WSER Gear Check
While my excitement for @wser continuously levels up, I’m in tune leveling down the attractiveness of my blogging subjects haha ;-) Quick and dirty, here’s the stuff I’m most likely gonna use between Squaw Valley and Auburn:
Garmin Fenix 6X Pro - I’ve been relying on Garmin’s Fenix series ever since I started running around in the mountains and never got disappointed. Especially the bigger models have enough battery life for 30+ hours of tracking without even switching to ultra mode. I still haven’t decided yet if I will use my Garmin for listening to music as well, because I will bring a phone to the trails anyway. I will have the race course on my Garmin but only switch it on, when I’m lost. Other than that I will probably only use the "timer" display during the race.
Salomon Adv Skin 5 - Heavy duty running vest for long hours with almost endless storage space. I’ve never used a vest bigger than 5l. Instead I improved my packing and storability of my gear to a level, that I can even fit in the extensive mandatory equipment for CCC/UTMB in a 5l vest. Yes, that’s possible. Fortunately I don’t have to carry that much stuff during Western States, but I am very much used to drinking from 500ml flasks and stowing real foods in my side pockets, so the vest is my first choice. However I might switch to…
2x Nathan Speed Max Plus - Hand bottles. Just for the sake of Western States I started practicing with these little helpers very early in my preparation and lo and behold: it works outs perfectly! My plan is to use hand bottle for shorter stretches between 2 aid stations and during the day, when the heat is on and I don’t want my back to be fully covered with a running vest. Also after a couple of hours my shoulders and neck will most likely start to hurt because of the weight on my shoulders. So I will use the hand bottles as an alternative. The Nathan Speed Max Plus has a large opening to easily fill in ice cubes and it ergonomically close to perfect for big hands like mine.
Lupine Neo headlamp - Everyone (except @walmsleyruns) will have to run into the night at Western States. If you ever did this, you knows how important it is to blindly rely on your headlamp. Lupine delivers the illumination of the headlights of a truck (if you want this) and fits my head perfectly. It is not the lightest headlamp, but one battery pack brings you through a whole night and then some. In case of emergency you can even use the battery pack to charge your phone.
Wrightsocks Coolmesh II Quarter Socks - Often overlooked but very important gear. You might not care about a blister on a 3h training run, but if this happens during a 24+ hours race, it is absolutely decisive for the outcome. Wright socks have 2 layers which makes chaffing almost impossible. They also dry very quickly after river crossings and are soft enough to give you good leisure-like feeling all day.
Patagonia Strider Pro Shorts 7" - I’m not too passionate about running shorts. This one is lightweight, drys quickly and carries my phone. That’s all I ask for.
Still secret (t.b.a.) new Willpower Collection - As for Shirts, hats and jackets I will be bringing some very last minute creations from my own running clothing brand. Not entirely selfless, that the collection launch will be simultaneously with Western States.
Shoes? I already discussed this in another blog post. Fuel? I will be writing about this very soon!
Now let’s get on with the day.
PS: I use this gear because I like it, not because I get it for free or any other form of compensation to mention it.