Walking (&MRT) gear 2021

 Having had some comments and feedback about the Running gear that I'm using at the moment (Jan 2021), I was looking through my kit and thought there are some useful bits and bobs that I'm also using

on a fairly regular basis, just not for running. Call it walking- or MRT kit- that doesn't actually fall into the running category. 

As a continuing education for those who don't know about Mountain Rescue, everyone is a volunteer in MR, and although we do get some kind of kit either as a national or a local team, we don't get everything needed to go on the hill and so our hillgoing kit is very much personal and funded by each individual. 

The majority of teams will give out the following clothing:

Goretex jacket and pants/salopettes, primaloft "belay" jacket, paramo windproof, baselayers. 

Other kit will include a radio a helmet, eye and hearing protection for around helicopters maybe a search torch and a head torch and spare batteries. 

With that in mind, here is what I'm using for bimbling around the hills (sometimes at a pace). 

Baselayer

As before, I use Helly Hansen lifa baselayers. When it gets cold I use the "Warm" hellys, which are merino layers with a lifa backing. I use these as I have ecsema and Merino on its own really doesn't work on my skin. 

Midlayer

Over the baselayer the best thing I have ever used, bar none- is my Mountain Equipment Ultratherm.

Grid fleece backed pertex top, big zip pocket that you can roll the whole thing into for storage, full zipped AND it has an amazing hood- which zips away. Windproof, but not waterproof, it's a little too warm for anything faster than a slow run, but for walking- brilliant. ME keep making it, and then not making it, and then making it again. I don't know where they are on the cycle at the moment. They make something kind of similar with a much fluffier fleece in it- the Kinesis Jacket- but I don't think it is windproof

Warm layer 

Although I have an abiding love for my berghaus hypertherm, for walking I have a full zipped rab primaloft jacket. It's about the same weight as the Hypertherm in terms of insulation (so it really is not a full on belay jacket), but along with the other layers, it is plenty warm enough for all the stuff I need it for. (I don't think they even make it anymore- the closest they have is the Xenon jacket). Looking at Ultralightoutdoorgear the closest you're going to come is a Zipped Patagonia nanopuff, a Haglofs LIM Barrier or a Montane Icarus type thing

In MRT terms, we have a Buffalo special 6 and a Mountain Equipment Fitzroy- which is a brilliant bit of kit. The Buffalo gets used sometimes, but the fitzroy is carried or used ALL the time.

Waterproof

I have a "walking" waterproof- its a Goretex proshell (mountain hardwear Argon... crikey Ive had it
since 2010!) that I picked up cheap somewhere. It's *ok*, but not a lot more that I can say about it. The hood is nowhere near as good as my old Mountain Equipment Changabang, it's actually probably more of a climbing jacket than a walking jacket, and I'd much rather wear my OMM Aether smock. To be honest, I barely use the Argon and would prefer to buy another one- but don't really have the need to. 

In MRT terms we have a proshell. It depends on the team which Goretex jacket you get. Some go with the ME MRT Kongur, I've seen paramo, there is an Arcteryx version. etc,

So I couldn't find a picture of me in waterproofs. So have a look at this one instead.

Trousers

I should call this "legwear" really. I used to swear by softshell trousers in the hills, until I finally got around to buying a pair of Powerstretch tights. They are normally sold as Baselayer, but I now use them as a matter of course when walking (or MRTing) on the hill. They're warm, have a fair amount of windproofness about them, dry quickly, and feel fine with a pair of waterproof trousers over them. Ok, they aren't the most dignified bit of kit in the world, and I *probably* wouldn't go to a pub in them, but in terms of kit that works. These Work. 

Waterproof trouser-wise, I use the Montane eVent trousers mentioned in the previous blog if its not really going to be that bad. If the weather is properly minging, then its straight on with a pair of Mountain Equipment Hardshells (probably the Kongurs, but I don't remember). I have a personal pair and a pair for MR use. Bombproof. If I'd have bought a pair of Rab, or Arcteryx, or whatever, I'd probably be saying the same thing. Whatever the brand, if you're going to be out in crap weather, they are VERY much worth investing in.

