Guest #MyCarryID :: Trail Runner

by Carry HQ, March 16, 2017

As a website and identity designer and developer, Marcin Faber spends a lot of time behind a desk and in front of a computer. And while the work is fun, he’s eager to balance it with getting active outdoors whenever he can. Embracing the world of trail running is one way he does that, so we asked him to share his insights on trail runner carry and how his gear choices help him on the go…

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Hey Marcin, let’s get to the gear straight away. Hit us with your essentials for carving trail?

From left to right – almost…

– Honey Stinger Energy Gels
– BA! Power Bars
– Inov8 Buff
– Ciele FASTcap
– iPod Shuffle with waterproof headphones
– Petzl Reactik+
– GoPro HERO4 Black
– DIY Tyvek water-resistant jacket
– Pro Touch Dry Plus Gloves
– Sportful No-Rain Arm Warmers
– Craft Pro Zero Long Sleeve
– ASICS T-shirt
– Salomon Skin Pro 10 Set
– Salomon Soft Flask 0.5L
– Anti-dog spray ;D
– Space blanket
– Small First Aid Kit
– Inov8 Mid Socks
– Adidas TR8 Kanadia Shoes
– Compressport R2 Race & Recovery Fluo
– New Balance Tights

Tell us about 2 of your essentials in more detail…

Petzl Reactik+
First of all, durability and reliability. In trail running you have to be sure that the headlamp won’t let you down in the middle of the night, and over a dozen kilometers from the nearest settlements. Petzl provides that reliability. An alternative is carrying two lights, but that’s additional weight! I still have the previous model, for over a dozen years now, and it still works! Now it plays a key role in my everyday first aid kit. The second thing is reactivity, adjusting the beam of light to the conditions. This works perfectly, and is the same on the trail. It doesn’t burn your vision when you’re reading the map and at the same time illuminates the area stronger when you’re looking far away! Your hands are free and you have one less piece of equipment to worry about…

“In trail running you have to be sure that the headlamp won’t let you down in the middle of the night, and over a dozen kilometers from the nearest settlements.”

Salomon Soft Flask 0.5L
I absolutely prefer soft water bottles. CamelBaks irritate me! They are more difficult to fill – and I can fill the soft ones even when on the way, in a mountain stream. Moreover, the water squelches inside CamelBaks, which can be irritating after many hours of running. Soft water bottles have one more additional advantage, we place them on the front, thanks to which the weight is balanced more properly and we can constantly control how much liquid is left.

“I absolutely prefer soft water bottles.”

What makes a great trail running pack? What do you look for?

I look at over a dozen, or even more details. I’ve already sent a few models back to the store after some initial examinations…

I believe three factors are most important in terms of a running pack:

The first one is weight – it has to be as light as air; the Salomon weighs only 279g!

The second issue are pockets and their placement. Many producers go for quantity. Often it is impossible to use or reach them without taking the pack off. And each additional pocket or zipper means additional weight. Some of the packs have as many as over a dozen pockets, but what for? Yellow gels to the fourth pocket and the green bars to the fifth?!

“I believe three factors are most important in terms of a running pack: The first one is weight – it has to be as light as air… “

The third thing is the fit. You don’t want the pack to move and jump all around – it has to be a part of you. That way you lose less energy and you move more stably in a technically difficult terrain or run-downs. The Salomon bag has seven loops which allow you to compress the contents and fit everything so that nothing will move around.

This pack is so perfect that I haven’t made a single adjustment to it yet, and usually I cut something off, add or change something in every other pack!

As the length of trails increase, from say 5K to 20K, does that in turn affect what you carry?

Yes, because that heavily impacts the time of the run, and that in turn may result in running at night or changing the running terrain from a valley to a mountain ridge. Therefore, I have to be better prepared for larger temperature or weather changes, and thus carry more things. One has to be also prepared for any unplanned events; 20 km in wet socks is not a problem, but 50 km may be devastating for our feet. Well, unless I have the option of checkpoints where I can leave something or take advantage of a deposit, then it’s irrelevant, all you need is to be mentally strong.

“The second issue are pockets and their placement. Many producers go for quantity. Often it is impossible to use or reach them without taking the pack off.”

What’s one thing most people don’t know about trail running?

I believe that it’s the fact that during competitions or when covering large distances, it’s not always really running. Someone can even piss during a run but… Most running-ups are done walking, you can face a wall forcing you to take a short nap in the middle of nowhere, after which you have to get up and go, angry as hell at the loose muscles… ;D

Who’s doing awesome stuff in the world of trail running? Brands or athletes or otherwise.

I believe that one such person, at whom most look rubbing their eyes in disbelief, is Kilian Jornet. If a model trail runner would be kept in Sèvres near Paris, then he would be the one on the laboratory table. The guy is amazing, and breaks all the limits one after another!

When it comes to brands, then I believe that many contribute one pebble at a time to a common pile. Thanks to this we now have ultra-light shoes, water-resistant jackets the size of a fist, or compression clothing which allows you to push the extra mile…

“You don’t want the pack to move and jump all around – it has to be a part of you.”

One excellent trail running tip?

Equipment-wise, making photos of the sets which I take for specific runs, and after that marking the equipment which I didn’t use, helps me the most. Combined with notes concerning clothing which was useful in various weather conditions, I have a base which is a starting point for optimizing a set. That way it gets better and lighter with each run. ;D

“Equipment-wise, making photos of the sets which I take for specific runs, and after that marking the equipment which I didn’t use, helps me the most.”

Next trail for you?

I hope that for a change in terms of running those will be single tracks on the Canary Islands, carried out as enduro MTB. Although, I will surely take advantage of the location and do some running in full sun, which will be quite something, because in Poland winter is starting and there is not much sunlight.

What do you do when you’re not legging it through the mountains?

I work as a lead designer at Objectivity where I handle company branding and web designs. As a freelancer I try to develop a few web projects, and after hours I relax myself creating generative graphics in Processing. I try to use a stand-up desk as much as possible but still, I’m tied to the desk for many hours. That is why I go running, climbing, enduro MTB and do as much outdoor activity as possible, whenever I can.