Post #2 Kit checks

Below is an overview of the procedure for kit checks at and during the races, plus some advice for making it as quick and painless a process as possible on the day.

We will break Kit Checks into 3 areas:

Pre-Race

Registration/Kit check on the day

During the race

We will also cover the topic of what happens if you lose or forget something and the consequences and possible penalties should that occur.

Pre-Race

We try to give you as much information as possible about the kit required at the time you enter and the most current kit list and guidance is available via the website before you sign up so you can see the requirements before entering.

Once entered you can review the kit list or download it from the website participant area.

The kit list document sets out the criteria and standards for each item on the list to help you confirm your kit will meet the standards.

If you are still not sure about an item of kit meeting the requirements or you would like some advice then you can email myself directly using the email address written on the kit list in 9 different sections. It’s even a blue hyperlink on the PDF kit list to make things easy.

You can obviously ask about kit on the FB group but be aware that advice may be incorrect or out of date. Generally asking for opinions about kit of FB is useful, such as what shoes, jacket or pants do people prefer on the event. Asking for definitive answers of a bit of kit passing, then it’s usually best to email me direct to get the correct answer.

All of this should mean before the race you have the resources to plan and test your kit well before the race and then arrive at Kit Check on the day relaxed and confident all your kit will pass.

Kit Check on the day

On the day there will be a strict procedure to register and carry out kit checks.

Kit check will be the very first part of that process, if you do no pass kit check then you do not get to continue the process and register and eventually start the race. You will not be allowed to start the race without having all the kit required. This is not negotiable and is for your safety.

In summer you are kit checked outside before you enter the village hall/YHA in Edale/Hawes and in Winter you will enter the building and the first thing you do is kit check at a couple of desks with the kit check team.

What items you get checked is based on the last digit of your race number, for example if your last digit is number 8 you will have either a full kit check or a set group of about 10 items from the 31 items on the list. I do not know your race numbers until the day so the system set out means 20% will get full kit check done and everyone else will get around 10 items checked and I can’t pick people for specific items before the race. It’s a randomised system and as fair as I can get it. If you are missing multiple items you will be upgraded to a full kit check for your safety and our confidence that you do have the right kit.

If you are missing stuff or you kit is not up to standard then you can either leave and go and get the required kit or if we have spares in my spare supplies then we can sell you a replacement. I will have spares in common things we find people fail with from goggles to sleeping bags. We can take cards or cash and make no money on anything we sell. I buy the spare kit from my own money to sell on to hopefully help fix problems at kit check and avoid telling people they cant start.

For overseas travellers we will have some gas cylinder’s with screw top fixing (£5) and we will also have the green needles at 50p per pair. We will have a pre printed price list for everything else at kit check. If you do not want to source a replacement from us then you can go to the outdoors shops in Hathersage if you have time to buy a replacement.

Once your kit check has been passed then you sign a form to say what we checked and your kit checker also signs it and we keep it as a record in case of disputes later on about what was checked or passed. Anything borderline or contentious is noted on there for reference up the course at further checks.

Then you are free to continue the registration process, the kit check should take 5-10 minutes at most.

A few things you can do to help speed up the process.

• Double check all your kit before you leave the house or hotel, Its not unheard of for people to leave kit boxes on the bed at home! Is it all there?
• Have your kit ready to be viewed, Having it loose in a box or bag is fastest, but if you have it in your pack already please don’t be grumpy when we keep asking you for stuff out of the bottom of it! No matter how nicely packed it is we will ask you to get it all the way out so we can check it properly.
• Expect to get stuff out of drybags and open stuff up fully, we will want to to unroll your base layers for example so we know you have not brough kids sizes or 3/4 length sleeves or legs!
• Don’t vacuum pack or shrink wrap stuff as we will make you open it, It will never go back in the same and we don’t just do it to see your face when all the air hisses out!
• If you think a bit of kit is borderline and you have not checked it with me beforehand then consider bringing an alternative that is suitable or have your money ready. We will stick to the required standards for everyone.
• If we tell you something does not pass, accept it and find or buy a replacement. Whoever is checking your kit will call me over for a final decision but if it’s a fail, arguing won’t help matters or change our minds. I am impervious to crying from either sex and do not cry while watching Bambi or Watership Down. They are romantic comedies to me!
• You will be asked to demonstrate you can show us a grid reference on your GPS device and that you have the route on it. it’s best to turn on your GPS device outside the building and get a location first. Once in the building you will not pick up a signal easily. We will just send you back outside.
• If you have home made food try to label it or have an idea of calories otherwise we will need to try and work it out. Also don’t get to kit check and say it’s in the fridge back at the hotel. We need to see enough food to meet the requirements. Please take note of the limits on types of foods.
• We will do everything we can to fix a problem with kit but help us by not having problems to fix.

