Update: 2024 Minimum and Mandatory Kit

We are updating our Minimum and Mandatory Clothing and Equipment rules for each event and adding some additional guidance notes. The headline continues to be that we are focusing on the safety of our participants. All of these changes take effect from 1st January 2024 across all our events.

We know that kit and clothing requirements can be a bit confusing and we are providing the following helpful downloadable packing checklists:

2023 Events

• Montane Dragon’s Back Race Kit List

2024 Events

• SILVA Northern Traverse Kit List

• SILVA Lakes Traverse Kit List

• SCARPA Great Lakeland 3Day Kit List

• Cape Wrath Ultra Kit List

• Montane Dragon’s Back Race Kit List

If you would like an insight into the rationale for our approach to the Minimum and Mandatory Clothing and Equipment, please take a few minutes to read our ‘Best Practice Blog: Risk Management and Crisis Communication’ which explores how effective risk management, such as our no-nonsense approach to mandatory clothing and equipment, helps prevent an accident from becoming more serious.

The overwhelming majority of incidents at our events continue to involve cold participants requiring assistance on the course and/or retiring because they have become cold and/or wet. The theme that links these incidents is that none of these participants ever expected to be in that situation, and that some additional clothing and equipment would have made a substantial difference, and most likely, would have been the difference between continuing or retiring.

This article summarizes the changes we are making to our overarching ‘Clothing and Equipment Guidance’. Please refer to this overarching guidance for further details to this new update, but always bear in mind this guidance article covers all our different races, and the specific clothing and equipment requirements differ from one race to another: check the specified kit list on the event website!

Spare Synthetic Warm Top Rule

With a backlog of COVID-era deferments that pre-dated our ‘Spare Synthetic Warm Top’ rule, we had allowed a little wiggle room and accepted multiple layers. This changes for all events from 2024 onwards, and there will be a zero-tolerance approach to the specifications of this item. For the avoidance of doubt, this rule applies as described here for the 2023 Montane Dragon’s Back Race®.

Synthetic clothing is manufactured from man-made materials such as polyester. The benefit of synthetic materials for UK events (where rain and damp conditions are common), is that these materials retain much of their insulative qualities even when wet. A synthetic layer must be worn under a waterproof jacket to maximize its insulative properties in windy and wet conditions.

The specification for the Spare Synthetic Warm Top are:

• It must be sealed in a waterproof bag.

• It must be a single layer and cover the entire upper trunk including your arms. A hooded top is best but not mandatory.

• It must have a minimum weight of 300g*.

• It must be spare, i.e., unworn at the start.

* The item must weigh 300g for a size medium style i.e., if you are a size small, we will accept a lower weight, and if you are an extra-large, it will need to weigh more.

Exceptional weather kit

We are going to be more prescriptive about the clothing and equipment that we will mandate that participants carry during exceptionally cold and/or wet, or hot weather. These additional items must be carried in addition to the standard mandatory kit.

Ensuring that participants are well equipped for exceptional weather is important for maximizing the chance that the event can continue despite unfavourable weather conditions.

Whilst we would expect to indicate the requirement to carry this additional kit in the final event information email, when the weather forecast is marginal or changeable, it is possible that participants may only get a short-time warning that this additional kit is required. For example:

• Northern Traverse: We would notify participants at registration before the start, or we would notify the participants at a Support Point that they would need to carry this kit with them on the next section i.e., participants would need to pack their ‘Cold Weather Kit/Hot Weather Kit’ in their Support Point Bag for the duration of the event.

• Lakes Traverse: We would notify participants at registration before the start, i.e., participants would need to travel to the event with their ‘Cold Weather Kit/Hot Weather Kit’.

• Great Lakeland 3Day: We would notify participants at registration before the start of Day One, or we would notify the participants at the Overnight Camps i.e., participants would need to pack their ‘Cold Weather Kit/Hot Weather Kit’ in their Dry Bag for the duration of the event.