Footwear

I have to confess to not really wearing boots anymore at all. I just got fed up of having leaking boots. I must have sent back 3 pairs of the same damn boot after wearing them for a grand total of 6 walks that ended up leaking. Just not good. So I accept Im going to get wet feet and wear fell shoes. The inov8 Arctic Claws are my preferred shoe now as I can fit 2 sets of socks in them at the same time (as in a liner and a neoprene). Unfortunately- as with quite a few things here, you can't get the things anymore! Such a shame.

Rucksacks

I have a couple, ok, 3... no, 4 walking rucksacks according to the needs of the walk. The Massive one is a Montane 70 litre Grand Tour which takes everything and more. It truely is a ridiculous size. As ever, its an old version, but there are other 70 litre packs around.

The one I use mostly for day hikes and battering around hills is the OMM Adventure 20, which, unsurprisingly, as with all my stuff, they don't make any more. However, they DO make a new version with a zip pocket rather than a clip.

The larger 35 litre is the OMM Jirischenca, it used to be my MRT sack as well, but is now for lightweight camping adventures. 

The one I currently use for MRT is a Salomon Peak40. It fits everything in it and has an inordinate amount of pockets around the harness to keep radios, phones, masks, gloves, snacks, compass, extra lights etc. to hand for immediate use. I really hate having to stop and get stuff out of my bag when on a shout- if it is all to hand, so much the better. The back is a bit long for me, and I'd love to try an Outweek 38+6 with the short back length, but unfortunately Im not made of money! (and it looks like it might soon not be made anymore.... Classic.

Poles

Leki Micro Vario Carbons. Got them for the Spine. Used them on and off ever since.  

Gloves

As previously mentioned, I tend to use Mitts these days. I have a really old pair of Montane Extreme mitts with Goretex outers and a pair of Montane resolute mitts. When One of those is drying I borrow Lynnes Primaloft Mountain Equipment Mitts. I have no idea which model they are, but they are LOVELY. 

It' quite nice going through all your stuff and working out what you do and don't use. The most obvious thing that I've noticed doing this little exercise is just how much of my stuff has proved to be really robust and resilient over a number of years. So much so that there are a number of items that you literally cannot buy any more. 

I've also noticed that I have quite a lot of stuff by Mountain Equipment. This is partially because they have a factory pretty close to us and occasionally have factory sales, and partly because the stuff just seems to fit me well. 

I know that clothing companies have to stay in business, and they have to keep making upgrades and different clothing lines, changing things through seasons, and that is fine. It is also evident that the lighter weight you go, the more fragile the item. This is one of the reasons why I still haven't invested in a Shakedry jacket yet. Don't get me wrong. I'd love to have one, but simply can't justify the cost for the fact that I'm probably going to trash it within a few months.

At the end of the day, when you're talking about the relative merits of waterproofs I am reminded of a test I did back in 2009. There were 5 of us in brand new jackets, from ME, Arcteryx, Rab, MHW and someoneelse that I can't remember. We did a day of scrambling in the wet in Wales. By the end of the day we were ALL wet through. A waterproof will NOT keep you entirely dry, no matter how much you spend on it. Have a read of the review of Mike Parsons book- and then read the book.

Epic day out. Doesn't matter what you're wearing. You're going to get wet.

 

Running gear 2021

Having written a couple of blogs recently, and looked back over the archive of stuff that I have used and reviewed over the years, I realised there isn't much there from recent times. 

What better time to have a quick delve through what I'm using for running than right now, as I've just been out? I've started unfollowing "professional" runners who just seem to use their insta and social media accounts to advertise/show off their "new season" bling from their sponsors. It kind of annoys me, especially in these days of "reduce/reuse" if you can. 

Everything here has been tried and tested, used, battered, sometimes repaired, and has earned its place in my Every day winter running kit. 

