Video: How to Pack for an Epic Ride - Trail Doctor

Nov 24, 2014
by Dan Milner  

Riding away from the crowds comes with its own rewards, mostly amazing, unadulterated singletrack with a taste of adventure. But you need to be ready if you plan on going after backcountry trails. Being equipped if something goes wrong could mean the difference between riding out with an interesting story, or not riding out at all. Digging into his 30+ years of adventure mountain biking, pro-photographer and adventure nut Dan Milner gives you the low-down on what you should have in your backpack on EVERY backcountry epic.

MENTIONS: @DanMilner @yeticycles


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69 Comments
  • 30 0
 he forgot the most important lightest most versatile tools.............2 zap straps
  • 35 0
 condoms and beer... (off road negotiations) sorted!!
  • 19 1
 Condoms in the backcountry? Always bareback in backcountry!! Everyone knows that
  • 2 2
 Brokeback Mountain...What!?!?
  • 24 0
 He forgot toilet paper.
  • 10 0
 Yup. Enough for a wipe or two in a sandwich bag to keep it dry. That way you might only loose one sock instead of two.
  • 3 1
 baby wipes in a sealed bag win every time.
  • 1 0
 Ooh, baby wipes. You can't use them as a bandage or gauze pads in an emergency like TP though.
  • 6 0
 I was kind if thinking you'd be sorted enough to already have TP and other , err, "personal hygiene" extras (and map if you dont know the area, and phone.. hey who rides without having selfie capability nowadays?) on your list.. and I wanted to concentrate on the bike tech side. . the stuff that helps you get you back rolling if you have a bike mechanical, the stuff you might have overlooked. The TP, condoms, party poppers, drugs, alcohol etc, and other more entertaining items are your call.
  • 27 0
 Toilet paper!?! bunch of fairies. Use a stick. Drag it through 'til it comes out clean.
  • 2 0
 stick, river rocks, moss, and if you are really lucky and find a patch of snow you will be dialed. Never bring tp!
  • 2 1
 Maxi pad and tampon...they are easily packed and deal with blood flow easily.... and are only mildly gross.... lol
  • 6 0
 A stick? Fairy. We use poison oak. Gets it nice and clean and adds speed. Gotta get home quick to stop the burning and itching. Or a bunny or squirrel as they're plentiful out here and aren't very smart.
  • 1 0
 In all seriousness, juniper bark when shredded is soft and absorbant.
  • 21 8
 Epic TV vids piss me right off
  • 11 2
 I like em. Just their video player is....
  • 13 5
 i prefer to also bring a gun, because if something is chasing me, i can just shoot it.
  • 19 0
 Canada we can't have guns we gotta haul ass.
  • 1 0
 Us Big Grin
If i could i would as well...
  • 5 0
 he forgot Zip Ties and some sort of mini cable cutter (I carry a leatherman) that comes in handy if you end up using shift cables. This unless you pre-cut them to length, which I don't like to do in case someone else in the group ends up needing a shift cable (plus I have multiple bikes that I cycle through)
  • 3 0
 I was kind of expecting Dan to have Bear Spray on his list?? No Bears around Finale Ligure?? Smile


And I am being serious now, does anyone actually carry Bear Spray, or is it just going to piss them off right before lunch??
  • 5 0
 I always carry bear spray, yes it is effective & yes you can use it on almost anything ( in North America at least). The one thing I would not carry in bear country is a gun. Bear spray is more than enough to deter a large animal, I sprayed an overly aggressive moose a number of years ago, worked quite well.
  • 1 0
 I carry some dog spray, I figure I want the bear to have a nice peppered lunch rather then a sweaty mess. If you catch the animal right in the eyes it might give you a few extra second to peel out, but thats it.
  • 1 0
 You can tell grizzly poo from black bear poo if it smells like pepper.
  • 5 0
 He missed fire starter and whistle... if you have to spend the night in the bush fire is survival and the whistle is rescue.
  • 2 0
 Yep, s little firestarter is a great thing to have along. Whistle too if you're in ear-shot of a road, house, settlement etc. I could list a ton of stuff but then the video would be 3 hours long and no-one would watch it.
  • 1 0
 He didn't mention the whistle indeed. Wonder if Dan knows his bag has an integrated whistle in the chest buckle. By the way, just ditch the shock pump and ride coils.
  • 1 0
 You don't need a whistle is you have an acorn FYI. It works incredible: www.instructables.com/id/Acorn-Whistle
  • 1 0
 The whistle would be to alert other trail users or search and rescue teams that you are in distress. 3 short blasts is the international distress signal.
  • 1 0
 I would watch a 3hr milner bid.
  • 5 0
 I would just take bear grylls with me!
  • 1 0
 This reminds me I need to put two zip ties back in my pack. Always using the dang things. I definitely carry a tiny lighter at all times. It also works for drying out a tube so you can get a patch on it in the rain. Bend over to shield the tube from the rain and warm it with the lighter.

