2027 SPINE WINTER RACES KIT REQUIREMENTS

This is the 2027 Winter Kit List and is unlikely to change before the race but we will update runners by email if it changes.

Please note that any questions you want to ask via email about kit must be asked at least 7 days before the race, in the last week leading up to the race I will be too busy preparing for the event to answer any more questions.

ALL DISTANCES – FULL, CHALLENGER SOUTH, CHALLENGER NORTH AND SPRINT NORTH AND SPRINT SOUTH EVENTS

SECTION 1: COMPULSORY KIT LIST.
Including examples of kit that will pass and fail and minimum standard requirements.

SECTION 2: KIT CHECKS
Clear procedures for the pre-event and during race kit checks.

SECTION 3: MISSING KIT PENALTIES AND PROCEDURES
Clear procedures and penalties for instances of lost, missing or damaged kit during the event.

COMPULSORY EQUIPMENT (SECTION 1)
All the items on the list must always be worn or carried during the event unless specified. These items are all required for your safety and to ensure you have the correct equipment to enable you to complete the event in all conditions and be self sufficient. This list is not negotiable and if checked at any point on the course or at a checkpoint any missing items may incur a penalty as described in Section 3.

This list is the minimum mandatory minimum kit required for the race, you may (and should) carry any additional kit you require or wish to for your own comfort. We recommend you carry additional warm dry clothing in bad weather and protect items in your backpack with multiple dry bags.

If on reading this, you are unsure if an item of kit passes or you need advice you can email Lindley@thespinerace.com for further info.

STARTING CLOTHING and SPARE items Clarifications

It is expected that you are starting in a full set of clothing appropriate to the conditions at the or when leaving a Checkpoint Location.
Any item that is listed on the kit list as a SPARE item is in addition to whatever you are wearing at the start or leaving a Checkpoint Location and must be in your pack/vest and not worn.

Example. You cannot be wearing your SPARE Insulated Warm Jacket when leaving a CP where your drop bag is accessible, it must be spare
in your pack/vest and in addition to what you are wearing for the current conditions. If you are wearing it you must have another spare in your pack/vest at the point of leaving that location. This is the same for SPARE Baselayer top or bottom layers and socks. You can of course use any SPARE them during that stage.

Further clarification and penalties.
You cannot remove an item you are wearing when about to leave a CP location, just to put it on again outside when away from the CP just to circumvent the above rule.
This will result in a time penalty for not having a SPARE item. We see this every year.

The SPARE items are for safety if you get very wet or cold or need extra layers in an emergency, They are not to make you take more unnecessary kit. If you fall in water, get very wet and cold or even injured you will need all that spare kit.
If we think you do not have enough kit for the conditions we can request you carry more and will not reduce this minimum requirement under any circumstances.

Kit List Explained

The Kit List is detailed and extensive and you must read all the pages relevant to each item on The Kit List.

All the items on the list must be presented at kit check for inspection (including footwear).

You can view the basic kit list and medical kit list on the tables below or download a PDF version for reference using the button below.

Medical Kit Clarification Notes

These notes help clarify the common question about the Medical Kit.

Rehydration Salts: These must be dioralyte or similar other brand rehydration salts, electrolyte tablets or salt tablets are not the same and will not pass.

Tape: Only K Tape will count and you must carry the correct tape and spares sufficient for the event. Carry and use what you wish but you must carry the mandatory amounts and spares.

Foil Blanket: This must be a foil blanket and not a foil bivvy or survival bag. This is in addition to the bivvy bag in the main kit.

Needles: Must be the correct type. We will supply the correct ones at kit check if you can’t source your own – (green 21g Hypodermic 25-35mm).

You must carry sufficient spares for the whole event duration. If you run out it may not be possible to restock you from the medical teams spares.

Medical Kit Supplied at Kit Check

At Kit check we will have available free supplies of items that are difficult to source in small numbers.

• Green Hypodermic Needles – Max 6 per person
• Sterile Antiseptic/Saline Wipes – Max 6 per person
• Waterproof Plasters – Max 6 per person
• Non Sterile Nitrile Gloves – Max 6 per person

It is your responsibility to ask us for these at kit check.

