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.

Gear Review - Garmin Enduro GPS Watch

This image is NOT the Garmin Enduro, but my Garmin Fenix 6X Pro, instead.

Let's get something out of the way from the get go. I had to use a picture of my Garmin Fenix 6X, because I sold my Garmin Enduro as soon as I got home from my extensive field test, but more about that in this user experience review. If you are looking for a really detailed review with technical specs and comparisons to other devices, I strongly suggest you check out the DC Rainmaker review. He does an amazing job reviewing and comparing the latest tech in depth. My review will be based on a specific use case, which I felt may be beneficial to other athletes and anyone that pushes the time and distance limits during organized endurance events and solo adventures.

Garmin touts this, its top of the line watch for endurance athletes as the "Smartwatch for Endurance Athletes". However, their biggest marketing pitch has centered on the Enduro featuring the longest lasting battery life in the industry. Considering how long Garmin has been in the game and how much this solar power supported watch sets you back, it would be only normal to believe the hype. I know I did...until I actually put it to the test. But before I go any further, I wanted to provide some background to this review.

I think it is fair to say that I have been a Garmin fanboy of sorts ever since my awesome wife got my my very first GPS watch after I become serious about running as a hobby nearly 15 years ago. I've always enjoyed the latest tech gadgets and Garmin has been fitting that bill nicely. I have had about 6 different iterations of various Garmin Forerunner and Fenix series models over these 15 years and my car has always been equipped with a Garmin device as well. All that to say, it actually pained me to write this review as it is a stark departure from my previous experiences with Garmin devices. To say that I was underwhelmed is an understatement. 

I upgraded to the Garmin Enduro GPS watch last summer as I was getting ready for my first attempt at the 200 mile distance at the Bigfoot 200 Mile Endurance Run. I never really got to put the watch through its paces as I ended up pulling the plug after just 21 hours. It did not matter, I knew I'd get another chance at the Moab 240 Mile Endurance Run in October.

Garmin was very clear in its description of the Enduro feature that they had foregone some features (like mapping and music player) in an effort to limit any unnecessary strain on its battery life. After all, they promised at least 80 hours with the standard battery profile and up to 300 hours of GPS tracking with a custom battery profile. Getting ready for the Moab 250 Miler, I knew I would likely need more than 80 hours of battery life, so I actually set up a custom profile turning off the heart rate monitor, backlight, and every other feature that was't related to actual GPS tracking. In other words, I should be getting closer to 300 than 80 hours of battery life. Since the Enduro does not support mapping, I did use the breadcrumb feature by loading the course onto the watch, so i could ensure to stay on course at various intersections. 

I started the watch and would really just check at aid stations to see if overall distances still lined up with the info we received at said checkpoints. The watch performed flawlessly...until it didn't. The one thing that's supposed to be the selling feature that also sets itself apart from other manufacturers like Coros and Suunto was the battery life. To much shock and frustration, my watch shut itself off after just 69 hours. The battery did not even last 70 hours. Even with all the features turned off and solar and the supposedly longest lasting battery in the market, the Garmin Enduro did not even last 70 hours. If you are a runner who track all of their workouts, especially bucket list races, then you understand why I was frustrated and borderline angry.

Now you also know why I no longer have the Enduro. I sold it on eBay the day after I returned from Moab 240. Thankfully, one doesn't require a GPS watch to actually finish an endurance event, but that is beside the point. I just felt like venting and sharing my disappointment in a company and product that should be a true market leader, not in words but in action. As I mentioned earlier, I have been a big fan of Garmin products for many years and I continue to be to some degree. I love the technology and the safety the inReach mini provides and I am still using my Fenix 6X with its multitude of features. However, I am not sure I will continue this trend. 

I have been contacting Garmin more than once to offer my services to be a beta tester as I had noticed a few features over the years in the Fenix series and other devices that could have used some improvements, but they never responded. When I love a product, I can overlook some shortcomings, but I do want to provide feedback. It's a shame when that feedback is not accepted. If you're listening or reading this Garmin, my offer still stands. But for now, the GPS watch of choice for my next 200 mile attempt will be a Coros Vertix 2. Every single Coros watch user still had plenty of battery life left at the end of the Moab 240 and that's all that matters for this type of watch. When it doesn't deliver on this promise, then what is the point...really.