During the Race

At every checkpoint during the race you will get a small amount of items checked, this will range from 5-10 items depending on which CP you are at.

These items won’t be checked until you have finished packing away your drop bag and are ready to leave the CP. Please do not grump at the CP staff who will ask you to get out stuff from your freshly packed rucksack. The reason we check after you have finished and are ready to leave is because if we did it when you stuff was still all over the floor next to your drop bag its far to easy to forget to pack it properly or leave it behind.

The aim is to ensure you have the right stuff when you leave and not just when you are in the CP. You will not be told which items are being checked beforehand as we want you to think about packing all the right kit and not just focussing on a select few.

Penalties for lost kit and missing items.

If you are found to be missing an item when checked you will be asked to retrieve it from your drop bag if you have forgotten to pack it or lost it. If you are missing more than 1 of the items being checked you may have a full or more detailed kit check to ensure you are taking the correct items onto the trail.

Lost and missing items are reported to me by the CP staff and based on a discussion with the CP staff and myself we will decide whether to apply a time penalty as detailed in the Penalties section of the kit list document. It will be my discretion if we apply or waive those penalties based on circumstances.

If it’s a genuine loss of an item on the trail that’s very different to not packing the item for the next bit of trail. If we decide to not apply a penalty then the next time you are missing a bit of kit we will apply the penalty.

Any red or amber list items must be replaced before you will be allowed to leave the CP regardless of how long that may take. Even if you don’t get a time penalty you will have to wait until you replace it before continuing. If you do get say a 1 hour penalty but it takes 2 hours to source a replacement you still get the 1 hour deduction for the penalty from the clock. If a time penalty or delay replacing a bit of kit takes you over the cut off time for that location then you will be considered timed out of the event.

If you are missing something and don’t have a spare then we will try to source a spare bit of kit for you as soon as possible by either someone loaning you something or myself coming to your location with a spare item if we have it.

Please note that the race, volunteers or other competitors are under no obligation to sell, loan or give you an item you have lost in order to continue the race. If they do then it’s at their discretion and they can apply whatever arrangement for loan, purchase or return as they choose.

Inevitably some items may be impossible to replace at short notice but I will carry spares of commonly lost things based on previous races, it may take a period of time to get said items to you and there is always the risk this may take you over the cut off time. No additional time will be allocated for this process.

Look after your kit well and consider spares for commonly and easily lost items like, Hat’s, Gloves, Maps, Red lights and Headtorches which are the most common things we replace.

This post is meant as a guide resource to get you through kit checks with little fuss and understand we are here to help you and robust kit checks really do help with your safety and protect you.

Lindley

Post #3 onwards will start focussing on the kit list items and advice.

Post #1 – The How and Why of the Kit List

As many of you know my role at the Montane Spine Races is one of Equipment Manager.

It’s my job to review the kit list each year and update and adjust it after each event. I work with the Race Directors and various teams on the event to ensure we have the best kit list for the event and any updates take into account previous issues and incidents.

I also write the policy and procedures around penalties for missing or lost items and how those are applied fairly to those who choose to or accidentally leave something behind. There needs to be a deterrent to not carrying the kit but that needs to be applied and managed fairly and compassionately.

During the race I set up, along with a small team of volunteers, the kit checks and supervise them as well as making decisions about suitability of kit if there are any concerns. This may mean refusing a bit of kit and asking for it to be replaced with something more suitable that passes the kit list.

I then wander around the race setting up the kit checks at Checkpoint locations and being on call to support those locations with advice, decision making or to acquire spare kit to bring to a location to try and ensure someone can continue if possible and thankfully very rarely to make the difficult decision to stop someone’s race due to missing kit.

The How

How did we get to the current kit list format from what existed previously on the race?

In 2017 the kit list looked like this

These items must be worn or carried at all times during the 2018 MONTANE® Spine® Race and
Spine® Challenger. For your safety event staff may spot check your equipment, to ensure you are
carrying all of the items listed below.

