems. The lack of cushioning and zero drop however soon crept up on me. It totally crippled my calf after day 1 of Pilgrims. No more zero drop for me.
Altra Provision 7 - Bought at the same time as the Lone Peaks for road running. It was poles apart and the worst of the lot. Gave my a shocker of a blister after just two wears.
It was then that I was introduced to Topos, a brand I’d never heard of. I took a punt and loved them. They covered off the wider toe box like the Altra, but had the depth of cushioning and drop like a Hoka. I ended up going for a size 13, one full size up. I ended up with minimal blisters and didn’t have to visit Doc Trotters once.
Price: £150
Weight: 289g
I took two pairs of Injinji Ultra Run Mini Crew socks. I took a spare just in case, rather than having a plan to switch them out. I only wore the second pair on the charity day as you could wash and dry them pretty quickly. If I did it again I’d only take one pair and save the weight.
I’d tried these in the UK, so knew they worked for me. They were the last in a long line of failed attempts to find the perfect sock. There’s plenty written about the pros and cons of toe socks. Some talk about your feet swelling, or taping meaning that you won’t be able to fit your toes in. I didn’t have this problem. Every other non toe sock, double layer combo, thin, thick, merino wool etc had all caused blisters. The Ultra Run Mini Crew’s didn’t. My failed attempts are listed below:
Injinji Men's LINER + HIKER Running Socks - Crew
Injinji Midweight Trail Mini-Crew Socks
Injinji Artist Designed Men’s Trail Socks - crew
Price: £18
Weight: 90g
I wore the Hoka Glide short sleeved top. It seemed that most of the rest of the field had gone with the long sleeved white Raidlight shirt. In 50 degrees, long sleeves were probably wise, but i’d tried long sleeves and always got too hot. I was also hoping for a tan! I’d worn the top a lot in training so knew it fit well and didn’t chafe. I did however make the mistake of wearing a brand new one straight out of the packet, which seemed to reek after about 30 mins of me first putting it on. Wash your new top first! The bright colour did mean that I stood out nicely in the field of white.
I took one of the Raidlight tops as a spare, but never wore it. I wouldn’t bother as there is time enough to give your top a rinse.
Price: £35
Weight: 74g
After trainers and socks, my shorts were the most tested bit of kit. I tried a fair few brands before settling on Hokas to make sure the nether regions wouldn’t be rubbed to death or overheat.
Stellar Running Shorts - These on the face of it should have been great shorts, but they crackled like a crisp packet so drove me up the wall.
WAA Motion Running Shorts - These had a decent inner to hold everything in place, but were too low slung, so every time you bent over you felt like a builder.
WAA Ultra Short 3 in 1 - Quite simply these just cooked my nuts.
Ronhill Stride Revive 5" Shorts - These were ok and would have done the trick, but just didn’t have the same structure and feeling of being in control as the Hokas.
Price: £60
Weight: 128g
I bought the 600ml curved Raidlight bottles. These fit perfectly in my chest pouches without rubbing or digging in. I tried the round Raidlight variants, but they dug into the bottom of my ribcage. I also tried the 750ml size, but found they stuck out the top too far. There’s not much more annoying that a waterbottle spout in your face the whole time. I got a free pair of WAA water bottles with the rucksack, but these were round so not for me.
The smaller size bottle meant that I couldn’t fit a full 1.5 litre bottle in, so carried a standard water bottle across my front on my chest pouch almost throughout.
The only downside to these was that the valves degraded over the week and leaked. The plastic bite valves split on most people’s and unhelpfully Raidlight don’t offer spares.
Some people wrapped theirs in wet cloths to try and keep the water cool. I went with the approach of just getting used to drinking hot water. I also only went with water in mine. Some people had one electrolytes and one water. It’s a personal choice. I just can’t stand electrolytes when on the move.
Price: £17
Weight: 380g
I bought the MyRaceKit branded Raidlight desert gaiters. As most Brits probably did, I had the velcro stitched on by Kevin at Alex Shoe Repairs on Lavender Hill in Clapham. It’s about £70, but worth every penny. The parking around there is a nightmare, so get public transport if you can. The velcro was spot on, but my gaiters were pretty shredded at the front by the end of the long day. I’d go for the ones with the reinforced toe section if I did it again. There were some people who had tried to glue on their own velcro. Do not do this under any circumstances. It will last 2 minutes and ruin your MDS.
Price £38
Weight: 30g each
This was my most expensive bit of kit by far. I started off my training with a pretty basic Garmin Forerunner 955, but the battery didn’t last 2 minutes. I therefore went to the other extreme and bought the watch with the longest battery life I could find. It’s a great watch, but in hindsight, i’d have got away with the Fenix 7 and saved some cash. The functionality and software is pretty much the same. The Enduro has a cooler strap, but not sure that’s worth an extra couple of hundred quid.
