A MULTISPORT CROSSING OF THE ENTIRE ISLAND CHAIN OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES ON BIKE, FOOT AND BOAT FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.

This kit list is from our 2022 event - you will be notified of any changes to this list ahead of the event you have signed up for. Subject to small changes depending on weather conditions.

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What’s the weather like?
September in the Isles can be chilly, mild, can be wet, can be dry, can be windy, might be sunny. Anything goes. But even if the air is dry, the ground is likely to be wet.

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Sun protection
Protection from the Sun is important even if it’s not the sunniest of places or times of year. Being outside for this long will take its toll. So sunglasses with good UV protection are a must, as is sun cream. We would always recommend factor 50 as you simply need to apply it less often. You are outside for a good long time after all. Try and get a sweat-resistant brand.

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Wet weather gear

Water from the Heavens could be a solid (er, liquid) feature of this trip. Waterproof everything (except run footwear*) will be required. Aim to waterproof your whole body; tops, bottoms, head, feet, hands. For bike and run stages. *Draining, fast drying footwear is better than Gore-Tex footwear for the run stages – as water is retained in these and does not drain. Of course, the foot stages are short on this trip.

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Night time gear

For the accommodation, we are indoors. Bedding should be provided. But either way, carrying your own sleeping bag is good practice on such trips and we would therefore insist you bring a sleeping bag. Bring a sleeping bag liner too as sometimes bunkhouses insist on these to be used in conjunction with their bedding.

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Bring also a decent change of comfy casual clothes for night-time meals and a sleeping set, so you have a nice dry set of sleeping clothes to retire into at the end of each day. Dry clothes to change into will likely be a godsend on this trip.

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Nutrition
Some electrolyte tablets for water and other sports nutrition is recommended just to have in your packs, so that you are self-sufficient with items that work for you. We will have some food and beverages from the vehicle support, but would ask that you provide your own sports nutrition as it’s a fairly personal thing.

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THE KIT LIST

Here’s a rundown. We may revise this nearer the time but this should give you a good idea at this stage.

Note: All items are mandatory, unless it says recommended, where they are, well, recommended!

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Trekking or trail running

• Trail running/walking footwear or lightweight boots

• Daypack (Ultra running vest or a small backpack – between 10 and 20 litres) is fine – BUY HERE

• Water carrying capacity minimum 1.5l (Bottles, soft flasks or bladder system are all fine – or a combo)Spare evening footwear, such as Crocs.

• Trail running/walking apparel – shorts, technical wicking tee/ base layer, long-sleeved wicking layer, mid-layer (e.g. microfleece)

• Waterproof upper body and leg cover – BUY HERE

• Buff or similar neck gaiter, and sun hat/cap – BUY HERE

• Spare base and mid layers

• Socks; consider neoprene and GoreTex, as well as warmer sport socks. Also consider a 2-sock system with a toed liner sock (e.g. ininji) and an outer, cooler trekking sock. We are told our own Rat Race Merino socks are pretty good, too!

• Blister care kit

• Personal bivvy bag – BUY ONE HERE

• First Aid kit – BUY HERE

• Water bottle, and/or cup or Hydration system for rucksack – BUY HERE

• Trekking poles (optional but recommended – the run stages are short but there are some steep sections)

• Headtorch, waterproof to IPX7 standard, minimum 150 lumens + spare batteries or second headtorch. 

• GPS device or smartphone

 

Bike Stages

• Road bike or cyclocross bike (your own or hired)

• Bike shoes and cleats (optional – hire bikes will be provided with flats but you may substitute with cleats as required)

• Cycling jersey

• Cycling shorts

• Cycling gloves

• Cycling waterproofs inc (recommended) booties

• Water carrying capacity minimum 1.5l (as with foot sections – bottles, soft flasks or bladder systems are all fine – or a combo)

• Bike handpump

• Bike multitool

• Bike puncture repair kit – to include spare inner tubes, slime (if you use it) or spare CO2 canisters

• Handlebar Mount for a smartphone or GPS device (so you can view the route when sat on your bike)

• We will carry a track-pump with us on each support vehicle.

• Front and rear bike lights

• Some form of hi-vis top/patches for road cycling

• Basic bike spares and tools to include:

  • spare chain

  • brake pads

  • inner tubes

  • spare tyre

  • Puncture repair kit (or tyre repair kit if tubeless)

  • Pump/CO2 canisters

  • Small toolkit, inc multi-tool

  • Chain tool

  • Tyre levers

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Bikes must be fully serviced prior to the event and any work parts replaced as access to specific spares is very limited on the islands.

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Water stages - kayak

• Buoyancy aid, paddle and kayak will be provided

• You should dress in waterproofs and technical wicking undergarments. These can be the same ones you have used on the run or ride stages. Please remember you will be sitting stationary and WILL get wet. Avoid cotton and use technical wicking fabrics

• If you do have kayaking gear, such as a cag or over-trousers, then please do bring these

• Sandals, boat shoes or any permeable trainers

• Gloves suitable for paddling – cycle gloves and neoprene gloves are good for this – Optional

• A dry bag and/or waterproof rucksack liner (or a selection of small and larger ones) will be essential to stow gear and food inside your kayak gear stowage chambers; to ensure it does not get wet. BUY ONE HERE

• The kayak stages are not huge but they are exciting and committing sea legs and could be subject to swells and fairly ‘robust’ weather (!). They are also at the start of each day, after which you have long outings on the bike.

