If you do the Fell Races then most of the below will come in handy for those as many of the items are on the list if the race is deemed to be a “Full Fell Kit” race.

Up on the Moors, Fells and in the Lakes the weather can change very quickly but with a few things we can all be prepared for that.

While I can’t enforce a mandatory kit for the Lakes I would like everyone to think about what they run with and carry, for their own safety.

This is what I take with me when running in the Lakes;

Running bag
Mobile Phone
Water
Survival Bag
Dry Sacks
Map
Compass
Whistle
Waterproof Jacket, with full hood
Waterproof Trousers
First Aid Kit
Spare Clothing; Base Layer, Gloves, Hat, Buff
Head Torch
Food

Sounds like a lot and looks like a fair amount all laid out but when it’s packed into the bag it weighs in at under 1.9kg (excluding the water and food).

About the kit

The thing to remember is that it’s much easier to keep warm from the beginning then to try and warm up once you’ve got cold.

The 2 items that were quite expensive were the bag and jacket.  I spent a bit more on these as I wanted them to be comfortable and they’re actually for running in. My bag is the 10L version, but they also do a 5L.
Where as the trousers are just to put on to stay warm and dry should I need to wait for help or walk down from the fell, so they were pretty much the cheapest ones I could find.

Jacket.  The jacket should be fully waterproof with a full hood, not a pack away hood.  There is a lot of choice on the market for jackets and the prices vary a lot, so hopefully everyone can find something they’re happy with.

Hat, Gloves and Buff.  You may set off with Hat/Gloves/Buff on but if they get wet then there’s nothing like putting fresh dry kit on to lift your mood.  But if that gets wet in your bag then it’s a waste of time taking it so don’t forget to put it in a Dry Sack, or even just a carrier bag if that’s all you’ve got.

Survival Bag.  Something I hope we’ll never need.  It’s basically a big orange bin bag that you can climb in and stay warm and dry while waiting for help.  For the sake of a couple of quid it’s worth having one.

Map, Compass and Whistle.  Probably not everyone in the group needs to have these but it would be great if more than one did.  These are mandatory items for the fell races and people have been prevented from starting races for not having them.

Mobile Phone.  Make sure it’s fully charged if you can.  If you’ve not got a dry sack then sandwich bags are ideal to protect the phone from the elements.  It can sometimes be hard to get a signal in remote areas but if you have a signal you can summon help much quicker than having to run for it.

Head Torch.  Again loads of options for these.  You get what you pay for to a certain extent and beware of Chinese imports, as these can run very hot.  Check it works before you go out.

As I’ve said there is a lot of choice for Jackets and Running Bags, with these being quite personal purchases depending on the fit required and budget.  But for the other more generic items this is where I got mine from:
Survival Bag – £3.99 Go-Outdoors
Dry Sacks – £9 Tesco, 3 pack assortment
Map – £10.49 for a waterproof version, dash4it.com
Compass – £4 Go Outdoors
Whistle – £2 Go Outdoors
Waterproof Trousers – £8 Tesco
First Aid Kit – £10 Go Outdoors

If you have the space….

Bothy Bag..  These are great little emergency shelters which give you a warm dry place to have a cuppa, sit out a bit of bad weather, wait for rescue. They might not fit in your running bag but I carry one of these with me in a pack when on walks.
Bothy Bag