Even with the Enduro I had to nurse it through. On the long day the watch was clearly affected by the heat as various numbers started flickering and doing random things.
I opted for the solar version, but the one time I deliberately left it in the sun to charge the heat killed it and meant I could hardly pick it up as the metal was too hot. I did take a charger, but that too suffered in the heat, so was ditched pretty early on.
Price: £929.99
Weight: 70g
The debate about whether or not to take sunglasses is long dead. The debate about whether to take ones that protect from a sand storm still rages. I went for a halfway house. I didn’t find any running sunglasses that I liked, so opted for some Smith Optics mountaineering ones, with side shields. These protected really well from any glare coming in from the sides and gave basic sand storm protection. I did also opt for a cheap, light pair of motocross goggles. These were a godsend. We had a fair few punchy sand storms, so whichever route you choose, make sure you have complete eye protection with you.
Price: £179.99
Weight: 159g
Another area where it’s not worth scrimping is your sleeping bag. We had a super hot year, so some people didn’t use a sleeping bag at all, others just slept on top of theirs. Your year may be different, so go prepared. I went for the lightest possible that still maintained a good warmth rating, just in case temperatures at night dropped. I couldn’t fault this sleeping bag.
As a tip, ditch the stuff sack and use the sleeping bag as a wrap around for all your kit in your rucksack. It provides great padding and also holds everything in so it doesn’t move around when you’re running. See my bag packing video at 6 minutes here.
Price: £345
Weight: 280g (large)
I almost didn’t take poles. I didn’t train with them once. I thought they’d be excess weight I didn’t need to be carrying. How wrong I was. I started using them after about 10km on day one, and they didn’t leave my hands from that moment on. Anyone I met without poles regretted not bringing some. They genuinely make a huge difference. Please, please take poles.
I went for the most lightweight I could find. They weren’t cheap, but were worth every penny. My one complaint is that the grip becomes quite abrasive after hours and hours of use, so I did start getting some hot spots. Shop around, but Mountain King and Leki were the two brands I looked at.
Price: £135
Weight: 106g (125cm)
This was one of my least effective purchases. As with the Ultimate Direction rucksack, this was an impulse purchase at the MDS Expo without having done any research. It lasted one night on the MDS before I pitched it. I could feel every rock and bump and got a crap night’s sleep. I was purely intent on saving weight and it was the wrong answer. Go for an inflatable like this. Don’t stress about the stories of punctures. Make sure you test it as there is one that sounds like a crisp packet rustling every time you move. Don’t be that person in your tent, you won’t make friends!
Price: £23.95
Weight: 202g
I couldn’t face just wearing the rather tragic looking Raidlight desert hat the whole time. In fact I had hoped not to wear it at all. The reality is that it works. The Trucker was far too hot and the flap on the Raidlight made a huge difference at keeping the sun off.
Price: £19.90
Weight: 80g
Having a hat with a flap that covers your neck isn’t essential, but it really helped me. There were people who wore wet buffs instead, or wide brimmed hats, but the most common were the ‘legionnaire’ style. The downer is that you look like an utter tool. But then so does everyone else!
Price: £18.99
Weight: 74g
One of the things you’ll read a lot about is people taking hotel slippers, or insoles of shoes with laces woven through them to make sandals for while you are in the bivouac. I considered all of these options. When it came down to it I decided to go with slightly more weight to add a bit more comfort. These were a great bit of kit to have in camp. the only downer on top of the additional weight, was that they didn’t fit in my bag so had to be strapped to the outside.
Price: £50
Weight: 311g
I wanted to wear normal sunglasses during the day, so opted to take a cheap pair of goggles as well just in case we had any sandstorms. Thank god I did. We had a few absolute belters and the goggles were a life saver. I can’t recommend these highly enough.
Price: £10.98
Weight: 60g
There wasn’t much call for a down jacket on my MDS. The blogs i’d read beforehand talked a lot about needing one for the colder nights. The day we arrived was the only time it saw the light of day. After that it was way too hot. On balance i’d take one just in case. The Haglofs LIM Essens was the lightest I could find and a great jacket that I have had lots of use out of since.
Price: £138 (converted from Euros)
Weight: 155g
A headtorch is part of the compulsory kit and is essential for the night stage. it’s also essential for night time in the bivouac. There are loads you can choose from. I wouldn’t lose hours over choosing one, as long as it has good battery life and is light you’ll be ok. This one was as good as any.
Price: £59.95
Weight: 88g
I took my iPhone for taking photos, so took a power bank in case I needed to charge it. It managed three full charges in the UK, but in the heat in the desert it managed less than one. I’d definitely take one again. They’re pretty cheap and the berbers love them!
Price: £19.59
Weight: 169g
I thought i’d need this around camp. I hardly used it so wouldn’t bother next time.
Price: £21.95
Weight: 22g
Some people soaked theirs in water and wore them round their neck. I didn’t wear mine at all. Can’t say i’d bother next time.
