I normally open all the packets of flapjacks, bars and anything solid. Wrap them all in tinfoil, cut them if necessary into portions if they're large. That way they're really easy to open and the foil crushes down to nothing. Mark them with sharpies if need be too 👍👍👍
For ultras I sometimes put gel in special soft flasks made for gels so there’s no litter and it’s easier to take a gel or two. They usually fit 5 gels.
The thing I really like about all your videos is your enthusiasm and positivity. I wish you and Sarah all the best for next week - it is going to be an amazing adventure!
Hi Ben, you can save weight by taking a very small mobile phone and not your iPhone, also you can take a very light second head lamp, and not the same. Have fun!
"i'm choosing white because it will get really dirty and i'll look really hardcore" haha! awesome. what an incredible amount of stuff. hope you have a ton of fun, living out your dream. i'll have you in my thoughts this weekend :D
Good luck Ben! You've been talking about UTMB for a while now, I hope you get out of it what you expect! I'll be keeping an eye on the website this weekend and hope you have a great race.
Another great video super informative and interesting to so many of us. All the best with UTMB Ben and Sarah. Enjoy what I am sure is a phenomenal running experience. Can’t wait to see the footage and hear how you get on! #GetItDone
Interesting video, thanks - that's a lot of kit, hard to imagine how you can fit it all into your pack! Good luck to you both at UTMB, will be following along from London!
brilliant video ben - thank you - a lot of information and advice on things to try for those of us who are newer at the ultra/trail running game than you. best of luck for UTMB and enjoy. 👍
It would interesting to see how all this fits in your pack and belt and see how much it weighs. I need some inspiration with packing for my ultras coming up
Great video - thank you. I've got Nice in September as my first mountain race, so this is really helpful and exciting to watch! I'll be following your dot on the livestream - I hope it goes well - the very best of luck to you.
I'm with you Ben, I can't stand sticky gels. However, the jellies from Mountain Fuel are essentially gels but without any of the stickiness (they also taste great in my opinion). Well worth a try. Also, they do a selection of energy powder/drinks of various flavours. I took one with me yesterday on a 25km race and accidentally took the 'raw' flavour. I thought I would hate it, but I honestly couldn't tell the difference between that one and the plain water I had with me. You could easily add your squash to it for some flavour if you wanted. (and no, I have no affiliation with Mountain Fuel, I've just tried loads of different nutrition brands and struggle with most as I have a sensitive stomach, thie stuff so far is working really well for me).
I actually love the lemon! Did you know it helps against headaches and migraines if you eat some lemon after caffeine? So in a long effort it can be nice to have
So exciting. Just about to head over to South Africa for the Comrades race on Sunday. Only thing I’m taking is some gels, thinking that’s a hardship, lol. Best of luck, waiting for some awesome footage.
Yes.. I was too scared to add it all up 🤣 as it’s just so expensive. Obviously there are cheaper options possible.. but still, trail running like this is not a cheap sport at all. Will do some maths and add it to the next video
Hi Ben. Thanks for all the epic content. Nutrition wise, do you have a specific calorie goal and how do you prevent yourself from over/under eating? Kit wise, does all that kit fit in the 12L pack? Thanks again and good luck for the race 💪💪
It's funny that you mention Raynaud's syndrome, I have insanely cold hands and feet all the time and I've been tested for various conditions, but a cause still hasn't been found! I wear running gloves most of the time as well... Anyway, good luck for UTMB!
I hope that the sunscreen is “without perfume”. Once I used an ordinary sunscreen with perfume and I was being followed by a bunch of bees for a few hours... Take care, dude! I wish you the best ❤
I'm so jealous - i doubt i'll ever qualify for UTMB! Enjoy guys! Ben, i love your trail hat (legend running cap) - do you have any others like this? different colours etc? i like that i can dunk the whole thing in water like you did on your videos :) Thanks!
Great video, Ben. You are a great runner, far better than me and I don’t know if I should offer my opinion at all! I have done UTMB a few times and I think perhaps you are carrying too much stuff! Have you tried running with it all? Obviously you need all the mandatory kit, but I do think you need to look at all the extra stuff! Is it not possible to film just with the Gopro and a spare battery and leave the grip? There are several items I would change in fact. That shaker thing is massive, better with a collapsible silicon doggy water bowl for food, for example. If you are interested, I could comment on them. Just my opinion though!
