After a late start to the day, we took the dogs out for a training run on some very frozen trails.We split the team up and ran two teams of two; Mookie with Benny and Basil with Snowy.

The frozen trails were very uncomfortable. vehicle tyre treads were frozen into the trails, making it a real bone shaker of a run.

It’s been some time since I’ve run a two dog team and I really missed the extra power  a third (and fourth) dog gives you.

We both relied on our Sorel Caribou boots to keep our feet toasty warm.

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.

I bought the terroc version because it had a stiffer sole that was stable and supportive when running on firm, uneven terrain.

inov-8 Grip

The grip is amazing – it just bites into most terrains. Just walking a few lively huskies to the start line was no longer a scary proposition. I’ve had many famous brand outdoor shoes that simple fail to grip in wet conditions. On the hill, there’s no substitute for grip.

inov-8 Lacing

Who would have thought lacing would make such a difference? The lacing system really works. Holds your feet secure and the laces don’t let go mid race. They have a variety of ways to lace up the shoes on their website.

inov-8 Feather Weight

These are really lightweight trainers. Previously, I had been running in either my hunter wellies or some apres ski boots from Salomon – so my reaction was a little predictable. Running up hills with the dogs was now a lot easier with the inov-8 terrocs as my feet felt like they’d sprouted wings. If you do compare them with other outdoor running shoes, they are really light in weight.

inov-8 Confidence

All of the above just gives you huge amounts of confidence in a race. Knowing that your feet aren’t going to slide nor weigh a ton, encourages you to get off and do your bit on the hills.

They’re definitely popular with the serious dryland mushers. I would also recommend them as an alternative to walking shoes if you have to walk huskies with a climbing belt. The grip and comfort make them ideal for remaining safe when been dragged along a wet, muddy path by a husky.

innov-8 are a UK company based in the Lake District; it’s a pretty good testing ground for an awesome bit of footwear.

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.

We have two favourite models at the moment. We prefer models with the batteries in the headlamp unit, to keep size down to a minimum.

Petzl Zipka 2

It’s an ultra compact torch that uses a retractable cord instead of a bulky strap. This puppy, really does fit in your pocket and only weighs 69g including batteries. It’s bright enough for walking the dogs and batteries easily last over 50 hours, double if you don’t use the brightest mode and don’t mind a dimmer light. It uses 4 LEDs.

I love this torch. At first I was worried it would feel like a cheese wire around your head – but it’s not. It feels different, cos you don’t have a big head strap that the orther torches have. It stays in place and the cord quickly retracts into it’s casing.

The lamp has three modes, maximum, economic and strobe. First push of the rubbery button switches on maximum mode, another push gives you economic and the third push gives you strobe. We have no need for a strobe. Torch came with batteries and fitting them is simple.

Petzl Tactikka XP

Still a compact head torch, but brighter than the zipka and includes a lense filter than either focuses the light into a spot or difuses it cover more ground. It looks like it’s only now available in desert tan and camouflage colours. I prefer our grey and blue version – but I could live with the camo version.

The torch uses a single LED with three brightness settings (maximum, optimum, economic), plus a 20 second boost and also the usual strobe. We usually use the optimum setting to help with prolonging battery life. The light from this torch has always impressed us. I wouldn’t use it for racing, but is fine for all those other things you do between racing etc. It weighs 100g and has a battery charge indicator that flashes when the batteries need changing.

The lamp unit has a mount that allows you to change the angle of the light, pointing it more up or down, as you need. Some versions include coloured filters for the lenses, but we’ve never had the need. I would think this is our favourite torch at the moment, unless we wanted something really bright and then we’d grab our lovely Mila head torch.

Many places sell Petzls, and plenty of companies copy the style with varying degrees of success. We just stick with Petzl and have never has a problem. Torches are things that you really wouldn’t want it to fail.

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.

The cheapest hunters are the Hunter Original, which they now do in a wide range of colours. I still prefer the green or navy blue. If you want something warmer or with a vibram sole, just check out the range. You’d be suprised at how much you can spend on a pair of wellies. One day I’d love to own a pair of leather wellies – although not that suitable for walking through mud and puddles.

The only downside to fitted wellies is they can be a challenge to get off, which is why we bought a few welly removers. They’re really cheap things that you stand on to help you effortlessly pull your boots off without bending over or straining.

Over the year’s we’ve tried winter walking boots, winter wellies and apres ski boots. None of them come close to the comfort and warmth we’ve found with our Sorels. They’re not cheap, but cold feet make you really unhappy so it’s worth buying boots that actually work. I always wear mine if we take the dogs out on the sled. When racing in snow, your boots get covered in snow, especially when it gets deep, making normal winter footware fail. Whilst all you can see are snowy feet, the Sorel Caribous keep my feet toasty warm. It’s not nice standing on the back of a sled with feet stinging though frosty cold snow.

They even look good at night, most people think they look really smart and you get away wearing them down the pub. The Caribou type are what you typically see mushers wearing but Sorel have released a really fab range of more design led boots with quite funky variations.

Dr. Billinghurst’s most important piece of writing is the book “Give Your Dog a Bone.” Because cats and dogs have different food requirements, (cats are obligate carnivores while dogs are omnivores with a carnivorous background), he decided they each needed their own book, and that he would write the dog book first. Thus was born “Give Your Dog a Bone.” This book was launched at a 3 day Bichon Frise conference in western Sydney on the 17th November 1993. The book was advertised in all the canine breeder magazines throughout Australia.