1. Backpack
2. Compass and Maps (examples below)
   a. Harvey Maps 3x Pennine Way
   b. A-Z Adventure Map Series Pennine Way
   c. UK OS Maps
3. GPS
   a. GPS Watches and Smartphones are NOT PERMISSIBLE
4. Whistle
5. Goggles
   a. You may also wish to carry a pair of sunglasses
6. Knife
7. Head Torch with 1 set of spare batteries
   a. A set of spare batteries must be carried at all times
8. Waterproof Jacket with a hood and taped seams
9. Waterproof Trousers with taped seams
10. Hat
11. Gloves
12. Spare Socks (1 pair)
13. Neck Gaiter
14. Base Layer Top
15. Base Layer Bottoms
16. Appropriate layering for Mountain/ Fell Running
17. Appropriate footwear for Mountain/ Fell Running
18. Kahtoola Microspikes/ Yaktrax/ Similar ice spikes
19. Sleeping Bag – Please check that your sleeping bag meets the following:
    a. RECOMMENDED – COMFORT RATING
    i. SUB ZERO/ 0C = PASS
    ii. 1C TO 3C = PASS (WE RECOMMEND AN ADDITIONAL LINER, NO COTTON)
    b. ACCEPTABLE – COMFORT LIMIT RATING
    i. 0C = PASS
    ii. 1C TO 3C = PASS WITH ADDITIONAL LINER. SILK OR FLEECE (NO COTTON).
    c. If your sleeping bag has no indication of its thermal performance provided by the
    manufacturer, or has no rating, the bag will not be considered and you will need to
    use an alternative.
    d. EXAMPLE: Montane Prism Sleeping Bag, 5c Comfort/ 0c Comfort Limit Rating. This
    would pass as Acceptable with no additional liner.
20. Roll Mat
21. Shelter, choose one of the options:
    a. Option 1: Tent + Bivvy Bag
    i. Tent users must also carry a Bivvy Bag
    b. Option 2: Bivvy Bag
22. Gas or liquid fuel stove with one pan to produce hot water
    a. Jet Boil, Mini Trangia etc
    b. 100g Gas Canister, Full Trangia Stove etc
    c. Solid Fuel stoves are not acceptable
23. Waterproof matches/ and or lighter
24. Spork or similar
25. 2l Water carrying capacity
26. 3000kcal of food (inclusive of the food you consume racing)
    a. SPINE RACE: 3000kcal of food carried from the start with a full resupply at CP3 &
    CP5.
    b. SPINE CHALLENGER: 3000kcal carried from the start.
27. Mobile phone
    a. Charger in your drop bag
28. GPS Tracker
    a. Provided by the Event Organisers/ Tracking Company to be returned

As you can see the list has not changed that much in 5 years, this was at the point that I started to be involved in the kit checks but it was not yet a dedicated role. That would not happen till 2020.

A few factors have meant the kit list has evolved over the years to be more specific and detailed. Mostly to help participants make good decisions and give them a platform to start from and build on. But also to protect participants from poor decision making and judgement or lack of experience and ensure they have the bare minimum to sit on the hill with a broken ankle waiting for help in a storm or have the best chance of completing the race they paid a substantial amount of money for.

Race Growth

What has changed dramatically over the last 10 years and especially the last 4-5 years is the growth of the race. In 2017 it barely filled up with two distances in winter and no summer races. Those who entered had heard about the race from others rather than social media and were usually already very experienced at this type of event. They mostly had very good experience of UK bad weather and already knew the type of kit suitable for events of this type.

As the race has grown over the years it has attracted a much more varied field to the challenges, with the addition of summer races and two more distances that has further increased the variation in the background and experience of the participants.

With more participants from Europe and further afield this increases the variation in sills and experience.

On the whole that’s a good thing for everyone, the race, participants and the sport but it does bring challenges. The old kit list above being very vague and a little lacking in specific detail meant many of the items where more open to personal interpretation.

Experience, Skills and Confidence

Based on your personal experience, abilities and confidence or even risk acceptance you may interpret a specific item’s need or requirement differently than someone with different skills or pace for example. You may simply not have experience of bad UK hill weather and may choose to carry kit that is lighter and less durable because you do not expect to need it or have never needed it in the past..