• Bottom line on the kayak legs: Try and wear quick-drying gear or stuff you can get wet and then discard and change into other clothes once you land. There will always be the option to access your support bag after these sections of course.

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Night time gear

• Sleeping bag

• Sleeping liner

• Small travel pillow (or stuff clothes in a drybag)

• Ear buds if you are a light sleeper

• Toiletries

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General

• Casual clothing for use in evenings and transit stages – you will be able to leave a ‘second bag’ in the support vehicle so you have warm/ spare/ casual/ dry clothes available when we interact with the support vehicle, so you do not need to carry this with you the whole time – see below where we reference the ‘vehicle bag’

• General ‘secondary’ bag (holdall, duffel) for spare kit. Please go for a MAXIMUM size of around 60 litres and no more than approx 15kg pls. We do have 2 vehicles and don’t have unlimited carrying capacity

• General trekking trousers and robust outdoor footwear are recommended just given the type of trip we are on

• Towel – travel micro towel or full-size

• Bandana, Buff or similar

• Personal toiletries including any personal medication required

• Multitool or penknife

• Reading material

• Smart Phone with viewranger downloaded

• Power bank for mobile phone

• Charging cables for phone and other personal devices

 

 

IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES FOR THE EVENT THIS WILL BE COMMUNICATED IN THE PRE-EVENT DOCUMENTATION

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Carrying this kit is a requirement of the Event and forms part of our planning in ensuring reasonable measures are put in place to keep you safe should anything go wrong during this adventurous endeavour. We ask you not to take short cuts or ‘second guess’ our advice. For instance, the carrying of waterproofs is required even if rain is not forecast as a means to prevent cooling down too fast if you get injured in a location that is very exposed to wind – remember you may be very tired and sweaty, and who says the forecast is always right?

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The emergency kit is important for several reasons:

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1.            It helps you to help yourself should you have a problem.

2.            We are in this together and you may need to assist others if they have a problem.

3.            In the case of an incident our Event Control and safety teams will make decisions based on the knowledge that you all have this equipment.

4.            Carrying the kit is a requirement for everyone and hence provides an equal and fair challenge.

5.            It is part of our risk assessment process that is shared with insurers. Your insurance may be invalid if you do not follow our advice.

6.            If your lack of kit preparation contributes to making an incident more serious, then you may be avoidably drawing resources from our medical team and the emergency services at the expense of others.

7.            Without the kit you will be unable to complete registration. If during the race you are not carrying the mandatory kit then you will be disqualified and deemed to have not completed the challenge.

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GPS

We intend for you to follow ‘the line’ on a GPS-enabled device – this can be your own or you can rent one from us. Our suggestion here is a mobile smartphone with the Viewranger App loaded onto it and the GPX files attached uploaded onto it (or any other App that can open GPX files). You can mount this on your bike and you can use it on foot. OR use a Garmin Edge bike nav computer and a GPS-nav-enabled watch, such as the Garmin Fenix 4 or 5.

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Reality is, the route-finding on this one is not very hard at all with the suite of resources we will be deploying. So don’t worry about it too much. But having the GPS with you and following ‘the line’ is always handy and will give you a sense of progress along our route anyway.

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Bags

There are 3 bags to be considered for this journey.

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1.) General ‘overnight’ bag (recommended: Holdall or duffel) for spare and general kit. Please go for a MAXIMUM size of around 60 litres and no more than approx 15kg pls. This bag will go forward on each stage and be available when you get to the overnight; so you will not see this bag until you arrive at those locations. We will store it for you while you are on the route.

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2.) Daypack or running vest. This is the bag you will carry with you when you are on the run/ trek stages so you will need it on days 1 and 3. It should contain the mandatory kit, spare clothes, food and water.

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3.) Transition bag. This can be a duffel, it can be your daypack itself or any type of soft bag. You will keep this on the vehicles and it will be accessible at the Pit Stops and when you transition from bike to run or kayak to bike, for example. You can keep changes of clothes, bike spares and tools, scooby snacks and hydration supplies in this bag.
 

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TRAINING

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For an undertaking of this nature, it’s some heavy days on the bike and some mountainous foot travel, albeit not huge distances. Plus some pretty sustained paddling encounters. Remember, it is not a race. If you have a good base fitness and if you plan for success in doing the distance and being on your feet, in the boat and in the saddle, you’ll be fine. Slow and steady. A robust endurance base is what you need, not speed or heroics. Get a couple of longish bike days in and concentrate on the bike above all else, really.

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General fitness and endurance will carry you through; and a good propensity to dealing with weather, whatever that may throw at us. Go at your own pace, front up to several hours for 3 back to back days of repetitive exercise and train to that. And you’ll be OK. Naturally, we are happy to dive into folks’ individual questions on this. But the important thing is – don’t worry too much – the vehicles and crew there to support you and each other. Get yourself to the start line in a decent condition and you’ll get it done. Know your limits and enjoy the riding and enjoy the Isles. It is a stunning and very special place. It is not a race.

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We will be publishing a 6 month training plan at that juncture, 6 months prior to the challenge commencing.

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