Bag

Salomon 12 litre SLAB running vest. Size M/L. I'm not particularly big in terms of height or chest size and imagined that I'd be a S/M. Apparently not. In SLAB sizes - at least in their running vests, I appear to be medium/large. Bought this last year as a replacement for my previous Salomon 3litre vest that is dying an ugly death. The stretch is going out of the lycra, everything bounces all over the place, but it has been on the go on my back since 2016- and was a demo model in a shop for at least a year before that. (I've just realised that the version I'm running with is actually the 2016 version as well! No idea what the new version is like)

Waterproof

OMM Aether Smock. I love this smock. It is eVent rather than Goretex. In the past decade I've had 3 OMM jackets. A Cypher and 2 Aethers. This replaced my most recent Aether which was 5 years old and falling apart. It has the pocket on the outside (yay) and an EXCELLENT hood. (I have a bit of a bugbear with running jackets with crap hoods- if I need to use the hood, it needs to be fit for purpose, not just a flappy thing that looks like a hood). If you're looking for criteria for a waterproof jacket, I'd say that fit, especially hood fit is absolutely key. The best fabrics are much of a muchness these days, so go for fit). 

Warm Layer

Berghaus vapourlight hypertherm (non hooded). I love this jacket. It's been going since 2015 and it gets shoved in the pack pretty much every time. With one side turned out I can run in it, with the other side out, it is a windproof thermal layer. It fits over everything if necessary- but unfortunately doesn't have any pockets to speak of. I prefer it to other versions of the same kind of jacket (montane fireball verso, inov8 thermoshell etc) because it has a slightly baggy fit which means it is fast to put on and take off when you're in a bit of bother. No struggling with tight fit- just straight on. Love it.As you might be able to tell, you cant get it any more- but it seems you can get the Montane prism jacket, or the fireball, and the patagonia nano-puff is always a fave. 

Base layers

To be honest, I only use Helly Hansen Lifa. I get pretty bad ecsema and have found that the Helly fabric works well for me. In the winter I have the Merino version which has Merino on the outside and helly fabric bonded to the inside. An excellent piece of kit if you can't stand Merino on your skin (which I can't)>

Gloves

Ah- a problem that endures through the ages. I think my hands have got worse through the years in terms of feeling the cold. At this time I've settled on a 2 mitt system. The warm part of the system is the Montane Prism Mitt. Light, warm- packs down to nothing, and the waterproof bit (insofar as anything can be called waterproof) a pair of Extremities Tuffbags. Even lighter, even more packable. Flipping amazing bits of kit. When it gets proper baltic I also use a chemical handwarmer as well. Yes- it is disposable, and very annoying, but I'm trying to find feasible alternatives. As I say, my hands have got worse recently, so an external heat source has in fact saved the day a few times. 

Sunnies

Oakley Splitjackets. 2 types of lenses. No. You can't buy these anymore. I have no idea what I'm going to replace them with when they eventually break

Socks

Rooster socks. That is all. 

I was introduced to these a few years back. Shaped, thin neoprene socks that are made for sailing. I always wear a very thin running sock on the inside, next to skin and Rooster socks over the top. Yes, they can be a bit snug in shoes, but I wouldn't run without them. No, they do not keep you dry- that is not the point, they keep you wet and warm. 

Headwear

I have an old Ronhill hat. No idea where it came from (and no, the link isnt to the one I own.... I suspect it is a very very very old version of it). It packs down to nothing and keeps my head warm when I need it to. It's brilliant. There is also a Salomon race cap, which is for sunny days. The reason for this (slightly more expensive than it really needs to be) hat is because it has a very flexible brim and can pack away very small when you don't need it. A thing to note here though, is that because the brim is pretty thin and flexible, if you're running in medium to high wind, the had stays on your head, but the brim tends to flap around a lot. Very annoying. 

I also have innumerable buffs. There are one or 2 floating around various bits of bog in Britain, but only because I had no idea they had come off. 

