Trail running kit: the complete checklist

Trail running kit: the complete list, from your first trail to ultra

Choosing your trail running kit can quickly feel overwhelming: shoes, hydration pack, waterproof jacket, poles, head torch... Do you really need to buy everything before your first outing? No, you don't. In this guide, we go through the kit you genuinely need for your level and distances, what can wait, and what race organisers require you to carry. The advice comes from the field: it's what our guides and mountain leaders repeat on every guided outing.

Where to start? The 3 essentials for beginner trail runners

If you're new to trail running, there's no need to empty a sports shop. For your first outings on the trails, three things are enough:

• A pair of trail running shoes: the only piece of technical kit you really can't do without from day one.
• Breathable clothing: a technical T-shirt (no cotton) and a pair of running shorts or tights, which you probably already own.
• Something to drink from: a soft flask or a small bottle belt as soon as your outing lasts more than an hour.

Everything else (trail running pack, poles, GPS watch, head torch) will come naturally as your outings get longer or when you sign up for your first race. It's better to have less kit, but good kit that you've tested in training. That's one of the benefits of a guided trail outing, too: our guides help you check your kit choices in real conditions before you invest.

Trail running shoes: the one purchase you can't skip

Compared with a standard running shoe, a trail shoe has a lugged sole for grip on muddy or stony ground, stronger lateral support for sloping terrain, and often a toe guard to protect your toes. Running on trails in road shoes is possible on dry, smooth paths, but risky as soon as the terrain becomes technical.

How to choose your trail running shoes

• Your terrain: 3 to 4 mm lugs for smooth paths, 5 mm or more for mud and mountains.
• Distance: the longer you're out, the more cushioning and comfort matter over lightness.
• Size: go half a size to a full size up from your usual one, as your feet swell on descents and over long distances.
• Drop and cushioning: stay close to what you already know from road running to avoid injuries while you adapt.

One piece of advice our guides always give: never wear a brand-new pair on race day. Allow 3 to 5 outings to break them in.

What to wear for trail running: the 3-layer system

In trail running, and especially in the mountains, the weather changes fast: you can set off in sunshine and finish in fog at 2,000 m. The golden rule is the 3-layer system, adapted to the season:

• Layer 1 (breathable): a technical T-shirt that wicks away sweat and keeps your body dry. Avoid cotton, which stays damp and chills you.
• Layer 2 (insulating): a micro-fleece or thermal long sleeves for cool outings, to wear or to tuck into your pack.
• Layer 3 (protective): a waterproof, breathable jacket with a hood. It's the key piece in the mountains, and it's compulsory in most races (a membrane rated at least 10,000 Schmerber is recommended).

Complete your outfit with shorts or tights depending on the temperature, technical anti-blister socks (a small detail that makes all the difference beyond 2 hours of running), a cap or headband, a neck gaiter, and light gloves from autumn onwards. In summer, add sunglasses and sun cream: the sun is much stronger at altitude than in the valley.

Trail running packs and hydration: what capacity should you choose?

As soon as your outings go beyond 1 hr 30, or you're heading out self-sufficient, a trail running pack (or hydration vest) becomes essential. It carries your water, your food and your safety kit without bouncing around. Here are the recommended capacities:

Distance / outing	Pack capacity	Recommended hydration
Short outing (< 1 hr 30) or trail < 15 km	Belt or 2 to 5 L pack	1 x 500 ml flask
Trail 15 to 30 km	5 to 8 L pack	2 x 500 ml flasks
Trail 30 to 60 km	8 to 12 L pack	2 flasks + reserve (1 L minimum)
Ultra-trail (> 60 km)	12 to 20 L pack	1.5 to 2 L + electrolyte tablets

Choose a close-fitting model with flask holders on the shoulder straps so you can drink without stopping. Try it on loaded: a pack that feels comfortable empty can become torture once it's full. For nutrition, take bars, gels or dried fruit that are easy to eat on the move, and add electrolytes to your water for long outings or in very hot weather.

Compulsory race kit: what organisers require

Signing up for your first race? Almost all trail races require compulsory kit, checked when you collect your race number or through spot checks on the course. The list varies depending on the distance, the elevation gain and the weather, and it's always set out in the race rules, but here is the common core:

Equipment	Short trail (< 25 km)	Long trail / ultra
Water reserve	500 ml minimum	1 L minimum
Food reserve	Often recommended	Compulsory
Waterproof jacket with hood	Depending on the weather	Compulsory (waterproof, breathable membrane)
Emergency blanket	Compulsory (1.40 × 2 m min.)	Compulsory
Whistle	Compulsory	Compulsory
Charged phone	Compulsory	Compulsory (organiser's numbers saved)
Personal cup	Common (eco-responsible races)	Almost always required
Head torch + batteries	Not required	Compulsory (often 2 head torches in ultras)
Warm layers, hat, gloves	Not required	Depending on the rules and weather

Try not to see this list as bureaucratic box-ticking: every item could save the day. If you sprain an ankle two hours' walk from the nearest village, the emergency blanket protects you from hypothermia while the whistle helps rescuers find you. Our mountain leaders carry this kit on every outing, even in training.

