I normally open all the packets of flapjacks, bars and anything solid. Wrap them all in tinfoil, cut them if necessary into portions if they're large. That way they're really easy to open and the foil crushes down to nothing. Mark them with sharpies if need be too 👍👍👍
For ultras I sometimes put gel in special soft flasks made for gels so there’s no litter and it’s easier to take a gel or two. They usually fit 5 gels.
"i'm choosing white because it will get really dirty and i'll look really hardcore" haha! awesome. what an incredible amount of stuff. hope you have a ton of fun, living out your dream. i'll have you in my thoughts this weekend :D
The thing I really like about all your videos is your enthusiasm and positivity. I wish you and Sarah all the best for next week - it is going to be an amazing adventure!
Hi Ben, you can save weight by taking a very small mobile phone and not your iPhone, also you can take a very light second head lamp, and not the same. Have fun!
Lemons are actually good to have in an aid station, particularly towards the end of long races, when some people start feeling squeamish😄Best of luck at the race!
Good luck Ben! You've been talking about UTMB for a while now, I hope you get out of it what you expect! I'll be keeping an eye on the website this weekend and hope you have a great race.
Another great video super informative and interesting to so many of us. All the best with UTMB Ben and Sarah. Enjoy what I am sure is a phenomenal running experience. Can’t wait to see the footage and hear how you get on! #GetItDone
brilliant video ben - thank you - a lot of information and advice on things to try for those of us who are newer at the ultra/trail running game than you. best of luck for UTMB and enjoy. 👍
Great video - thank you. I've got Nice in September as my first mountain race, so this is really helpful and exciting to watch! I'll be following your dot on the livestream - I hope it goes well - the very best of luck to you.
So exciting. Just about to head over to South Africa for the Comrades race on Sunday. Only thing I’m taking is some gels, thinking that’s a hardship, lol. Best of luck, waiting for some awesome footage.
Ben! Big fan of the channel, and looking forward to seeing the UTMB video! Please consider getting a 360 camera to bring with you (insta 360 oneX 2 is very light), the footage would be so cool and immersive! Good luck
It would interesting to see how all this fits in your pack and belt and see how much it weighs. I need some inspiration with packing for my ultras coming up
Hi Ben. Thanks for all the epic content. Nutrition wise, do you have a specific calorie goal and how do you prevent yourself from over/under eating? Kit wise, does all that kit fit in the 12L pack? Thanks again and good luck for the race 💪💪
I'm with you Ben, I can't stand sticky gels. However, the jellies from Mountain Fuel are essentially gels but without any of the stickiness (they also taste great in my opinion). Well worth a try. Also, they do a selection of energy powder/drinks of various flavours. I took one with me yesterday on a 25km race and accidentally took the 'raw' flavour. I thought I would hate it, but I honestly couldn't tell the difference between that one and the plain water I had with me. You could easily add your squash to it for some flavour if you wanted. (and no, I have no affiliation with Mountain Fuel, I've just tried loads of different nutrition brands and struggle with most as I have a sensitive stomach, thie stuff so far is working really well for me).
I'm so jealous - i doubt i'll ever qualify for UTMB! Enjoy guys! Ben, i love your trail hat (legend running cap) - do you have any others like this? different colours etc? i like that i can dunk the whole thing in water like you did on your videos :) Thanks!
It's funny that you mention Raynaud's syndrome, I have insanely cold hands and feet all the time and I've been tested for various conditions, but a cause still hasn't been found! I wear running gloves most of the time as well... Anyway, good luck for UTMB!
I actually love the lemon! Did you know it helps against headaches and migraines if you eat some lemon after caffeine? So in a long effort it can be nice to have
Yes.. I was too scared to add it all up 🤣 as it’s just so expensive. Obviously there are cheaper options possible.. but still, trail running like this is not a cheap sport at all. Will do some maths and add it to the next video
I hope that the sunscreen is “without perfume”. Once I used an ordinary sunscreen with perfume and I was being followed by a bunch of bees for a few hours... Take care, dude! I wish you the best ❤
Did the new Salomon pack come with the hard bottom soft flasks therefore you have to go out and buy The soft bottom ones because the hard ones are dreadful. And my other the question is what length socks will you wear as you did mention brambles etc Ben? Good luck to both you and Sarah!!
How on earth do you fit all that stuff in your pack?! It would be interesting to know how much the items for your pack cost altogether, along with the entry try cost for the race. Also, are there vegan good options at the aid stations? I know that was an issue last time.
Great video, Ben. You are a great runner, far better than me and I don’t know if I should offer my opinion at all! I have done UTMB a few times and I think perhaps you are carrying too much stuff! Have you tried running with it all? Obviously you need all the mandatory kit, but I do think you need to look at all the extra stuff! Is it not possible to film just with the Gopro and a spare battery and leave the grip? There are several items I would change in fact. That shaker thing is massive, better with a collapsible silicon doggy water bowl for food, for example. If you are interested, I could comment on them. Just my opinion though!