Price: £11.87
Weight: 34g
Not one to waste any time on. It’s light and has a long handle so it can easily reach the bottom of your bag of food. Don’t over think it.
Price: £11.95
Weight: 20g
I spent ages finding the lightest stove I could. I wouldn’t bother taking one again. It was just as easy to make one using stones. It was also hot enough to cook a boil in the bag in the sun without using a stove.
Price: £15.26
Weight: 10g
Another one not to overthink. I saved some weight by taking a piece of tin foil for a lid.
Price: £24.95
Weight: 60g
It seemed like a good idea, but was a total waste of time. Just use your bag and save the weight.
Price: £26.95
Weight: 45g
Lifejacket exhibited at the MDS Expo where I picked up a few sachets. I tried their sun cream out and it seemed as good as any. This is an area where you’d have to be a real geek to know the scientific difference. The clincher for me was weight. I emailed the Lifejacket team and they sent me a free pack of sachets. I worked out (by covering myself in it) that I needed 20ml a day to cover my face, arms and legs. With sachets i’d be ditching a small amount of packaging each day, thereby reducing the overall weight. This is as opposed to carrying the full tube with all its packaging all week. Small gains, but they add up. it also smelt nice!
I made up a pack of my food for each day. I threw in the two daily sachets into each so I had a day’s kit ready to go in one place.
Price: £16
Weight: 270g
I took four wipes per day. I’d probably take a few more if I did it again. They weigh literally nothing.
Price: £3.50
Weight: 26g
I’d read in a few places that using Sport Shield on your nether regions would prevent chafing. I’d not really tested it during training but took it anyway. This was almost my first bit of kit to be ditched. I didn’t need it as the Hoka shorts were doing the job. The one day I did put i on I washed it off pretty quickly as it felt grimly sludgy down there.
Price: £17.99
Weight: 42g
I didn’t use this once, but most of the rest of the tent did!
Price: £19.99
Weight: Light!
I wasn’t really interested in listening to music (which I could have stored on my watch). I was however keen to have an audio book. For that I dug out an old iPod Shuffle. Somehow however I managed to download the sum total of the epilogue and not the rest of the book. Good idea poorly executed.
Price: £84
Weight: 13g (minus headphones)
I bought a bunch of these to store my smaller bits of kit. They were good bit of kit, but you could get away without them, or find lighter ones. I just like my kit neat, so they worked for me.
Price: £2
Weight: 20g
Medical pack
Tape
Gurney Goo
Plasters
Paracetamol (I also took Ibruprofen, but didn’t take any)
Imodium
Alcohol wipes
Scissors
Nail file
Safety pins (compulsory item)
Knife (compulsory item)
Electronics pack
iPod Shuffle
Power Bank
Phone charging cable
Watch charging cable
Spare batteries (for head torch)
Admin pack
200 Euros (compulsory item)
Passport (compulsory item)
Doc Trotters card
Admin forms
Medical forms (compulsory item)
ECG (compulsory item)
Compulsory kit pack
Survival blanket (compulsory item)
Signalling mirror (compulsory item)
Compass (compulsory item)
Anti venom pump (compulsory item)
The bit of kit you hope never to use! I didn’t hear of anyone using theirs, but I did hear of one guy getting stung. He wasn’t sure by what, but his leg swelled up massively and he had to pay a visit to the medics. I ditched the case and all bar the pump and one nozzle. The rest seemed like weight I didn’t need.
Price: £24.99
Weight: 106g
This was another piece of the mandatory kit that I didn’t use once. The route is marked so well that it would be extraordinary if you ever needed it. There are also likely to be a fair few people in front of you who you can follow.
Price: £14
Weight: 24g
Rather than buy the ready made compulsory kit pack, I decided to source each part individually. I probably added a layer of faff I didn’t need here, as the ready made pack from MyRaceKit would have been fine. I didn’t use this once, but that’s a moot point as you have to have a knife regardless.
Price: £7.99
Weight: 16g
I took four of these for each day, one to go with each expandable wipe. This was probably taking weight reduction to a stupid level, especially considering some of the unnecessary things I took. They worked ok, so i’d probably use these again. Some people took flakes of soap that they had grated, or just a small bar. Whatever you do, don’t scrimp on hygiene.
Price: £4.99
Weight: 9g
I took one 10ml tube, mainly for my nipples. This was more than enough, as I only remembered to apply it on the first day, but weirdly was fine without for the rest of the race. I have quite a hairy chest, so taping my nipples wasn’t an option. I used this a lot in training and it was a life saver, especially on wet days when shirts would rub more.
Price: £4.20 (for 3 tubes)
Weight: 12g (per 10ml tube)
This is another compulsory item. i just went with the lightest one I could find from MyRaceKit.
Price: £3.99
Weight: 46g
Yet another compulsory item. i just went with the lightest one I could find from MyRaceKit.
Price: £4.99
Weight: 15g