WE  JOURNEY SEA TO SEA ACROSS THE WILDEST TERRAIN IN THE BRITISH ISLES, INCLUDING TRAVERSES OF KNOYDART, KINTAIL, GLEN AFFRIC AND LOCH NESS.

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.

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What's the weather like?

Scotland is renowned for its changeable weather, even in mid-summer. June in the Highlands can be sunny, breezy and wet, all in the same day! With fairly pleasant average temperatures, it is never too ‘hot.’ Average daytime temps of around 10 – 16 C are the norm. Generally, the drier weather or early summer is enough to keep the midges (the ‘wee beasties’) at bay! Winds can pick up strongly, especially in those Western Lochs and Glens and we are never far from a rain shower. We therefore need to plan for varying conditions and the kit list reflects that.

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Sun protection
Whilst the heat of the day will of course not be fierce, you are still outdoors all day, every day. Sunglasses with at least Cat 3 protection are required and a decent hat – wooly and warm for the hills and for the water, something wide-brimmed is useful to prevent too much reflection from the water. It is likely you will be wearing full body cover throughout the trip, so it is really only your head and face that you need to consider with the sun.  

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Wet weather gear
Good quality wet weather gear should be packed. It is likely you will become accustomed to them on this trip, perhaps having to put them on and take them off several times a day in places. The chances of rain are high and you should definitely invest in decent water and windproof garments for this outing.

Pack and communal gear
A daypack will be used in places, but the pack that you will use to do the ‘heavy lifting’ (literally) will be larger. You will use this to carry all of your trekking and rafting gear into and out of Knoydart, early on in the trip, so it must be robust and up to the job, plus large enough. We are suggesting a 65l carrying capacity as a minimum. For our night wild camping, we will also pack in some communal cooking and safety gear that will be spread around the group.

Camplife
For the accommodation, it is all ‘indoors’ with the exception of the two nights under canvas in our camp spots. You will need a sleeping bag and a roll-mat however which you will use on the camping nights. We would also advise bringing a towel just so you are self-contained on that and have it with you in the support vehicle. A pair of sandals or flip flops are also pretty invaluable for camp and for kicking back in the evenings, just to air those tired feet. These items are reflected below as recommended items.

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Nutrition
We will insist that you have some salt tablets and other electrolyte replacement items with you – these are invaluable to re-instating equilibrium when you are exerting yourself. Experience shows that good electrolyte management can make or break these types of Endurance attempts. Whilst it is not hot, you will be getting moisture beaten out of you with the wind and won’t really notice the ambient temperature, potentially. When wearing multiple layers and particularly membrane-style wet weather gear, this too will mean you warm up underneath these garments perhaps more than you think. Some electrolyte tablets for water and other sports nutrition is recommended just to have in your grab bags, so you are self-sufficient with items that work for you, at all times. We will have food and bev for the pit stops, but we always ask that you provide your own sports nutrition and scooby snacks as it’s a fairly personal thing and it is by far the best approach to be self-contained in such matters. 

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THE KIT LIST

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

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Trekking

• Trail footwear – ideally a lightweight boot with good ankle-support

• Trail apparel – technical wicking tee/ base layer, long-sleeved wicking layer, mid-layer (e.g. microfleece), trekking trousers, wicking underwear. All of these garments should have good wicking and moisture mgmt. properties – as you will be getting wet a fair amount on this trip

• Recommended: Running tights

• Windproof and/ or waterproof upper body and leg cover – good quality gore-tex or other well-known membranes required. 

• Buff or similar neck gaiter

• Woolly hat 

• Spare base and mid layers

• Socks

• Spare socks

• Blister care kit

• 1 person bivvy bag (not survival blanket, must be a bag)

• Personal First Aid kit – more detail to follow on exact spec nearer to trip date.

• Running day pack to carry spare clothing, bivvy bag, first aid kit, spare food. Recommend 15 – 30l

• Main pack to carry all pers equipment when on the trail, plus rafting gear and share of communal cooking gear. Recommend 65l

• Hydration system for pack – either bladder or bottle to be secured to pack. Minimum of 2l carrying capacity at all times

• Cap or wide-brimmed sun hat 

• Recommended: Trekking poles

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Water Stages - kayaking

• Buoyancy aid, paddle, inflation device and raft will be provided

• You should dress in technical wicking undergarments and mid-layers, plus waterproof shell outer garments. These can be the same ones you have used on the trekking stage, but for the rafting, please remember you will be sitting stationary and you WILL get wet. Avoid cotton and use technical wicking fabrics.