... a variety of headwear

Waterproof trousers

Here is a category that I was a bit of a snob about once. Why would I need a decent pair of waterproof trousers? I'm *never* going to wear them. Since doing the Spine, and being out in some pretty fun weather at other times where cheap, crappy waterproof trousers made my life a misery, I am fully down with having a decent pair that I actively want to put on when it all gets a bit crap. The main ones I have are a pair of old Montane eVent trousers. There is a new version now, but essentially, they cost about 100 quid, the zips are bombproof and they get taken out a lot. If I want to go a bit lighter, I use Lynnes Berghaus Goretex Paclite trousers. Just as waterproof, but a lighter weight zip than can be a bit troublesome- however, due to the zip they are a bit more packable than the Montanes, and a tad lighter. If I was to get some now, it would be these. 

When you need them - you NEED them

Headtorch

As someone I know says "it goes dark EVERY day, you shouldn't be surprised when it does" so I pretty much always have a headtorch with me. It's a petzl reactik. It works and has done for a number of years. I don't need a newer, fancier one with more lumens. I don't need to upgrade. It works. I don't think they make it any more- so if I was to get a new one, it would be the Swift. Occasionally I find the need to take a handtorch with me- and when I do, it is an Exposure Joystick Maxx. I've had one of these in  one form or another since 2008. If it goes wrong it gets sent back to Exposure who either fix it, or I get a reduced price on a new version. I haven't had a broken torch to away in a LONG time. More expensive than cheap crap, but better for the environment.

Shoes

Man. Shoes. There are a lot of shoes out there. This winter I managed to get hold of a pair of Arctic Talons for half price. They're studded and grippy and have served me well in all this ice and snow we've had. When it isn't icy, I use a pair of Mudclaw 300's. (NOT the sticky grip version... that rubber is AWFUL). And when it is less of a quagmire, I'm in VJ irocs because I have quite slim feet. (Note- I had a pair of the new x-talon 230's. Nearly killed myself on a wet run in the Lakes as they have NO grip on wet stone. As in- None. Quite simply the worst shoe I have ever worn except the original Salomon fellraisers)

Safety stuff

SOL bag. I use the extra space at the top of the bag- which would be used if you have to re-pack- to hold a few squares of Kendal mint cake. If I'm going to use that emergency bag, I'm almost certainly going to need some sugar!

Compass

I have a Silva thumb compass. It was expensive, but spins to North really fast. It's small, light and goes on the hill everytime I do. I'd love one of these though...

Software

On my phone I have Viewranger with the appropriate map of where I am. This is a back up. If Im out of my local area I'll always have a paper map as well. 

I also use 360 which is essentially a stalking app so that Lynne can see where I am when Im on the hill. I send messages via text, which are always prefixed with the time I sent it in case it gets delayed. 

Watch

Im now using a Garmin fenix 6 pro with a Wahoo tickr HR belt. The Garmin has replaced my trusty Suunto ambit3 vert. The main reason for this is that Suunto are stopping any kind of online support for it through Movescount after July, effectively making it defunct. Looking through Garmin, I can see that I could (if I wanted) still use my old Forerunner 305 if I wanted. Suunto have pretty much bricked both Ambits that I have used and loved, and I'm just not cool with that, hence, Garmin again. 

Misc

When it gets icy and I don't want my shins cut to ribbons by the ice, I use a pair of compress sport calf guards. They're blue. They have some kind of elastane in them. The only reason I have them is because Lynne won them in a competition at some point and doesn't want them. The only time they ever get brought out is to protect shins from ice!

Spikes- I have a set of Kahtoola Microspikes, but to be honest, with the Arctic Claws, I barely have any need for them now.

Final note

As with everything on here, all this was researched by me, bought by me and is used on a regular basis by me. No sponsorship, no back handers, just good old fashioned, use it, abuse it, see if it breaks. All this stuff has stood me in good stead. Thanks to the brands who make and sell us this stuff.

Book review- Staying Dry and Keeping warm, Mike Parsons et al.

