Individual
Essential
- Shoes – lightweight trail-running shoes are recommended over heavy-weight hiking boots due to the distance. Make sure they are very waterproof.
- Day-pack size rucksack (20-30 litres)
- A decent waterproof jacket with hood
- Waterproof ruck-sack cover (only if your rucksack doens’t have one built-in)
- Waterproof ruck-sack liner to put spare clothes in (a few plastic bin bags will do)
- A decent lightweight fleece for keeping warm during night-hiking
- Good thick hiking socks, plus at least one spare pair
- Extra t-shirt (preferably the “quick-dry” type.. also very lgiht)
- Head-lamp + spare battery + spare bulb
- Pain-killers
- Sports bandages / supports if you usually need them
- Food and drink for 4 hours (the max planned time between checkpoints)
- Mobile phone
- Copy of the map / trail guide (everyone should carry their own set)
- Small toothbrush set
- money for transport, food / drinks etc..
- Photo ID (gaijin card / driving license) for registration
Nice to have – you should seriously consider these
- Water-bottle or fancy hydration camel-pack (if you don’t bother, you can make do with normal plastic water-bottles)
- Waterproof trousers (these are borderline essential – you will certainly be very glad of them if you get more than 30 minutes of rain)
- Face-towel
- Lightweight gloves, preferably waterproof (for evening / hand-protection)
Optional – only if you have strong personal preference
- Walking stick / poles
- Thermos flask, tea-bags and milk (essential for Paul W)
Team
As a team, we need to carry at least one of these:
Essential
- Compact first-aid kit
- Medical tape / wrap for knees, ankles, quads, hamstrings etc..
- Compass
- Waterproof map-holder
- Compact camera
Optional
- compact camcorder