Yes I may well drop things en route if they aren’t working. I know making shakes as we go will help get calories in and need a shaker for that. There is never a perfect solution and agree there is a lot. I have no crew, so want to start with everything just in case.
Enjoyed this video but would have preferred slightly more editing of the pauses, corrections, gaps etc personally. Good luck to you both, and enjoy it!
How on earth do you fit all that stuff in your pack?! It would be interesting to know how much the items for your pack cost altogether, along with the entry try cost for the race. Also, are there vegan good options at the aid stations? I know that was an issue last time.
From the regulations: Saharan cap or any combination which completely covers the head and nape of the neck ..so basically the bucket hat with a buff should be enough. Or maybe even just the bucket hat?
Great videos! Thanks for the amazing content and inspiration. I am about to start my trail runner journey. I was wondering, if you or someone in the audience, could tell me, how essential is to have maps on your watch? I would like to purchase a Garmin forerunner 255 or Garmin forerunner 955. Both have maps, however the 955 offers more detailed ones. Thanks a lot!
No need for passport daring the race. You do need it for gear check before the race. Do the gear early or you will wait in a long line. Have you weight the gear without water?
About how much weight will you be carrying with all the kit, food and liquids? Do you ever train with a comparably amount of weight? ... BEST OF LUCK TO YOU AND SARAH!!!
That is a lot of kit to have to carry around with you, how much weight will you be carrying and also what is the total cost of all that stuff?? Must run into a couple of thousand quid?!
Trail running looks beautiful but one of the major things that puts me off is the kit list. So my question is: how much money do you think you've spent on kit that you probably won't use?
@@BenParkes To be honest, I posted my comment about halfway through the video and then you just kept mentioning things you'd bought for the race, so I considered adding exactly that question! I will definitely watch with interest. Best of luck to you and Sarah for the race!
Did the new Salomon pack come with the hard bottom soft flasks therefore you have to go out and buy The soft bottom ones because the hard ones are dreadful. And my other the question is what length socks will you wear as you did mention brambles etc Ben? Good luck to both you and Sarah!!
I’d probably tie it up with some string and get a bigger dry bag for it. There is zero chance of it being a cold race this year though.. so not overly worried.
Hi Ben great video and good luck with the race. Question - why do you dislike running with a bladder? And what is your preferred approach to hydration and why?
I was wondering the same thing! I prefer a bladder because I like the weight on my back instead of bouncing on the front. Obviously I can't answer for Ben, but a big drawback to bladders is that they're harder to quickly refill at aid stations.
A faff to fill up and you never really know how much liquid you have left. Bottles are just easier and find they bounce around less. Everyone is different though, no right/wrong answer!
Great insight into just how much you need to take/consider when running UTMB, wishing you all the best sir! Random Q for you, does the Salamon bladder for your ADV 12 leak? Even when I seal mine it isn’t water tight so if I turn it upside down or start running it leaks out the top. Can’t work out whether it’s faulty or just poor design! Best of luck for the race!💪🏻
Mit Ben here, but I have the same system. Mine does not leak when I run. I will turn it upside down when I use it this week and see what happens if you like.
Mine leaks from the mouthpiece if it's not twisted to closed position. It doesn't leak from the main fill point. When it's full and sealed, turn it upside down and take a sip through the tube to release the air. Or maybe you're over filling it.
Thx Stephanie/Vic. I’ve tried turning it upside down when it’s full and sealed and water just comes through the fill point, even if I have 500mls or less in it. I’ve ordered another and will return this one as it seems they are made to be watertight and mine unfortunately isn’t, appreciate the responses 👍🏻
I normally open all the packets of flapjacks, bars and anything solid. Wrap them all in tinfoil, cut them if necessary into portions if they're large. That way they're really easy to open and the foil crushes down to nothing. Mark them with sharpies if need be too 👍👍👍
Brilliant idea. Will be using this
For ultras I sometimes put gel in special soft flasks made for gels so there’s no litter and it’s easier to take a gel or two. They usually fit 5 gels.
The thing I really like about all your videos is your enthusiasm and positivity. I wish you and Sarah all the best for next week - it is going to be an amazing adventure!
Sauce for the rice..... brilliant. Just when you think you've thought of everything.
Haven't watched a video of yours in a while unfortunately... but I'm loving this sort of "chilled" out Ben! Very pleasant to listen to
Hi Ben, you can save weight by taking a very small mobile phone and not your iPhone, also you can take a very light second head lamp, and not the same. Have fun!
