Video summary
In this video, the runner provides a comprehensive breakdown of the gear used to complete the OCC race in Chamonix, finishing the 61-kilometer course with 3,300 meters of elevation gain in just over 13 hours. He emphasizes that his kit list is specific to this particular event and should not be considered mandatory for every ultra-distance race, noting that longer events like the full UTMB require different equipment due to multi-day durations. Starting from the feet, he details his choice of footwear, specifically the brand new Hoka Mafate X, which he describes as a trail-running equivalent to his favorite road shoe, the Skyward X, featuring a Vibram sole for grip. Inside the shoes, he relies on his sponsored Enertor insoles, which he highly values for their performance across all his running shoes.
Moving up the body, the runner discusses essential foot care and clothing items that are often overlooked but critical for preventing chafing and blisters. He is a long-time advocate for Injinji toe socks, preferring the mid-weight version over thinner alternatives to avoid holes and ensure durability, while also using Trail Skins balms and creams to protect against hot spots and wet conditions. For underwear, he recommends SAXX, praising their ability to stay in place without riding up or causing irritation during long runs. He also highlights a recent switch to Kiprun shorts, which he enjoys for their comfortable material and built-in waistband pocket that eliminates the need for a separate belt, allowing him to carry essentials like his phone and gels securely.
The core of his running system consists of a Salomon Sense Pro 10-liter vest, which he has used and repaired over many years because familiarity with its specific pockets allows for quick access to items like medication, batteries, and cups. He pairs this with Leki Ultra Trail poles, noting their reliability over a decade of use, though he mentions occasionally needing WD-40 to keep the Z-fold mechanism smooth after long storage periods. For head protection against the intense heat in the Alps, he wears a Fractal cap featuring a wide brim and an adjustable neck covering that clips open or closed as needed. His eye protection comes from Outdoor Master sunglasses, which he praises for their excellent side coverage and ability to block sun glare effectively throughout the day.
Finally, the runner covers the safety and nutrition items packed in his backpack rather than worn on his body. He carries Montane waterproof trousers and a high-end Phase Nano jacket as backups for unpredictable mountain weather, noting that while expensive, his current jacket breathes well enough to prevent sweat accumulation inside. For visibility during the dark finish expected by mid-pack runners like himself, he uses a balanced Petzl NAO RL head torch as his primary light with a Swift RL as a backup. Hydration is managed through Salomon soft flasks equipped with filters to ensure safe drinking from streams, alongside an extra bottle for non-carbonated or fizzy drinks found at aid stations. He concludes by mentioning his reliance on Protein Rebel energy gels for sustained energy and reminds viewers always to check their specific race's mandatory kit list before heading out.
Read the full video transcript
In this video, we're going to look at
all the kit that I used when I ran this
year's OCC race, which I finished in 13
hours and 12 minutes. It was 61 or so
kilometers with 3,300
m of elevation gain here in the
mountains in Chamonix.
So, I thought what we do is we'd start
at the bottom and [music] work up. I'm
going to show you everything that I wore
and also a little bit of the kind of kit
that I took in my backpack. Don't take
this as mandatory kit for every race
because every race is different. Every
race demands different mandatory kit.
So, for the much longer races like the
full UTMB and the 100-mile distances
where you're going one or two nights,
you will have a very different kit list
to what I had for OCC, which is
essentially just one day's worth of
running.
So, starting at the very bottom, I wore
my brand new Mafate X. [music] So, you
know, if you've seen videos of mine
before, I really like the Hoka Skyward
X, which is a carbon-plated very
cushioned road shoe from Hoka. This is
the trail equivalent. So, Vibram sole,
obviously,
but it's just essentially a Skyward X
with [music] a Vibram trail running
sole. Of course, inside, I have my
trusty Enertor insoles. You know, I'm
sponsored by Enertor, but I'm only
sponsored by companies that I absolutely
love, and I absolutely love my Enertors.
I really value them, and I use them in
all of my shoes. So, the Mafate X by
Hoka is what I used for the OCC race
this year.
Now, also looking at foot care, I have
been an avid supporter of Injinji toe
socks for many, many years. I have
flirted with other socks, but I always
seem to come back to the mid-weight.