Poles, head torch, GPS watch: the accessories that make a difference

Trail running poles

On routes with a lot of elevation gain, poles take the strain off your legs on the climbs (up to 20% of the effort is transferred to the upper body) and make technical descents safer. Choose three-section folding models in carbon or aluminium, and above all learn how to use them: poles used badly cost you more energy than they save. It's something we work on in practice on our mountain trail running courses.

The head torch

Essential if you run early in the morning, late in the evening or in a night-time event. Aim for at least 200 lumens to run comfortably on trails, and 400 or more for fast night descents. Check the real battery life on full power, and always carry spare batteries or a spare battery pack in a race.

The GPS watch

Not essential when you're starting out, but a trail running GPS watch soon becomes a valuable ally: elevation tracking, navigation on a GPX track (very useful for not getting lost when recceing a route), and pacing and heart rate monitoring. For ultras, look at battery life in GPS mode first.

Trail running kit checklist: the list to print

To get started (outing < 1 hr 30):

• Trail running shoes suited to the terrain
• Technical T-shirt + shorts or tights
• Flask or bottle belt
• Cap and sunglasses, depending on the weather
• Charged phone

For a 15 to 40 km trail:

• Everything above, plus:
• 5 to 12 L trail running pack with 2 flasks
• Waterproof jacket with hood
• Emergency blanket + whistle
• Food: bars, gels, electrolytes
• Anti-blister socks and a small first-aid kit (second-skin plasters)
• Folding poles if there's a lot of elevation gain

For an ultra-trail:

• Everything above, plus:
• 12 to 20 L pack, 1.5 to 2 L water reserve
• 2 head torches + spare batteries
• Warm layers, hat, gloves, waterproof trousers depending on the rules
• Long-life GPS watch with the route loaded
• A nutrition strategy tested in training

Adapting your trail running kit to the season

Trail running kit for summer

Heat is the number one enemy of the summer trail runner, much more than distance. Go for light-coloured, ultra-light, ventilated clothing, a legionnaire-style cap or a headband that protects the back of your neck, and category 3 sunglasses (category 4 in high mountains, but ruled out on fast descents as they're too dark under tree cover). Increase your hydration capacity by at least 50% compared with what you normally carry, and always add electrolytes: plain water isn't enough to make up for the loss of mineral salts after more than two hours of effort in high heat. Remember sun cream too, factor 50, on the back of your neck, your ears and your calves, the areas people always forget. Finally, spot the water points along your route (village fountains, mountain huts): it's a habit our guides pass on during every summer outing.

Trail running kit for winter

Winter doesn't mean the end of trail running, but it does change what you need to carry. The 3-layer system really comes into its own: a long-sleeved thermal base layer, a thin fleece and a windproof, waterproof jacket. Add thermal tights, a hat or headband that covers your ears, gloves (two pairs on long outings, with a dry spare pair in your pack) and a multifunctional neck gaiter. On your feet, merino wool socks and, if the trails are frozen or snowy, removable microspikes that slip onto any trail shoe. A head torch is almost a must given the short days, and a power bank for your phone is a welcome safety net: cold drains batteries twice as fast. One last point that's often overlooked: set off feeling slightly cool. If you're nice and warm standing still, you'll be overheating after ten minutes of running.

The 5 most common kit mistakes among beginners

Guiding trail outings all year round, our guides see the same mistakes again and again. You may as well be spared them:

1. Buying everything at once: the full outfit at €800 before your first outing, only to find the pack doesn't suit you and the poles are gathering dust in the garage. Buy as you go, based on what you actually need.
2. Trying out new kit on race day: new shoes, a new pack or even new socks are a sure recipe for blisters and chafing. Everything should be tested in training, in conditions close to the race.
3. Underestimating mountain weather: setting off in a T-shirt because it's sunny in the valley, then finding yourself freezing in fog 800 m higher up. Take your waterproof jacket even when the sky is blue.
4. Neglecting socks: spending €150 on shoes and then running in €2 cotton socks. The result: guaranteed blisters. Technical socks are some of the best value for comfort in all your trail running kit.
5. Running with a badly adjusted pack: a pack that bounces around tires your back and irritates your shoulders. Take five minutes to adjust all the straps, with the pack loaded, before you set off. It's exactly the kind of adjustment a guide will correct at the start of a guided outing.

Looking after your trail running kit so it lasts

Well-maintained kit lasts twice as long, which is as good for your wallet as it is for the planet. A few simple habits: rinse your shoes in clean water after muddy outings (never in the washing machine or on a radiator, which can unstick the soles) and leave them to dry stuffed with newspaper. Wash technical fabrics at 30 °C without fabric softener, which clogs the breathable fibres. Re-proof your jacket once or twice a year with a water-repellent spray, as soon as water stops beading on the surface. Empty and dry your flasks and hydration bladder after every outing to prevent mould. Finally, keep an eye on the wear on your soles: worn-down lugs on muddy ground mean a guaranteed slip. Allow 600 to 800 km of life for a pair of trail running shoes.

The best test of your kit? An outing in the mountains with a guide

You can read all the guides in the world, but nothing beats being out on the terrain. On our trail outings led by qualified mountain leaders, you test your kit in real conditions, learn how to adjust your pack, use your poles, manage your hydration and read the terrain, with an expert eye to put right anything that needs it before your next race.