Footwear

High-quality, comfortable, and appropriate footwear is crucial. the market is full of walking shoes, trail shoes, and boots, all designed for the specific terrain you’ll encounter. It can be a minefield I grant you. But I can’t stress enough the importance of this part of your kit, as you’ll be spending a great deal of time on your feet!

The one thing to remember is that what’s great for one person isn’t necessarily the right one for you! So do your research, go into stores or buy online, and try them on, walk around in them, and see how they feel. The other essential thing you must do is to break new shoes/boots in before your challenge! Otherwise you run the risk of getting blisters!!

I wear these Merrell Capra Gore-Tex hiking shoes on many of my ultra challenge events, as they are incredibly comfortable

Socks

Speaking of blisters, selecting the right socks for an ultra challenge is crucial! Not just to prevent blisters, but also to minimise discomfort, and other foot-related issues.

Tips to remember are to look out for socks that are moisture wicking, such as merino wool or synthetic blends. These socks will help to keep the moisture away from your feet. Make sure they fit well, and have an element of cushioning to absorb impact for longer distances.

Thanks to the high merino wool content, these socks at Jack Wolfskin are very comfortable to wear.

On my ultra challenges, I also opt for liner socks. I would recommend Injini’s , as these are so comfortable! Wearing these under my main socks really helps to reduce the risk of getting blisters. But it’s personal choice at the end of the day.

These Injini socks are incredibly lightweight and comfortable

Lastly, on the subject of socks, I always take an extra pair, sometimes 2 or 3 extra pairs!! It all depends on the type of challenge you’re embarking on. For a 100km continuous ultra, it’s crucial to have spare pairs of socks in your armoury.

KT Tape

Ok, so not always essential for everyone, but for me YES! Firstly, I use tape on various parts of my feet, typically those tender spots that I know are prone to blisters. But having some tape with you in your rucksack, can also be really useful if you’re concerned about other muscular injuries. So applying some KT tape on those vulnerable parts of your body before you set off can be a good idea! I tend to buy my KT on Amazon

I always buy my KT Tape at Amazon, especially this brand, as it’s easy to cut and shape, and prevents me from getting blisters!

First Aid Kit

Even though a lot of challenge events have some qualified first aiders at some rest stops, having your own supply of essential medical items is vital. Items include - pain relievers, bandages, blister treatment, sun protection, mosquito repellent, and personal medications.

The Lifesystems Trek First Aid Kit available at Decathlon, is ideally suited to outdoor activities and contains plasters, wipes, bandages and other essential first aid items.

Clothing

I would always recommend wearing moisture-wicking and breathable layers suitable for changeable weather conditions. It’s also vital to pack some spare base layers for longer events

Wear base layers that provide a gentle cooling effect, that absorbs sweat and dries quickly. This T-Shirt from Jack Wolfskin should do the trick!

Taking a fleece, even if it’s a hot day is a good idea. You’re likely to be starting first thing in the morning when the air is cooler, and every time you stop, you’re body will cool down very quickly!

This full-zip women’s hiking fleece from Decathlon, is soft and made from breathable fabric, which will protect you from the cold

Wear comfortable hiking trousers, leggings or shorts. Personally even if it’s raining I tend to wear shorts or trousers with zip-off legs, to avoid over heating. But some good quality, breathable hiking trousers also work well. Leggings are also very popular, and there’s such a wide range of colourful ones on the market. So look out for these if that’s your preference.

Craghoppers Mens convertible II Nosilife Trousers are available at Decathlon

Check out these Urban Classics Women's Ladies Tech Mesh Leggings on Amazon

Waterproof wear

Jacket - Especially important in the UK! At the very minimum you should always pack a light waterproof (preferably gore-tex or texapore) jacket. Last thing you want is to be caught out in the elements!

