The complete Marathon des Sables packing list
My list of the 35 things you’ll need to get you through this extraordinary endeavour!
About the author: Chris Shirley MA FRGS
A former Captain in the Royal Marines, Chris has been an advisor on the BBC’s High Risk and News Safety team, has led the risk management function in an international media charity, and has been an international disaster responder with Re:Act for a number of years.
He holds a master’s degree in business management, has travelled in over 60 countries, is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), is a Guinness World Record holder, has rowed across the Atlantic in a 5-person team, completed the Marathon des Sables, Ironman triathlons, and many ultra-distance events.
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It is said that gear selection will make or break your race, find out what we used here to make sure you’re best prepared for this epic challenge!
Most people opt with the official WAA backpack, which does them fine – however I found it to be too small for my needs as everything weighs more.
My first choice was to buy the Raidlight Desert pack ultra-combo, however, when it arrived – I presumed it had been made by a 5-year-old. The stitching was poor quality and it didn’t fit me in any way. On the plus side, it was light and did look quite cool in white – however I decided to send it back and get a refund. I’m quite glad I did as my tent-mate tore his Raidlight bag on the MDS. Hopefully just a short-term quality issue however I’d be reluctant to buy their bags again on that one experience.
I went with the Ultimate Direction Fastpack 35L in a medium / large (I’m 6’2” and this fitted me perfectly) which was the best choice as I’m taller and heavier than most runners.
If the price puts you off, it might be worth looking at the Montane trailblazer backpack as it has lots of similar high-end fastpacking features but at a much lower cost.
The packs fit me well from the start of training, and the extra capacity over the WAA one was super useful not only for training through winter but also having space to store extra water between the longer checkpoints.
I partnered it with the WAA 5L front pouch (which got retired to my main backpack compartment after the first day) and side pouches. One side pouch held my snacks for the day (making it easy to reach on the move) and other was a small admin pouch comprising of: salts tablets; suntan lotion; venom extractor; a small roll of zinc oxide tape and my GoPro. I found this set up invaluable as the front pockets don’t hold a huge amount on the backpack.
Read my extended review of it for more images and detail.
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Clothing
2. Micro down jacket: I took a rather excellent Montane micro down jacket which was ridiculously light and packs down to the size of an apple.
3. Shorts: I used Under Armour heat gear running shorts as they’re 4-way stretchy (super useful to prevent snagging) and allow heat to dissipate quickly.
4. Underwear: I used Under Armour boxer jocks which didn’t give me any chaffing at all.
5. T-shirt: I used Rab’s excellent Force Long Sleeve t-shirt as it has a factor 50 sun protection (SPF), an anti-bacterial treatment and low-profile / soft seams. Long sleeves mean you can pull them down to protect you from the sun without overheating.
Mandatory items
For the 2019 race, the following items were mandatory (this may obviously change for the future).
6. head torch and a complete set of spare batteries: My Petzl Tikka headtorch was perfect for this – which you only use for the night stage. My top-tip is to use some fabric tape (or whatever you can get hold of) and attach the 2 spare AAA batteries to the back of it, so you always know where they are. As an added bonus, they also act as a counter weight to the lamp.
7. Sleeping bag. See my write up of the sleeping system below.
8. 10 safety pins. I bought thin and cheap and spent the race regretting it as they broke every few hours. I almost got a penalty on the second day when I had one pin holding my front race number on. Top tip: Don’t buy cheap!
9. compass, with 1° or 2° precision. I didn’t use my compass during the race as I was never first at any point (!!). Even at night the course is lit up with glow sticks. I just bought a super cheap one and it stayed in my backpack the entire time.
10. Lighter: I took one because it was a named item however relied on Lifeproof’s windproof matches more as the lighter was ineffective in anything more than a gentle breeze (and you’re not supposed to cook under the tents – the staff do come around and remind you of this!).
Want to see how my MdS went? Play the video!
11. A whistle: Check your bag; there’s probably one attached to the chest strap. If not, a cheap one will do.
12. Knife with metal blade: I used the Petzl Spatha rope knife for this however most people generally just use a razor blade or something.
13. Topical disinfectant: I used decanted Dettol into a small plastic a small 50ml tube, which was perfect for cleaning blisters and small wounds (once you’ve added to water).
14. Anti-venom pump: I used the Aspivenin venom pump. This stayed in my left hand ‘admin’ pouch however was able to be quickly used if needs be. I am planning to add this to my own remote area medical kit as I was very impressed with it.
15. A signalling mirror: Most outdoor shops want to charge you £10-£15 for essentially, a make-up mirror. Buy a cheap travel mirror online and you’ll pay half or even less instead.
16. One aluminium survival sheet: Available from any outdoor shop or online. Stayed in my bag the entire time.
17. One tube of sun cream: One 100ml tube of factor 50 did me just fine (even though the back of my legs got burned on the admin day). Kept in my left hand admin pouch.
18. 200 euros. Try and get 50 Euro notes if possible and keep in a waterproof case (like this cheap Amazon one).
19. Passport (or identity card for Moroccan residents). Make sure you waterproof (with the Euros) it as you will inevitably pour water over yourself when the weather gets hot.
20. Water bottles: I used 2 Raidlight 600ml ‘Eazyflask’ soft water bottles however would go with the hard versions next time.
