Ibex Wool Clothing Put to the Ultimate Test

A checkpoint at the 4th Dimension 24-hour adventure race.
Rain starts in October and doesn’t let up until July on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Rainfall averages 12 feet per year in this temperate rain forest. DART-nuun team member Glenn Rogers was the course designer for an epic late summer race called the 4th Dimension Adventure Race staged on the spectacular peninsula. The first cold weekend of the season caught teams by surprise. It can be wet, even when it isn’t raining. Three teams got soaked from wet bushes and pulled out of the race due to hypothermia.

Many more teams would have found themselves in trouble had the weather been the freezing cold rain a few of us set out in three weeks later to retrieve several of the checkpoint flags left over from the race. We biked, hiked out bikes, and because Glenn was the mastermind of the route that day, carried our bikes up steep cliffs. We were out for 7 hours, and totaled 10,000 feet of vertical gain for the day.

I dressed head to toe in Ibex wool bike clothing underneath Gore Tex outer layers. For once, I was the warmest person in the group. Although the rain was biting cold on our faces, I was able to keep warm by staying in motion. My Ibex under layers became damp from perspiration, so I was not completely dry. However, the hardshell Gore Tex prevented the freezing rain from getting inside, and wool has the lifesaving property of insulating when wet. Ibex wool clothing insulates significantly better than any other bike clothes I have used. It was neat to be moving fast through such an extreme environment, and still be able to maintain some physical comfort.

I find Ibex clothing to be comfortable, and, being wool, it does not retain as much odor as polypro.

For my upper body, I wore Ibex Long Underwear Top ($60), Ibex Arm Warmers ($30), and my team-issued trustworthy Arc’teryx Alpha SL Jacket & Tau Pullover. For my lower body, I wore Ibex El Fito 3/4 Bike Knickers ($120), Arc’teryx Alpha SL Pants, and Teko wool socks. On my hands I wore Gore Tex lobster claws over Ibex Wool Glove Liners ($25).

Ibex wool can be purchased from http://www.ibexwear.com/shop.

Gregory Backpacks - Anti Gravity Series - Versatility

Our success in adventure racing has a lot to do with our versatility and ability to adapt to changing conditions. We select gear that also has these traits. Gregory Packs exemplify the type of adventure racing gear that meets our stringent demands. Since races can vary in length from 4 hours to multiple days, and mandatory gear lists can be as small as water or as extensive as a novel, our packs need to fit well, carry our required gear, be lightweight but tough, and ergonomically be easy to use.

We primarily use four packs from Gregory’s Anti Gravity Series

Stimulus

The Stimulus is the smallest of the Gregory Packs that we use. It is perfect for those short sprint races where the mandatory gear list is minimal. At 300 CU IN and just over 1LB, the pack easily carries your water, food, and some extra clothes. Like all Gregory Packs, the waist pockets are handy for carrying your food or nuun tabs. Many of us also use this pack while running ultra marathons and mountain bike races.




Reactor
The Reactor is one of our most used packs. Its size allows us to use it in a variety of situations. At 700 CU IN, it holds twice as much gear as the Stimulus. This is our go to pack for most 24 hour races. It has enough capacity hold a day’s worth of food, our Arc’teryx cold weather gear, and any other mandatory gear required by the race director. This pack weighs just under 1.5 LBS. Also notice the built in tow loop at the center bottom of the pack. This is a great addition to help out any teammates that may be suffering.





Iso
When it comes to large loads, the Iso is the way to go. It is just 4 oz heavier than the reactor with almost twice the carrying capacity at 1,200 CU IN. Sometimes, race directors require us to carry large loads and the Iso is our first choice. At the USARA National Championships, we were required to carry everything we would need for the entire race. We needed enough capacity to carry our running shoes, clothes, mandatory gear and enough food for the entire race. The Iso handled the load perfectly. The Iso also worked extremely well in expedition races such as Primal Quest and XPD. Often, we are in deep water during races. Like all Gregory packs, the Iso drains well and dries quickly.


Advent Pro
Paddles, PFD, tent, sleeping bag, satellite phone, these are some of the things we are required to carry during expedition races in addition to enough food and clothing to stay out for 2-3 days at a time. When we are carrying the maximum, we go to the Advent Pro. Even with this pack loaded up, it still fits well and feels comfortable. During Primal Quest, we were on our bikes for 18 hours with our Advent Pros loaded and this was just the beginning of the section. At 2,200 CU IN, this pack will have enough capacity for the longest races. We also use these packs for our multi-day training up in the cascades.



2,200 CU IN
2LB 9OZ