Don't get the thin ones because they
they uh they get holes in them really
quickly. Uh but the mid-weight Injinji
toe socks is what I use [music] all the
time. So, Injinji toe socks are my feet
and all protected again by uh another
friend of the channel, uh Trail Skins.
So, I use Trail Skins foot balm. I also
use Trail Skins anti-chafe cream. Uh
[music] if you want to use something to
protect your feet uh from when they get
wet, blisters, uh hot spots, uh any kind
of rubbing, then Trail Skins will do you
really well. Uh go and try them out.
There's a link in the description for a
discount off some Trail Skins foot balm.
One item of clothing we don't talk
enough about in running, and especially
trail running, is underwear. Now, I use
SAXX underwear. When I first started
running, I just used my normal
underwear, but actually, when you talk
about chafing, underwear is absolutely
major thing that you need to think
about. So, SAXX underwear for blokes,
obviously, with the name like SAXX, uh
that's what I use. If you want to try
them out, uh by all means do. Uh they're
really good. I find them really
comfortable. No chafing. They don't ride
up um like your normal underwear would.
So, try out uh just any general
underwear that's specifically designed
for uh trail running or running. Uh
another really good company as well that
make underwear for running. So, uh yeah,
I use SAXX. Now, when it comes to
shorts, many of you who watch my videos
will notice that I generally wear uh
compression shorts, so tight shorts. Um
but I've recently come across Kiprun.
They are honestly the first pair of kind
of proper flappy shorts that I [snorts]
actually enjoy wearing. I love the
material. Um it's also got a a built-in
waistband pocket. So, I've quite often
use
the pulse belt. You may have seen me
wearing that, but this has an an inbuilt
>> [music]
>> belt. So, I can put my phone in or gels
or something like that or my keys.
There's also a zip in the back pocket.
So, this is by Decathlon. It's the
Kiprun brand. Really like these shorts.
I wore them for OCC. Absolutely
fantastic.
Moving on,
of course, I am wearing my Flying
Burrito shirt. I've got my red one here.
I wore the purple one for OCC. So, this
is my purple Flying Burrito shirt. You
can get Flying Burrito shirts in lots of
different colors, these check ones, or
you can get the kind of more flowery
design. They come in men's and women's
fit as well. So, if you want a Flying
Burrito shirt, they are really
well-made, well-designed shirts. So, you
[music] get what you pay for. Mine got a
kind of branded FilmMyRun logo on the
side. If you want a branded FilmMyRun
logo on the side of your Flying Burrito
shirt, then you can email them and ask
them, and you may be lucky enough, they
may be able to fit one of these branded
FilmMyRun things on the side.
Next up is the Salomon Sense Pro. This
is the 10-liter vest. I've been using
this exact vest
for
I know, 10 years maybe? A long, long
time. Maybe not 10 years. It's been
repaired. So, I think last year I I took
it to the race village here at UTMB, and
I had it repaired cuz it had loads of
tears in it. I But, I love this vest.
I've been using it for years, like I
say. It's got all the pockets, all the
things I need in it. The other thing
about a race vest is, when you're
running, you need to know where stuff
is. If you keep getting a brand new
vest, unless it's like the same design.
When you when you have a vest that
you've lived with for years, you know
exactly where everything is. So, I
always keep, for example,
my paracetamol
and my change of batteries for my camera
in the zip pocket at the top here. I
always keep my cup in this zip pocket
here. I always keep
my phone in this side pocket here. So,
you kind of get to know where abouts in
your vest you keep stuff so you can grab
it easily. So, the Salomon Sense Pro 10
L vest is what I've been using. I also
have the Salomon quiver for keeping my
poles in. Very easy to store and take
out. And again, I've got used to this.
So, when you first get the quiver, it
sometimes can be a little bit tricky to
grab them and take them out or put them
back in. You need to kind of get used to
how it all works.
Um but I've got used to it over the
years and I find it very easy to use.
So, the Salomon quiver with the Salomon
Sense Pro 10 L vest. Uh talking about
poles,
I've been using Leki poles.
The very first poles I bought were Leki
poles. I have never broken my Leki
poles. These are a light version. I
don't know the the exact name of them.
You can get them in different sizes,
obviously. So, generally with poles you
need to have like a right angle of your
arm.
