What to pack?
TRHuston
Posts: 69 Member
Hey all! So if you see my feed regularly, you know I"m about to embarque on a 3 week, 10 + city/nat'l park tour and am really excited to start off the festivities with the Dakota 5-0. A 50 miler through the Black Hills of South Dakota.
From there, we plan on going on to Yellowstone Park and Grand Teton Park in Wyoming, the Craters of the Moon Park in Idaho, visit friends near Portland, OR, travel down to the Redwood Park, San Fransisco, and Death Valley in California, Grand Canyon in AZ, Moab, Utah, Durango, CO then back to Minneapolis. We will have our mountain bikes with and plan on doing some hiking/camping, etc.
My question is this: what would one bring? I am all for bringing as little as possible, but due to the differences in climate and activity, I want to have everything I will need. We will have limited laundry facilities on the road and there's nothing worse than a clammy chamois, so at least a few pairs of shorts. All our camping gear is small, so no concern there, but I'm looking for tools or tricks that would help us pack less.
I know you are all insanely jealous of the amazing time we will have, but please offer up any advice. Thanks in advance and happy trails!
From there, we plan on going on to Yellowstone Park and Grand Teton Park in Wyoming, the Craters of the Moon Park in Idaho, visit friends near Portland, OR, travel down to the Redwood Park, San Fransisco, and Death Valley in California, Grand Canyon in AZ, Moab, Utah, Durango, CO then back to Minneapolis. We will have our mountain bikes with and plan on doing some hiking/camping, etc.
My question is this: what would one bring? I am all for bringing as little as possible, but due to the differences in climate and activity, I want to have everything I will need. We will have limited laundry facilities on the road and there's nothing worse than a clammy chamois, so at least a few pairs of shorts. All our camping gear is small, so no concern there, but I'm looking for tools or tricks that would help us pack less.
I know you are all insanely jealous of the amazing time we will have, but please offer up any advice. Thanks in advance and happy trails!
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Replies
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merino baselayer top would be my first essential - I can honestly ride all day in one of these, sleep in it if necessary, and still be allowed to mix with polite company the following day. If I tried the same with the average synthetic base layer, even the skunks and polecats on the trail would be holding their noses as I passed. No need for it to be cycling specifice either tbh, for touring - a less technical looking shirt will mean you can wear it evenings without looking like a lost member of the peloton around town.
Tools - well - i'd probably take "proper" allen keys rather than a multitool, and always take a spoke wrench and a couple of spare spokes with me when I'm touring - buy the correct length ones, and gaffa-tape them to the mudguard stays on the appropriate side of the bike (assuming the rear wheel has different length spokes dished and un-dished. Oh-yeah- half a dozen zip-ties and a yard or two of gaffa-tape. Spare tubes go without saying. As should some form of first-aid kit (and the knowledge of how to use it)
And most important - make a list of everything you take with you. Then when you return, add in all the bits you had to buy while you were away, and cross off all the (non safety or disaster aversion related) bits you didn't use. this is your master list for next time out! After half a dozen trips, you'll have a reasonable idea of what you need, and what you don't. If you're asking this question, I'm guessing you're at the start of this learning curve. Don't expect to get it right. Most important thing to pack is a sense of humour, closely followed by a degree of flexibility.
Above all else - ENJOY IT!0 -
In terms of tools and spares this is what I take when mountain biking:
Spares:
Mech hanger
Power links
Brake pads
Tube
Spokes
Tools:
Pump
Hex keys
Tyre levers
Chain breaker
Puncture repair kit
Spoke key
Screw driver
Tyre boot
Gaffer tape
Cable ties0