Mandatory Drop Bag Kit

These are items you must have in your drop bag. Please Note Sprint events do not require a Drop Bag or the kit carried in one as you do not have any Checkpoints to visit. However you may still bring one for us to transport spare kit to the finish for you.

Lightweight Sleeping Bag: A small 1 season style bag for use in CP’s as there will be no bedding provided. You can use your warmer race sleeping bag if you wish but one light spare is usually easier to repack in your drop bag than repack your race pack.

CP Footwear: Footwear such as Crocs, Slides or Flip Flops to wear in CPs to protect feet. You will not be allowed to walk around CP locations in bare feet for hygiene and safety reasons.

Towel: Some CP locations have wash/shower facilities and the race does not supply Towels, you will not be able to shower or wash feet without a means to dry them.

These Drop bag items are not checked so do not need to be presented at kit Check, however if you are found not carrying these items they may be subject to the same penalties as other missing kit.

Recommendations

The above listed items are all Mandatory and the bare minimum we allow you to participate in the event with.

Please consider the items below, especially in poor weather conditions.

Additional warm clothing: As you progress in the race and become tired or during colder weather you will find it harder to keep warm, especially as you slow.

Think about extra layers above the minimum list.

Sturdier Waterproofs: There is a trend to wear/carry super light waterproof layers that meet the HH criteria but the HH rating is only part of the story and heavier duty waterproof layers will perform better in serious weather and give you a better chance of completion.

Spare items in your drop bag for those things easily lost or damaged Gloves, Red lights, Hats, Neck Tubes, Safety Glasses and smaller items as not having these can mean you may not be allowed to continue if they are lost

Spare First Aid Kit Items in your drop bag: You need to have spares of medications, foot care items and anything you need for minor injuries to take care of yourself. If you are at a CP location and you don’t have spare tape, needles or foot care items you can’t rely on the medical team always having enough to treat you. Bring more than you think you will need.

The Medical Team are there for emergencies, non minor injuries and support, you should be able to manage minor cuts and scrapes and foot care yourself.

KIT CHECKS (SECTION 2)

Pre Race

To ensure everyone is carrying the correct kit and fairness to all racers there will be a kit check at registration, it will follow the below procedure.

You will have your kit checked as the first part of the registration process; the kit checker will check a random set of items from a list. Some racers will receive full kit checks and some will receive partial checks on a selection of items.

Who gets what checked will be purely random based on what is on the check list for your race number. If you forget any items or any items are not suitable then you may be required to have a full kit check to ensure nothing else is missing. Once all your items are checked satisfactorily you will be allowed to register for the race.

If you fail kit check you will be asked to return ASAP with the correct items and you will be unable to register until you have passed, you cannot collect a number without us confirming you have passed on all items. It is your responsibility to ensure you arrive at Kit Check with all the correct kit ready. If you have any doubt about kit being suitable either bring alternatives or check those items you intend to bring with lindley@thespinerace.com before attending the event. We cannot be held responsible for misunderstandings over kit standards. If you are in any way not sure then email, you will get a quick definitive answer.

Be aware information on social media is not definitive and may be out of date or based on previous years requirements. If in doubt, ask.

We will keep copies of all kit checks to confirm you were checked and what was checked should any dispute about kit occur at on course kit checks.

If we allow any borderline items to pass, or we fail any contentious items. In that case, we will record those including a description or photo of the item in question for future reference. This will clear up any disputes on the course quickly.

On course and checkpoint kit checks

At any point on the course or at a checkpoint our staff can ask for a selection of items from the compulsory list to be shown. These will usually be requests to ensure you are carrying critical safety equipment during poor weather or on higher risk areas of the course. If you are missing an item of kit the procedures in section 4 below will be applied.