"i'm choosing white because it will get really dirty and i'll look really hardcore" haha! awesome. what an incredible amount of stuff. hope you have a ton of fun, living out your dream. i'll have you in my thoughts this weekend :D
Good watch choice, D C Rainmaker walked the course in a week and the enduro 2 lasted the whole walk
5:08 “maybe you’ve hurt your knee”
*Foreshadowing intensifies*
All the best for the race! Wish you and Sarah a wonderful UTMB journey! Enjoy and have fun!
Good luck Ben! You've been talking about UTMB for a while now, I hope you get out of it what you expect! I'll be keeping an eye on the website this weekend and hope you have a great race.
Good luck to both of you from Cyprus..... we will be following 👍🏻
Good luck Ben & Sarah. Looking forward to hearing how you get on. Awesomely, I have no doubt 😊
Good luck Ben & Sarah, all the very best for UTMB
Best of luck and safe travels! Keep your head on straight! Stoked for how far you've come and conquered fears over the last couple of years 👍🏼
Thanks for sharing and good luck, Ben!
Thanks for putting this together Ben - always find these videos informative. Wishing you both the best for UTMB!
Thank you Richard! 🙂
Another great video super informative and interesting to so many of us. All the best with UTMB Ben and Sarah. Enjoy what I am sure is a phenomenal running experience. Can’t wait to see the footage and hear how you get on! #GetItDone
Thank you Daniel! 😊
Good luck! Enjoy the race!
Looking forward to see a video from it.
Avoid the noodle soup, loads of people puke up after that. Pasta at Courmayeur is a better bet. Good luck 👍
Interesting video, thanks - that's a lot of kit, hard to imagine how you can fit it all into your pack! Good luck to you both at UTMB, will be following along from London!
My thoughts, would be good to see it all packed away.
Running all that way with camera kit too.
brilliant video ben - thank you - a lot of information and advice on things to try for those of us who are newer at the ultra/trail running game than you. best of luck for UTMB and enjoy. 👍
Glad it was helpful! Thank you very much David!
Nice video Ben! . Packing my gear for CCC myself, so very useful - Thanks & best of luck to you & Sarah.
Good luck to you too Jasper!
It would interesting to see how all this fits in your pack and belt and see how much it weighs. I need some inspiration with packing for my ultras coming up
Very best of luck to you both! It will be an amazing experience 🙂
Best of luck to you Ben and Sarah
Good luck with the race Ben… Can’t wait to see the race video.
Best of luck, Ben & Sarah
Great video Ben. Good luck in the race hope all goes as planned.
Best of luck with UTMB Ben, really looking forward to following it online. Not long now!
Good luck 👍
Good luck. I’m sure you’ll have an amazing experience
Good luck, will try to follow your progress on the web.
Good Luck I'm sure you and Sarah will smash it.
I need a rest day shirt!
And best of luck to you both! Hope to be there next year (just qualified a bit ago at MOzart), these videos are so informative and exciting to watch.
All the very best for you both for the UTMB - get it done!!
Best of luck to you both.
Good luck, Ben!
Great video - thank you. I've got Nice in September as my first mountain race, so this is really helpful and exciting to watch! I'll be following your dot on the livestream - I hope it goes well - the very best of luck to you.
Good luck in September Chris!!
Good luck guys! Hope you both have a blast, looking forward to hearing how you get on!
Best of luck with UTMB bud
Ben: Race gear and nutrition advice for 170km!
Me: That’ll be a car and some Greggs then.
Good luccckkkkk!!! have fuuuun!!!! get it doneeeee!
Really enjoyed this vid. Good luck guys.
Arj Barker is my favourite stand up comedian of all time.
Great video and good luck 👍 look foward to seeing you race vlogs.
Great video, very helpfull. Thank you and "Bonne chance."
good luck. u got this!
Good luck!!
Thank you!!
Thanks a lot for this video. I am new to trail running and hoping to participate in the OCC next year.
Good luck to you both!
Very cool. Best of luck.
Great video Ben good luck with the race
Great video! Good luck to you and Sarah 🤗
I'm with you Ben, I can't stand sticky gels. However, the jellies from Mountain Fuel are essentially gels but without any of the stickiness (they also taste great in my opinion). Well worth a try.
Also, they do a selection of energy powder/drinks of various flavours. I took one with me yesterday on a 25km race and accidentally took the 'raw' flavour. I thought I would hate it, but I honestly couldn't tell the difference between that one and the plain water I had with me. You could easily add your squash to it for some flavour if you wanted.
