I’ve been recapping on what I actually did to prepare for this trip. Coming soon, a few photos. Happy to give guidance to anyone else preparing. Just get in touch.

Riding Kit

Mostly* I wore my everyday hacking-out in the UK stuff and it did the job well out in Patagonia. So…

• Noble Riding Tights (love the thigh pocket for my phone, but the GPS was too heavy to live in there). I had all kinds of back-up tights to wear underneath to prevent rubs, but didn’t need them, as the sheepskins we had on the saddles were fab.
• Ariat Telluride Boots (waterproof, great for walking as well as riding) and paired with the right socks my feet never felt cold. Although a few riders were in lighter trainer-type trekking shoes with closed stirrups and I think they might be more comfortable in hot conditions.
• Shires suede half chaps – a budget option, years old, which have been around the world with me and repaired more than once.
• A Buff neck-thingie/hair-accessory and a cotton scarf (which doubled as a towel on more than one occasion)
• Musto winter riding coat – years old, re-proofed. Good for wearing and sleeping under.
• Musto Primaloft jacket a had a bit of a splurge on this one for the trip but WORTH EVERY PENNY. It packs up small and light into it’s own pocket and I kept it stuffed in a my backpack for when I needed an extra layer to keep warm. It is absolutely windproof and as it turned out, very comfortable to sleep in. The Musto clothing really is fabulous quality and fits me really well. I don’t go out intending to buy it, but it keeps being the best option.
• I wore a Troxel hat for this trip, it’s light, comfy and has air vents. Perfect for me on this trip.
• Roekle gloves. I was also given some MacWet gloves to try out and to take. Both would have been great. I just took my old favourites.
• Waterproof trousers – again, budget – found in them in the hall cupboard, they belong to one of the kids – wore them most days. Even though they aren’t thick they trap air and definitely kept me warm in the wind or in the bad weather during the first half of the race.
• Sealskins woolly hat (waterproof). I have a problem with their sizing – the large hat kept popping off my head, but that aside it was warm, kept my head dry in the bad weather at Vet Station 2 and my head warm at night in my tent.

*I had intended to take my Icebreaker merino base layers, but in the madness of packing for the trip and the unexpected heat in El Calafate managed to leave them behind and ended up borrowing a sports top from Annie – which I lived in. And which was fabulous. Thank you Annie! I also made an emergency waterproof jacket purchase in El Calafate – which I wore most days, even though we didn’t get lots of driving rain.

More on camping kit, food and stuff medical kit to come…