 A while ago I sat down to write a blog about fabrics and choices you could make in the outdoor world in relation to garments etc. This was down to the fact that I was pretty sure I knew my way around the different fabrics in the sector, and it was surprising to me that others were going out and purchasing gear without really knowing exactly what they were buying. 

Information on hang tags is all very well, but what are the other options? How do they compare etc. 

So I sat down and wrote a list of the different types of Goretex, primaloft, eVent, pertex, thinsulate and all the other proprietary fabrics that are floating around and how they differ from each other. 

Just that bit of the task made me realise just how big a task this was going to be, especially as they keep bringing out new types of fabric every year and aren't necessarily all that clear about exactly how they differ physically... though of course each one is "better" than the previous iteration.

Better for what exactly? 

So the project, well, it didn't exactly get binned, more, forgotten, occasionally resurrected and looked and and then hastily put on a back burner as I realised I just don't have the experience in fabrics and clothing to do the whole project justice. Yes, I could google the whole lot and regurgitate what each manufacturer says about it, but that's not really what its about, is it?

So imagine my excitement (I know, I don't get out a whole lot these days) when I got an email from Mike Parsons- the designer of previous generations of OMM clothing- asking me if I'd like to have a read of his book "Keeping Dry and Staying Warm" (part 1). 

To be totally honest, I was a little skeptical at the beginning thinking "yeah yeah, just how useful can a book like this be to me?" It's nice to think you know everything. Through the introduction and the first chapter, I was still kind of ambivalent, with it all telling me stuff, or at least confirming stuff I thought I knew about how fabrics and layering works. 

However, as I dive deeper into the book it does everything I wanted to do in the blog and far far more. 

Funnily enough I have always wondered about running vests and layering. On a long, cold winter race, I'm wearing a load of layers- the one I know least about is the running vest... I wonder if wearing that actually compromises the ability for the rest of the kit to actually do its job?

So....

Want to know why the hood on your jacket is crap? Want to know how to get a better one and why it'll be more expensive? Look no futher.

Want to know the differences between fabrics? Ditto.

Want to know why you're still getting wet through despite spending £400 on a waterproof? The answer is right here, in glorious detail. 

Mike and his co-authors do a grand job of trying to explain how and why understanding key terms like "breathability" is so flipping complex (clue: competing standards), and why every layer in your outdoor clothing system is so important. Get a layer "wrong"- that is, so it doesn't quite work in conjunction with the other layers that you are wearing, and all of a sudden, the highly expensive waterproof jacket you're wearing on the outside doesn't actually do what you thought it is meant to do. 

One of the best quotes in the whole book is from an outdoor retailer who says that people buying clothes in his shop "just buy garments, not layers". In other words, they are not considering each thing in conjunction with the rest of their kit. How will a mid-layer fit in with your directional wicking base layer? Will it work alongside other insulation layers you have? 

In a broad sense, yes, they'll work, but not to the best and most optimal level.

Now I'm not going to pretend that this is a page turning novel. This is not something that is going to be nominated for a Booker prize, however, it is a fascinating text that is well worth a dive into when thinking about clothing systems. 

I tried to get through it all in one sitting, but my brain just didn't want to take in all the wide ranging information. There is simply too much to get in! Since trying to do that I have found that it is a much better idea to choose a chapter and really understand it in depth. At this point, I'm re-going over the one about insulation (quite appropriate consider it is snowing outside). 

Got some layers?!

If you're interested in fabrics, clothing construction, why things work and don't work, stitching, breathability, how to make your outdoor kit work better for you, and want to understand how better to layer to be more comfortable outdoors, this book, seriously, is a must read. 

 

One final thing to note- there are a number of charts and figures etc. in this book. It would not load onto my Kindle paperwhite, so I downloaded the Kindle app onto my phone where it worked perfectly. 

Yes- Mike did get in touch with me and sent me a link to this book for free. In keeping with my "non sponsored" thinking, I'm going to send him some money as this is an excellent product that I shouldn't be reading for free. 

