The weather in Fann mountains of Tajikistan during summer and early September is typically hot and dry, with average temperatures ranging from 13°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F). Occasional thunderstorms may occur, bringing brief periods of rain and lightning. The clear skies and warm temperatures make this an ideal time for stage races. Therefore, based on our experience we suggest the following items as required.

Very little running and camping gear is available in Tajikistan, so bring everything that you need!
And please  contact us if you have questions.

The Essentials

The equipment / gear / kit list follows the simple principle that safety comes first.

• What you carrying while running:  small first aid kit for blisters / cuts, sprains etc; warm clothing for after you finish running (and should you need to stop), protection from sun, wind, cold; food enough for the day and water container. We run at 2800m to 4300m so need to be prepared for a range of climatic conditions.
• What is carried for you: Sleeping things, fresh clothes, toiletries, anything else you want to bring (respecting weight considerations). The weight limit is 10 kg for camp-to-camp transport (as much is done via donkeys).
• Also, please put your name on everything! 

Running clothing

• Trail running shoes – good grip with a complete rubber sole, half size bigger than normal for toe movement, tried and tested. Bring a spare pair too just in case.
• Socks – two pairs can be enough through a pair per day will be luxury. You can also buy acceptable socks cheaply here in Nepal.
• Shorts – may be slightly warm for tights on the first few stages.
• Running tights – may be slightly cool for shorts on the higher stages.
• Underwear
• Wicking t-shirt – ideally has a collar to protect your neck from the sun.
• Thin fleece top
• Thin gloves – for early starts for those people who feel the cold easily. . 
• Windproof top – something light and small is ideal
• Waterproof jacket – the chances of rain are very low and heavy rain extremely low, but a cheap, very light (but waterproof) jacket, will keep you dry should it rain or snow.
• Cap or sun hat – sun is strong at altitude. I use a wide brimmed hat which can be tilted to the sun’s direction to avoid applying sunscreen to ears and neck. A buff can also be useful.

Other running equipment to be carried in running pack

• Running pack – around 5-15 litres with chest strap. Test before using!
• Bladder or water bottles – 1 to 2 litres. Wide mouthed bottles can be easier to fill and drink from while breathing heavily. You can refill generally once per stage and a stage can be 3-8 hours for the fastest and slowest.
• Paper map (provided)
• Small emergency whistle
• Suncream – sweat-proof sports suncream according to your needs.
• Energy bars / gels – bring according to your preference. A simple packed lunch that we give you every morning, may consist of any of the following: 1 muesli bar, dry fruits, slice of cheese, Tajik bread, a boiled egg, 1 piece of seasonal fresh fruit, nuts. Carry enough spare calories to cover a full day moving. You can send excess to the finish line.
• Sunglasses & case
• Emergency bivy bag – please invest in one of these, which is much better than a “space blanket”. Example here.
• Headlight – with spare batteries
• Clothes Pegs – for pinning up wet clothing on a line
• Post race clothing – on finishing, you will get cold between your fast finishing time and the time it takes your packed bag to arrive. Thus you need to run with some warm clothing with you. Depending on the stage, and the forecast, we could ask you to carry one or more of the following:
  • Dry t-shirt / thermal top
  • Fleece jacket
  • Warm hat
  • Down jacket (recommended)
  • Fleece pants  / thermal underwear
  • Dry socks, underwear
• Simple first aid kit
  • compression bandage
  • pain killers (not Ibuprofen or NSAIDs)
  • wound cleaning kit
  • alcohol gel for hands ( you can get from us)
  • sling
  • ORS sachets
  • blister kit (white tape etc)
• Money – Small bills if you need to buy drinks or food items on the way
• Personal documents – Insurance details, credit card, phone numbers in case of emergency
• Camera
• Toilet paper – toilet paper is seldom used in Nepal so carry what you need in a plastic bag. A small bar of soap (from hotel!) in a plastic bag is also useful to carry.

Equipment carried from start to finish each day

As soon as possible after waking, you’ll need to pack your bags so that they can get moving to meet you at the finish. We’ve mentioned a limit of 10kg for this duffel bag. There is a 10kg limit due to the nature of transport – via small vehicles, tractors or donkeys.

Sleeping items

• Sleeping bag – we recommend a cool weather sleeping bag as lodging will be in tent camps for most stages. Blankets are usually available. Better to be warm than cold. Please also bring a ‘stuff sack’ or ‘compression sack’ to make the sleeping bag as small as possible.
• Thin sleeping bag liner – a cotton liner can be used with tea-house blankets.
• Earplugs – optional, in case others snore.

Other

• Duffel Bag – for transporting this gear.
• Sandals or flip-flops – for post run. Another clear pair of lightweight shoes is also fine.
• Quick drying towel (if you plan to wash)
• Wash kit – including flannel or facecloth for simple body cleaning.
• Reading book – optional, lightweight preferably!
• Camera’s battery / charger / battery pack. – There is not power available at every stop, so bring a charged spare battery and carry it with you.
• Hand sanitizer, alcohol gel – to minimise risk of catching colds / coughs / stomach problems etc.
• Other first aid / medication –
  • Medication for stomach problems
  • anti-histamine, eye-drops, pain killers etc
  • Cotton wool for cleaning cuts / wounds + iodine gel
  • Your personal medication
• Face cloth, or wet wipes – optional, generally useful for quick, easy personal hygiene
• Oral rehydration salts – salts to aid rehydration.
• Nalgene bottle – or similar (1 litre) for holding hot water, good for rehydrating in the evenings
• Vaseline – for prevention of chaffing and blisters
• Spare battery or ‘power bank’ for phone

Other tips

• Put your small bar of soap in a small plastic bag
• Bring some of your favorite tea-bags / infusions with you
• If you have an insulated cup / mug, this is nice for keeping drinks warm