Carry too much and you’ll weigh yourself down. Carry too little and you could go under-equipped, running the risk of getting into difficulties. Exactly what you take will depend on how fast you’ll go, the season you’ll attempt the challenge and your own preferences. Camels can carry heavy bags with sleeping gear on the 72 hour challenge, meeting you at the end of every day, allowing you to walk with a small bag of essentials during the day. Camels can be used on faster 12 and 24 challenges too, but they cannot traverse the whole trail beginning to end: the terrain is too difficult. They’re best used to make one key drop off on the challenge, carrying up essentials to a half way point where you can re-stock with water, food and anything else half way around.
BACKPACK
Backpack – You’ll need to carry all your stuff. Get a backpack with a snug, comfortable fit, that won’t wobble, throw you off balance, or rub painful sores into you back. Generally, a 45 litre pack should give ample capacity for what you’d carry on a 24 hour challenge. On the 24 hour challenges this is what you will carry all the way around.
Daypack – On the 72 hour challenge you can use camels to carry heavier bags, taking a smaller 20-30 litre daypack with the essential kit you’ll use through the day. For ultra-light runners on the 12 hour challenge, a small daypack is also likely to be sufficient.
CLOTHING
Waterproof poncho – Whatever the season, keep a waterproof in your bag, even if it’s just a simple plastic poncho. You need something to stop you getting wet if it rains. Once you’re wet, you lose heat five times quicker and it can lead to hypothermia and be a killer. A better option as a waterproof is a jacket from a breathable material like GORE TEX. Breathable jackets help moisture escape from within your jacket too. When moving fast, it’s just as easy to get cold and soggy from sweat on the inside, which can also be hazardous when doing the challenge in cold, winter weather.
Warm fleece/ jumper – It can get cold in any season. Especially at night. Carry 1-2 warm extra jumpers/ fleeces and if it’s really cold, take more. Keep these in plastic bags so they stay dry if it rains. Keep a spare to change into if your clothes get wet with sweat.
Hats, gloves – hats, gloves, scarves and thick socks hello keep you warm in cold weather. In summer a sun hat should be worn to cover your head, and protect your face and neck. A Bedouin shemagh is another good option to wrap around your head, face and neck. UV-rated sunglasses will protect your eyes from the mountain sun.
FOOTWEAR
Hiking Boots – Hiking boots with high ankle support are excellent footwear for the hard, rocky and uneven trails of the Three Peaks Egypt Challenge. It is easy to turn an ankle in low cut footwear, especially for hikers who are not used to the mountain paths or who have not walked at night before. Experienced ultra runners will find specialist trail running shoes the best option. Whatever you bring ensure your feet are used to it before you begin. Painful sores and blisters can develop otherwise.
Sandals – If you’re doing the moderate 72 hour challenge, sandals give a comfortable option to change into at the end of the day.
FOOD & WATER
Water – You can re-fill from natural mountain sources on the way. This is a way of travelling light, filling up when you need to rather than carrying lots of water from the b eginning. A camel can drop water off half way around too. Bladder bottles with drinking hoses are a good option: they keep your hands free, save you time fiddling around, and encourage you to drink regularly. The only downside is it’s hard to know how much water is left when the bladders are buried in your backpack. Watch this carefully. The other option is simply to bring bottles. To purify water on the way you can boil it – though this takes time – or use purification tablets, such as chlorine or chlorine dioxide tablets. Iodine droplets aren’t recommended today, for possible negative health impacts.
Energy snacks – You’ll burn a lot of energy. Take high energy foods to re-energise and give the fuel you need to continue. Halawa, bananas, nuts, dates and chocolate are all great things to nibble on as you’re on the move. Have a look at the range of hiking superfoods provided by Mountain Rose: a small, start up in St Katherine, Mountain Rose sources dry fruits and nuts from St Katherine’s ancient Bedouin orchards, using them to make energy bars, trail mix, granola and other hiking superfoods. In sourcing your snacks from Mountain Rose you will be buying local and organic and helping to keep the ancient orchards of St Katherine active in the modern era.
SLEEPING GEAR
Sleeping bag – Only necessary for the moderate 72 hour challenge. Hikers on the 24 hour challenge will finish the route without sleeping. In winter, a thick sleeping bag with a sub zero temperature rating is necessary. It can be minus 14 degrees on top of Jebel Katherina. If your bag isn’t warm enough, sleep at lower altitudes and wear more clothes. It is also possible to sleep in basic stone huts in ancient Bedouin orchards.
Sleeping mats – foam mats make sleeping more comfy, and give insulation from the ground, which is essential if you’re hiking the challenge in winter.
Tents – You can also sleep in the open, or use huts in Bedouin orchards. But tents give you a greater freedom in choosing where you sleep, and a protection from rain.
OTHER GEAR
Flashlight/ torch – A torch is essential, plus spare batteries. A head torch, that leaves your hands free for scrambling – which you’ll have to do – is best. Even if you intend to do the challenge in daylight hours, take a torch. It is an essential item.
Matches/ lighters – Bring two cigarette lighters for every day you’ll be on the trail. Being able to start a fire is essential in the mountains.
First aid kit – carry a small first aid kit for minor injuries: e.g. plasters, a range of bandages, tweezers, anti-adhesive dressings and aspirin tablets. Rehydration salts are important, along with anti-diarrheals.
Survival bag – every hiker should carry an emergency survival bag. The size of a sleeping bag, survival bags are made from a waterproof material – sometimes simply plastic – and can give a shield between you and the elements. If these cannot be purchased in Egypt bring a heavy duty plastic litter bag or a plastic sheet around 2m x 3m.
Mobile phone – Keep a mobile phone in case of emergency. The small, Nokia type phones are good in as they’re tough, resilient, and have an outstanding battery life. A signal is usually available from the top of each one of the three peaks. It is strongest on Jebel Abbas Basha. Most of the route has no telephone reception whatsoever.
Whistle – a loud whistle helps attract attention in a rescue situation, especially at night, and should always be carried in the mountains.
Knife – carry a small penknife on trail: knives have all sorts of uses.
Hiking poles – These lend stability, ease stress on your knees, and help you power over those high mountain passes super-fast.
Gas stove – small gas stoves are more time-efficient for heating food and water on a time challenge. Using gas helps conserve natural fuels like wood.
Personal medication – remember inhalers and other personal medication.
Cutlery – a mug, plate and cutlery are good on the longer, 72 hour challenge, when you can expect bigger, better meals. You’ll mostly be snacking on the faster challenges.
Toiletries – toothbrush, toothpaste, soap etc, especially on the longer 72 hour challenge.
