What to Carry on Mountain Training Runs
The gear you actually need for big training days in the mountains. What to carry, what to skip, and how to keep your pack light.
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The Short Version
If you’re heading out for 3+ hours in the mountains, you need water, calories, a way to filter more water, a layer for weather, and a way to see in the dark if things go sideways. Everything else is terrain-dependent.
The Essentials (Every Big Day)
These go in your pack on every mountain training run over 2-3 hours.
Hydration Vest
The Salomon Advance Hydration Vest is a solid option — lightweight, fits well, and has enough pockets for everything on this list.
You need a running-specific vest, not a hiking daypack. It should hold 1.5-2L of water and fit snugly without bouncing. The front pockets should hold soft flasks and food within reach.
Look for one with enough storage for your layers and filter without being too big. You don’t want a 12L pack for a training run — 5-8L is the sweet spot for most mountain days.
Water Filter
On training runs over 3 hours in the mountains, carrying enough water for the whole effort is heavy and impractical. A filter lets you refill from streams and stay light.
I use the Katadyn BeFree 1L. It’s 2 ounces, filters fast, and fits in a vest pocket. The Salomon XA filter is another solid option — it’s the one recommended in the Crazy Mountain 100 race docs.
Tip: Test your filter on training runs before race day. Know how long it takes, practice the squeeze, and figure out where it lives in your pack.
Calories
For efforts over 2 hours, you need to eat. Roughly 200-300 calories per hour. Bring more than you think you’ll need — you can always bring food home, but you can’t conjure it on a ridgeline.
What works for most people:
- Gels for quick energy (simple, light, fast)
- Bars or chews for variety
- Real food on really long days (PB&J, wraps, rice balls)
Test everything in training. Your stomach at hour 5 is a different animal than your stomach at hour 1.
Emergency Layer
Mountain weather changes fast. A lightweight wind/rain jacket that packs into its own pocket is non-negotiable. Even on a bluebird day, a ridge at 10,000 feet can go from warm to hypothermic in 30 minutes if clouds roll in.
I use the 33,000ft Lightweight Waterproof Rain Jacket. It packs small, breathes reasonably well, and costs a fraction of the premium options.
Something in the 5-8 oz range that’s waterproof (not just water-resistant). You’ll carry it 90% of the time and be very glad you have it the other 10%.
Headlamp
“But I’ll be back before dark.” Maybe. And maybe you’ll take a wrong turn, roll an ankle, or just move slower than planned. A headlamp weighs 2-3 ounces and could save your life.
The Black Diamond Rechargeable Headlamp is a good pick — rechargeable, bright enough for singletrack, and light enough to forget it’s there.
Carry it on any run where you could be out past sunset, even if you don’t plan to be.
Terrain-Dependent Gear
Add these based on where you’re running.
Trekking Poles
If your race course has sustained climbs over 15% grade, you should be training with poles. They save your legs on long climbs and give you stability on sketchy descents.
I use the LEKI Ultratrail FX.One. They’re carbon, foldable, ultralight, and stow fast on a vest. That last part matters — you need poles you can deploy and put away without stopping.
When to carry them:
- Training runs with 3,000+ feet of climbing
- Any run specifically targeting power hiking technique
- Runs on your race course or similar terrain
When to skip them:
- Flat or rolling trail runs
- Speed work and tempo runs
- Runs under 2 hours on moderate terrain
Practice deploying and stowing them while moving — fumbling with poles at mile 80 is not when you want to learn.
Bear Spray
If you’re running in bear country, carry bear spray. Period. It’s 10 ounces. That’s the weight of two gels. It’s not optional in places like Montana, Wyoming, or Colorado.
Keep it accessible — chest strap holster or front vest pocket. Buried in your pack is useless.
Navigation
Your phone with a downloaded offline map. That’s it. You don’t need a dedicated GPS unit for training runs. Download the map before you leave service.
Apps like Gaia GPS, AllTrails, or CalTopo all work. Pick one and learn it. Know how to follow a track and find your location when trails get faint.
Sun Protection
Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses. Above treeline, UV intensity is significantly higher. A buff or neck gaiter pulls double duty as sun protection and warmth.
Anti-Chafe & Comfort
This stuff isn’t glamorous but it’ll save you on long days:
- Squirrel’s Nut Butter — the best anti-chafe balm I’ve used. Apply it everywhere friction happens before you head out.
