|  First
off, all of you that are saying to yourself, "I
don't have a Camelbak", need to go get one or at
least a decent equivalent. I'm not going to listen to
the advocates of water bottles that pull lame complaints
out of their butt like how Camelbak's make them top
heavy or extra sweaty. These are the same individuals
who also use up their buddies' patches, food and water
that they couldn't carry for the ride.
Your
Camelbak will give you two things that nothing else
can:
- A
comfortable, sturdy and stable means of carrying (and
keeping cool) a lot of water.
- Enough
room to carry all the equipment and food you should
need for even the longest rides.
Although
the Mule
(shown in photo) is the most popular among mountain
bikers, there are many models that will do the trick.
The Rocket
and even Lobo
will be sufficient for short rides. If you plan on doing
long day or multi-day rides, I'd recommend the models
larger than the Mule. The Blowfish
is similar in size to the Mule but has an expanding
main compartment. One step up would put you in to the
H.A.W.G.
or even the coveted Transalp.
What
to bring:
- Water
(duh)
- Hand
Pump (a good one that will allow you to pump up the
tire tight)
- Patch
Kit (with plenty of patches and glue)
- Quick
patch kit (optional) (for if you are in a hurry)
- Extra
Tube
- Tire
Wrenches
- Chain
Tool
- Spoke
Wrench
- Hex
Wrench Tool
- Power
Bars (or equivalent) (I have to try a Cliff Bar that
doesn't taste like poo)
- Sun
Block
- Chapstick
- Insect
Repellent
- Needle
and Dental Floss (If you blow out the sidewall of
your tire, you can sew it up with these.) (I've ridden
half a season on a repaired tire)
- Aspirin
& Tums (or equivalent) (something for pain and
discomfort)
- Emergency
Foil-Blanket (optional) (keep warm if you are forced
to camp)
- Leatherman
(or equivalent multipurpose pocket knife)
- Money
(cash and coins)
- Flashlight
& New Batteries
- Pencil
& Paper (small pad and small pencil)
- Waterproof
Matches
- Whistle
(when you fall way off the trail and get the wind
knocked out of you and can't yell)
Did
I miss something. Add
An Item
User
Submissions:
- you
should also bring a rambo knife. You know the one
where the back screws off and it has lots of goodies
stashed in there like a little a water compass, some
fishing tackle and water proof matches. Oh yeah and
I'd also recommend packing a moon pie or two. mmmMMMM-mm!
~Jared Bernard
- You
should also pack a basic first aid kit.
My kit includes: Latex gloves, Ammonia inhalents,
Instant ice packs, Bandaids and basic bandages, Alcohol
prep pads, Providone-Iodine or batadine pads or swabs,
Safety pins, Moleskin, Adhesive tape or duct tape,
Zip-loc bags, tweezers, Water purification tablets,
Sawyer Extractor,
550 cord, and many other like items... I also recommend
a compass and a map, and a water-proof firestarter.
~Jeffrey
DeMent
- I
recently switch to a Sram Sachs PC-99 chain for 2
reasons.
1. It allows me to remove the chain to clean it which
is easier, less messy and more effective and
2. I carry extra links in the event I break a chain.
I just add another power link which will get me home
with less fuss than trying to put a traditional chain
together in the dirt.(not a fun thing to do) I also
still carry a chain tool to remove the broke link
if needed. (I recommend the Alien). ~Steve
Houghland
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