Going packless

[p nut]

(This may apply more for the mountain bikers here)

I had an epiphany over the weekend. I went on a 40-mile mountain bike ride with a few friends and we were all equipped with hydration packs of some kind, all except for one guy. He had a couple of water bottles on the bike, and multi tool, CO2, tube and an extra water bottle in the jersey pockets. "What's wrong with him?" I thought. "Everybody rides with a pack around here." However, half way through the ride, with the sweat dripping down the back side, straps chaffing my shoulders, I was uber jealous of this guy with no pack.

After I got home, I took out the contents of my 17 year old Camelbak.
- Multi-tool, ok I need those.
- Pump, need that.
- Tube, patch kit all needed.

Then I dug deeper into the pack--3 year old Clif bar...chuck. Various chain links to probably make a whole chain...chuck. Three (yes, 3) 6mm allen wrenches. 10 year old zip ties, chapstick, Leatherman tool, medical tape, TP,.....well, you get the idea. I carried unnecessary weight due to the vastness of the storage space available.

So on the following day, I went on a ride and strapped on a Revelate feed bag for my phone, keys, snacks on the handlebar/stem; Race 3 strap for my tube, tire levers and multi-tool (http://www.backcountryresearch.com/RACE-3BRMTB-SADDLE-MOUNT_p_36.html); and a pump mounted on the frame (small Lezyne). Then ensued on a 15 mile ride, with a pretty tough climb at the start---wow, what a difference! Felt so liberating! I was so accustomed to strapping on the pack, it somehow had never occured to me that I don't NEED it at all. I first got the pack as a beginner, being told by the veterans of all the possible things that could go wrong. I was so engrained with the Camelbak doctrine, that I took that pack not only on mountain bike rides, but road and cross/dirt as well. Well, many years/miles later, possible things turned out to be flat tires and a bent derailer hanger.

I'm not a minimalist by any means, but I do think that I was leaning too far over to the Apocalypse side with all the stuff I was carrying. If I go on an "epic", I'll be packing the Camelbak with all of the SHTF supplies. But for 99.9% of my rides, I am now pack-free.

[crownjewelwl]

i am trying going this direction as well...

i bot a waist pack (ok fanny pack) to carry fix it sticks, caffelatex espresso doppio, phone/keys...

haven't tried it yet, cuz i really like taking little sips of water regularly

but i'm sure i'll be able to clean everything once i ditch the pack (that was a joke)

[redir]

I rarely carry a pack. If I am going to be out in the middle of nowhere for several hours I will but other wise I am more like that one guy in your story.

[carpediemracing]

Great story.

I try to keep everything in two inner tube boxes that I tape together (to make one jersey-pocket-filling box).

Note that one inner tube box is not used in the picture below. Wallet goes into a different pocket.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Oh3Zvt4SiaQ/UGOcU1f22kI/AAAAAAAAEbE/GbUcpMBHAEw/s800/DSC_0782.JPG
From here (http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-to-what-to-carry-on-training-ride.html).

I do use a Camelbak when doing shorter (few hour) expeditions with Junior (he's 2 1/2 years old). This would mean things like a local festival, long trip to the playground, etc. Water, food, diapers, wipes, some clothing, towel, hat, etc, all fit in there.

[ChrisG]

I rode in the woods with a pack from 1993-2007, then finally made the switch.

It's certainly a "liberating" feeling, though I do find I'm not drinking as consistently as I was with the pack.

I'm also a recent convert to the BR Race 3 strap, after finding I could never stop my seatbag from flopping around, even with a toe strap to supplement the velcro.

[CAAD]

Most trail systems water is never to far away. I rode with a camelbak for years but gave it up for comfort. 2x26oz bottles hold me over for awhile. Really small saddlebag carries a tube. One pocket i have a multitool, co2, tire levers, and a boot. Honestly since i went tubeless around 5 years ago i have NEVER gotten a flat again on the mtb.

[Dead Man]

I am not a mountain bike rider, but I am an alpine climber (fast & lite [notice I even use the lighter version of "light"]), and have carried the bring only what you need philosophy to the road bike. I carry a Lyzene mini pump under a bottle cage, keep an allen tool, a Park patch kit, and a single skinny tire lever in a jersey pocket.

I think guys have the same error in perception on the bike that they have in packing for alpine climbing... the thought this could be useful, if the need arose, causes guys to throw in a bunch of extra crap. Here, the Risk Manager in me comes out: If the odds are overwhelmingly that the item won't be needed, and the consequences of not having it if it were needed are capped off below death or serious injury, then the item is "not needed." Pump, patches, and allens are often used- they come. Tube is almost never used, and the consequences of not having it are not dire- they don't come. If I were to do a winter mountain bike climb, and the consequences of not having a spare tube were getting stranded on a windy, frozen mountain pass, potentially risking death or serious injury, I would bring a spare tube stuffed up under my saddle. Etc, etc, etc.