“Give Your Dog a Bone” proved an instant hit, with many breeders adopting its ideas. Since that time it has been making steady inroads into the minds of breeders and dog owners throughout the world. To date nearly fifty thousand copies of this book have been sold.

“Give Your Dog a Bone” is the book that began the worldwide BARF dietary revolution for pets and remains ‘the book’ to read on the subject of BARF. It remains the practical common sense way to feed any dog for a long healthy life.

It is the only book available that deals exclusively with feeding dogs their natural or evolutionary diet. This book contains vital information for all dog owners. It is a must for the owners of new puppies. Its 320 pages are packed with practical authoritative dog feeding advice that will drastically reduce vet bills. It shows that a dog’s diet, which is based on raw meaty bones, is simple to produce, promotes health and is inexpensive.

“Give Your Dog a Bone” explains why processed foods are the major cause of growth, reproductive, dental and most of the degenerative diseases including problems such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, kidney failure, cardiac disease, the auto-immune diseases etc.

The subjects covered include:

• Modern dog feeding myths
• The question of cooked or raw foods
• Your dog’s enemy, commercial processed dog foods
• The common problems associated with home produced food
• Basic nutrition
• Bones as dog food
• Offal as dog food
• Fruit as dog food
• Dairy products as dog food
• Table scraps as dog food
• Feeding puppies
• How much food to feed
• Feeding your dog vegetarian style food combining
• Meat as dog food
• Vegetables as dog food
• Grains and legumes as dog food
• Eggs as dog food
• Useful supplements
• Feeding the adult dog
• Getting a dog started on this new diet
• Feeding your dog for a healthy old age

This book has changed the thinking of tens of thousands of people worldwide. More importantly, it has in most instances improved the health of these people’s dogs. Many of these people now look to Dr. Billinghurst as ‘the authority’ on feeding pet carnivores their evolutionary diet. Some say that “Give Your Dog a Bone” has become their “Bible.”

“Give Your Dog a Bone” is essential background reading for Dr. Billinghurst’s second book “Grow Your Pups With Bones.”

Buy Give Your Dog a Bone: The Practical Commonsense Way to Feed Dogs For a Long Healthy Life at Amazon

The Complete Siberian Husky

The Complete Siberian Husky by Chris & Caroline Kisko and Sheila & Simon Luxmoore is ideal for those thinking of getting a siberian husky, as well as those wanting to learn more about working, showing, breeding & health of Siberians.

The athletic, powerful Siberian Husky has worked for man as a sled dog for more than 3,000 years. Today, the Husky is still employed in his original role by racing enthusiasts, but the breed’s versatility and stunning good looks have also enabled him to become a much-loved companion and show dog, popular with owners the world over. In this comprehensive book of the breed, the authors explore the history of the enigmatic Siberian Husky, and trace his development to the present day.

The breed’s character and behaviour are analysed, and the book is packed with practical information on choosing, training, socialising and caring for a Siberian Husky. The role of the Husky as a working dog is examined, with a chapter devoted to the exciting world of racing. The more sedate world of showing is also covered, with helpful advice on getting the most from your dog in the show ring. For the specialist, there is detailed advice on breeding and rearing a litter, plus an in-depth analysis of the Siberian Husky Breed Standards. Lavishly illustrated with stunning colour photography and practical line-drawings, this book is a must for all Siberian Husky enthusiasts. Whether you are a novice owner or an experienced breeder, whether you are interested in showing or working, or whether you simply want to get the best from your companion dog, The Complete Siberian Husky provides an invaluable reference for this most fascinating breed.

The Complete Siberian Husky (Book of the Breed Series)

by Gary Paulsen.

Gary Paulsen was in his forties, an internationally famous children’s writer. Then he was overtaken by his passion – a passion for Alaskan dog-racing and a passion for the wild, beautiful landscape of the Arctic. Winterdance is the story of this passion.

Award-winning author Gary Paulsen entered the Iditarod, a gruelling 1180-mile race across Alaska, in dangerous ignorance and with fierce determination. After a spectacularly inept period of training and an even more spectacularly inept start to the race, Paulsen and his team of 15 dogs ran for 17 days through the beautiful, treacherous arctic terrain. They crossed the barren moon-like landscape of the Alaskan interior and witnessed sunrises that cast a golden blaze over the vast waters of the Bering Sea. Enduring blinding wind, snowstorms, dogfights, frostbite, moose attacks, sleep deprivation and hallucinations, he pushed on.

It is a powerful, almost unbelievable adventure, told with humour, pathos, vitality and excitement. Beautiful, funny and laconic, it is a book about men and dogs and their souls. This book recounts his adventure.

‘An unputdownable celebration of the human spirit’ Sunday Express.

Buy Winterdance: Fine Madness of Alaskan Dog-racing from Amazon

The Speed Mushing Manual by Jim Welch is an invaluable reference guide for buying, breeding, feeding, conditioning, training, equipping and racing sled dogs.

A clear and concise book on training sled dogs to race. There are specific examples to clarify most techniques and ample support for the effectiveness of each method.

He has successfully condensed the knowledge of many of the world’s top mushers into a relatively short book. Consider it essential reading for anyone who wants to reach the maximum potential of their dogs whether they be competitors at the national or local level.

The Speed Mushing Manual: How to Train Racing Sled Dogs

First night rally is looming, guess we should charge the batteries.