I am very particular about the kit I use, and all of it is as lightweight, functional and no-nonsense as possible. Small details can make or break a product for me.
Shoes must be light, low and grippy. I have very specific requirements for carrying things such as gels and salt caps when racing. Gels almost always go in my shorts, even when running with a pack, so lots of good pockets are a must for example. My cap has to be as light and packable as possible, as more often than not it ends up stuffed in my shorts waistband. For races up to about 50k I carry a small bottle which I also stuff in the waistband of my shorts. For longer races with obligatory kit I go to a lot of effort to find the lightest fully functional items possible, often tweaking them as I go. I also regularly modify my gear and change the fit, often cutting off any superfluous elements. I've also started removing or re-branding gear as I go. I'm now even starting to design and make my own prototype kit from scratch, some of which I shall be starting to use in anger soon.
Oh, and ideally it should all be on a sliding scale somewhere between black and white.
My preferred gear list is constantly evolving but currently it looks something like this:
Footwear
Off-Road- Inov8 Roclite 243, Inov8 F-Lite 230, Inov8 F-lite 252, Inov8 F-lite 262, Inov8 X-Talon 212, New Balance Mt110, New Balance MT00 V2.
Road- Nike Streak LT2, Nike Streak XC2, Nike Streak LT, Nike Lunarspider, Nike Lunarspider 3, Nike Lunaracer.
Clothing
Race
Shorts- UVU Racing, North Face Better than Naked (UMR branded), Pearl Izumi Ultra Series (UMR branded), Nike Race Day (UMR branded).
Vests- UVU Racing, North Face Better than Naked (UMR branded), Pearl Izumi Ultra Inside-Out (UMR branded), Nike Race Day (UMR Branded).
Socks- Inov8 Prosoc High, Inov8 Mudsoc Mid, Drymax Hyper-thin Mini Crew, Injinji Lightweight.
Cap- Haglofs Fly, UMR Mesh Prototype.
Training
Shorts-
Vests-
Tees-
Tights-
Socks-
Hats-
Windproof-
Waterproof-
Hardwear
Watch- Garmin Fenix 2 with HRM-RUN chest strap.
Lighting- Petzl Nao2, Petzl E-lite, Black Diamond Storm with lithium batteries.
Bottles- Simple Hydration (up to 50k), Salomon Soft Flasks (50k up)
Packs- Ultimate Direction Signature Series AK V1 (modified)
Nutrition
Gels- Clif Shots, GU, High 5.
Electrolytes- Salt Stick, High 5 Zero, Nunn.
Liquid Nutrition- Hammer Perpetuem (50k up)