Gear Review - Traction On Snow And Ice

After

This isn't really a gear review, per se. Instead, it is more of a "DIY" article. With much of the United States under snow and ice advisories, it may be a good time to share some thoughts and tips on how to allow yourself to still run outside even when the ground is covered in snow and/or ice. Sure, you've got the layers worked out, you have your gloves and beanie to protect your hands and head, your buff to protect your neck and face, a long sleeve shirt and jacket to protect your core and your tights that you only pull out only when the temps dip into the single digits, but what about your footing? How do you make sure you stay upright and not slip and break a hip? Hopefully, this short "How To" will help you with that as well.

Before

Certainly, you could just go online or find your local retailer to purchase a set of those fancy traction devices. There are Kathoola Microspikes and Nanospikes, Yaktrax Pro and Run, Stabilicers, and so on. They are all great and provide a solid solution for different surfaces and conditions. The Kathoola devices work great on trails while the Yaktrax devices are great for roads. However, if you live in the regions that barely see any snow and ice, it is often hard to justify such a purchase. After all, you may never need them or only once or twice a year.

However, there is a much cheaper and just as effective solution out there for all of us. First, go to your shoe closet and find an old pair of runners, trail shoes or road shoes will do. Second, you will need a traction device. This is where your local hardware store comes in. They all carry what are called sheet metal screws. They are available for very little money, just make sure they aren't very long. You must also make sure that your outer and midsoles are deep enough to take the full length of the screws once you screw them into the bottom of your old shoes.

However, before you proceed, be sure to lay out and arrange the screw pattern for your traction shoes. Avoid placing them in the center of your shoes as that may prove uncomfortable when you step or jump on hard surfaces. Be sure to have traction near your "landing spots", both on your heels for walking and on your forefoot for running. The exact pattern is entirely up to you and nothing keeps you from rearranging the screws once you've been out there to test them. 

Sheet Metal Screws

Hopefully, this little article has provided some useful info. If nothing else, it's another tool to get you outside this winter. Feel free to comment with similar ideas or other comments.

Review - Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System 0.6L

Katadyn BeFree 0.6L Water Filtration System.

This review doesn't discuss specific data such as weight, flow-rate or length. I'll leave that to the manufacturer and other retail websites. This review only describes my own experience with the device as well as some things I learned before, during and after its use.

Easy to fill, easy to use, and collapsible.

Over the years, I have used quite a few different water filtration systems. I've also given up on some of the more complex filtration products after reading their rather extensive product documentation, never even using them once due to their complicated instructions for use.

The actual water filter sits inside the bottle top just under the mouthpiece.

When I'm in the backcountry, I don't want to have to remember 253 steps on "how to make your water safe for drinking". Usually, I don't need the filter for car camping trips. The times I had to rely on a backcountry water filtration system were usually during organized trail ultra marathons, where time was of the essence and during self-supported solo adventures, where there was no access to any outside assistance or any safe drinking water that was readily available.

The bottle cap meant to prevent spillage is attached by a small plastic hinge.

When you first start looking for a water treatment solution suitable for your needs (be it actual water filters or water purifiers), you will be surprised to find just how many different systems there are. There are pump water filters and purifiers, gravity filters and purifiers, Ultraviolet (UV) purifiers, bottle filters and purifiers, squeeze water filters, straw-style water filters, in-line water filters for hydration packs, chemical water treatment pills and good old fashioned boiling.

There are many factors that can and should help you narrow down the appropriate choices to meet your specific needs. How often are you planning to use your system? What do you plan to use it for? Car camping? Multi-day back country hiking trip? Single day ultra marathon? Or maybe you plan to use it for a variety of activities? What are other important factors for you? Ease of use? Water taste? Filtration speed? Filter cost? Once you answer these questions for yourself, you should have a great starting spot on finding the perfect solution.

As mentioned earlier, I've tried many different methods with varying degrees of success. That's not to say any of the tried methods didn't work, they did, but some worked better than others, faster than others and were less problem prone than others.

For a while now, I'd been on the hunt for a quicker, easier solution. I've tried pumps, in-line filters, straw-style filters and chemical solutions. While all of them worked, none of them felt like a natural solution for me with the exception of the in-line filter for hydration bladders. However, I prefer bottles, so that was not a long term solution either. The straw-style filter (with a squeeze pouch) seemed like a great option, but it still required you to stop, scoop up water and then filter it into another bottle for actual use. Not quite as intuitive as I had hoped.

