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In the last year, I’ve been indoctrinated with the propaganda that running is actually a fun activity that people would choose to do. Somehow, like the rest of the world, I’ve found myself completely and totally brainwashed by this propaganda and dare I say, actually enjoying trail running—but I’ve spent more time trail running than doing almost any other activity this summer.
Jokes aside, here I am, a complete and total noob to the sport in a world surrounded by people setting 100-mile race course records (no, seriously, I got an email from someone yesterday who set one last year). It’s hard to say if I’ve been enjoying it so much due to my wildly ADHD brain’s need for dopamine or that coming from sports like skiing, kayaking, and biking, trail running requires a refreshingly minimal amount of gear. There’s no boat to load on your car, bike parts to maintain, or decisions about what bindings to put on your skis. Even so, I’ve still managed to find a way to nerd out about different gear and have wound up with a couple things I’ve been pretty stoked about along the way.
So, whether you’re just hoping on this train with me, Wiz Khalifa, Harry Styles, and the rest of the world or are a seasoned trail runner who stumbled upon this (and is probably thinking what does a ski journalist know about running gear?), here’s a few of the things that have been integral to helping me get Strava kudos this summer.
1. Janji 3″ Multi Shorts
Early in my journey, I got an inexpensive running belt to throw my phone, AirPods, and a Gu in while running, but I was never that stoked on how it would sometimes make my shorts ride up and how hard it was to get things in and out of it. These shorts made by running brand Janji, have solved that problem, fit super well, and dry quickly when I inevitably jump in the Deschutes river or some lake halfway into my run.
They have an integrated liner that’s full coverage enough to make a 3-inch split short not feel revealing and a built in belt that has pockets around the perimeter. The rear pocket on this fits my iPhone 15 in it sideways and it doesn’t bounce at all while I run. I don’t even notice it most of the time. I’ve also threaded a thin shirt or sun hoody through the back pocket when I want to de-layer and usually carry my AirPods case and snack of some kind in the belt as well. It’s hard to ask for more than shorts that hold all my things, fit well, come in good colors and prints, and I love them so much, I got a second pair on sale. These also come in a 5-inch length if you want more coverage.
Colton Mansavage
2. Pit Viper Altimeters/Admirers
Admittedly, I’ve been on the Pit Viper train for quite some time now, especially the Admirers. However, earlier this summer, I managed to lose the only “normal” sunglasses I owned and the only ones I’d brought with me, while at a kayaking event in Idaho. Later that day, after maybe potentially consuming a few beers, I went to the Pit Viper tent in search of new sunnies to get me home without frying my contact lenses out of my eyes through my windshield and wound up with a pair of Altimeters. I lost my credit card shortly after that, but that’s another story. Anyway, in an effort to not lose the glasses I’d just acquired, I decided best to just make them my entire personality. Turns out that was easy when they’re great for running. The Altimeters give nice wind coverage, but are pretty freakin’ aero fast as well.
But some days, if I’m not feeling so aero, it’s nice to break out the Admirers as well. They provide a little more coverage and UV protection and don’t fog as easily when I’m sweating, which I pretty much always am while running. I could try and get some shield glasses (or any sunglasses that aren’t these) and look more serious, but what fun would that be?
3. Salomon ADV Skin 12 Gradient Vest
Once I started ticking off enough miles where I wanted to bring water along for the ride, it was time to invest in one of those fancy vests all the cool kids wear. I have a vest I use for distance biking that I tried running with, but it has a bladder on the back that sloshed water around in a way that annoyed me. So, I went to my local REI to check things out in person and with the assistance of maybe the most helpful REI employee I’ve ever met, landed on this Salomon vest.
The ADV Skin 12 is built to give the most options for hydration and storage, while remaining super streamlined and bounce-resistant while wearing. It comes with two 500ml soft flasks that fit in the front pockets, but it’s also compatible with a bladder if that is your speed. There’s also multiple other pockets on the front, not to mention the 12L capacity in the back and tunnel pocket. It’s also compatible with Salomon’s Custom Quiver system, so you can store poles in multiple ways.
One of the cool things about this vest is that while it does have massive capacity, when you’re not maxing out the storage, it doesn’t feel like too much vest because you can cinch down bungie cords on the back to streamline things a bit. While it was one of the more expensive options generally, and in the Salomon lineup, I figured it was better to have the option for more storage in the event I ever wanted to race or fast-pack in some capacity, rather than re-invest.
I’ve loved being able to carry water and even more snacks that I’ll wear this even on short runs sometimes. It doesn’t chafe if I wear it with a sports bra that hits below the bottom edge of the front or cinch the front down pretty tightly. I got a size small, but am built more like a teenage boy so likely could have gotten away with an extra-small and not had to worry about chafing at all or cinching the front down so much.
4. Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Stick
Everybody Wear Sunscreen! (If you don’t get that reference, it’s worth a lookup!) I wear some kind of 50SPF on my face a lot of days, generally, but on runs where I’ve been out in the sun for a while and inevitably jumping in water mid-way through, I wanted a little stick to reapply. Sun Bum makes a mineral zinc oxide face stick that’s water resistant up to 80-minutes, but is still made without ingredients that harmful to reef environments (because we have so many of those in Oregon). I can throw this little guy in my shorts pocket or vest and have a quick way to reapply sunscreen to my face (and tattoos!).
5. Precision Fuel PF 30 Chews
I can already feel Max shaking his head at me for eating space food, but sometimes, it’s just the easiest way. Although these aren’t a running-specific thing, I’ve found that I really like bringing them on runs, more than other snacks that I’d normally use biking as well. These little chewy guys come in either a pack of two or one big 60-gram carb slab in mint, lemon, and watermelon flavors. They’re not too sweet, like some other chews can be, but still have a good flavor to them. The thing I like best is that they’re coated in a kind of powdery flour, which means even when your mouth is dry as hell from mouth-breathing while running, they don’t get too weird and sticky and go down well.