Craghoppers Mens Talo GORETEX Thermic Jacket at Decathlon, is great quality, and comfortable to wear

Highest Peak 3l Jkt Women’s jacket from Jack Wolfskin, offers full weather protection from TEXAPORE ECOSPHERE PRO STRETCH 3L

Waterproof over-trousers, are worth considering if the weather is likely to become heavy and persistent during your challenge or multi-day hike. These unisex ones in the picture are available at Decathlon and are cheap!

Gaitors also will help to keep your boots nice and dry. These ones in the picture are available at Amazon.

For colder weather, it’s always worth keeping your head nice and warm. Check out this hat at Simply Hike

Also worth protecting your hands from the elements. They can get very painful during extreme cold. These gloves at Decathlon should do the trick!

Hydration

It’s important to ensure you always have plenty of water on you, so you can stay hydrated during your event. You can either carry a hydration system such as a bladder, like this 2L one sold at Decathlon, or use a bottle, as in this 1L one from Jack Wolfskin

I also take electrolyte tablets with me, which I can pop into my water bottle very easily. They are great for restoring salt and potassium. I always buy SIS electrolytes from Amazon

Nutrition

Even though in some events there will be rest stops with plenty of food and drink, you should still need to pack energy bars, gels, and/or real food to fuel your body during the challenge. My go to are Clif bars, as they taste amazing! This multipack is available at Amazon

If you suffer from nut allergies, of course there are plenty of alternatives on the market. Or you could also opt for an energy gel, as sold by Amazon

Navigation

Most of the events I participate in are well signposted. However, depending on the event, a map, GPS device, or compass possibly, might be necessary for navigation. Like me, you may also wish to track your hike, so you can see where you’ve been, and look at all your stats! I’ve worn a Fitbit watch for every ultra event I’ve done, and they work absolutely fine. Much more cost effective than some other popular brands on the market, and they tend to have great battery life! This Fitbit Versa is sold at Amazon

Headtorch

Now, I’ve been on many challenges which I’d have expected to finish before it got dark. However, Anything can happen on a challenge. You could get lost, pick up an injury, or be busy helping somebody else etc. For any of those reasons, ALWAYS take a headtorch!! Most of the events I go into do go through the night anyway, so I always take a spare one as well (with spare batteries or charger). This Petzl, Hf20 from Amazon is ideal.

Communication

Talking of chargers, always take a phone, and a charge bank with you, so you can always find a way to communicate in an emergency (especially in remote areas). This one from Amazon has built in fast charging cables. If hiking on your own, it’s very important to always let your loved ones know where you’ll be hiking. So give them your mapped route if you have one, and location!

Trekking poles

Now I must admit I was a late convert to using poles. Using poles (or at least having them with you) really helps to take a lot of the pressure away from your legs, especially when descending on steep hills/paths. They are also beneficial for keeping your body well balanced, and can even help you to maintain a steady pace if used correctly. I use them at all my challenge events now. You can’t go wrong with these Treklite Compact Trekking Poles available at Decathlon

Rucksack/Backpack

Now you’ve got all your gear sorted, you need something to store it all in!! Unless It’s an overseas trek, I wouldn’t opt for a large rucksack, as this will add on a lot of weight to your back. I tend to opt either for a trail vest, or small to medium sized rucksack (max 30ltrs). It’s amazing how many places you can store all your gear! Most trail vests for instance come with several pockets. Jack Wolfskin has some great rucksacks as seen here. Likewise if it’s a trail vest you’re after, then Decathlon has this great one!

I would add that having a waterproof covering for your rucksack will come in handy…you don’t want your spare clothes and other items to get wet would you!

Thank you for reading! Hope you are enjoying my blogs and resources! If you’ve found them useful, I’d be really grateful if you’d consider using the following affiliate links for your hiking kit. I may receive a very small commission for any purchases made through these links, which are at no extra cost to you. Please know that your trust is important to me. That’s why I only recommend hiking outlets and products that I have verified or used personally.

Thank you for your support, Marc.

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