So, that's that's the height they need
to be so your arm is at a right angle.
I can't remember the name of these
poles. Let me see what it says on the
side here.
It just says Leki Ultra Trail poles.
So, that's what I've got. They're
collapsible, obviously, so they're
Z-fold poles.
>> [music]
>> What I The only thing The only problem I
have had with these poles is
when I've left them for a long time,
sometimes they stick. So, I had to spray
them with WD-40 to loosen them up. Once
I've done that, they've lasted again.
They they kind of slide out much easier
when you put some WD-40 on them. So,
Lecky, lightweight, Z fold poles is what
I've used for again, about 10 years.
So, moving on up to my head. Normally, I
wear a kind of very basic 2XU white cap.
You'll have seen that in plenty of my
videos. But, this time, because I'm
getting used to trying to protect my
head and my neck in the really hot
weather. You'd think with all the ultra
races that I've done in hot weather that
I would know about this. And I and I
kind of do, but I've discovered this cap
by Fractal.
So, it's got a very wide brim, but also
the kind of Sahara neck covering.
>> [music]
>> And it's really nicely designed. It kind
of clips open at the back here, so you
can have it much wider, or you can clip
it around the front of your neck or the
back.
So, I've recently discovered this cap.
Fractal is what it's called, and this is
what I wore for
OCC this year. You can see
>> [music]
>> how it kind of protects at the back
there, and I can just unclip it
if I can find the clip.
I can unclip it, and I could kind of put
it around the front here if I wanted to
as well.
So, I found [music] this really nice to
wear. Just just stops the sun getting at
you too much. Just even that little bit
of extra help in the heat is is really
worth it.
And then on my eyes, so I've recently
been sent, thank you very much to
Outdoor Master for sending me these.
They're absolutely fantastic. Really
good at blocking out the glare of the
sun.
>> [music]
>> There is a a piece you can get as well,
but I took it off.
Um, but go go and look for Outdoor
Master. These sit really well on my eyes
and they've got a really good covering,
so a really good covering round to the
sides as well. And as I say, they're
really good at
stopping the glare of the sun. Uh, so I
wore these most of the day when I was
racing OCC. So,
that was my look. What do you What do
you think?
>> [laughter]
>> I wouldn't wear these on the South Downs
way necessarily. Actually, I might. I
might if it was really hot. We've had
some really hot days at the South Downs
way, haven't we? Uh, maybe not at the
Arc of Attrition, let's say that.
So, that's pretty much everything
[music] I wore on the OCC race. There
are a couple of other things worth
pointing out that I had in my backpack,
so mandatory kit kind of things. [music]
Um,
waterproof trousers. So, these are my
standard Montane waterproof trousers. I
do like Montane gear. It's really well
made. This is really light as well,
packs up really small into your
backpack. Um, so Montane waterproof
trousers. Yeah, they they just go really
small. [music]
Um, so I had those in my backpack. I
mean, it didn't rain at all, but you
know, on top of the mountains when
you're 2 and 1/2 thousand meters into
the sky, you just don't know what could
happen with the weather. It could change
at any minute. And my waterproof jacket
of choice, again, packed in my backpack,
didn't get it out and use it at all. Uh,
this is a really expensive jacket that I
bought a few years ago. It's the Phase
Nano. I think it's called the Phase
Nano.
>> [music]
>> Um, it's really really good, but you do
pay a premium for it. I think this was
getting on for 300 pounds UK. Um, I
don't think you really need to spend
that much, but I at the time I thought
it was kind of worth it. What I found
with a lot of waterproof jackets was
they don't breathe. So, I'd be wearing
them and I'd sweat inside the jacket and
then So, I'd have my arm at this angle
when running like this. And I'd drop my
arm down and loads of sweat would just
pour out. It was as though the jacket
had let water in, but it wasn't. It was
just sweat. And that doesn't happen with
this one. So, this is breathable and
and it doesn't accumulate loads of sweat
inside.
But, [music] I think you can probably
get a waterproof jacket that will do the
job for you not quite as expensive as
the Montane Phase Nano. And it again, it
is 2 or 3 years, maybe even longer than
that, 3 or 4 years old now this jacket.
In terms of gloves,
I've had a pair of Montane Prism gloves
for years. And these ones are falling
apart. These ones are not waterproof.