Enter the Katadyn BeFree 0.6L Water Filtration System. One look at this solution and I was sold. I did some research online and bought it from one of the larger online retailers. In fact, I bought two. The BeFree looked like it was meant for ultra runners. It consisted of a collapsible soft flask very similar to the soft flasks currently being provided with the more popular running vests on the market, made by companies like Ultimate Direction and Salomon. The actual water filter sits inside the screw-on bottle top. Since my hydration running vest holds two bottles in the front, it just made sense to me to pick up two BeFree bottles.

This setup was to be my way to get drinkable water during my attempt to cover the entire length of the 76 mile Foothills Trail between Table Rock State Park and Oconee State Park in the Carolinas in a single day or 24 hours. I am happy to report that it worked and performed perfectly, but there are a few lessons learned. As with any product, there is always room for improvement.

When the BeFree bottles first arrived, they seemed to be identical to the bottles that came with my Ultimate Direction running vest. Unfortunately, when I tried to place them inside the front pockets, I realized very quickly that the BeFree flasks were larger (0.6 liters) that the standard soft flasks (0.4-0.5 liters). Initially, this seemed like a dealbreaker to me, until I realized a fairly simple workaround. These are soft flasks and not filling up the bottles all the way allowed for enough compression to place them inside the front pockets of my hydration vest. The perfect solution would be for Katadyn to produce a smaller bottle that fits the pockets of Ultimate Direction and similar hydration vests.

I also noticed that while it appears that Katadyn uses the same soft flask manufacturer (Hydrapak) as many of the other outdoor gear makers, the filter did not fit on these other bottles to due a different thread. I would much prefer an interchangeable bottle filter or filters, one to fit widemouth bottles and one to fit the narrow top bottles. Since the technology lies within the filter and not the bottle, it would just make sense.

One final item that could be improved upon is the actual water filter cap that prevents spillage. Currently, it is a small plastic cap identical to those of the single use "sports-style" water or sports drink bottles sold at your local convenience store. Their single largest "point of failure" is the tiny plastic hinge that keeps the cap attached to the filter. Should this little hinge break during use, one would no longer be able to prevent water from spilling out of the top of the bottle while hiking or running. Maybe a valve similar to other soft hydration flasks would be a better solution.

Now on to the things that make this system the perfect ultra running back-country companion. First and most importantly, there is the ease of use. Twist bottle top (filter) off the soft flask, scoop up water from your natural water source, twist filter back onto bottle, stash bottle back into vest, drink at your leisure. You're back to running within seconds.

Second, the flow speed is amazing. No sucking until your head turns purple. Instead, it's as easy to drink from this bottle as any other hydration flask. Or squeeze the bottle slightly as you drink to make it even easier. This is extremely important when you're exhausted already and/or are moving at speed. The last thing you want to do it catch your breath while trying to drink water, just because the flow rate is too low, preventing and keeping you from drinking water quickly.

That's it, this filtration system simply works simply:-) It is currently the best solution out there for anyone trying to move quickly through the backcountry. Obviously, that applies to every ultra or trail runner out there during a self-supported solo adventure or similar organized event requiring participants to filter their own water along the way. Once Katadyn sorts out the issues I mention above, it will also be more than worth the current retail price tag of $39.95. I still consider this filtration system a "strong buy" as is as there is nothing even close to it currently available on the market.

Review - Travel & Mountain Rescue Insurance

Check out World Nomad insurance at https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-insurance/

UDPATE: I just purchased an annual insurance policy through the ITRA (see previous paragraph at the bottom of this post), not for a particular race, but for peace of mind as this policy covers all race AND training activities for a reasonably low annual fee. It does require that you are a paying member of the ITRA (current cost EUR8 or approx. USD9, annually), but that also seems very reasonable to me, especially since I was already a paying member of the organization as I like the work they do as well as the features they provide. All that said, I will keep this coverage as it is customized to trail runners and decide at the end of the year, whether I will renew my AAC membership. If not for their insurance, I do believe in their cause.

Mountain rescue or travel insurance, the very first time I thought about this topic was about 3 years ago, when I had been selected to run the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc 106 mile race in Chamonix, France. I didn't have some kind of epiphany or anything, I always assumed my health insurance would be sufficient for any needs that may arise while traveling abroad. Instead, I came across a paragraph in the UTMB race rules referring to the requirement for mountain rescue insurance. Reading that requirement also made me recall a fellow ultrarunner's inquiry in a public forum a year or so earlier when he had entered UTMB.

Check out Austrian Alpine Club (UK) membership at https://aacuk.org.uk/

I immediately started googling travel insurance and mountain rescue insurance. The top search result at the time was a website called "World Nomads". Their website allowed you to select your travel destination(s) and your travel window and once you had entered that info, it provided you with a couple of quotes, one for standard coverage and one adventurer package or something like that. It specifically listed mountain activities as being covered. The fee was just under 80 USD, which still seems rather reasonable to em for some peace of mind.