Looking forward to Part 2.  

The book itself can be found HERE-->HERE IT IS!

It's called Keeping Dry and Staying Warm by Mike Parsons, and the ISBN is 978-1-9162380-0-8

Also- Mike has a website with a load of interesting blogs on it, including how clothing sizes are different nowadays from previously, waterproofing garments and a whole host of other stuff. To be fair, he has a vast amount of interest in the system of designing this stuff, where as I merely wear it. For an interesting take on all things Outdoor clothing design, you could do worse than have a butchers at his site. Outdoorgearcoach.co.uk

You should fine them!

With the whole Covid thing going around at the moment, we are in Lockdown 3. The official government advice is that you can exercise outside with another person who is not in your family. However, you must exercise within your locality.

The "locality" has not been well defined which has caused a bit of an issue recently in terms of just how far can you go in order to exercise. Evidently we are all trusted to be intelligent and use our common sense. This has resulted in pretty much everyone being an idiot and seeing how much they can get away with- as seems to be the case in covidious Albion. 

I hope I'm not talking out of turn here, if I am, I'll be told pretty soon and will take this down...

 

Recently there was a Mountain Rescue situation that has been covered fairly well by the media (in that it has been plastered all over the news) that 4 people got lost in deep snow on Bleaklow looking for a plane wreck. They called MR and were rescued from pretty inhospitable conditions. 

The subsequent facebook post was shared more than 900 times, and commented on nigh on 1000 times pretty much turned into an echo chamber of "you should fine them" or "you should have left them there" or "they should be made to pay for the cost of the rescue". 

This brought a few things to mind. For starters, I am not going to get into the rights and wrongs of the situation in which these people found themselves in. Whether or not there were rules in place to be broken is not my point of discussion. However, lets think about a few things:

1) They should be charged for the rescue. 

Right. First off, if you DON'T know, then you should. In the UK Mountain Rescue is entirely voluntary. There are NO paid members of MR anywhere in the UK. A rescue will cost precisely NOTHING to the people who are rescued. Teams do not get back at the end of a shout and sit down working out how much petrol was burned, what consumables were lost, how many person hours were used at a billing per each person. No. They get back, work out what needs to be replaced/repaired, get some stats on who turned up and how long we were on scene for, and then get ready for the next one. 

Ok- there is a bit more stats work done at higher levels, but it is NOT to work out what our billable time is. Asking for a rescuee to pay for their rescue is pretty much meaningless in the UK. Equally, paying the rescuers is pointless as we don't get paid. Donations are of course welcomed, but that is it.

Which brings me onto 

2) You should have left them there.

I know this comment is (perhaps) kind of made tongue in cheek and is not a serious thought, but rather, a throwaway comment on a facebook post, but I feel it is worth calling out here. 

MR is made up of volunteers. They get called out, they go. At no point do they sit there and judge "does this person deserve to be rescued?" I suspect that the people that do think that are indeed, sat on their armchairs at home, judging from behind a computer screen.
 

At no point do they bash through a load of snow and ice, work their way through gnarly conditions to find someone and then say "actually, nah. I think you deserve everything you've got". turn around and then leave. It just isn't going to happen. 

Equally, if there is someone in need on the hill and the call comes through, I suspect the response isn't going to be "are you nearly dead yet? No. Ok, call us back when you are, then we'll think about it". 

If there is someone in trouble at 5pm in the snow with a windchill of -12, it is simple common sense to get on the hill and get to them sooner rather than later when their phone battery is dead and they've got split up. In that case, you're searching for 4 people across a LOT of land which is going to take a LOT more time and be a LOT less comfortable for the rescuers, let alone the rescuees.

Before you say "you should have left them there" just think about what you're saying. It goes against what MR actually stands for. 

 3) You should fine them. 

Well. I'm not going to get into the whys and wherefores of this- however, it does carry an interesting issue. If you have someone on the hill who is in trouble and they KNOW they are going to get fined if they call Mountain Rescue, what are they going to do? 

