| esential gear |

1

Sleeping bag Rab Expedition 1200

£540/two kilograms

It’s said that the best winter ultra-racers are those with ‘the biggest alarm clocks and smallest sleeping bags’. However, at –60°C is no time to get tactical about a podium place. The Expedition 1200 will allow you to weather the Yukon’s extremes

4

Snow-melting pan MSR Titan 2 pot set

£55/272 grams You may not feel particularly thirsty when racing in the cold, but you do get surprisingly dehydrated. Carrying a decent-sized pot in which to melt snow on the trail is vital. The 1.5-litre titanium pot in this set is ideal

6

vershoes NEOS Trekkers

£70/850 grams Open water isn’t something you would expect to find too often at –40°C, but streams occasionally break out through the ice and cause overflow. NEOS overshoes ensure safe, dry passage through these areas and add a few degrees of warmth if it gets really cold

2

Stove MSR Whisperlite International

£90/330 grams

When fuel supplies are erratic, it’s comforting to have a multi-fuel-burning stove, and the Whisperlite has always been a favourite among winter racers. Its self-cleaning shaker jet is another confidence-booster when travelling in sub-zero temperatures tenofthebest

A 700-kilometre race on foot through the Yukon during the depths of an Arctic winter isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but Andy Heading did it twice, finishing the course at the second attempt. The clothes he wore needed to keep him warm yet allow movement and expel moisture, while the gear he dragged in a sled had to be ultra-lightweight and capable of withstanding the sub-zero conditions

Don’t forget… a leak-proof one-litre Nalgene bottle. It’s perfect as a hotwater bottle in your sleeping bag. In the night, it doubles as a pee bottle, because there’s nothing worse than climbing out of your bag at –40°C

ext month: walking around the M25

3

Bivvy bag Black Diamond Winter Bivvy

£119/290 grams ivvying out is one of the highlights of any winter ultra race, especially if the Northern Lights are on display.

four-season, lightweight bivvy adds weather protection and a few more degrees of warmth to your sleeping system

5

Base layer Patagonia Capilene 3

£47/260 grams Exercising in cold climates is all about moisture management. Layers need to trap heat and draw sweat away from the skin. The Capilene 3 is warm, wickable and quick-drying.

It’s also the most comfortable base layer I’ve used

7

nsulated trousers Rab Photon pants

£110/450 grams These synthetic-filled trousers are an item of clothing you hope you won’t need while on the move. But if the wind changes direction, or you get tired and the sun disappears, you’ll be glad you have them in your sled

8

Duvet jacket Patagonia DAS parka

£240/790 grams

On the move, you’ll hopefully be generating enough heat to keep this jacket in your sled. But during a stop – for food, to melt snow or at a bivvy site –

it’s worth its weight in gold. And at –60°C, you’ll be wearing it full-time

72 www.geog raphical.co.uk february 2011

9

amera Panasonic Lumix LX5

£425/271 grams his is the best compact camera I’ve used. It features an excellent wide-angle lens that’s perfect for capturing big landscapes, with manual-override features if you want to get creative. Keep the review screen turned off to preserve battery life

10

rampons Kahtoola KTS Aluminium

£110/538 grams owing a sled over super-slick ice is a particularly ‘interesting’ experience, so a pair of these lightweight, flexible crampons is invaluable for when things get slippery underfoot. Hopefully you’ll never need them,

but it’s best to be prepared

G