ON THE RIGHT TRAIL

IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT TRYING OUT TRAIL RUNNING, good news! Not only is it a great way to test yourself in new and beautiful surroundings, it’s also an opportunity to buy lots of lovely new clobber. Running on technical trails requires specialist kit th

CLOTHING

Make sure you’re wearing appropriate clothing on the trail. Jackets should be lightweight but durable and weather-resistant ( preferably waterproof); legwear should be tough to cope with snags on bushes, and try and find a top that’s slim-fitting and temperature-regulating. All kit is unisex unless specified. 1/ £45, Columbia columbiasportswear.co.ukTrail Flashshorts ( men) Four-way stretch for comfort. 2/ 2XU Xtreme Compression Top ( men) £79, 2xu.com/uk Rubber sections on shoulders to grip a backpack. 3/ Arcteryx Solita Pant ( women) £70, arcteryx.com Full-length side zips to help remove over running shoes. 4/ Arcteryx Taema Zipneck Long- Sleeved Top ( women) £70, arcteryx.com Longer sleeves and thumb holes to protect hands. 5/ Patagonia Nano Hybrid Air Jacket ( men) £150, eu.patagonia.com Insulated, stretchy, breathable. 6/ Haglofs Gram Comp Jacket ( women) £249.99, sportshoes.com Gore-tex coating for windproofing and waterproofing.

NUTRITION

Tasty snacks that give you what you need to keep going when you’re on the trail. 7/ Trek Power Bar ( peanut) £15.95 for 16 x 55g bars, naturalbalancefoods.co.uk 8/ Tribe Hadrian Trail Mix ( mango and cashew) £8.65/month subscription pack, wearetribe.co 9/ Protogo Trail Mix £3 for 85g, UBEREATS app 10/ Nectar Hydro Hydration Tabs ( summer fruits) £5.00 for 20, wiggle.co.uk 11/ Tribe Infinity Bar ( choc salt) £8.65/month subscription pack, wearetribe.co 12/ Stealth Real Fruit Gel ( banana) £24.50 for 14 x 60ml, secret-training.com 13/ Yumpa Cricket Powder Bar ( cocoa, orange and cardamom) £19.99 for 9 x 45g, yumpabar.co.uk 14/ Billy Franks Beef Jerky ( Texan BBQ) £3.10 for 40g, billyfranks.co.uk 15/ Clif Bar ( chocolate almond fudge) £13.95 for 12 x 68g, dolphinfitness.co.uk 16/ Phizz Hydration Tabs ( orange) £4.99 for 10, phizz.co

CREAMS

Protect your skin from the sun and chafing. 17/ £32, Ultrasun johnlewis.comFace 50+ Sweat-resistant and preservative-free. 18/ Ultrasun Lip Protection 30 £6, johnlewis.com Oil-free once-a-day application. 19/ 2Toms Sportshield £14.95 for 45ml, ultramarathonrunning store.com A waterproof and non-greasy lubricant for sensitive areas.

PACKS

The longer the run, the more stuff you need. 20/ Ultimate Direction Groove Mono £25.95, runnerinn.com Wide, adjustable straps for comfort and mesh panelling for breathability. 21/ Salomon Energy Belt £35, salomon.com/uk Padding around the kidney areas for extra comfort, two compartments and 2 x 200ml drinks bottles. 22/ Salomon Advanced Skin 12 Set £140, salomon.com/uk Ergonomic design to cling to your back. Takes three-litre hydration bladder. 23/ Camelbak Ultra Handheld Chill £40, snowandrock.com Perfect for shorter runs, the bottle has an easy-fill opening and keeps drinks cool.

CLOTHING ACCESSORIES

Don’t get caught out by your environment. Spending a little more on extras can turn a good off-road experience into a great one. 24/ Arcteryx Phase AR Balaclava £20, arcteryx.com Gives full face and head coverage. 25/ Inov- 8 Race Ultra Skull £18, inov-8.com Wind-resistant beanie with mesh to provide ventilation. 26/ Craft Brilliant 2.0 Thermal Gloves £10, startfitness.co.uk Reflective pattern, smartphonecompatible and towelling thumb to wipe sweat away. 27/ Buff Paclite Cap £21.95, alpinetrek.co.uk Stretchy, foldable, UPF50 and anti-odour. 28/ Ashmei Neck Gaiter £33, ashmei.com Merino-carbon blend is temperature-regulating. 29/ CEP Compression Arm Sleeves £34.99, cepsports.co.uk Wrinkle-free fit, and good both for extra warmth and battling muscle fatigue. 30/ Inov- 8 Debris Gaiters 32

£15, inov-8.com These attach to trail shoes to prevent small stones from getting in.

HANDY BITS

Accessories that help make life on the trail a little easier. 31/ Nathan Wrist Runner 2 £7.20, outdoorgb.com Soft wristband that stores keys, cards and cash. 32/ Life Venture Trek Towel ( Large) £20, gooutdoors.co.uk Compact, absorbs up to nine times its own weight. 33/ Petzl Tikka XP2 Head Torch £29, joe-brown.com Five lighting settings and a reach of 40m. 34/ Komperdell Carbon Ultralite Compact V4 £147.49, alpinetrek.co.uk Super-tough trekking poles.

EYEWEAR

Look for interchangeable or photochromic lenses to see your way clear. 35/ Cebe S'track Mono £81.99, eyekit.co Anti-slip nose piece and temple grips, durable polycarbonate interchangeable lenses. 36/ Oakley Evzero Stride Prizm Trail £140, uk.oakley.com Super-light, rimless frame and full wraparound coverage.

SLEEPING BAG

For overnight stays or multi-day events. 37/ Sprayway. com Challenger 250 £34.99, campingworld.co.uk This will keep you snug down to temperatures of -5C, has zips on both sides and comes in a rip-resistant stuff sack.

WATCH

38/ Suunto Spartan Ultra Titanium £599.99, wiggle.co.uk Wrist-based heart-rate monitor, route downloads, barometric altitude reading and up to 26 hours in GPS training mode.

SOCKS

Make sure your socks are anti-blister and as quickdrying as possible. 39/ Puma Cell Performance Midweight Crew Sock £10 for 2-pack, barringtonsports.com Underfoot padding for extra cushioning. 40/ Sealskinz Trail Mid £15, sealskinz.com Elasticated ankles and insoles to hold socks in place. 41/ Injinji Trail 2.0 £17.25, feetus.co.uk Toe-sock design and extrastrong elastication on cuffs. 42/ 1000 Mile Breeze Sock Lite £11.99, 1000mile.co.uk Double-layer construction to reduce rubbing.