What to carry in your pack?

vincentvega

Hi all,

Im fairly new to the world of trail riding/xc etc, and im just wondering if any of the more experienced riders could advise me on what i should be carrying in my pack?!

If anyone could itemise the tools/spares that i should take out with me, that would be great!

Any advice is appreciated

Allan

RockingDad

HI,

I've recently got back into biking (mostly cross country type stuff) but I take with me the following:

Water (about a litre for each hour i'll be out)
Mobile phone (for contact and using Nokia Sports Tracker)

Spare tube wrapped in a rag (for wiping hands)
Multitool
various sockets and small flexible 3/8th bar (only sockets required for the bike
removeable chain link
Tyre levers
Pump
Lock

The above life on me (phone in belt case) or on the bike mounted or in a frame bag. I'll take a little in the bottle cage and more in the rucksack if i'm gonna need it. I don't have a camelback thingy as I can't be bothered with the cleaning of the thing. I've got a smartube (ebay search it) connects to any bottle.

If I'm going someone not local or i'm not sure of my surroundings (such as a forest visit etc) i'll also take:

Local explorer OS map and compass
Magellan GPS unit
Torch
food / snacks
Money (emergency tenner in 50p's)
waterproof ziplock bag for electronics
Waterproof packaway jacket and fleece jumper
First aid kit (basic stuff plus polarwrap foil blanket, anti histamines and pain killers.
Sun cream (nearly got burned once due to being cloudy when I went out but then an hour in the sun popped out DOH!)

Think thats about it. This might sounds a lot but it's grown from things I;ve needed at one time or another and didn't have with me (hey i'm a guy that likes to be prepared). I was out today and gave some guy my removeable chain snap link as his chain had snapped and he was 8 miles away from home (couple of minutes later he was riding again).

Doesn't weigh that much really and fits in my 20l rucksack fine with masses of room left.

If you do mental downhill stuff though I wouldn't imagine you'd want all that on your back perhaps.

Cheers

RockingDad

pdid

An article from the main site:

http://www.bikeradar.com/blogs/article/ ... pack-13223

Not suggesting that you need to carry everything that is mentioned, just those that are relative to you.

tombate911

been having a think about the stuff i take with me on proper rides as i am looking into doing more natural rides that are further away from lots of people and cizilisation, heres my list,

cammel back with 3 litre bladder
shock pump
Mini pump for both valve types
2 Tubes
2 decent tyre leavers
puncture repair kit,
chain tool
allen keys and multitool
beenie
waterproof jacket
box of spair bits eg common bolts powerlink
phone with GPS, maps and Ordinance Survey Grid Reference Program and money,
food
map and compass for some rides,

lock1981

hydration pack

2 litres
innertube
multitool includung tyre levers
few puncture repair kits
mini pump
emergengy poncho and blanket (£1 tesco togther)
wallet
Phone

i go light

cgarossi

In my camelbak mule I have

Multitool
Shockpump
Mini Pump
Sun Block
Seperate Alen Keys
Small flat head screw driver
Puncture Repair kit
Innertube
Waterproof Jacket
Base Layer
Different Lenses for my sunnies
SIS Energy Drink in the bladder
A Banana
Mobile Phone
Wallet with ID and Address
Some change up to a fiver

FSR Si

All in a tiny little karrimor backpack

Pump
Tube
Patch kit
Tyre levers
Fiver + some £ coins
Bottle of gatorade
Multi tool
Keys
Hayfever/Antihistamine pills

In my pocket..

Mobile phone with sportstracker
Headphones for mobile, Cant beat a bit of tuneage on the move.

.blitz

vincentvega wrote:

If anyone could itemise the tools/spares that i should take out with me, that would be great!

The most important thing is to make sure your bike is sound before you start off but otherwise a lot depends where you're going to ride. Our little island is so overcrowded you're unlikely to be more than a mile or two from some sort of civilisation so preparing for a worst-case scenario is (IMO) unecessary. A pump, a tube, puncture repair kit, multitool, PowerLink, something to eat/drink, money and a phone is pretty much all I ever take.