(and no, I have no affiliation with Mountain Fuel, I've just tried loads of different nutrition brands and struggle with most as I have a sensitive stomach, thie stuff so far is working really well for me).
I've just paused at one minute in. UA-cam on my phone isn't going to cut it for this video. I'm switching to the television. Best of luck for UTMB.
Think you forgot to show the suitcase you'll be towing behind you. Very best of luck dude.
This is gonna be awesome ! 😊🤙
Jim Gaffigan’s standup routine about how camping and hiking suck would be good for a few laughs while you’re out there.
I actually love the lemon! Did you know it helps against headaches and migraines if you eat some lemon after caffeine? So in a long effort it can be nice to have
Good that you’re taking a spork as I’ve heard that they don’t have any at the aid stations.
Thats were s helpful thanks alot 😅
So exciting. Just about to head over to South Africa for the Comrades race on Sunday. Only thing I’m taking is some gels, thinking that’s a hardship, lol. Best of luck, waiting for some awesome footage.
Great content. Not an ultra runner, but very fascinated by it and follow alot of athletes. Can’t wait to hear more about your experience!!
Thanks for the great video! Would be fun to see the total cost of all the mandatory gear needed for UTMB.
Yes.. I was too scared to add it all up 🤣 as it’s just so expensive. Obviously there are cheaper options possible.. but still, trail running like this is not a cheap sport at all. Will do some maths and add it to the next video
Hi Ben. Thanks for all the epic content. Nutrition wise, do you have a specific calorie goal and how do you prevent yourself from over/under eating? Kit wise, does all that kit fit in the 12L pack? Thanks again and good luck for the race 💪💪
GOOD LUCK!!!!
Good luck Ben! Just wondered how much it all weighs? Be good to see it all packed up, sounds like so much stuff!
Yes, I haven’t weighed it yet!! Too scared!
Wow, it's a lot of stuff all together to be carrying around! Best of luck to you both
It's funny that you mention Raynaud's syndrome, I have insanely cold hands and feet all the time and I've been tested for various conditions, but a cause still hasn't been found! I wear running gloves most of the time as well...
Anyway, good luck for UTMB!
I hope that the sunscreen is “without perfume”. Once I used an ordinary sunscreen with perfume and I was being followed by a bunch of bees for a few hours... Take care, dude! I wish you the best ❤
Great video!!
Can't wait to see how you guys are going...I'm sure you're smashing it✌️👊
Best of luck Ben & Sarah. Might see you out there, I'm running CCC this year. By the way you don't need a Sahara hat if you have a Buff+cap.
Really interesting: thank you.
Good luck at the race to both of you. I’ll be racing OCC. maybe I can spot you in the crowd.
Good luck!!
I'm so jealous - i doubt i'll ever qualify for UTMB! Enjoy guys! Ben, i love your trail hat (legend running cap) - do you have any others like this? different colours etc? i like that i can dunk the whole thing in water like you did on your videos :) Thanks!
Great video, Ben. You are a great runner, far better than me and I don’t know if I should offer my opinion at all! I have done UTMB a few times and I think perhaps you are carrying too much stuff! Have you tried running with it all? Obviously you need all the mandatory kit, but I do think you need to look at all the extra stuff! Is it not possible to film just with the Gopro and a spare battery and leave the grip? There are several items I would change in fact. That shaker thing is massive, better with a collapsible silicon doggy water bowl for food, for example. If you are interested, I could comment on them. Just my opinion though!
Agree, drop the shaker & bring something simple.
Yes I may well drop things en route if they aren’t working. I know making shakes as we go will help get calories in and need a shaker for that. There is never a perfect solution and agree there is a lot. I have no crew, so want to start with everything just in case.
Enjoyed this video but would have preferred slightly more editing of the pauses, corrections, gaps etc personally. Good luck to you both, and enjoy it!
How on earth do you fit all that stuff in your pack?! It would be interesting to know how much the items for your pack cost altogether, along with the entry try cost for the race. Also, are there vegan good options at the aid stations? I know that was an issue last time.
From the regulations: Saharan cap or any combination which completely covers the head and nape of the neck
..so basically the bucket hat with a buff should be enough. Or maybe even just the bucket hat?
I also came to this conclusion, no saharan hat, just an alternative needed!
No need for Saharan cap thankfully, not going to be superwarm by the look of it.
..but bucket hat or caps plus buff would do the trick.
