Until then, I thought I would share a little about my bike bag. The bag itself is kind of a cool story even - I've had it since I was in the 6th grade! I played peewee football back then, and, at the end of the season, they gave us these black duffel bags with BEAVERCREEK (the town I grew up in) printed on them. I still have it. No holes and the zipper still works and everything. And, conveniently, it is a near perfect fit for the inside of my saddle bags.
As mentioned before, I got my bike in February of last year - in fact, I think we're coming up on our 1 year anniversary. So it was cold then too. But that certainly didn't stop me from riding every chance I got. I bought chaps recently because I surely wished I had them then! Often I would be going to visit friends during the day and riding back at night, where you might see a 20+ degree temperature drop from afternoon into late evening. I needed something to keep those extra layers of clothes and riding gear in. At first I would just kind of throw stuff in the saddlebags, but if I wanted to put my car keys and my prescription glasses and an extra bandanna in there, they would inevitably end up underneath my extra layers of clothes. Plus, when I got where I was going, I had to carry a loose bundle of clothes inside to change into later. It didn't take long before I was looking for a better way. And thus began my use of the black Beavercreek bag.
It has since become a lot more than just a bag to hold extra layers of clothes. I guess the things I learned as a Boy Scout really stuck with me (if you couldn't tell by my whole Survival Kit entry)... so the bike bag has really become more of a preparedness thing. It's convenient because I don't have to leave anything important in the bike and can easily bring it all in when I get home. It helps keep things more organized inside the saddlebag and it makes it easier to roll out quickly when I've got the itch to ride. It's versatile and expandable, so it can be an overnight bag, a cold weather bag, a lunch bag, or whatever I need. That may sound obvious, but I'm telling you - it goes a long way.
I'll preface this with saying some of the items on this list are new for the 2012 riding season...
In the bag, I always keep:
- Registration, proof of insurance, and owner's manual - keeps me legal and is good info to have around
- 1-3 extra bandanas - you'd be amazed how useful these things can be
- Glasses - either an extra pair of regular prescription or sunglasses, depending on what I have on
- A multitool and a hex wrench tool - sometimes the included toolkit just isn't enough
- A pack of gum - never know who you're going to meet...
- Bungee cargo nets - they don't take up much room and are amazingly helpful if you have extra cargo that doesn't fit well in the hardbags
- A deck of cards - I'm not even a big card player, but a little easy entertainment is nice
- A notepad and pen - helps for writing down directions, trip info, phone numbers... whatever
- Car/room keys - clipped on an s-biner on the strap for quick, easy access
- Baseball cap/Beanie hat - I usually keep my hair pretty short these days, but when I don't... I like to avoid walking around with helmet hair
- Extra set of gloves - no real reason for these I guess... has just always seemed like a good idea
- Sunscreen/at least one extra layer of warm clothes (depending on weather) - usually a few different SPFs, and my extra layer is often just a hoodie
- Reflective vest and/or belt - Reflective wear is mandatory for members of the military
- 20 or 30 feet of 550 paracord - I can't say enough about this stuff... it can be used for damn near everything, second only to duct tape (for those playing along at home, 550 is Type III Parachute Cord)
So that's my regular load out. If I'm just going for a quick spin around town, I usually won't bother with any more than that, although I often carry a water bottle too. Sitting in the wind dehydrates you much faster than you might expect!
If it's an overnight trip or I plan to stop and chill for a while, I might throw my hammock in there. If I'm going overnight, a change of clothes and a small toiletry bag. If it's a warm day but I expect a chilly evening, maybe chaps, a facemask, and an extra jacket. Depending on what's going on when I reach my destination (if I have one), I've taken to keeping a pair of Chucks in the bag. I like having regular shoes so much at times, I've seriously contemplated buying a second pair of 'em to be a dedicated bike bag pair.
Last time I made a list of stuff for a bag, I forgot a big item...
So let me know, what do you think of my loadout? Did I forget anything? Is there anything I should have that I just plain don't?
Thanks!
