UKC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-30204133

I'm not a runner, but am often struck by how tight the margins are with regard to warm gear and emergency readiness on cold hills. If this guy had been walking up Ben Nevis in that gear he'd have been crucified for it.

In reply to tranthe:
The main take away from that is look after your group, not the clothing issue.

In reply to Stig:


+1

In reply to Stig:

Yep. Couldn't help thinking that when I read the article.

In reply to tranthe:


You don't normally walk up big hills in the gear you'd run them in.

In reply to petestack:


Indeed, and are therefore rather more screwed if you get injured and stuck. Running in the hills might, deceptively, be some of the most serious mountaineering I do.

In reply to tranthe:

Yes. A waist pack with compass, whistle, head torch, A4 photocopied map in a plastic bag and a lightweight jacket would be my minimum kit. Weighs nothing, getting slightly misplaced would have been quickly remedied.

In reply to DancingOnRock:

We'll yeah, in this case, if they didn't know where they were going they should have had some kind of navigation. To go up any hill rather than down suggests he didn't know where he was going.

In reply to tranthe:

I got déjà vu reading that, then I checked the date, 2014.

In reply to DancingOnRock:


Agreed, especially if the run was later in the day. He said he was hampered by gathering dark etc. These incidents get a whole lot more serious when daylight runs out and the temperature really drops!

In reply to tranthe:

I remember having my breakfast before heading off for a long-ish trail run. My though process was:

Shall I take my phone?
Don't really want to as it means carrying a larger bag
[Turns page on morning paper]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15301031
Right, OK, I'll take the phone then.

Rob

In reply to tranthe:

Hard to understand why he didn't just keep going down hill. It's not far before you hit forest trails and then road.

In reply to DaveHK:

Good spot.

Still, worth a reminder.

In reply to DaveHK:


November 2014 at that - in which case you should be going out prepared for bad conditions.

In reply to summo:

I don't know how you could look at your feet for so long to get that lost!

In reply to tranthe:

When I head into the mountains, whether on my mountain bike or running I naturally want to travel as light as possible but I always ask myself the question, 'What is the least amount of kit I can take with me and not die if things go tits up?'
I accept that I might be very cold and uncomfortable but I always keep my own safety/survival in mind, whether it's an hour run or a 50km bike ride.

In reply to Wainers44:

It really depends.

I'd run up Snowdon and other 3000-4000 ers with nothing. Sometimes not even a shirt.

But I lived there and knew the mountain and knew when to turn back.

Here in the US its similar, I'm up at 4000ft a lot minimally dressed. But in winter here I am far more careful noto to get caught above the treeline.

Running is great and it feels great to be so light but that comes at a price and sometimes you have to turn back far earlier than with more standard gear.

In reply to Roadrunner5:

If the ground is really familiar then the temptation is certainly there to take little or nothing. I think time of day is relevant to that too. I regularly run on Dartmoor without kit usually without a map because I know getting lost isn't an issue. Know the ground shape and it isn't that hard...mind you a compass can be handy to avoid an unplanned long run. Starting a run late or in the dark I do carry the basics just in case.

In reply to Wainers44:
I get caught every autumn watching stunning sunsets then think 'shite, no torch..'

Here its just trees trees trees, so its very much mountainous trail running apart from at the very highest elevations. But even now I'm often running without a flashlight around 6:30-7:00 pm and take numerous face plants from not seeing roots.

Around me its all below the natural tree line but many local summits are now treeless due to historic fires but the treeless sectons are literally a few hundred meters long.

My main worry is runners thinking a 200g jacket is as good as a 500g jacket. Its not. There is a compromise. That thin gar just buys you time to get down, not time to it out a storm. Once you are immobile thin waterproofs are no protection from the cold.

In reply to Roadrunner5:


I don't think that having a 400g jacket vs a 200g one is going to offer much more performance warmth wise.....

In reply to Dark-Cloud:


You might be surprised by the difference in warmth between a super lightweight running shell and a full weight one. The rain pastes the lighter ones onto your skin or baselayer and then the wind sucks the warmth out of you. Not nearly so noticeable with a heavier waterproof.