Great videos! Thanks for the amazing content and inspiration.
I am about to start my trail runner journey. I was wondering, if you or someone in the audience, could tell me, how essential is to have maps on your watch?
I would like to purchase a Garmin forerunner 255 or Garmin forerunner 955. Both have maps, however the 955 offers more detailed ones.
Thanks a lot!
No need for passport daring the race.
You do need it for gear check before the race. Do the gear early or you will wait in a long line.
Have you weight the gear without water?
Good Luck! Take the hand straps off the poles...
They really help a lot
@@BenParkes If they help then that's good 👍
I found for me they just got in the way.
About how much weight will you be carrying with all the kit, food and liquids? Do you ever train with a comparably amount of weight? ... BEST OF LUCK TO YOU AND SARAH!!!
Only really carry everything in races, so have done that many times over the years. It’s a lot though!!
Not sure if you can call Greenwich Central London. More South East London if you ask me. 😆
Awesome video. If the weather does not change will you be swapping out your shoes part way or keep the same ones on your feet for the whole race?
I’ll have shoes in my drop bag, just in case I feel like a fresh pair.
That is a lot of kit to have to carry around with you, how much weight will you be carrying and also what is the total cost of all that stuff?? Must run into a couple of thousand quid?!
Hi Ben! Where do you get the shuffles? Do you get them used?
Trail running looks beautiful but one of the major things that puts me off is the kit list. So my question is: how much money do you think you've spent on kit that you probably won't use?
I have a 'how much did it cost me to run UTMB' video coming up in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned!
@@BenParkes To be honest, I posted my comment about halfway through the video and then you just kept mentioning things you'd bought for the race, so I considered adding exactly that question! I will definitely watch with interest. Best of luck to you and Sarah for the race!
Did the new Salomon pack come with the hard bottom soft flasks therefore you have to go out and buy The soft bottom ones because the hard ones are dreadful. And my other the question is what length socks will you wear as you did mention brambles etc Ben? Good luck to both you and Sarah!!
Hi Ben how would you carry out the Patagonia jaket in case is needed? BEST of the lucks at UTMB‼️
I’d probably tie it up with some string and get a bigger dry bag for it. There is zero chance of it being a cold race this year though.. so not overly worried.
@@BenParkes Thank's my dad Will also run the UTMB and eas worried about that. Now much better
I don’t understand why a cup is mandatory if you’re already carrying at least a liter of fluid capacity.
Hi Ben great video and good luck with the race. Question - why do you dislike running with a bladder? And what is your preferred approach to hydration and why?
I was wondering the same thing! I prefer a bladder because I like the weight on my back instead of bouncing on the front. Obviously I can't answer for Ben, but a big drawback to bladders is that they're harder to quickly refill at aid stations.
A faff to fill up and you never really know how much liquid you have left. Bottles are just easier and find they bounce around less. Everyone is different though, no right/wrong answer!
Surely your long sleeve is not 180g in medium? 🤔
Good evening, I was wondering if anyone would know what size I would be in the Distance Z poles? My height is 5ft and 7 and a half inches. Thank you.
Will there be a tracking link for us dot-watchers?
I’m sure there will be. I’ll add it to the next video
Doesn't Salomon offer a pole quiver that attaches to the pack? Have you ever used that?
Yes, I have one. Just prefer the naked band. Spreads the weight around a bit.
Great insight into just how much you need to take/consider when running UTMB, wishing you all the best sir! Random Q for you, does the Salamon bladder for your ADV 12 leak? Even when I seal mine it isn’t water tight so if I turn it upside down or start running it leaks out the top. Can’t work out whether it’s faulty or just poor design! Best of luck for the race!💪🏻
Mit Ben here, but I have the same system. Mine does not leak when I run. I will turn it upside down when I use it this week and see what happens if you like.
Mine leaks from the mouthpiece if it's not twisted to closed position. It doesn't leak from the main fill point. When it's full and sealed, turn it upside down and take a sip through the tube to release the air. Or maybe you're over filling it.
Thx Stephanie/Vic. I’ve tried turning it upside down when it’s full and sealed and water just comes through the fill point, even if I have 500mls or less in it. I’ve ordered another and will return this one as it seems they are made to be watertight and mine unfortunately isn’t, appreciate the responses 👍🏻
You probably want to return it if it’s leaking. It shouldn’t do that.
The adv 12 pack is it still good to run in on shorter runs less full or just having the water in pouches or does it move around a lot?