• If you do have kayaking gear, (such as a cag with sealed cuffs and neck), then please do bring this if you prefer to wear your own items

• Flip flops or sandals

• Dry bag  medium size (approx. 10l +). Whilst communal dry bags will be provided, there is no substitute for your own dry gear (and food) in your own dry bag. 

• Dry bag small size: For phones and other personal items

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General

• Casual clothing for use in evenings and transit stages – no formal wear required

• Recommended: General trekking trousers and robust outdoor footwear, given the type of destination

• Recommended: Towel – travel micro towel or full-size

• Recommended: Sandals or comfortable casual footwear for evenings

• Personal toiletries including any personal medication required

• Recommended: Multitool or penknife

• Recommended: Reading material

• Power bank for mobile phone

• International plug adaptor 

• Overnight bag: Such as a suffel or rucksack

• Transition bag: A smaller duffel, or a small rucksack or drybag. This can double up as your day pack and you can use this when transitioning from raft to trek or vice-versa

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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 and Medical 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.

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GPS

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We do not require you to navigate on this trip – that will be done by your guides. But you may wish 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). Or use a GPS-nav-enabled watch, such as the Garmin Fenix 4 or 5.

Having a GPS with you and following ‘the line’ is always handy and will give you a real sense of progress along our route anyway, plus it allows us to analyse facts and figures about your journey after the trip.

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BAGS

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There are 3 bags to be considered for this journey.

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1.) General ‘overnight’ and transition bag (recommended: Holdall or duffel) for spare and general kit. Please go for a MAXIMUM size of around 65 litres and no more than approx 15kg please. This bag will go forward on each stage and will be available when you get to the overnight location, each night. It will also be available to you when you transition between raft and foot stages and vice versa, so you may access dry or spare clothing, or extra snacks and treats. So you will see this bag during the day, but only at set locations. We will store it for you while you are on the route in the self-contained stages.

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2.) Daypack or running vest. This is the bag you will carry with you when you are on some of the trek where we are able to operate without the full packs and where the vehicles are close by. It should contain the mandatory kit, spare clothes, food and water. BUY HERE

3.) Main pack. This is the pack you will shoulder for much of the journey and it will contain everything you need for self-contained packraft and trekking phases – including clothing, sleeping bag, rollmat, raft, spare of communal cooking kit, your own food and rations and drinks. This gear will typically all fit into a 65l pack and may end up weighing in the region of 15kg.

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HOW TO TRAIN

 

For an undertaking of this nature, where we are clearly talking about 2 separate disciplines, the training should reflect the task at hand. Remember, it is not a race – it is a small group expeditionary foray. Set yourself up with a good base fitness and plan for success in doing the distance and being on your feet.

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Packrafting
If you can access kayaks, get in one and go for a paddle. Better still, if you can access a packraft, use that! In any case, just feel what the boat and the paddling action feels like; then do what you can in the boat. It is of course appreciated that paddling is probably the hardest discipline to train with if you do not have regular access to boats or water. A weekend paddling skills course is invaluable in growing your confidence. We have some that we stage in the UK, including a dedicated packrafting course. Details will be announced in due course. Mostly we are on flat water and the boats will be good and stable. You do not need mega skills. But we are covering some long distances for these craft and you will be expected to paddle for some decent lengths of time. If you are not used to working your upper body, it’s probably a good idea to do some conditioning so that your core and your arms don’t fall apart half way through. The best way to practise this is, well, to go paddling. If you can’t, just do some upper body and core work. Fitness and endurance will carry you through; and a good propensity to dealing with weather, whatever that may throw at us.

Trekking
Time on your feet will be the key to preparations here. Practise your nutrition, practise in differing conditions and with differing clothing. Definitely practise with a large pack on some decent length hikes. If you have the opportunity to do some back-to-back work, where you go out one day, rest overnight and then get up and go out the next too – to feel what it is like to really be tired when you get on your feet again – that is a great start. And make sure you seek out some hills. If you don’t live in a hilly area, seek out some mini weekend trips that take you up some mountains perhaps. Use these training missions as a way to explore new places. More than anything else, the journey to getting to the start line is part of the fun of an trip like this. Embrace these training opportunities and you will find that it doesn’t feel like training at all: More like an extension of the adventure.

As we get nearer to the trip , we will publish further info here and generate a framework plan for those looking to base your prep around something more tangible and solid. This will take the form of a 6 month training plan, 6 months in advance of the trip. Ultimately, our advice for something like this is to go at your own pace, front up to several hours for 4 chunky back to back days of repetitive exercise and train to that. And you’ll be OK. Naturally, we are always happy to dive into folks’ individual questions on this. But the important thing is – don’t worry too much – we are there to support you. Get yourself to the start line in a decent condition and you’ll get it done. That is the Rat Race way.