Navigate Lesotho
LesothoThe correct gear is crucial to the success of an expedition of this nature, so we got Ryan and Ryno to highlight a handful of the most important items each.
01
Ryan Sandes
Shoes
First things first, I’ve been working with Salomon on a new pair of shoes. It’s the Genesis shoe - the S/Lab Genesis - it's more of an adventure shoe for really long days in the mountains or being out in the environment (like 24hr missions) than a racing shoe.
I did a lot of testing with these shoes in the recces and they are super durable, very comfortable and hard-wearing. It's pretty crucial having durable shoes you can trust and have confidence in.
Backpack
The backpack is going to be very important for a project like this. It needs to be something you can carry all your gear in. This is a project of two halves, so for the mountain section we’ll be carrying bigger backpacks. I’ll mainly be using the Salomon S/Lab Peak it’s a 25l backpack and we also have options to use a 30 or 35l if we need to take any extra gear because of the weather.
You want to have access to food and nutrition and your water bottles and your GoPro, if need be. And if the weather rolls in, you can grab your jacket quickly.
Packing
You want there to be some kind of order so you know where everything is. With that I put everything in dry bags, being up in the mountains, you do get a lot of rain. I will also be running with a waist belt, so that I can carry extra stuff like that I can access all the time, like food, electrolytes, sunscreen and chafe cream.
That’s my one regret in life, that I haven’t worn more sunscreen
Navigation
I will be wearing my Garmin GPS watch, it’s the new Fenix 7, it's solar-powered, which is good for battery life. It is important for me to know distance and time of day and the amount of time we’ve been out there. Obviously, a large part of the project is navigating and the Fenix 7 is great for that, it makes it a lot more convenient and easier than the normal Garmin handhelds.
Clothing
Another important piece of gear is having a warm, waterproof jacket; the one I’m going with is a bit heavier than what I normally go with. With the Drakensberg and the rain and thunderstorms that roll in, you want to know that you are staying dry. Also, with the Drakensberg being so rough and remote and technical, this jacket is a bit thicker and hardier and I know I won’t scrape myself on a rock, it won’t tear. Also, a down jacket is especially important when you are not carrying sleeping bags. So with a waterproof jacket and down jacket, you are ok if you need to shelter in a cave.
It's also important to have waterproof gloves. I normally have a Salomon Outer waterproof glove, but then inside that, I have a glove that keeps me warm. Keeping your extremities warm is crucial, especially your hands, is vital. I don’t ever skimp on gloves. I even sometimes take a backup pair of gloves. I just know how, in the Himalayas, with frostbite, how quickly things can turn. I also make sure I have a Red Bull buff on me always, they are multi-functional in keeping your ears and nose warm.
Headlamp
With Lesotho we are going to be running very early in the mornings, so having a good headlamp is very important. We are going to be moving quite slowly, so the light isn’t as big as say what it would be if I was running a big trail race at night where you’re going flat out the whole time. I’m going to be using the Silva Trail Runner, quite a light weight torch and going to take back up batteries with. Its something I’m used to and comfortable with.
Those would be the main items, but besides that, probably a tent and, on a project like this, maybe some duct tape, super glue, a needle with some dental floss to repair anything that breaks, things that are not quite gear, but necessary. And definitely sunscreen, that’s my one regret in life, that I haven’t worn more sunscreen.
02
Ryno Griesel
Steripen
This is for water purification. There's a lot of equipment out there, but we had to choose something that's easy to use and helps us to keep moving without having to spend too much time purifying water. You have to weigh up weight vs function. So we use a steripen, which is a UV light that you submerge in the water and it kills the bacteria. That also allows you to purify water within 30 to 60 seconds, whereas if you use tablets you have to wait almost an hour. If you are very thirsty that's too long to wait. There's some other equipment like pumps and things that work perhaps more effectively, but these are heavy and bulky to carry.
Clothing
We are carrying a wide variety of clothing and tents for the various terrain and expected weather patterns. We are expecting big thunderstorms, snow, cold and wet conditions in the mountains and heat in the lower-lying areas. Most of the time we will carry a tent with us, but the size and functionality will differ vastly up in the mountains vs lower down on the western, flatter side.
Backpacks
We are also taking a variety of different-sized backpacks, ranging from a 30l in the mountains all the way down to just a running vest and bottle when running on the western side.
SPOT GPS tracking devices
Seven SPOT live trackers. We have quite a big support crew and although it brings all the support it adds to the planning, logistics and safety issues. There are three 4x4 vehicles (driven by Adrian Saffy, Craig Kolesky and Stephaan Griesel) as our main back-up team, two Enduro motocross bikes (piloted by riders who have ridden the Roof of Africa, one of which is Gert Forster, my business partner and friend of 20 years). In certain sections we will also have three horse riders, headed up by Wiesmann Nel from Moolmanshoek. Each of those teams have to have a Spot live tracker to keep track of each other and also to activate an emergency plan if needed.