Yes I may well drop things en route if they aren’t working. I know making shakes as we go will help get calories in and need a shaker for that. There is never a perfect solution and agree there is a lot. I have no crew, so want to start with everything just in case.
Great videos! Thanks for the amazing content and inspiration. I am about to start my trail runner journey. I was wondering, if you or someone in the audience, could tell me, how essential is to have maps on your watch? I would like to purchase a Garmin forerunner 255 or Garmin forerunner 955. Both have maps, however the 955 offers more detailed ones. Thanks a lot!
Bro what's up i have a question can u tell me how would this compare in softness and cushion compared to pegasus 39-38 or pegasus turbo maybe and saucony speed 2 and 3 and also the zoom fly 5 how would it compare to those pegasus and saucony?would appreciate it ( just re-asking the question i would really appreciate if u could answer this for me )
Hi Ben great video and good luck with the race. Question - why do you dislike running with a bladder? And what is your preferred approach to hydration and why?
I was wondering the same thing! I prefer a bladder because I like the weight on my back instead of bouncing on the front. Obviously I can't answer for Ben, but a big drawback to bladders is that they're harder to quickly refill at aid stations.
A faff to fill up and you never really know how much liquid you have left. Bottles are just easier and find they bounce around less. Everyone is different though, no right/wrong answer!
No need for passport daring the race. You do need it for gear check before the race. Do the gear early or you will wait in a long line. Have you weight the gear without water?
Enjoyed this video but would have preferred slightly more editing of the pauses, corrections, gaps etc personally. Good luck to you both, and enjoy it!
That is a lot of kit to have to carry around with you, how much weight will you be carrying and also what is the total cost of all that stuff?? Must run into a couple of thousand quid?!
5:08 “maybe you’ve hurt your knee”
*Foreshadowing intensifies*
I normally open all the packets of flapjacks, bars and anything solid. Wrap them all in tinfoil, cut them if necessary into portions if they're large. That way they're really easy to open and the foil crushes down to nothing. Mark them with sharpies if need be too 👍👍👍
Brilliant idea. Will be using this
For ultras I sometimes put gel in special soft flasks made for gels so there’s no litter and it’s easier to take a gel or two. They usually fit 5 gels.
"i'm choosing white because it will get really dirty and i'll look really hardcore" haha! awesome. what an incredible amount of stuff. hope you have a ton of fun, living out your dream. i'll have you in my thoughts this weekend :D
The thing I really like about all your videos is your enthusiasm and positivity. I wish you and Sarah all the best for next week - it is going to be an amazing adventure!
Haven't watched a video of yours in a while unfortunately... but I'm loving this sort of "chilled" out Ben! Very pleasant to listen to
Hi Ben, you can save weight by taking a very small mobile phone and not your iPhone, also you can take a very light second head lamp, and not the same. Have fun!
Lemons are actually good to have in an aid station, particularly towards the end of long races, when some people start feeling squeamish😄Best of luck at the race!
Sauce for the rice..... brilliant. Just when you think you've thought of everything.
Good luck with the race Ben… Can’t wait to see the race video.
Great video!!
Can't wait to see how you guys are going...I'm sure you're smashing it✌️👊
Good luck guys! Hope you both have a blast, looking forward to hearing how you get on!
All the very best for you both for the UTMB - get it done!!
Good luck! Enjoy the race!
Looking forward to see a video from it.
Very best of luck to you both! It will be an amazing experience 🙂
Good luck Ben & Sarah, all the very best for UTMB
Great video and good luck 👍 look foward to seeing you race vlogs.
Thanks for sharing and good luck, Ben!
Best of luck and safe travels! Keep your head on straight! Stoked for how far you've come and conquered fears over the last couple of years 👍🏼
Great video Ben, love watching these videos, very interesting. Best of luck with the whole run🤘🎊🏃
All the best for the race! Wish you and Sarah a wonderful UTMB journey! Enjoy and have fun!
Great video Ben. Good luck in the race hope all goes as planned.
Best of luck with UTMB Ben, really looking forward to following it online. Not long now!
Good luck Ben & Sarah. Looking forward to hearing how you get on. Awesomely, I have no doubt 😊
Amazed at all the stuff you need for an ultra... great and very informative video. Good luck Ben!
Great video Ben/Sarah. Only one drop bag is crazy!
Awesome Video Ben, look forward to see the amazing footage of UTMB good luck, Ben & Sarah ✅👍🏼👏🏃🏽♂️👍🏼👊🏼😀🍀🌲🌿
Good luck to both of you from Cyprus..... we will be following 👍🏻
Really enjoyed this vid. Good luck guys.