Accurately assess your own risk. But don't get hung up on hey, someday this could be useful. No, it probably won't.

[uno-speedo]

I hate Cameltoes...

If the weather is not too hot, I'll use a storage bottle to pack my tyre lever, tube and multi tool, and one large water bottle for fluid. Wind is provided by an Airtool Co2 Mini Kit from Specialized that straps to the seatpost. Food and phone goes in my jersey pockets. If it's hot and I am going into the mountains, then I'll resort to a Cameltoe... but I would like to find another way. I think a third water bottle cage would be handy.

[Seramount]

never understood the compulsion to carry a steamer trunk full of stuff. it's a bike ride, not a Special Forces survival test.

my entire 'support kit' consists of:

2 plastic tire levers
spare tube
CO2 rig + 3 cylinders
$10 bill
hand wipe in foil pouch

these items go in a one-gallon ziploc bag that is folded neatly to fit in a jersey pocket. there's no jingling and the clear bag allows me to instantly see the contents.

[avalonracing]

I have always been they guy who rides without a Camelback (except when I was MTB racing). However these big-ass 29" tubes and sealant make it harder to pack things away in a jersey.

[Bob Ross]

it's a bike ride, not a Special Forces survival test.
[...snip...]
hand wipe in foil pouch



:banana:

[weatherman]

I have always been they guy who rides without a Camelback (except when I was MTB racing). However these big-ass 29" tubes and sealant make it harder to pack things away in a jersey.

700c cross tube works fine in a 29er tire in a pinch. Just get plenty of air in it. Thats my usual setup with a couple Co2 cartridges, inflater head, multitool and tire iron in a small underseat pack. Throw keys in a pocket, maybe the phone and a Clif bar for longer rides and I'm set--punted the Camelbak on mtb rides a couple years back and am not going back any time soon.

[p nut]

700c cross tube works fine in a 29er tire in a pinch.

I don't know...I've blown out 25-28mm tubes in 43mm tires. I would much rather use 26x2" tubes than cross.

[unterhausen]

I used to take stuff off of my bike when I didn't need it, and then I didn't have it when I needed it. I wear a hydration pack for longer rides in hot weather. I think I started for the 600k I did this year. There is something about not needing to worry about water for 100 miles that appeals to me. I wouldn't mind off-loading it to the frame though.

I am looking forward to dumping the hydration pack for the year. I think I'll wear it on the 200k I'm doing Saturday. There are no places to get water for the first 60 miles, and then it's a little iffy on the for the last 40 miles or so. I have no problem with the heat, but chafing can be an issue if I fill my pack all the way with water.

[Mr Cabletwitch]

I only use my hydration pack when I'm going to need the water. Otherwise everything I could need fits in my seat bag or jersey pocket. I haven't used a pack regularly since 08.

[Gummee]

...or y'all could just get a much smaller pack and not pack in the kitchen sink.

I rode many years before I got my first camelbak. I like not tasting the dirt you're riding over when drinking

M

[gdw]

"...or y'all could just get a much smaller pack and not pack in the kitchen sink."

+1 I've used hydration packs since Camelbak introduced theirs and will never go back to bottles. The weight is minimal and I've never had problems with chaffing. It's also nice not having to worry about bottles being ejected from their cages while negotiating rough trails or having the cages loosen or break.

[rain dogs]

... been saying it for years, wearing a pack is using your back vs using your brain.

[p nut]

...or y'all could just get a much smaller pack and not pack in the kitchen sink.

I rode many years before I got my first camelbak. I like not tasting the dirt you're riding over when drinking

M

"...or y'all could just get a much smaller pack and not pack in the kitchen sink."

+1 I've used hydration packs since Camelbak introduced theirs and will never go back to bottles. The weight is minimal and I've never had problems with chaffing. It's also nice not having to worry about bottles being ejected from their cages while negotiating rough trails or having the cages loosen or break.

Half of the reason for nixing the pack is having nothing on my back, period. I have a small running Camelbak (Octane LR) and a Salomon (S-lab) that I can use with minimal storage that I could take, but not having a pack at all is much better for me.

I have used a King Iris cage for years and never had ejection problems or had one break. I ride a rigid bike in places like Moab and St. George, so I do get rattled around quite a bit. And the dirt on the bottles...I'm sure I breath in more dirt on the ride. Plus, it adds a bit of flavor. :)