PHD Mountain Software

Taklamakan Desert race

This is the first year of the Race The Planet - Taklamakan Desert race: a 48 hour challenge in the Taklamakan desert or "Sea of Death" in north west China, covering 100km. Competitors travel light but have to carry survival equipment including sleeping bag, food and clothing. The Race The Planet series is a unique annual set of seven-day ultra challenges set in very remote regions of the world. Most of the races are in dry desert regions. However one, "The last Desert" race, is held in Antarctica offering something of a very different nature.

Table 1: The Race The Planet series

Down Sleeping Bag Selection

For this race you need undoubtedly to travel light, however if you need to rest on route and get some quality sleep, warmth is a valued asset.

The two PHD sleeping bags which are selected for the Taklamakan 48 hour desert race are the Minimus and the Ultra. The Ultra excels at saving weight and bulk in your pack, while the Minimus ensures secure warmth if the temperature dips.

The basic figures for the standard models:

Additional points:

1. TEMPERATURE RATING: Put simply these are the temperatures at which you should be able to get a night's sleep in normal circumstances. For fuller details about the TOT rating see this Technical Briefing.
2. LINERS: A liner will add to the insulation if you choose the Minimus or the Ultra, but want more warmth. As always it is a trade-off between the extra weight & bulk and the warmth you gain (maybe 2C). Silk liners at 140gm probably give the best value.
3. CLOTHING: Thermals (if you are taking them) and/or other clothing obviously help to keep you warm. If choosing the Minimus or the Ultra bag, an Ultra Down Vest at 150gm is an optional addition for minimal weight.
4. FABRIC OPTIONS: The Minimus and Minim 400 bags come with M1 outer fabric as standard. MX and Drishell are the other optional outers for these two bags. MX is our lightest fabric and reduces the total weight by about 25gm. Drishell is highly wind/water resistant and adds about 25gm to the total weight.
5. DOWN OPTIONS: You can opt for 900 quality down in the Minimus bag, which will provide the same insulation as the standard 800 while reducing the total weight by 40gm.
6. ZIPS: None of these bags has a zip. Zips are an option, but most competitors don't ask for one. A short zip with draft tube adds about 55gm (2oz): a full zip & tube adds about 120gm (4oz). Zips also add to the packed size.
7. PACKED SIZE: PHD stuff sacs tend to be on the loose side. All these bags can be compressed further in your sac, particularly the Ultra.

Figures for Fabric/Down options:

Down Clothing selection

Temperatures in the desert can drop more than expected making the very lightweight and compressible nature of down clothing a good choice. The use of down clothing as a layering system while in your sleeping bag, and for wearing around camp, is a good option for ultimate weight saving and provision of warmth. The ultra range of clothing was designed with this need in mind. The Ultra vest weighs only 150grms, which is lighter than most T shirts, yet it will give real warmth down to approximately -5c.

The next Race The Planet Taklamakan Desert Challenge starts on the 21st August 2010.

Photo: taylorandayumi