Best Trail and Running Gear Picks: Nine Pieces of Kit Worth a Look

Introduction

Every few weeks we end up with a pile of kit that does not fit into a dedicated review but still deserves a mention. This month that pile covers a genuinely useful spread: a compact head torch, two ultra vests, a travel-friendly massage gun, a pair of well-priced trail shorts, a running cap, an affordable pair of split shorts, and two pairs of running baseliners. Some of it impressed us immediately, some of it took a few runs to win us over, and a couple of items we would happily carry in a drop bag for a hundred-mile race.

BioLite Dash 450 Head Torch

We rate BioLite head torches highly, and this runner-specific Dash 450 continues that run of form. At 78g and with a torch body just 10mm thick, it is light and compact, and the band sits comfortably on the forehead. The rear battery pack is small enough that bounce and tug are minimal while running.

Up front you get an easy-to-adjust 450-lumen light that throws a 15m flood and a 90m spot beam, which is plenty bright for dark forest runs or city miles. A genuinely handy detail: it remembers your brightness level when you switch it off and back on, which is ideal at aid stations when you need to dim things down to avoid blinding people. Battery life runs three hours on full burn and up to 60 hours on a dimmer beam, and there is a good range of modes plus a blinking red rear safety light. You can also carry and use a battery pack while charging, which extends runtime for longer nights. Controls are glove-friendly, it is small enough to stash in a running belt, and at around £50 it is a strong-value utility torch.

La Sportiva Trail 10L Vest

We have been testing a lot of ultra hydration vests lately, and the La Sportiva Trail 10L has been in the rotation for a while. The standout is the fabric: a soft, stretchy material that forms to the body well, unlike the more rigid feel of some ultra vests, so it stays comfortable over longer miles.

Storage is conventional but effective: two soft flask holders up front, easy-to-reach stretch pockets on the sides, a large zippered front pocket that will holster a smartphone (though it bounces a little and does not hold it fully secure), and a big zippered rear compartment for a jacket, waterproof trousers, gloves, or a hat. There is pole storage and a built-in whistle too, which is good for racing. The main caveat is that the sternum straps are a little minimal, so it is not completely bounce-free when fully loaded. It worked best on lighter loads, on runs of around two to three hours, where it disappears nicely and feels more like an extra layer than a pack.

Bob and Brad Q2 Pro Massage Gun

Fresh off a hundred-mile race, this compact massage gun earned a permanent place in the drop bag. At 430g it is small and light enough to stash alongside race kit, yet powerful enough to bring relief to deeply tired muscles and tight spots deep into an ultra. A quick five-minute pass over quads, calves, and piriformis made a real difference at mile 60, and it ended up being borrowed by several fellow runners who wanted the same relief.

It is not the most powerful gun on the market, but you do not need deep penetration after hours of moving. For home use we would point at a bigger, more powerful model, but under £80 it is a well-built option the whole family can use. You get five attachments that reach most knots and muscle groups, five speeds, a soft silicone handle that is easy to wield, and a quiet motor. It has a modest 7mm amplitude, but it can take quite a lot of pressure, so you can compensate by leaning in more. There is also a detachable temperature-shifting head that flips between hot and cold, which is a nice extra even if neither setting is extreme. We wrapped it in a buff rather than using the carry case, and it did a great job in a race bag.

Rab 12L Veil Running Vest

The Rab Veil 12L is a formidable, spacious running vest aimed squarely at ultras and long-distance days, and it stays light and breathable while doing it. The headline feature is storage, and lots of it. There is a large rear compartment, a hidden zippered pocket for keys and a phone, a pocket inside the main compartment, and zippered pockets around the front flask sections for gels and small essentials.

Around the back you get open stuff areas for clothing, compression straps to tighten everything down, and pole storage front or back. It is the kind of vest where you keep discovering another zipped pocket. We used it all summer for both running and walking, and it handled days when a full hiking pack would have been overkill. If you regularly cover long distances or need to carry more than a light trail run demands, this is a very solid choice.