[music] My wife does have a pair of the
Montane Prism
gloves with a waterproof lining, which
you can get now. These are the older
ones that don't have the lining, so
they're not waterproof. What they do say
about these gloves is though,
when you get wet hands, they still keep
your hands warm even though they're wet.
And I have had that plenty of times with
these gloves where I've worn them, my
hands have got wet in the rain, but
they've still been kept warm.
Now, if you're running OCC and you are a
pretty fast runner, you will generally
finish during the daylight hours. But,
for runners like me who are mid-pack,
back of the pack, you're going to finish
in the dark. So, you will need a head
torch. So, I generally use the Petzl NAO
RL. [music]
I've used this torch for many years.
It's balanced. So, what you find with
So, Fenix [music] lights. Now, I know a
lot of people love Fenix. They've got
very bright head torches. Fantastic.
[music] But, for me, they're far too
front-heavy. So, you put them on the
front and it just weighs down. The
Petzl, [music] because you've got the
battery and the kind of red light on the
back and the light on the front, it's
it's balanced and I don't feel like I'm
weighed down at the front here. It's
balanced at the back. So, this sits
really nicely on my forehead and I don't
have to have it too tight. So, that's
the other thing. When you run for a long
period of time in the dark, often you'll
find people getting red marks and
rubbing on their head here. Um not with
this. Because it's because it doesn't
have to be too tight, it doesn't rub
here and it's not pressing really hard
against my forehead. So, the Petzl NAO
RL, this is the head torch I've been
using for a number of years now. Really
like it. No thoughts about changing it.
Um if I want a backup head torch, I have
the the Petzl Swift RL here. Again,
really lightweight, uh really
comfortable and if you do run out of
battery power on your main head torch,
this is a fantastic little backup. So,
that's what I've been using on my head.
One thing that I have missed out that
I've left on the table here, my water
bottles.
Salomon soft flasks. Now, I've got two
different kinds here. When I'm running
in the mountains, um I do like to make
sure that I'm not drinking purely from
the streams without some filtering. I
have had experiences before and I've
been in races where people have got very
sick by drinking directly from streams.
It's not to say I don't do it. I have
done it when I've been desperate, but
uh this [music] is a Salomon filter that
you can buy. Uh you can buy them guys as
one or you can buy them separately. Um
so, I I bought these a few years ago. I
use them with my soft flasks. Just screw
them They screw on nice and easily. Um
but, it does mean that you don't get a
full 500 mils because this displaces
some of the water. So, and then I also
carried another water bottle because
sometimes I find I don't just want to
carry water. So, I might want to put
Coca-Cola or uh sometimes iced tea, uh
Red Bull, whatever drink it might be,
fizzy water as well. A lot of the aid
stations here have sparkling water here
in Chamonix. So, uh I have a bottle
which [music] doesn't have a filter as
well. So, my Salomon uh soft flasks, I
call I think they're called Hydra Packs
um if you want to try those out. Uh the
only other thing to say is
thank you very much to Protein Rebel. Uh
I always carry a few Protein Rebel gels
whether I'm doing a marathon um or a 50K
um or a big race like OCC or any other
UTMB races. Carry a few of these just to
keep you topped up with energy. Um this
is the uh Maple Ignite maple syrup one
and then the maple coffee energy gel
from Protein Rebel. If you want to get
one of these, uh have a look in the
description of this video, you'll find a
discount code to get yourself some money
off uh some Protein Rebel gels. So,
thank you to Protein Rebel for the gels.
And that is it. That's everything I wore
on my body and everything I packed in my
bag for OCC this year. Now, remember if
you're doing a race and you have
mandatory kit, it might be different
from [music] the kit I have packed in my
bag. So, check the website, check the
information for all the mandatory kit
that you are required to have for your
particular race. Thank you very much for
watching. Don't forget to subscribe to
the channel if you haven't done so
already. If you'd like to watch my
documentary about Tom Evans's win at
UTMB last year, that is linked right
here. I'd really appreciate it if you go
and check that out. It's only 25 minutes
long. It's really good. I promise you'll
enjoy it. So, go check out my Tom Evans
documentary right there and I will see
you guys on the start line next time.