• Cape Wrath Ultra: We would notify participants at registration before the start of Day One, or we would notify the participants at the Overnight Camps i.e., participants would need to pack their ‘Cold Weather Kit/Hot Weather Kit’ in their Dry Bag for the duration of the event.

• Dragon’s Back Race: We would notify participants at registration before the start of Day One, or we would notify the participants at the Overnight Camps i.e., participants would need to pack their ‘Cold Weather Kit/Hot Weather Kit’ in their Dry Bag for the duration of the event.

• Skyline Scotland: We would notify participants at registration, i.e., participants would need to travel to the event with their ‘Cold Weather Kit/Hot Weather Kit’ kit.

Cold weather kit

The additional ‘Cold Weather’ clothing includes:

1. A second and spare long-sleeve base layer*

2. Warm and waterproof gloves

3. A warm hat and/or waterproof cap**

4. Full-length tights/trousers

* This long-sleeve base layer is additional to one required in the standard minimum and mandatory kit and must be spare (i.e. unworn) at the start of the day.

** During exceptionally wet/cold weather conditions, a buff is no longer acceptable as a hat, and an item designed as a hat is required. A waterproof cap is acceptable.

hot weather kit

The additional ‘Hot Weather’ clothing and kit includes:

1. Sun hat or cap with a visor shading the face

2. Additional 1,000ml carrying capacity of the participant’s water bottles / softflasks /hydration system*

* We recognize different participants require varying amounts of water/fluid each day – if you happen to be someone who drinks less, you do not need to fill your bottles… but you do need to carry this additional capacity, i.e., empty bottles if you must!

Running Vest, Rucksack or Bumbag Guidance

We are updating the wording to include ‘bumbag’ because for some of our trail races at Skyline Scotland, with fewer items on the mandatory kit list, a fellrunning style bumbag would be adequate to carry the minimum and mandatory kit. However, we would like to highlight a growing problem of participants being unable to fit everything in their running vests. Given that we are now adding the potential requirement to carry the additional Cold or Hot Weather kit we would recommend a bag with at least 12L capacity… probably more. As we always say, you must train with the clothing and equipment you’ll need at the event.

Means of Payment Rule

We are removing the rule requiring participants to have at least £50 of cash. Participants now only need to have a ‘means of payment’. This could be cash, credit/debit card, or contactless payment.

Mobile Phone Rule

We are updating our rule about mobile phones to state that they must remain charged and operational throughout the event, i.e., if your battery is flat you are no longer carrying the minimum and mandatory kit.

You might choose to keep your phone switched off to save the battery and enjoy the quiet of the mountains. However, we would highlight that we have tried phoning participants who have made navigation errors in the past, only to find that their phone is switched off, and we are unable to help them.

Headtorch Rule

We are updating our rule about Headtorches, which now states that participants must have a “Headtorch with sufficient battery to last the day/stage/event”. This removes the mandated requirement to carry spare batteries or a spare headtorch, and puts the onus on the participant to make a judgment about whether a spare battery or spare headtorch would be appropriate for them. We continue to recommend carrying a spare headtorch for any race that might involve the participant being out in the darkness. Please note – if your headtorch battery is flat you would no longer be carrying the minimum and mandatory kit.

Water bottles / Softflasks / Hydration Rule

We have updated the requirements for participants to be able to carry the following quantities of liquid, but would like to highlight that personal preference is important when deciding how much fluid a participant might want to carry during a race. This is the minium requirement:

• Northern Traverse: 1,500ml

• Lakes Traverse: 1,000ml

• Great Lakeland 3Day: 1,000ml

• Cape Wrath Ultra: 1,500ml

• Dragon’s Back Race: 1,500ml

• Ben Nevis Ultra: 1,000ml

• Glen Coe Skyline: 1,000ml

• Ring of Steall Skyrace: 1,000ml

• Lochaber 80k: 1,000ml

• Mamores Stalker 27k: 500ml

• Three Meals 18k: 500ml

• Loch Elide Mor 10k: Zero

• Grey Mares 5k: Zero

The various standalone event websites have been updated to reflect these changes.