Kip Run 900 Trail Running Shorts

Good trail running shorts with serious storage tend to be expensive, and these are a pleasant exception at $24.99. They are extremely breathable, with a lightweight fabric that flows rather than sticks, dries very quickly, and wicks sweat well, so they never feel cheap or synthetic on the leg.

Storage is generous for the price: a large zip panel at the back, small side sections for gels, a big front slip pocket that fits gels or even a soft flask, and a hidden zip inside for cards and essentials. Note there is no compression leg liner, just the usual brief liner, which suits us fine given how we run in them. Available in several colorways, and a well-priced, comfortable pick for trail work.

Angry Pablo Running Cap

Angry Pablo started out as a Brighton cycling brand but now does plenty of running kit, including a weekly running club and this cap at £35. Running caps from nice brands are rarely cheap these days, so it sits in the middle of the market rather than at the budget end.

It is a panel-based design that shapes well on the head and looks sleek, with some nice detailing. It is slightly thicker than very thin performance caps, which had us expecting a hotter run, but in practice it was fine: we wore it for a city 10K on a warm weekend and found it comfortable, with sweat wicking away nicely. A solid, classy cap worth a look from the brand’s website.

Higher State Split Shorts

Higher State is the running apparel line from the SportsShoes retailer, positioned as affordable while still delivering on performance. We tested a vest and these split shorts over the summer, and the shorts were the clear winner of the two.

They are simply very comfortable, with a built-in brief so you do not necessarily need anything underneath, and we saw no meaningful chafing across plenty of runs. The ventilated design suits warmer months, and there is a well-concealed rear pocket, not the best we have seen but good enough to hold a phone, plus a place to clip keys. Nothing bounced around much with a phone and keys stowed. At $19.99 they are affordable enough to become an everyday pair, not just for faster sessions or hot conditions.

Path Projects Lynx PD Baseliners

Path Projects calls its running underwear line baseliners, and we tested two pairs: the slightly cheaper Tahoe CL and the more expensive Lynx PD, which adds a bit of extra technology. We started with the cheaper pair and found they chafed, so we switched to the Lynx PD and had a noticeably better experience.

The Lynx PD have been genuinely comfortable, with light compression to hold everything in place and a Polartec fabric that dries very quickly. The main wins are comfort, no chafing, and the fact that they sit nicely under most running shorts. They have earned a place in our running wardrobe alongside our usual go-to for runs and races. At £29 they are a confident alternative for training and racing alike.

Path Projects Tahoe CL Baseliners

The Tahoe CL is the more affordable of the two Path Projects pairs we tried. In our experience they chafed on some runs, which is why we moved on to the Lynx PD, but the concept is the same: a lightweight baseliner designed to sit under running shorts and replace regular underwear.

If your fit and running style get on with them, they offer the same quick-drying fabric approach at a lower price, but given our experience we would point most runners toward the Lynx PD for the extra comfort.

Overall Buying Advice

If you run in the dark, the BioLite Dash 450 is an easy recommendation at around £50. For ultra training and racing, the Rab Veil 12L is the storage powerhouse while the La Sportiva Trail 10L suits shorter, lighter-load days. The Kip Run 900 and Higher State split shorts both deliver comfort well below typical performance-shorts prices. The Bob and Brad Q2 Pro is a niche but proven ultra drop-bag tool, and the Path Projects Lynx PD is the safer bet of the two baseliner pairs we tested.

Conclusion

This month’s kit covers nearly every layer of a runner’s wardrobe, from lighting and hydration to shorts, caps, and recovery. The strongest value plays are the Dash 450 torch, the Kip Run 900 shorts, and the Higher State split shorts, while the Rab vest and Bob and Brad gun show their worth over very long days. Match each piece to how and where you actually run, and each of these has a clear case for a place in the kit rotation.