Guidance on dry bags

Participants are reunited daily with both their dry bags upon arrival at the overnight campsite ©No Limits Photography

Participants must have these two Ortlieb dry bags:

1. An Ortlieb 59L PS490 overnight dry bag (size 59L - max weight when filled 15kg) that will be transported ahead to the next overnight camp each day.

2. An Ortlieb 10L PD350 resupply dry bag (10L - max weight when filled 2.5kg) that will be transported ahead to the daily support point each day.

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1. Overnight dry bag (59L - 15kg)

We will transport participants’ mandatory camp clothing & equipment between overnight camps each day.

There is a strict weight limit on the overnight dry bag of 15kg.

The overnight dry bag must be a 59L Ortlieb PS490 dry bag. Sorry no exceptions. The PS490 is the preferred option as it has a carry handle and is more robust than other models.

A 59L overnight dry bag weighing maximum 15kg is more than adequate for all participants’ equipment, clothing and food requirements for during the event; remember that you do not need a tent or cooking equipment.

Participants who do not have the correct dry bags at registration will be unable to register. We will have an ‘emergency’ supply of dry bags to purchase at registration in case, but strongly advise you carefully source your bags well ahead of time.

During the event, participants' overnight dry bags:

• will be stored outside without any protection against sun or rain.
• must be dropped off upon the participant leaving the overnight camp in the morning and will be available for collection within a designated pen upon arrival at the next overnight camp.
• must never be collected by anyone except their owner, as they are an important visual safety check that everyone is accounted for at the end of each day.

Overnight dry bags on camp three of the 2021 Montane Dragon’s Back Race® - awaiting collection by incoming participants! ©No Limits Photography

2. Resupply dry bag (10L - 2.5kg)

We will transport participants’ resupply dry bags to the support point each day.

There is a strict weight limit on the resupply dry bag of 2.5kg.

The resupply dry bag must be a 10L Ortlieb PD350 dry bag. Sorry no exceptions.

A 10L resupply dry bag weighing maximum 2.5kg is more than adequate for holding some food, spare socks/pair of shoes for access at the support point each day. Remember, you do not need to fit in any water as this is supplied at the support point.

During the event, participants' resupply dry bags:

• should not contain anything that is crucial for when they reach that day's overnight campsite, as they may arrive before the resupply dry bag does.
• will be stored outside without any protection against sun or rain.
• must be dropped off upon the participant leaving the overnight campsite in the morning and will be made available for collection upon their arrival at the daily support point.
• must never be collected by anyone except their owner, as they are an important visual safety check that everyone is accounted for at the end of each day.

Shown here is an Ortlieb PD350 dry bag (10L) with some example clothing, equipment and food you might want available at the support point:

• Ortlieb PD350 dry bag: 188g

• Spare Clothing (softshell jacket, spare base layer, spare socks): 437g

• Spare Shoes: 548g

• Additional food and electrolyte for the afternoon: 383g

• Powerful headtorch for late finishers: 196g

• Bottle + Water: 481g

The total weight is 2.233kg. As water is available at the support point you might wish to take a tin of food, such as rice pudding, which many competitors find to be a palatable midway snack. The choice is yours and this is just an example of what you might want to have in your support point bag.

A note on standardisation

We insist on standardised dry bag sizes and weights for all participants for the following important reasons:

1. Fairness - every participant has the same maximum weight and sized bag.

2. Safety - the event team need to lift and manoeuvre several hundred dry bags a number of times each day.

3. Transport – dry bags must be very similar sizes for optimum stacking and packing whilst they are transported and there is a carefully calculated maximum load limit for each vehicle.

4. Weather - once at the overnight camp the dry bags are stored outside.

Please be aware

• we will strictly enforce the type, size, and weight of all dry bags to ensure fairness for all participants i.e. we will be checking all dry bags at registration.
• we will attach identification (likely a sticker) containing participants' unique race number on both their overnight dry bag and resupply dry bag at registration.
• no glass bottles are permitted in either dry bag.