When is race kit not enough?

I know I've banged on about being on the hill with enough kit a few times recently, this may be the last time I mention it for a while.
Bear with me- it is a slightly different take on the last couple, though the punchline is much the same.

Bimbling off the hill in the rain the other day I was thinking about what kit I had with me (glad I packed the eVent top, not the pertex one), and the responses I get from people when they head out onto the hill on their own. The answer is invariably "It's ok, I've got race kit with me".

All well and good, but let's examine what that means for a moment:-
"Full race kit" pertains to what is required in an AL (A Long) race in the Fellrunning world. It should have- at a minimum, full body, taped waterproof covering (ie. waterproof top and bottoms), a hat, gloves, compass, map of the route and, in some cases, emergency food. (in the occasional race, an emergency blanket/bag is required, but this is vanishingly rare- and generally for the much longer and adventurous routes).

Don't worry- I've got race kit with me... Does that include a torch? Coz we're going to need one...

This is fine as far as it goes, and I can totally see the point of all of that for racing. When you are in a race, generally speaking you are on the same approximate route as a good number of other people- between 30 and, oh, let's say 300. A decent number of people know, pretty much, exactly what your intended route is, and there may well be a number of marshals on the route ticking you off as you go through a checkpoint.

The main thing is that if you turn an ankle, go down heavily, crack your head open, get hypothermia or do something else gnarly to yourself, the chances are there is going to be someone else along in a minute, doing the same race, who (hopefully*) won't abandon you to your fate, will also have full race kit, and can help you- and if that isn't enough, soon enough there will be another, and another etc. So as long as you don't tell them that you have enough help, you'll soon have a right party of people, theoretically with full race kit- if not more to help you in your situation.

(*of course they won't we're fellrunners... we don't do that)

The minimum amount of kit is great in this situation because you probably aren't going to be on your own for too long, and with any luck, there will be a bunch of you in the same place at nearly the same time.

If you've read my previous blog about the amount of time it takes for mountain rescue to get to you, you might see where this is going.

Heading into the hills on your own with full race kit might seem like it is a good idea, because, hey, that's what you use in an AL race, so it must be good, right?

Let's examine this one for a moment:-
On your own the situation is very different. Full race kit may well not be enough to help you be safe in the hills should something go wrong - (even in "summer"). You can't guarantee that someone else is going to be along in just a minute, no-one else is really on the same kind of route you are, others might not know what course you are taking and there are no marshals to check you off and no other competitors to come past you to get you a helping hand. This does NOT mean you are being unsafe in this situation, it simply means that you need to pay attention, be aware of the dangers, and be intelligent about your kit choices. 

The lightest running jacket and trousers, a tiny hat and a pair of gloves is not really sufficient to keep you warm and alive (not happy... that doesn't even come into the equation)- so if you're out there on your own, or with a friend, think about supplementing your "race kit" with some further stuff. It doesn't need to be heavy or deleterous to your "style"- but it might help save you, a friend, or some random person you happen across on the hill's life.

Get out there and enjoy yourselves. Be responsible.