Category Archives: Husky Equipment

Over the years there are bits of clothing and equipment you buy and test to it’s limits through living with and racing huskies. Our lifestyle is dominated by the dogs. Almost all decisions have some aspect of husky attached to them and over the years there are some bits of clothing and equipment that really perform well, and others that just fail.

inov-8 Fell Running Trainers

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inov-8 terroc fell running shoesI can’t remember when I bought my first pair of inov-8 running shoes, maybe 5 years ago. I’d read about them online, after wanting something that was more suited to running than my Hunter wellies. At the time, the only other alternative in the fell running category were the traditional Walsh shoe which seemed positively primitive when compared to the inov-8s. I was one of the first mushers to start using them for dryland husky racing – the combination of wet trails, mud and snow made them ideal. There’s now a huge range to choose from with even more amazing features.

The first time I used them with the dogs, it was like getting four drive for your feet. You can tell that some very clever people have sat down and just simply created a range of high tech functional running shoes with the purpose to perform incredibly well on the hill. I’m an engineer that loves technical stuff done well. My inov-8 shoes easily rank in my alltime top 10 most amazing bits of tech. Continue reading →

Petzl Head Torches

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Torches have improved hugely since we got our first huskies. They’re now alot brighter, lighter and the batteries last much much longer. We’ve tried many different brands of torch and now just stick with Petzl. I think Petzl call them ‘head lamps’, which must be a throw back to their origins when they invented the concept of putting a lamp battery case on a head strap. I’m pretty sure we could open a mini museum illustrating the evolution of the Petzl head torch over the last decade with all the versions we own. We use the torches for walking the dogs in winter evenings, sorting stuff out at races in the dark or just finding our way back from the pub.

Using a head torch means you have both hands free to get on with what you’re doing and also the light is always in the direction you are looking. The head straps are really comfy and the new LED versions weigh very little and fit in most pockets. Continue reading →

Hunter Wellies

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More often than not, we’re out with the huskies in the rain. It wasn’t until we bought our first husky that I owned my first pair of Hunter Wellies. Up until that point, I’d thought a welly was a welly. How wrong was I!

The basic hunter wellington boot is superb. Wears well and has a sculptured, snug fit that’s designed not to pull off in mud. I’m on my second pair, now in 13 years of ownership. My new pair have a vibram sole, giving me a little more grip and comfort. I used to almost exclusively race in my Hunters because it was either raining or we were racing on trails with the odd deep puddle or muddy sections. I could easily jog up hills with the hunters, as I used to prefer running with dry feet in ‘proper’ wellies over wet feet in trainers. There’s a huge difference between normal wellies and premium wellies. Things have changed since getting my superb inov8 fell running shoes, which I’ll rave about later. Continue reading →

Sorel Caribou Cold Weather Boot

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I think we’d really struggle to enjoy the snow and cold weather without our Sorels. When you spend a full day standing on a frozen trail or icy carpark, you need some serious footware if you want to keep warm. Originally introduced in 1959 by Ontario-based Kaufman Rubber Co. they became the world’s best-selling cold weather boot. Unfortunately in 2000, Kaufman Footwear went bankrupt, and the Sorel trademark was bought by Columbia Sportswear. Helen has an original pair of Canadian Sorel Caribou, and Guy has a pair of the new ‘designed in canada’ Sorel Caribou. The new boots are just as good as the old boots. Continue reading →