Mountain Designs trail running gear and Salmon race vests are great options
We’re big fans of Aussie brands and Mountain Designs are one of the originals. Their founder Rick White was there at the first GeoQuest in 2002 to see what Adventure Racing was all about and he loved it!
Mountain Designs have been supporting adventure racing ever since so we’re very happy to recommend their gear. We’ve personally been using their gear since the 1990s and we love that they keep the costs down for really high quality gear made from great materials.
There are some absolute essentials when it comes to Adventure Racing, they’re on the gear list for safety reasons as much as comfort. And then there’s a few nice to have things that increase the fun and comfort on the day.
Thankfully with Mountain Designs expanding range you can fully kit yourself out for an awesome adventure no matter whether it’s 6 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours or longer!
It’s important to note that we are sponsored by Mountain Designs and that the links below are affiliate links so we get a small commission back on any sales. But if you’re wanting to buy gear or clothing, using these links helps us grow the business and keep delivering great adventure racing events!
Our PICK of MOUNTAIN DESIGNS GEAR FOR A 6hr Adventure RacE
Before we make recommendations, there’s a few essential concepts to understand when choosing what to wear on race day – the first is that your clothing must be made from fabric that is moisture wicking (moves the sweat away from your body) and dries quickly so you don’t have clingy cold wet clothes on all day. Synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon do this well and natural fabrics like merino do too.
Cotton clothes are a big no-no for adventure based activities as they get wet and stay wet, becoming heavy and dangerously cold when the temperature drops. Mountain Designs trail running tops and pants are excellent choices and they look good too. It’s also worth checking out Mountain Designs Merino and synthetic socks – they’re all great quality in a range of thicknesses depending on how cold or wet the race will be. Try Merino for a bit of extra luxury!
It would be wrong of us not to mention sun safety – we’ve been eyeing off Mountain Designs Legionnaires hat for a while as a good fun option for racing – it’s a fun option that gives extra protection, especially on the kayak.
If the weather on race day is looking wet or cold, you may want to add a few layers. The best strategy is a long sleeve thermal top made of polypropylene or merino with a rain jacket over the top if it’s windy or wet. Mountain Designs make excellent thermals and their light weight Stratus rain jackets for both women and men are excellent choices. If the weather turns for the worst you’ll really appreciate having these with you.
We’ve finished off our clothing list with Salomon trail shoes – they’re very tough and can take a beating. Like everything this is a personal choice as everyone is different, but Salomon have been around for years and are a good choice.
Women’s Clothing essentials:
If it gets cold or wet you could throw in these as extras:
Men’s clothing essentials:
If it gets cold or wet you could throw in these as extras:
What about bike pants and bike shoes?
As 6hr adventure races are quite short and you swap disciplines often, many racers skip the bike pants and bike shoes. They just wear their favourite running shorts and trail running shoes with flat pedals.
If you absolutely must wear bike pants (we understand) you should check out shorts made for triathletes. They have a thin pad that doesn’t chafe while running, adds a bit of extra comfort on the bike and doesn’t soak up water when youre kayaking.
Brands like 2XU make an excellent product in this space that has been a favourite of adventure racers for many years.
Mandatory Gear everyone needs
You don’t need to carry much gear on a 6hr adventure race, just your first aid kit, water and any food. The Mountain Designs 6L Hydration pack is a great entry level pack that is tough and has enough space for everything you need. It come with a 2.5 litre bladder which is essential on a 6hr race in the Aussie Bush.
There are more technical packs out there from brands Salomon that are lighter, but they’re also a lot more expensive so we’d recommend holding back on expensive gear until you know what you really want.
Mandatory gear options:
How do you pack it all?
That can be the subject of another post
