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Almost every mountain ultra in Europe — from the Alps to the Pyrenees to the Dolomites — publishes a mandatory kit list, checked at registration or randomly at aid stations. Miss an item and you can be time-penalised or pulled from the race, even mid-course. The lists vary race to race, but most are built around the same core logic: you must be able to survive several hours alone on an exposed mountainside if something goes wrong.
The items that show up almost everywhere
- Survival/space blanket — for treating hypothermia or shock if you or someone else stops moving.
- Whistle — usually built into your pack’s sternum strap; three blasts is the near-universal distress signal.
- Headlamp with spare batteries — mandatory whenever any part of the route can be run in darkness, which is most races over 60–80 km.
- Water capacity minimum (often 1–1.5 L) — races in the Mediterranean south (Spain, southern Italy, Greece) tend to set higher minimums than alpine races with more frequent water points.
- Rain jacket with taped seams — a specific waterproofness rating is often specified; a “water-resistant” running shell usually doesn’t qualify.
- Mobile phone with race emergency numbers saved — and often a requirement to keep it charged and switched on.
- ID / race bib — visible at all times.
Items that depend on the race and season
High-altitude or early/late-season races (Grossglockner, Tor des Géants, anything above roughly 2,000 m) frequently add insulated gloves, a warm hat, and long thermal layers, even in summer — mountain weather can drop 15–20°C in an afternoon storm. Races that cross glaciers or via-ferrata-style sections occasionally require specific traction devices.
Buy this early, not race week
Kit checks are usually strict about specifications (jacket rating, blanket size, minimum lumens), so buy against the organiser’s exact PDF, not a generic “ultra kit list” — and test everything on a training run before race day, especially a jacket you’ve never run in.
Where to check
Every race’s official website publishes its current mandatory kit list, usually updated a few months before the event. Treat any list you find elsewhere, including this one, as a starting point — not a substitute for the organiser’s own PDF.
Found on Ultra Radar Articles — part of our European ultra calendar.