- Nipple protectors. Fellas, do not skip this on anything over 2 hours. You will regret it.
- A bag with toilet paper. Backcountry emergencies happen. A small zip-lock with TP and a trash bag weighs nothing and saves you from a very bad day. Pack it out.
- Expandable towels. I carry Big Otters compressed towels — they’re the size of a quarter until you add water. Good for cleanup, cooling down, or first aid.
First Aid (For Real)
Most gear lists tell you to bring “a few strips of tape.” That’s fine for a 2-hour run in the park. If you’re 3 hours deep in the backcountry on a remote ridgeline, you need to be able to handle real problems until help arrives.
Here’s what I actually carry:
- QuikClot clotting gauze — stops serious bleeding fast. Falls on rocky terrain can open you up.
- CAT Tourniquet — I know, it sounds extreme. But a bad fall on a talus field miles from a trailhead is not the time to wish you had one.
- Rolled gauze + medical tape — for wrapping anything from blisters to sprains to wounds
- Leberna emergency blanket — warmer and more durable than the cheap mylar ones. If you or someone else goes hypothermic or can’t move, this buys time.
- Emergency whistle — a full-size one, not the toy whistle on your pack’s chest strap. Three blasts is the universal distress signal. Carries farther than your voice when you’re exhausted.
This isn’t paranoia. This is backcountry running. Cell service is unreliable, trails are remote, and rescue can be hours away. The weight penalty is a few ounces. The peace of mind is worth it.
The “Long Day” Add-Ons (5+ Hours)
For your biggest training days — the ones simulating race conditions — add:
- Extra socks in a zip-lock bag. Dry socks at hour 5 are a luxury worth the ounce.
- Extra calories. Bring 50% more than your hourly target. Long days have surprises.
- Collapsible cup. If you’re training for a cupless race, practice using one.
- Electrolytes. Plain water isn’t enough past 3-4 hours. Salt tabs, drink mix, or electrolyte capsules.
- Aquatabs. Water purification tablets as a backup to your filter. They’re tiny, weigh nothing, and if your filter breaks or freezes, you still have clean water.
- Warm layer. A thin fleece or puffy (4-8 oz) if you’ll be above treeline or the temps will drop.
- Gloves and hat. Weigh almost nothing. Hypothermia risk is real in the mountains even in summer.
What NOT to Carry
- Too much water. If you have a filter and there are streams on your route, 1-1.5L is plenty between refills. Water is heavy — 2.2 lbs per liter.
- Anything you haven’t tested. New gear on a big training day is almost as bad as new gear on race day.
- Your ego. If conditions turn, cut the run short. The mountain will be there next week.
My Actual Pack List
Here’s what I carry on a typical 5-hour mountain training run with 5,000+ feet of climbing:
| Item | Weight |
|---|---|
| Salomon Advance Hydration Vest (5-8L) | 8 oz empty |
| 1.5L water (two soft flasks) | 3.3 lbs |
| Katadyn BeFree filter | 2 oz |
| Aquatabs (backup) | <1 oz |
| 33,000ft Rain Jacket | 6 oz |
| Buff | 2 oz |
| Black Diamond Headlamp | 3 oz |
| LEKI Ultratrail FX.One poles | 16 oz |
| Bear spray | 10 oz |
| Phone | 6 oz |
| 1,500 calories (gels + bars) | 12 oz |
| Electrolytes + Aquatabs | 1 oz |
| Squirrel’s Nut Butter | 2 oz |
| First aid kit (QuikClot, tourniquet, gauze, tape) | 6 oz |
| Leberna emergency blanket | 3 oz |
| Emergency whistle | 1 oz |
| TP bag + Big Otters towels | 2 oz |
| Total | ~7.5 lbs |
A little heavier than the ultralight minimalists, but I’d rather carry an extra pound than bleed out on a ridgeline. Everything has earned its spot through actual use.
Training Your Gear
The point of carrying gear on training runs isn’t just safety — it’s practice. On race day, you need to:
- Know exactly where everything lives in your pack
- Eat and drink without stopping
- Deploy and stow poles smoothly
- Put on layers without losing 5 minutes
- Filter water quickly
Do all of this on training runs so it’s automatic on race day. Every long run is a gear rehearsal.
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