You will have a small selection of kit checked every time you leave a CP location, this will be when you are packed and ready to leave to ensure you are carrying the correct kit at the point you are ready to go out onto the course. It may be frustrating to be asked to show stuff from your kit that’s neatly packed at the very last minute but it’s the best way to ensure you have not forgotten to carry something. You will not know what is to be checked until you are checked and it will change from CP to CP and Runner to Runner so people do not pass on info to others.

MISSING KIT PENALTIES AND PROCEDURES (SECTION 3)

The Spine races are self-sufficient adventure races and as such it is strongly emphasised that the competitor is responsible for ensuring they always have the right kit during the event. This includes protection from loss or damage whilst out on the trail.

It would be prudent to carry spares of easily lost or damaged items such as Goggles, Gloves, Hats and other smaller items in your drop bag to cover those possible losses. It’s your responsibility to ensure your kit is sufficiently robust to survive the event and you take care to prevent loss.

The event is under no obligation to source, loan or supply in any way any items of lost kit so you can continue your participation in the event.

However, in the spirit and nature of the race we understand fellow competitors, race staff and volunteers will do all they can to help you continue your journey. They do so as an individual arrangement with no obligation or expectation.

If you are found to be missing kit at any point on the course or at a Checkpoint location, you will be subject to the penalties and procedures listed below without exception.

There are 30 items on the compulsory kit list, and they are all compulsory and to be carried at all times.

Penalties

All items of kit may incur a 1 hour Time Penalty for each item, at the discretion of Lindley the Equipment Manager.

You will not be allowed to leave a CP location until you have replaced that item regardless of the weather conditions, only the Equipment Manager can exercise any discretion. GPS devices are specifically noted on the next page as they have separate considerations.

Please note all time penalties will be applied when possible to your time during the race but in some circumstances, this may be post-race, particularly if penalties are incurred in the latter stages of the event. A record of all-time penalties will be kept by HQ and the Kit Manager (Lindley – Lindley@thespinerace.com) and all decisions by the Kit Manager or the HQ team will be final. Time penalties are applied to your race time, you will not be held at any point unless your time penalty means you are now past the cutoff time for that location.

If you receive a time penalty or are held at a location whilst waiting for replacement kit and this means you are now past the cut off time for that CP location you will be considered to be timed out of the race and cannot continue.

Multiple Missing Items

If you are missing multiple items of kit at a kit check or are found to be missing multiple items of kit at checks along the route the race reserves the right to issue a warning or disqualify the competitor depending on the severity or frequency.

GPS DEVICE FAILURE or LOSS

GPS devices are compulsory on the event for safety reasons, in extreme weather conditions such as cold, wind and snow where navigation with map and compass is more challenging and harder to do safely and quickly. The kit list includes both GPS devices and map and compass to offer the best of both worlds and a level of redundancy to the system.

GPS devices are robust and reliable and rarely break or have issues, we have had less than 3 physically broken devices in the last 5 years. The biggest issue is user error with files not being loaded correctly or the user accidentally changing a setting or deleting a file making it no longer work properly.

However, if you have the unfortunate experience of a broken device or manage to drop it into a bottomless bog, we will follow the below procedure.

Lost/broken/failure on course or at a CP location

If the weather is good with good visibility you may be allowed to continue to the next CP location using Map and Compass only and will be more closely monitored. If you show signs that you are unable to demonstrate the ability to navigate well without the device and continually get lost you may be stopped and not be allowed to continue for your own safety. This is at the discretion of the Kit Manager/HQ team.

If the weather is poor and map reading would be very challenging, you may be stopped and not be allowed to continue for your own safety. This is at the discretion of the Kit Manager/HQ team.

A missing GPS unit will incur the same 1-Hour time penalty, an obviously broken one will not but the above still applies.

Accidental kit loss vs deliberate action to not carry something

Over the years some competitors have chosen to leave kit behind or not carry compulsory items, thankfully this is a very rare occasion but it can cause serious safety concerns. The race reserves the right to disqualify any competitor who has been found to be deliberately carrying less than the compulsory kit list.

For any clarification on this kit list document please email lindley@thespinerace.com

FAQ’s

Below are some of the more common questions and answers.