What To Bring On Your Mountain Bike Ride

What The Guides Are Packing

When it comes to being prepared on the trail, there are usually two types of mountain bikers; the lackadaisical rider who never carries enough of anything OR the doomsday prepper who carries a massive pack loaded with every piece of gear to remedy any situation. Most riders fall somewhere in between these two and dial in their setups as they become more experienced.

What you choose to carry on your ride will depend on several factors: the type of riding you do, your level of experience, proximity to civilization and whether you are alone or with friends. A rider going out for a quick rip with friends probably doesn't need to carry as much as a rider going out on a solo all-day epic. To help give you some ideas on what to carry in your own riding pack, let's take a look into three packs from three different mountain bike guides from the Moab area.

For the Quick Rip / Lunch Ride

If I'm riding under two hours I prefer to go as light as possible. I've significantly paired down the gear that I carry and on the off chance that something goes catastrophically wrong, I'm close enough to my starting point to walk out or call someone to rescue me.

For rides under two hours, I choose to wear a hip pack to keep the weight off my back. Inside my hip pack, I carry my phone, food (I prefer Clif Blocks, Nature Valley Granola bars, or GoGo apple sauce packets), Co2 canisters, bacon strips, and a Patagonia Houdini jacket; this is my go-to rain layer for short rides, as its super light and packs down super tiny. If it's warm out I'll carry an extra water bottle on my pack.

I ride a Specialized Stumpjumper which has a handy little (SWAT) box storage compartment within the frame located under the water bottle cage. Inside the SWAT BOX, I store two tubes, tire lever, and two Co2 canisters with an inflator head.

Inside my steer tube is a Oneup Component EDC tool. This tool is so rad! The EDC tool holds a multi-tool, tire lever, spare quick links, quick link pliers, and a tire plug tool with a bacon strip.

I carry a water bottle on my frame as well. Depending on the temperature I will either carry a 20oz or 24oz bottle.

It's quite freeing when riding only with the bare necessities. And a stark contrast to the heavy packs I carry while guiding trips or on all-day epic rides in the back country.
– Big Shifter

• Pack: Dakine Hot Laps 2L
• Hydration: Bottle
• Phone
• Oneup EDC tool: (Multi-tool, tire plug & bacon, spare chain quick link & pliers)
• Two tubes
• Co2 inflater with three cartridges
• Patagonia Houdini jacket

For the Moab Epic

Spencer is one best mechanics in the Moab area. He is as renowned for his wrenching capability paired with comprehensive bike knowledge as he is for his riding skills. He knows a thing or two about breakdowns and how to be prepared while riding in the back country and what tools to bring. If he's not ripping up the desert trails, you'll find him riding up in the La Sal mountains amongst the pine trees.

Spencer brings all the standard tools necessary to fix a flat, repair most trailside mechanicals, and to survive the elements. He even carries a spare chain! Not for himself, but for the rider with the clapped-out chain that cannot be repaired with a link.

“Duct tape is great for emergency repairs. I'll carry a pocket chainsaw for clearing fallen trees or amputating gargantuan limbs in the early season.” Although not pictured here, he usually brings a rain shell and a long sleeve base layer since summer weather in the mountains is unpredictable.

“Being wet and cold isn't just unpleasant — it can be dangerous.”
-Spencer

For the Back Country Apocalypse

A former micro-sprint racer and lover of all things outdoors, Justina enjoys spending her Spring, Summer, and Fall months in the back country; guiding multi-day mountain bike trips and sleeping under the stars.

“The most important thing you can pack is knowledge! Having the right tools, maps, and first aid gear is cool, but make sure you know how to use them all.”
– Justina

What Do You Bring On Your MTB Rides?

To figure out what you should bring on your mountain bike rides, consider how long you'll be out on the trail, current weather conditions, your proximity to civilization, whether you'll be with friends, and what your mechanical skill level is. Keep in mind, a lighter pack might be faster, but having the proper gear to fix a mechanical and necessary supplies to survive the elements will always be more efficient to get you off the trail and back home safely.

How do you gear up for your mountain biking adventures? Share your hydration pack essentials with us in the comments below.

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