A good example is that in 2017 we added the minimum requirement of 3,000kcal at the start and leaving CP3 and CP5. We did this because we had participants who had underestimated their calorie needs in the race and were having to go off route to shops or taking loads of food away from checkpoints. Some were carrying very little to save weight and bulk expecting that they could buy much more on the way. Experience and time on the route would have told them that there is not much open in winter but not everyone had that experience.

Responding to incidents

A good example is the sleeping bag requirement, many chose to carry much lighter 3 degree rated bags with a very light silk liner, but after several rescues where participants were found huddled in sleeping bags it was clear people were not using the liners and therefore were colder than they should have been. We then changed this rule to stop that happening.

The Goggles requirement is another good example, there was no detail so people came with any type of goggles from work safety goggles to fully reflective Ski goggles. We had 26 eye injuries in 2018 and a couple of quite serious ones. I was asked why this was happening. After I spoke to many runners and from my own observations I concluded that may were wearing heavily tinted goggles. This meant in the dark they were removing them and the rain, hail and wind was causing injuries from debris and ice being blown around. We banned all tinted lenses and added the requirement to seal properly around the eyes. We rarely get eye injuries now unless someone forgets to put their goggles on early.

Complaints

Sometimes people do silly things and the race needs to react to ensure we are addressing concerns from the public or landowners.

This years addition of a Poo Kit is a great example

Last January (2022), we had several places where participants had decided to visit the bathroom in a highly inappropriate spot.

1st was the car park at Edale, then at Snakes Pass by a gate and then a farmers barn proved a very popular place! This resulted in complaints, then the final one where someone left a deposit outside a woman’s kitchen window in Dufton while she watched really was the straw that broke the camels back! The race team discussed this and the decision was taken that although it’s hard to control the people who would do this we can ensure that the kit they carry allows for the proper handling and disposal of waste. It’s a bit of kit that should never have needed to be on the list but here we are.

The kit list has become more detailed and specific in part to help combat all these factors.

The Why

Why is the kit list so prescriptive and detailed with little flexibility?

Fairness

Everyone should carry the same kit and be held to the same standard regardless of ability. It’s fair for all to carry the same amount of kit. Yes some will be able to fund lighter kit or be sponsored but everyone carries the same items and that at least is fair and equitable. You are not racing someone with half the kit you have because you followed the rules. It happens elsewhere but not on the Spine Races.

Minimum Standards

If you all carry the same kit with the same performance standards it shows we setting out minimum kit standards and taking responsibility for your care throughout the race.

Safety

The kit we make you carry is there to give you the minimum required kit to see you through the race and average expected conditions. It’s also to ensure you have the ability to get in your sleeping bag and bivvy on your roll mat and sit out a storm until help gets there should you pick up an injury and not be able to get yourself of the hill. Every participant and safety team knows what you have in your bag and can help you into your stuff without having to use any of their own vital kit to help you. We know you have it because we made you take it and check it’s still there along the course.

Easily checked at Kit Check and along the course

If kit is clearly defined on the kit list then it’s easy to check at kit check and along the course, there is less interpretation needed by an individual along the course as there is a black and white standard to apply. e.g. Your cup must be a minimum of 400ml, Plastic or metal and have a handle. If it does not fit that description then it fails. Checkers dont have to have decide if it looks good enough. It’s a pass or fail.

To stop people bending the rules

People love to get one over on rules, we all want to bend the rules at times.

They generally fall into 2 categories:

Weight weenies – who will push the rules to the limit to ensure they can carry the lightest, smallest least functional bit of kit they can get away with. These are usually the fast guys and girls who are aiming for records and have a high skill level. But if we let them carry lighter stuff then everyone wants to and our standards and safety levels fall. Fairness is always important too as we have to be seen to be applying the same standards to back of the field runner as the leaders.

Contrary people – who don’t agree with a bit of kit being a requirement and want to ditch something or carry their own version that they think is better suited. Whether it is or not may be debateable but we have to apply the same standards for all for the reasons already stated.

Both types will push the limits at times and find ways to bend the rules slightly, from carrying kids socks or children’s size base layers to reduce weight to those wanting to use zip lock bags as soft flasks. The more ways people find to bend the rules the more prescriptive the list gets to shut those loopholes.

It makes my job fun

Post #2 will be about what to expect at kit check.