Check out Global Rescue membership at https://www.globalrescue.com/

From that point forward, I would books coverage through the website whenever I travelled overseas for a mountain race or similar adventure. Luckily, I never had to test the insurance coverage, but that also means I cannot speak to the quality of service other than it was extremely easy to order. However, with my most recent adventure plans, I revisited the issue of travel and mountain rescue coverage. One of my travel destinations would be Nepal, so mountain rescue coverage was essential and mandatory by the race organizers. After speaking to a few fellow ultra runners and listening to a couple of podcasts, a few more coverage options started to emerge.

I say "coverage" because aside from "insurance" options, there are also "membership" options. While insurance coverage usually provides reimbursement of qualifying expenses AFTER the fact (need for hospitalization and/or mountain rescue, evacuation, etc.), a service provider offering a membership actually provides the required services on site and on the ground through a third party partner rather than reimbursing you AFTER a rescue or hospitalization or other event.

Check out International Trail Running Association membership & insurance at http://itra.run/

Since I couldn't really "test" any of these providers, I had two rely on two things, services provided as part of the coverage and actual coverage cost. The four offerings I researched are covering the broader spectrum, i.e. one provides pure travel insurance coverage for a one time fee that covers the duration of your trip (World Nomads), one provides insurance coverage that is included as part of an annual membership (Austrian Alpine Club), one provides insurance coverage as part of its annual membership, but for an additional fee (International Trailrunning Assocation) and one provides an annual membership that provides mountain rescue services by working directly with service providers on site and in country. At the lower range, cost ranges from 50 USD to 120 USD, but cost can go up if one chooses premium services or extended coverage.

Personally, I am a practical man (read: frugal), so I opted for an annual club membership for approx. 50 USD that provides global insurance coverage (incl. mountain rescue and repatriation) for the entire calendar year with Austrian Alpine Club. Previously, I purchased insurance coverage on a per trip basis through World Nomads. If I did serious expedition type adventures, I would definitely spring for what I would call the premium service of the 4 providers mentioned here, Global Rescue.

In the end, everyone needs to research, compare and select the service they feel most appropriate for their needs. This post is merely meant to provide adventurers (and trail and mountain runners, in particular) with a starting point in their search for peace of mind.

Hopefully, other users will comment here with additional service providers in the comments section, so this can become an extensive resource that provides mountain rescue coverage for us adventurers. Please let me know what you think. I will add other service providers and additional information as it becomes available.

Review - Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest

Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest

As I prepare for the ultimate adventure and one of my top ten bucket list items, the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in France in August 2015, I will be testing out and evaluating different gear options that are either going to be part of the mandatory gear or are optional but that I consider essential for my ability to reach the finish line.

Review - Garmin Forerunner 310XT GPS Watch

I was as giddy as a 5 year old when I arrived home from work last night. Before I left the office, I had checked the tracking number of a package I was expecting and it was due to arrive that afternoon. Sure enough, the package was at the front door when I got home. After having received a Garmin Forerunner 305 as a birthday present 2 1/2 years ago, I have not been running without it. It has become as essential as my running shoes, at least for me. However, 6 months ago I decided to upgrade to the Garmin Forerunner 405, for which I had found an absolute steal of a deal on Craigslist.org. I just liked the new smaller design and the touch bezel and all of the other cool features. As you can tell, I am a sucker for tech toys. I plan to review both of those devices in the near future as well. In brief, while I certainly liked the 405 with all of its great features, it was exactly some of those new features that also became its biggest drawback. The touch bezel, for example, while certainly a cool feature, also created big problems on my runs. Any type of sweat or rain would cause it to activate and select random features. To avoid this, I was able to lock the bezel while still being able to start and stop my workouts with the side buttons. However, locking the bezel also locked the back light feature, so I was unable to read my Garmin during my early morning runs without deactivating the bezel, etc. In short, it was not worth the effort. Second, I had just finished my second 50K ultra trail marathon and realized that the battery life wasn't quite up to par either. While the 405 made it all the way past the finish line, it did die on me shortly thereafter. If you look at my upcoming races at the bottom of my blog, you will realize very quickly why that is a problem. I have a 12 hour race and a 108K race coming up and I really do not want to run out of juice during these runs. Enter the Garmin Forerunner 310XT.