Rich Hcp

Camel Back (one and a half litres)

Tyre Leavers, spare tube, pump

Phone

Money (For beer)

mhuk

Two things I carry on a long ride not mentioned are a rear mech hanger (I've had one snap) and some gaffer tape for emergency tyre repairs (not needed yet).

Milkie

I take way too much...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkiekula/3333821498/

cat_with_no_tail

Milkie wrote:

I take way too much...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkiekula/3333821498/

Why do you need to take a set of decks? Surely no-one is THAT much of a party animal

cgarossi

Ah good to see people still playing Vinyl

Me too.

RockingDad

Milkie wrote:

I take way too much...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkiekula/3333821498/

Damn! what is all that?

an_original_name

This is what i usually take with me

water (2L hydration pack)
food of some kind (usually a banana or 2)
pump
spare tube
puncture repair kit (also has a few power links in there)
multitool
£20 or so in coin and notes
drivers license
Phone
mini pack of tissues
hayfever eye drops (i hate summer!)

HardrockRob

Jelly Babies.

helen984

I take...

Hayfever pills, paracetamol, plasters, antiseptic wipes, dressings, tweezers
Baby wipes (multiple uses, very handy!)
A pac-a-mac in case it rains
phone
pump (attached to bike)
Basic tools; screwdrivers, allen keys, multi spanner, tyre levers
Debit card (for any emergency supplies)
tom-tom with plenty of charge - cos if you get totally lost it will give you a good idea of which way to head!
cereal bars & bananas
water/electrolyte drink in 2 x 750 ml bottles on the bike
insect repellent (especially good near rivers & canals!)
Suncream if its very sunny and I'm not wearing much

I have a very tiny karrimor 'micro' backpack to put it all in: its nicely padded all over, holds more than you'd expect, has mesh pockets on each side for extra drinks if needed (or suncream!) and theres a criss-cross mesh of elastic on the front so I can carry a fleece...or my helmet when I'm not wearing it Just £7 from Sports Direct!

helen984

PS My tyres are generously 'slimed'...but if they weren't I'd take 2 spare innertubes!

cat_with_no_tail

Camelbak Scudo with 3l Bladder

Mobile Phone
Pump
Multi tool (with chain tool)
2x spare tubes
1x punchy kit
Powerlinks
Banana
Small amount of cash
Haribo Tangfastics
few tie wraps
OS Maps
1st Aid kit with a few paracetamol
Emergency Blanket
Whistle

If I'm night riding, a couple of Glow-sticks which I know sounds silly, but they have a 12hr burn time, no batteries and weigh virtually nothing.

nwmlarge

i got laughed up for my topeak saddle bag with built in tool kit and puncture kit but they were all grovelling later to use bits of it!
i normally have
the topeak tool kit bag
spare inner tube
wallet
phone
elevenses bar
a bottle of water or powerade or something
sometimes a hoody.
we normally bundle it into one ruck sack and take turns to carry it

REMF

3l of Water
1x Lucasade
1x Flapjack

Topeak biketool
Compact pump
Innertube
tube repair kit

Waterproof
Compression bandage
Leatherman multitool
Mobile phone

MartinGT

I take the following, in my jersey pockets, dont like backpacks.

Spare tube
Park Patches
Multiool (with tyre levers)
Money
Energy Bars
Gillet & Arm Warmers
GPS

On Bike

2x Water Bottles
1 Spare Tube taped to seat tube

Thats about it.

BurtonM

My saddle bag:
Multi tool
Spare innner
Tyre levers
Puncture repair kit
Sparky/gaffa tape (sooo handy at times)
My Backpack:
2 litre bladder
Bottle of lucozade sport or SIS
Suncream
Waterproof
Tracker bar and a banana
Phone (built in gps, compass)
Money for extra drinks or emergencies
My dad takes:
Pump with CO2 cartridges aswell as manual
Shock Pump
Basic first aid kit