And best of luck to you both! Hope to be there next year (just qualified a bit ago at MOzart), these videos are so informative and exciting to watch.
Great video! Good luck to you and Sarah 🤗
Looking forward to your race day video. All the best!
Great content. Not an ultra runner, but very fascinated by it and follow alot of athletes. Can’t wait to hear more about your experience!!
Great video Ben good luck with the race
Good luck Ben! You've been talking about UTMB for a while now, I hope you get out of it what you expect! I'll be keeping an eye on the website this weekend and hope you have a great race.
Good luck, will try to follow your progress on the web.
Good watch choice, D C Rainmaker walked the course in a week and the enduro 2 lasted the whole walk
Good luck. I’m sure you’ll have an amazing experience
Sincerely, best of luck to you both 👊🏼
Thanks for putting this together Ben - always find these videos informative. Wishing you both the best for UTMB!
Thank you Richard! 🙂
Good luck to you both!
Another great video super informative and interesting to so many of us. All the best with UTMB Ben and Sarah. Enjoy what I am sure is a phenomenal running experience. Can’t wait to see the footage and hear how you get on! #GetItDone
Thank you Daniel! 😊
Thanks a lot for this video. I am new to trail running and hoping to participate in the OCC next year.
Best of luck to you both.
brilliant video ben - thank you - a lot of information and advice on things to try for those of us who are newer at the ultra/trail running game than you. best of luck for UTMB and enjoy. 👍
Glad it was helpful! Thank you very much David!
Best of luck to you Ben and Sarah
Great video - thank you. I've got Nice in September as my first mountain race, so this is really helpful and exciting to watch! I'll be following your dot on the livestream - I hope it goes well - the very best of luck to you.
Good luck in September Chris!!
So exciting. Just about to head over to South Africa for the Comrades race on Sunday. Only thing I’m taking is some gels, thinking that’s a hardship, lol. Best of luck, waiting for some awesome footage.
Nice video Ben! . Packing my gear for CCC myself, so very useful - Thanks & best of luck to you & Sarah.
Good luck to you too Jasper!
Great video, very helpfull. Thank you and "Bonne chance."
This is gonna be awesome ! 😊🤙
Good luck, Ben!
Best of luck, Ben & Sarah
Ben! Big fan of the channel, and looking forward to seeing the UTMB video! Please consider getting a 360 camera to bring with you (insta 360 oneX 2 is very light), the footage would be so cool and immersive! Good luck
Good Luck I'm sure you and Sarah will smash it.
Very cool. Best of luck.
good luck. u got this!
Really interesting: thank you.
It would interesting to see how all this fits in your pack and belt and see how much it weighs. I need some inspiration with packing for my ultras coming up
Thats were s helpful thanks alot 😅
Good luck 👍
Best of luck Ben & Sarah. Might see you out there, I'm running CCC this year. By the way you don't need a Sahara hat if you have a Buff+cap.
Hi Ben. Thanks for all the epic content. Nutrition wise, do you have a specific calorie goal and how do you prevent yourself from over/under eating? Kit wise, does all that kit fit in the 12L pack? Thanks again and good luck for the race 💪💪
Avoid the noodle soup, loads of people puke up after that. Pasta at Courmayeur is a better bet. Good luck 👍
Ben: Race gear and nutrition advice for 170km!
Me: That’ll be a car and some Greggs then.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
Good luck!!
Thank you!!
I'm with you Ben, I can't stand sticky gels. However, the jellies from Mountain Fuel are essentially gels but without any of the stickiness (they also taste great in my opinion). Well worth a try.
Also, they do a selection of energy powder/drinks of various flavours. I took one with me yesterday on a 25km race and accidentally took the 'raw' flavour. I thought I would hate it, but I honestly couldn't tell the difference between that one and the plain water I had with me. You could easily add your squash to it for some flavour if you wanted.
(and no, I have no affiliation with Mountain Fuel, I've just tried loads of different nutrition brands and struggle with most as I have a sensitive stomach, thie stuff so far is working really well for me).
Best of luck with UTMB bud
I'm so jealous - i doubt i'll ever qualify for UTMB! Enjoy guys! Ben, i love your trail hat (legend running cap) - do you have any others like this? different colours etc? i like that i can dunk the whole thing in water like you did on your videos :) Thanks!
Wrap around glasses are good option especially if you found your selfin a hale or snow storm
It's funny that you mention Raynaud's syndrome, I have insanely cold hands and feet all the time and I've been tested for various conditions, but a cause still hasn't been found! I wear running gloves most of the time as well...
Anyway, good luck for UTMB!
Good luccckkkkk!!! have fuuuun!!!! get it doneeeee!
