If you’re thinking about starting trail running, one thing to consider is how your clothing might change. We’ve found a shift in what we’re wearing. This article will cover what road running staples have stayed the same, what's changed and what's new. Plus, our recommendations before making a purchase!
What's stayed the same?
Socks and underwear: the same principles apply for road and trail. Light, breathable, comfortable, anti-chafing. Find a brand that works for you and stick to it. We use bridgedale coolmax socks and Bonds Active trunks. No blisters, no chafing.
What's changed?
Shoes: Good runners are arguably the most essential piece of kit. Finding the right pair that suits your running style can take years and once you’ve found them don’t let go! That said, have you ever tried to hike in trainers? This is what running a trail can be like in shoes designed for the road. The lack of grip on more technical terrain makes it harder to pick your footing, which may lead to slips or a lack of confidence to really enjoy yourself and let fly.
Shorts/Tops: Most sweat wicking shorts or tops are suitable for road running. When we run on the trails, especially for longer distances, breathability and comfort become even more important. There are several questions we ask of our clothing:
- How light are they?
- How well does the fabric wick moisture?
- Is there protection from potential branches/ bush?
- Will it chafe (nipples, legs) even when wearing a hydration pack?
When we started running on the trails over half of our running kit was sidelined to midweek, road sessions because they didn’t perform in one of some of these categories. I remember the weight of one pair of shorts almost doubling with the amount of sweat it carried after a long, midday run – making the final KMs even harder.
Recommendation: Test your existing kit. You don’t need to go and buy a ‘trail running’ specific top or shorts straight away – it may already exist in your wardrobe. We’ve tested multiple brands and ranges and found these 2 Nike’s ticking all the boxes. Nike trail shorts and Nike ultra-knit techfit. Unfortunately this t-shirt line has now been discontinued and the search has started again. Maybe we’ll make one to solve our problem…
What’s new?
Hydration pack: One of the biggest draws of trail running is the ability to run miles and miles without seeing anything or anyone apart from the great outdoors and nature. That means, no shops, no water fountains, and the need to be self-sufficient to fuel your body, especially on longer runs. A hydration pack is a key purchase that allows you easily carry water, food and additional clothing on those longer runs away from the world.
Recommendation: Similar to the shoes, you only need to invest here if you’re serious as they can be quite expensive. Similarly, you can run without food/water for almost 2hrs so depending on the type of trail runs you are planning on this might not be a purchase you need. If you’ve decided to make the purchase - Buy well, buy once. Depending on the events you are planning to participate in the mandatory kit list can change. This will impact the size you need. For smaller comfort you can’t go wrong with this Salmon Adv skin 5 set. For more inspiration have a look at this article from Run and Become.
Calf compression: Extra miles and different terrain underfoot can work new muscles and put extra stress on your body. We found our calves were taking a pounding. After some research into compression we tried these sleeves. They’ve been great at helping increase the blood flow and improve performance during and recovery after our runs
Recommendation: Runners choice! If you are finding soreness in a particular area it might be worth looking into some compression wear. We use the 2XU compression calf sleeves for our long runs or hard tempo/ hill sessions.
Hats: It has to provide protection, be lightweight, comfortable, durable and sweat wicking. The strap, cap and brim material are so important in delivering these results. We’ve put performance over long distances in the toughest conditions at the centre of our designs to ensure they meet the high standards all runners have. Finish off your kit list with one of ours!
The list can get longer, many longer ultras events require mandatory kit lists including weatherproof seemed jackets, headlamps, maps, first aid kit. Plus we haven't even started on nutrition. It’s an exciting process to build your new kit list and become self-sufficient for hours outdoors!