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Digging into the Details on Trail Gear Efficiency
PRO Team Athlete Sam Skinner Takes On Loughborough Uni Study
Ever wondered how carrying a running pack affects your performance in the final miles? Sam Skinner, Harrier PRO athlete, is teaming up with Loughborough University to find out.
He’s taking part in a study that’s digging into how running economy (how efficiently you run) changes during long runs, especially when fatigue sets in and you’re carrying extra weight in a running pack. By measuring sweat rate, heart rate, lactate, and more, Sam is helping uncover the finer details of running with mandatory gear, hydration, and nutrition, and what it all means for performance in trail running events.
Despite being in a lab, Sam still found a way to get dirty when his sandbag broke halfway through testing in his Harrier Curbar 5L vest. Proof, as if we needed it, that trail runners will find dirt anywhere.
Logging over 100 miles on a treadmill in five days, Sam's testing included lactate and VO2 max tests, plus sleep deprivation to simulate ultra conditions. It’s real science, real graft, and real insights. We look forward to hearing the results of the study.
Ditch the bounce of bulky backpacks and say goodbye to stuffed pockets. Harrier race vests keep essentials close, delivering the perfect balance of comfort, convenience, and performance.
Kinder 10L Race Vest
A comfortable, practical race vest that's great for carrying all your essentials up to ultra distances.
Martin W
*****
"Excellent quality well thought out item, made from quality materials. Feels like a 5ltr pack in its great fitment but has all the space for a 100 mile mandatory kit list, if in doubt size up if your a guy."
Curbar 5L Race Vest
For short to medium runs. Great for beginners to advanced alike.
Women’s Running
Best Hydration Pack 2024
*****
“It’s a good light pack for shorter races and it was a nice tight fit. It didn’t chafe and there was plenty of storage for all my needs. Top marks!”
Wondering what gear a PRO athlete like Sam uses to tackle a race? Something big and burly like Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB®, perhaps?
Well, you’re in luck! Here’s Sam’s full kit check from his recent top 10 finish in the brutal Welsh mountains.
SAM’S RACE KIT CHECK
- Kinder 10L Race Vest
- Helvellyn PRO Carbon Poles
- 500ml Soft Bottles x 6
- Dual Layer Trail Socks for anti-blister protection
- Tube scarfs
- New Exmoor PRO Waterproof Jacket (more details on launch for this range coming soon!)
Get your hands on loads of Sam’s favourite gear in our handy Ultra Collection bundle.
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