Soft water are great in theory, however when you’re trying to fill up quickly become an utter chore. You have to remove them from the back pack and very steady to get the water in. I dropped them (when full) on at least 4 occasions, losing around 2L of water to the Sahara – not great if the weather is super hot.
21. Shoes: Having used Inov-8 running shoes for around a decade, I decided that the ParkClaw 275 trail running shoes would be great option as it’s suited to hard and soft surfaces. Being a UK size 11, I opted to buy 2 pairs in a size 12. This meant that my feet would get used to the shoes however not completely wear one pair down during the training. I did notice a lot of people using Hoka Ones which I still can’t bring myself to wear purely on how they look.
22. Gaiters: I used the Raidlight desert gaiters which stopped 99% of sand getting in (the other 1% found its way in there once you take your shoes off at night). I’d fully recommend getting the Velcro strips tailored on by Kevin, the owner of Alex shoe repairs. He’s super-friendly, really flexible, very friendly and also understanding of your needs – can’t rate him highly enough.
23. Poles: I deliberated over taking the extra weight of hiking poles for a while until a friend who’d done it the previous year recommended taking them – utterly glad I did. Whilst some argue that the c.500g is a lot (about 5% of my overall bag weight on day 1). Some people elected against it and said they regretted the decision by day 3.
24. Sleeping systems: I opted to take a Thermarest Z-Lite sleeping mat, which was fine however if I was to do the race again, I’d take an inflatable mat to sleeper deeper at night (probably a Thermarest Neoair Uberlite). The tent has a thick carpet floor which protects the mat from sharp rocks however it is good practice just to make sure there is nothing below to puncture it.
25. Sleeping system: I borrowed my friend’s Aegismax ultralight sleeping bag which was plenty warm enough to use without anything else (obviously temperature may vary on other years) which was fine despite the somewhat low temperatures at night. For a mat I used Thermarest’s excellent Z-lite Sol folding mat I decided against cutting it as I still use it for mountaineering and attached it using 2 bungee cord loops tied to the bottom of my backpack (using 2 stopper knots)
26. Cooking: I used titanium mug by a mate and this worked really well (despite choosing to leave the lid behind). It takes 650ml of water which is generally enough for a porridge breakfast and an instant coffee.
I took one box of fuel tablets (ESBIT) that I purchased at the race shop. You’re limited to one pack until everyone has had a chance to buy. I found this was about right to get a fire going which you bolster with dried plants as the main fuel source.
A cut down water bottle makes a great cup and means you don’t have to clean the food from your mug afterwards (saving water)
Medical
27. Blister prevention: I’ve used DuoDerm’s excellent Hydrocolloid dressing for blisters for many years now – mainly because it provides a waterproof and anti-bacterial barrier between the socks and the blister. Be sure to ensure everything is clean before applying a section of the dressing and take proper medical advice if you’re unsure about it at any point.
28. Anti-chaffing cream: I used a 100ml tub of Vasline - again – as it’s been my go-to procedure for many years now. I use it moisturise my feet as well as ‘moving-parts’, and it’s prevented chaffage everytime. In extremis, you can use it on your lips also.
Other gear
As well as the above, I also took:
29. Soft ear plugs: Goes without saying, you need good quality sleep and each tent will have someone that snores in it. Take 2 pairs as you generally lose at least one whilst there (I think the camel spiders sneak in and take them to line their nests!)
30. Portable power bank: For charging my mobile and GoPro. This Anker Powercore 10,000AmH as moderately cheap (c.£25), compact and allowed 4 charges or so – which was fine for the race. You can read our longer, more in-depth review here.
31. A ‘summit shot’ Yes, genuinely – I believe that no race should ever feel bigger than you. So my way of stealing the MDS’ soul (taken from David Goggins’ book, ‘Can’t hurt me’) was to have a small nip of red wine from the bottle you have with your last meal before the race, and offer the same to my tent mates every night. It’s the mountaineer’s mindset applied in the desert (except it’s usually a good Scottish single malt whiskey). If you don’t want to carry the wine bottle, you can take a Stanley classic hip flask filled with your finest tipple to celebrate that finish line anyway. Ours has taken a beating over the years yet is still going strong!
32. Hotel slippers. I took some of these, but they only survived 2 days. Next time, I’d take some ultra-cheap flip-flops (can’t be too upset at losing a £2 set of flip flops!).
33. Windproof matches. Unless you can find some ultra-fine kindling or take tampons with you (that are great for starting fires with), it’s worth taking getting some windproof matches. ESBIT tablets can be hard to light in windy conditions or if they accidentally get wet.
34. IPhone and headphones. I’m with Vodafone and had reception for a lot of the trip. This meant I could post photos to social media and keep everyone updated off my progress personally. That said, I always ensured it was packed in the main compartment of my backpack, so I didn’t feel the need to incessantly check it. The die-hards and purists out there will no doubt scoff at this statement, however if you’re fundraising for a charity – the engagement may increase donations when people see what you’re actually experiencing (and they feel part of the challenge).
35. Factor 50 Lip salve. The desert is a hot place (as you’ve probably gathered by now!); and your lips are something you want to save from the sun. Whilst this Uvistat factor 50 lip salve has a funny taste and leaves you with white lips – it does protect you from burned lips. I kept it in my admin pouch as I needed it every hour (because it washes off when using your bottle) One is fine (unless you lose it obviously).
Want to know what we ate to ensure we completed the race? Read my food and nutrition plan here.