We have added a couple of guides to our Adventure Race Information section.
These cover;

Mountain Marathon Guide Part 1. Preparation and Equipment

Mountain Bike Orienteering – Beginners Guide

Hope you find them useful. Comments as always welcome.

We have added a new information page about the FRA Safety Requirements for Equipment with some links to clothing that you may wish to consider.

I have a couple of things on test at the moment, namely Inov8 Roclite 295s  and OMM Trio Chest Pouch.

Inov8 Roclite 295

My very first impression of the Roclite 295 was how much roomier inside it is than the other inov8′s I have (Mudclaw 330 and Roclite 315). The heel felt pretty similar width wise but deeper, but the midsole width and toe box seemed much wider. I have some slim orthotics which rather than making my shoes tight, made the 295s a better fit. Without them  I would have considered the thicker insole. The Roclite 295 shares the same sole design as the Roclite 315 but it is made out of the sticky rather than the endurance rubber. You can feel the extra squidgyness of the sole studs and notice the extra grip on uneven rock when out running. After a quick hour’s test I used these shoes supporting a BG attempt for 7 hours and they felt really good. As a more ‘comfortable style’ they didn’t really need any breaking in at all, a marked difference to the mudclaw 330. These shoes seem very popular for long distance races, Bob Graham Rounds and Lakeland Classics as they offer good cushioning and good grip espicially when boulder hoping but weigh less than 300g. I used LaSportiva Crosslites on my BG round primarily for the extra protection the stiffer sole gave me combined with a proper studded sole, the Roclite 295s are not as stiff as the Crosslites but probably stiff enough plus they have the edge on grip and are 10% lighter (30g) so would also be a good choice. Will report more after the 3 Peaks Yacht Race when I have some more miles on them.

OMM Trio Chest Pouch

I have tried all sorts of packs and bumbags to organise myself on long runs. I find I eat more if my food is a bit more accessible than in my pack and when it’s warm and you don’t have as many pockets then route notes and maps aren’t consulted early enough if in your pack. I have used a bumbag with a small pack for things I wanted more often and this works pretty well but it’s not as good as my new OMM Trio chest pouch. Just about the right size for  a bit of food, compass, gps and liner gloves. The stuff stays in while the pouch is open and it’s very easy to get what you want. The pouch  retro fits any OMM sack with link buckles or comes with extra tabs to fit other sacks.  The clear panel is not that much use as a map case as you have to unclip the pouch, let it down and then move the soft cover to see the map. I  fixed the soft cover along the bottom with a safety pin, put my map in a bag and then slid the map between the soft cover and the window when not having it in my hand. pretty secure and instant access to the map.  I also sewed little pieces of tape onto the shoulder straps of my GoLite pack to hold the chest pouch in place. I downsized my pack to a little 8 Litre Slipstream and moved some contents to the front pouch. I don’t think there is any more bounce than with a bumbag or sack, just that it is more obvious being in front of you. The only thing I did notice was that I had a sweaty chest  under the pouch just like your back under a sack. This is a set up that is definitely going to get some more testing.

New fabric care article by Fran, added to the Information Centre

Fabric Care

Information Centre

How to Buy Rock Shoes and Bouldering The Basics added to the Climbing Information Pages

Both written by Fran Holland.

Ortovox S1 Single Victim Search Demo. The next in our series of search demo vids. Multiple brials will be coming next week.

Demo search for a single victim using the Mammut Barryvox Pulse in advanced mode.

Basic single victim search with the new Tracker 2. Plenty more search demos with all our transceivers on the way.

Quite often people have problems pairing a new ANT belt with their suunto watch. This little tutorial will help.

A new sleeping bag can be a large investment and is always an important decision. We have improved the navigation in our sleeping bag section to try and help you make the right choice plus we have our latest ‘How to..’ guide for sleeping bags.

Hope it helps.

How to choose a sleeping bag

Sleeping mats fall into 3 categories. Self inflating mats, Non self inflating mats and Closed cell foam mats. Before we look at each type, a few words about what a mat does for you. The most important thing the mat does is keep you warm. Tests have shown that you loose 3 times as much heat to the ground (conduction) as you do to the air (convection). Also your sleeping bag is compressed under you and is less effective that when it is properly lofted, so it really is your mat that keeps you warm. If you are cold at night, buy a better mat not a bigger, bulkier sleeping bag, it will be cheaper too. The second thing a mat does is make you comfortable enough to sleep. It’s no good being warm and having a stone in your shoulder blade. The different mats offer different firmness much like different styles of sprung mattresses. There is no right or wrong here, but if you like a firm bed, you will probably prefer a firm sleeping mat. Right, let’s look at the 3 types of mat.

Self inflating mats are a layer of foam sandwiched inside an air tight shell with a valve. When the valve is opened the foam expands and sucks air into the mat. Once the foam has fully expanded the valve is closed and the mat is ready for use. Different models vary how much foam and air is inside and this affects how much insulation and comfort the mat offers the user, against how much the mat weighs and how small it packs.
To pack the mat, open the valve and roll up the mat to squeeze out all the air, then close the valve again and the mat will stay rolled up.
The most well known of brands for this type of mat is Thermarest, but their are many other makes. Self inflating mats tend to be thinner and firmer than non self inflating mats with typical thichnesses from 2.5 to 5cm. R values* 2.3 – 4

Non self inflating mats, comprise the same airtight outer layer and valve as self infalting mats but do not have the layer of foam. Since it is the foam that sucks the air into self inflating mats, these mats must be inflated by the user. They can have insulation inside as well as air or just air. An air only mat has low insulation and is really only for summer use, but down or synthetic filled mats have excellent insulation. Non self inflating mats also tend to be thicker and have more air inside than self inflating mats, typical thichnesses of 7-10cm, which gives a softer feel. Non self inflating mats are packed in the same way as self inflating mats, by opening the valve and rolling the air out but since there is no foam to compress they tend to be lighter and pack smaller than self inflating mats. R values* 0.6 – 8

Closed cell foam mats have no outer airtight skin, they are a simple piece of foam that does not compress. You just roll them out and roll them back up again. They are ‘closed cell’ because they will not absorb any water, rather than ‘open cell’ which is more like a sponge. These mats are much cheaper and maintenance free but offer minimal comfort and insulation. Once you have used one of the other two styles you will never be happy on a closed cell mat. R Values* 2.2 – 2.6

* R values are Warmth Resistance Values and offer a standardised value for comparing insulation properties of mats. The higher the number the more insulation the mat offers

The types of mat and their properties are summarized below. Click on the name of the series or mat to see more info.

This article can also be seen on our website
http://www.facewest.co.uk/pp/howto/howtochoosesleepingmat.htm