Try and get out of the situation? Ok, fine, but if you're already in a bad situation, decision processes are going to be impaired, everyone gets colder faster, and before you know it, what was a simple- "oh shit, walk off" situation, turns into a pretty big multi-team search and 4 body stretcher off affair- because someone didn't want to pay a fine. That is a pretty big burden- especially if you're on the team and you realise that lives could have been saved if they weren't worried about being caught. 

Mountain Rescue is not here to catch people and fine them, they're here to rescue them. That's why its called Mountain Rescue, not Mountain Debt Collectors.

OK, so perhaps the casualties shouldn't be up there in the first place - but set the precedent of fining people who call MR, and then put competent hill goers in that situation who just happen to have a bad day, and you've got yourself a bit of an issue. I suspect that teams would rather have a fast, early dispatch and walk off than a protracted body search with not such a happy ending. 

No, I don't know what the answer is, but the people who are hoping that a donation was made are probably those with their heads screwed on right. 

Mountain rescue is voluntary and wouldn't exist and couldn't run without the donations of money, and indeed time from a lot of people.  

In fact, you can help Glossop MRT here.

 

A response

The whole "go outside sitdown, wait" blog got a bit of traction. Well, ok, it got a lot of traction. Ive never had a blog with 25000 views before, so something must have hit a nerve. 

There have been a number of responses, and a vast amount of the read something like this:

"yeah, damn right. I only ever go on the hill with a rucksack and 3 layers of clothes and a cooker and an extra bottle of gas and 2 gps devices and a tent and a sleeping bag and a spare sleeping bag and an extra down blanket and a helicoptor strobe and a back up drone to make sure I'm seen. Anyone who doesn't is irresponsible in my eyes, but at least I'll be able to look after anyone else that I'm with who might happen to come a cropper". 

I suppose I'm here to call this out. 

Despite writing the aforesaid blog, and knowing all the information about just how long it might take for mountain rescue to get to various places in the hills, I am emphatically NOT someone that takes out everything AND the kitchen sink in case of a problem. There are a couple of reasons for this.

1) survival vs being comfortable

I generally take enough stuff with me for survival. I might become immobilised, I might have an issue, however, with the kit in my bag I fell pretty confident that I'll be able to survive until some kind of rescue gets to me. No, I doubt I will be comfortable, but that really isn't the point. I'm immobilised, it's not like carrying a tent is going to make me comfortable. Morphine might make me comfortable, but that would be pointless to carry- as I'd probably then expire, and it's also illegal. 

Just because you carry a huge bag with a load of kit doesn't make you any more ready for an emergency than someone out running with what *appears* to be a small amount of kit. Do not underestimate how much kit a runner can carry in a small bag. 

2) Telling someone where you're going

I'll always tell Lynne my planned route, we have an agreed time when I should be back, a time when she is to call me/txt me if I'm not back, and a time to wait after that call before she gets MRT involved. It gives me a window to get back to her if I have signal, but it has a failsafe that if I don't get in touch, I know someone will be out going over my approximate route to find me. If you don't have a partner to do this with, you could try it with a sibling, or whomever. Ok, my sister lives in London, but that doesn't stop me sending her a picture of my route, and a time to call me if I haven't checked in, at which point, she can do the whole 999 business.

3) Shorts?!

I remember a back and forth with a guy on facebook a while ago. He was saying how irresponsible runners are for wearing shorts. "If you break a leg, how are you going to get your waterproof trousers on?!" he was saying. Which is a bit odd- because even if you're wearing trousers and you break a leg, its going to be just as difficult to put on a pair of waterproof trousers... I tried pointing this out, but not sure he got the point. 

All in all, I suppose what I'm trying to say is this: just because you see a runner go past with not a lot more than a bumbag or tiny vest pack on, it does not mean that they are any less prepared than you as a walker. It simply means they have made different choices, and may well be MORE prepared for the unexpected than you.