Gear List - 2023 Tor des Geants 330

The 2023 Tor des Geants 330 was the second massive adventure of the year and my biggest challenge ever. After completing the Spine Race a couple of months earlier and both the Moab 240 and Tahoe 200 the previous year, I had already accumulated all of the year I would need. It was jsut a matter of deciding which pieces to take along for the adventure, both as part of my mandatory kit in my pack as well as in my drop bag. The drop bag would follow us runners along and meet us at each life base. It was a vital part of the race as it would be the only source of gear and any special nutritional supplies we would have access to during the event.

Below is a list of my gear choices for the event and where and how I chose to carry it. My order of priority and importance remained unchanged from previous events: Functionality > Comfort > Lightweight. Cost wasn't a factor as I did not need to purchase any new gear this time around.

Gear List - 2023 Montane Spine Race

A race of the sheer scale of the 268 mile Spine Race in the UK requires meticulous planning long before the actual race takes place. One might say that the training for an event linke this as well as the running of the race is actually easier than the logistics associated with the gear requirements. In fact, I started planning, testing and selecting various gear pieces as soon as I had signed up for the 2023 event. This included not only the extensive list of mandatory equipment, but also recommended and various optional year one might need or want during a race that may take up to a week to complete. To add to the challenge, the Spine Race is considered a self-sufficient. That means runners must be able to take care of themselves for the entire duration of the event. To drive this point home, checkpoints or aid stations are generally about 50 miles to 60 miles apart.

The list below details my gear choices for the 2023 Spine Race. While I may have made some last minute changes to a piece of gear here and there, it is largely accurate. I also list the weight of each pieve of gear that had to be carried in my pack as that was also a major consideration for my gear choices. I prioritized gear selections as follows: First, it must be absolutely functional. Next, it had to be comfortable. Finally, it had to be light. After all, I had to carry all of it on my back for an entire week while trying to run. Obviously, cost of gear was also a big factor, so I mostly relied on gear I already owned.

If you have any questions about my gear choices, please feel free to comment below this post and I will respond as quickly as possible.