Fast, light and ready for anything: On’s elite trail athletes share their kit-packing tips for very long runs, ultra-marathons and multi-day trail adventures.
Words by Micah Ling. Photography by Mountain Legacy.
Behind every great distance run lies great preparation. The most successful ultra adventures and FKT attempts begin before you take the first step. Ask any mountain runner or endurance athlete, and they’ll tell you that in fast-changing circumstances, the right kit can be the difference between hitting your cut-off goal and a DNF.
Think of your equipment as an extension of yourself. Navigating paths at dusk? Your head torch can shine a light on progress. At altitude when the weather turns rough? Your windproof jacket is packable fortitude. By this token, the right kit can extend your freedom rather than weighing you down. This freedom to keep moving and dial up your speed accordingly, whatever the trails throw at you, comes with experience – or in this instance, the well-trodden advice of an expert.
Here, On’s elite trail athletes share their ultra-distance stories – and the kit that kept them going.
Katarzyna Solińska’s ultra packing tips
Polish Mountain Runner, Katarzyna Solińska says, “There’s a delicate balance between lightweight and comfort.”
Solińska, who took sixth place in the women's field at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in 2023, says it’s crucial to get your equipment sorted before any major race. She tries out everything she’s going to carry, multiple times before the event. “For ultra-distance mountain trail races, it's crucial to select and test equipment beforehand for a successful race day. As an athlete who competes increasingly at ultra distances, I'm gaining more experience every time.”
“There’s a delicate balance between lightweight and comfort.”
Solińska appreciates that the longer races have mandatory lists for what every athlete must pack. “The organizers, who know the specific terrain and weather in the competition area best, list the necessary equipment that we should have with us. It makes sense to rely on their experience and knowledge.”
In Solińska’s experience, the packing list for ultras such as UTMB typically include:
- Fully charged smartphone with international roaming enabled
- Survival blanket (1.4 meter x 2 meter minimum)
- Self-adhering elastic bandages
- Whistle
- Food, with a minimum number of calories
- Water, with a minimum supply of one liter
- Personal collapsible cup
- Waterproof jacket with a hood
- Pants or leggings
- Warm cap or bandana
- Working headlamps with spare batteries
- And often an extra-warm second layer, warm gloves and waterproof overtrousers
Some of Solińska’s personal favorites? “The On Ultra Jacket and On Ultra Pants come with me during almost every outdoor training session. They're light and effective, even in difficult weather conditions. We never know exactly what the weather will be like in the higher parts of the mountains, and it can change quickly, even if the forecast predicts a sunny day – it's good to be prepared.”
For long training sessions, Solińska also takes an extra set of clothes to change into. “In the waterproof section of my running backpack (Ultra Vest), I put a second kit with a T-shirt (On Ultra-T) and a running bra for changing. I sweat and cool down quickly when there’s a wind blowing in the mountains so when I reach a ridge, I change into dry clothes and keep training in comfort.”
For training, Solińska always carries fuel (gels, wafers, and drinks), and also carries a some cash so that she can stop at a store, if she needs to. Practicing nutrition is as important as practicing form or endurance. It can make or break a race, Solińska explains. She also says that she always lets someone know if she’s heading out to train. “If you’re going for a long training run, or you’re in the mountains alone, it’s worth sharing your plan and route with family or friends, so that in any unexpected situations, they’ll know where to look.”
Meg Mackenzie’s ultra packing tips
South African trail and mountain runner Megan Mackenzie, took third at Transvulcania 75K, and came 27th at UTMB OCC (55km) in 2023. In 2022, she took eight place at UTMB CCC (100km).
Mackenzie has learned to keep her packing light, “My approach to packing has changed quite a bit over the years. I used to be more of an over-packer, and having my pack weighed me down. I probably took a lot of unnecessary snacks and things because, when I first got into ultra running, everyone scared the living daylights out of me, telling me how much stuff I’d need to carry. As I’ve become more experienced, I pack less, Now, I'm more refined in my approach.”
Today, Mackenzie packs for her nutrition needs, and otherwise carries just the necessities. She also says that she appreciates the requirements that most races enforce for safety reasons, even if the extra items can feel like a burden. “I’m aware that it might not feel like a drag at that moment you reach for it, but at all the other moments when you’re moving, there’s just a lot of stuff to carry.
Mackenzie explains how she minimizes the “drag” of the required race list, “I’ve become more organized with making sure that everything is packed as tightly as possible, so it’s not shifting around while I run and annoying me. These days, my pack doesn’t bother me as much.”
Clothes don’t need to be changed much during a race, explains Mackenzie, who only changes socks and shoes if they’re wet and causing blisters or pain. Generally, she’s comfortable staying in the same clothes for the whole event.
“These days, my pack doesn’t bother me as much.”
One fun way that Meg's found to train while carrying a lot of kit is to run from one town to another, spend the night, and then run back. On her overnight adventures (but not for races), Meg packs some extras, “Occasionally, I’ll take my Kindle [digital tablet reader] because I run from place to place. I’ll walk into a hotel, read, sleep the night and run home the next morning.”
Michael Mitchell’s ultra packing tips
U.S. ultra trail runner, Michael Mitchell – also known as Mikey Mitch – has run tons of ultra-distance races, not to mention his almost-constant adventuring in his home state of Colorado. He’s completed the Leadville 100-mile race, the Run Rabbit Run 100 miler, the Quad Rock 50-miler, the Ram Party 50-miler, the Bear Chase 50-miler, the Audi Power of Four 50k, and the Continental Divide 50k, twice.
Mikey says he learned a lot with his first ultra, Leadville, “I was way over-packed and didn’t use nearly all the gear or supplies I carried. The aid stations at ultra races are well stocked and I’ve found I don’t need to pack my own sustenance.”
Every runner is different, and it’s often recommended that athletes carry some fuel, but this has worked for Mitchell, who says his packing has evolved as he takes on longer events. “I started out packing all sorts of different gear that I might want during the race. I soon realized there’s a difference between a want and a need during an ultra. I now understand excess supplies will only slow you down over the course of the race.”
“...there’s a difference between a want and a need during an ultra.”
For Michell’s races, only the 100-milers have given out a required gear list that athletes must have in their packs at all times. For his other races, it’s down to the choice of the individual.
One of Michell’s biggest packing lessons came in the 2022 Run Rabbit Run race. He forgot to bring his headlamp for the nighttime section of the race. “I ended up running three miles in the dark until another runner with a headlamp came up from behind me. I ran the rest of the section with him. This mistake cost me a lot of time as I had to run quite a bit slower, and because I didn't know where the course markers were. I’d never made this error before, and it will never happen to me again!”
It’s also important to remember to have some fun. Ultra-distance races can be viewed as stressful, or they can be viewed as a big, energetic party in the mountains with a bunch of friends. Michell always packs some light relief for himself and his crew. “Ultras are hard, so why not make them as fun as possible? I started packing glow sticks for my crew during the nighttime section of the race. The glow sticks help me find my crew at aid stations, and they help my crew have more fun while they’re waiting around for me to arrive.”
