As trail runners, we like to carry the absolute minimum amount of gear so that we can travel as fast and light as possible. But things can change in a split second with something as trivial as a rolled ankle or simply by getting a little lost, turning what maybe should have been a 2 hour run into an 8 hour slog. You might need to hunker down to wait for help, or find yourself stopping to help someone else in need.
That’s why I’ve begun to approach every run in the same way by asking myself the same question, “what’s the worst that could happen on my run today, and what gear can I bring to help deal with it?”
In this post and video I’ll go over the 10 trail running essentials that I always carry to stay safe on the trails.