I actually love the lemon! Did you know it helps against headaches and migraines if you eat some lemon after caffeine? So in a long effort it can be nice to have
Good luck Ben! Just wondered how much it all weighs? Be good to see it all packed up, sounds like so much stuff!
Yes, I haven’t weighed it yet!! Too scared!
Good that you’re taking a spork as I’ve heard that they don’t have any at the aid stations.
Wow, it's a lot of stuff all together to be carrying around! Best of luck to you both
Thanks for the great video! Would be fun to see the total cost of all the mandatory gear needed for UTMB.
Yes.. I was too scared to add it all up 🤣 as it’s just so expensive. Obviously there are cheaper options possible.. but still, trail running like this is not a cheap sport at all. Will do some maths and add it to the next video
I hope that the sunscreen is “without perfume”. Once I used an ordinary sunscreen with perfume and I was being followed by a bunch of bees for a few hours... Take care, dude! I wish you the best ❤
Think you forgot to show the suitcase you'll be towing behind you. Very best of luck dude.
I need a rest day shirt!
Good luck at the race to both of you. I’ll be racing OCC. maybe I can spot you in the crowd.
Good luck!!
I've just paused at one minute in. RUclips on my phone isn't going to cut it for this video. I'm switching to the television. Best of luck for UTMB.
Did the new Salomon pack come with the hard bottom soft flasks therefore you have to go out and buy The soft bottom ones because the hard ones are dreadful. And my other the question is what length socks will you wear as you did mention brambles etc Ben? Good luck to both you and Sarah!!
How on earth do you fit all that stuff in your pack?! It would be interesting to know how much the items for your pack cost altogether, along with the entry try cost for the race. Also, are there vegan good options at the aid stations? I know that was an issue last time.
Great video, Ben. You are a great runner, far better than me and I don’t know if I should offer my opinion at all! I have done UTMB a few times and I think perhaps you are carrying too much stuff! Have you tried running with it all? Obviously you need all the mandatory kit, but I do think you need to look at all the extra stuff! Is it not possible to film just with the Gopro and a spare battery and leave the grip? There are several items I would change in fact. That shaker thing is massive, better with a collapsible silicon doggy water bowl for food, for example. If you are interested, I could comment on them. Just my opinion though!
Agree, drop the shaker & bring something simple.
Yes I may well drop things en route if they aren’t working. I know making shakes as we go will help get calories in and need a shaker for that. There is never a perfect solution and agree there is a lot. I have no crew, so want to start with everything just in case.
Awesome video. If the weather does not change will you be swapping out your shoes part way or keep the same ones on your feet for the whole race?
I’ll have shoes in my drop bag, just in case I feel like a fresh pair.
Jim Gaffigan’s standup routine about how camping and hiking suck would be good for a few laughs while you’re out there.
Arj Barker is my favourite stand up comedian of all time.
Great videos! Thanks for the amazing content and inspiration.
I am about to start my trail runner journey. I was wondering, if you or someone in the audience, could tell me, how essential is to have maps on your watch?
I would like to purchase a Garmin forerunner 255 or Garmin forerunner 955. Both have maps, however the 955 offers more detailed ones.
Thanks a lot!
Just wondering as you are an amazing runner, how often do you do gym/lifting sessions?
Bro what's up i have a question can u tell me how would this compare in softness and cushion compared to pegasus 39-38 or pegasus turbo maybe and saucony speed 2 and 3 and also the zoom fly 5 how would it compare to those pegasus and saucony?would appreciate it ( just re-asking the question i would really appreciate if u could answer this for me )
Hi Ben great video and good luck with the race. Question - why do you dislike running with a bladder? And what is your preferred approach to hydration and why?
I was wondering the same thing! I prefer a bladder because I like the weight on my back instead of bouncing on the front. Obviously I can't answer for Ben, but a big drawback to bladders is that they're harder to quickly refill at aid stations.
A faff to fill up and you never really know how much liquid you have left. Bottles are just easier and find they bounce around less. Everyone is different though, no right/wrong answer!
No need for passport daring the race.
You do need it for gear check before the race. Do the gear early or you will wait in a long line.
Have you weight the gear without water?
Hi Ben! Where do you get the shuffles? Do you get them used?
The adv 12 pack is it still good to run in on shorter runs less full or just having the water in pouches or does it move around a lot?
Enjoyed this video but would have preferred slightly more editing of the pauses, corrections, gaps etc personally. Good luck to you both, and enjoy it!
Good evening, I was wondering if anyone would know what size I would be in the Distance Z poles? My height is 5ft and 7 and a half inches. Thank you.
Are you actually going to be able to fit all that in that 12L bag? I only ask as need to buy my self a bag and the 12L just seems so small
That is a lot of kit to have to carry around with you, how much weight will you be carrying and also what is the total cost of all that stuff?? Must run into a couple of thousand quid?!