I like the duct tape around the pump, except that the pump would snag on and stick to everthing in my pack as i pull it out/put it in (that's what she said). . Would rather just take the time to lay a section out about the length of a deck of cards and fold it over and over on itself so that I have a nice flat section that takes up no room. Basically, it looks like if you took a roll of duct tape and flattened it.

Last thing, medicated Chapstick. Lips and knuckles always chapped and cracked. Works great in place of triple antibiotic cream under a band-aid too.
  • 1 0
 i195.photobucket.com/albums/z287/the1stdarkjester/ZombieSquad013-1.jpg
  • 1 0
 Good video, good advice, and entertaining as always Wink - thanks Dan.

Personally, I'd ditch the shock pump and just get a little schraeder right-angle fitting, like this:

www.amazon.com/Topeak-Pressure-Rite-Anti-Air-Loss-Connector/dp/B000FIAVKG

Your 'normal' pump can then at least get shocks up to about 80psi, enough to get you home etc.

And if you're riding at this time of year, it's really worth packing a proper front light - for obvious safety reasons, but also because you might just want to stay out longer than planned if the weather turns out nice ! And some, like Lupine have an SOS flashing mode.

Oh, and a marmotte snare.
  • 1 0
 A marmotte snare ? I'm assuming this would be for emergency sustainence?

Doesn't that mean you would then also need to carry a recipe, fire starter, and appropriate seasonings?? lol

PS: This might not fly in Canada, as I seem to recall that certain Marmottes are protected species here?
  • 1 0
 Yes, hopefully they are protected in Canada. I'm fairy sure they are in Haute Savoie too !
  • 1 0
 Have to say that video borders on the dangerous. As most commenters have already mentioned, there are so many basic and critical items he left out that one wonders why it was made in the first place. Granted I live in BC so an epic ride here (8hrs+) gets you into deep wilderness, and deep trouble if something goes wrong! Search and rescue teams across North America watch shit like this and shake their heads in despair, knowing full well they have to go find some lame ass dude who has no map, no water, no food, no headlamp, no firestarter...need I go on?
  • 2 0
 I agree and i live in the central coast of Cali. There are rides that can take you 30+ miles from civilization here and can last 6 -8 hrs also. I carry a map and gps device on epic rides, more water than is needed and always water proof matches just in case. Food and a small first aid kit is also included.
  • 2 0
 I hear what you guys are saying there and yes while my vids are filled with watchable humor I take this stuff really seriously. This short vid is aimed at giving riders an idea of some of the tools and spares to they might have overlooked to fix a mechanical on their bike, not an absolute set list of everything to take in terms of wilderness survival. I have kind of assumed that most riders heading into the backcountry will already have thought to pack essential safety items like a whistle, phone (if you have a signal.. For a few days along the Colorado Trail none of our cell phones did ), map, telling someone where you are and what time you're gonna be back etc.. You know the sort of stuff that rescue teams like you to have done, which is why this episode is in the "adventure" category not the "fundamentals" one. Anyhow, good to see people are in the ball.
  • 1 0
 Oh and btw I do include a light, first aid kit and emergency foil blanket in this episode. Watch it again.
  • 6 2
 all you need is a bag of weed
  • 2 0
 Always with the multitool, tube, pump and first aid kit. Flats etc. don't only happen in the backcountry and not having that stuff close to home is plenty shit.
  • 1 1
 If there was a subject like: "which kind of bike and bike setup is best for an epic trip to Nepal or Yukon", I wonder how many people would chose carbon as a material or thin, superlight tyres. I think at leadt some of the sensible people would reach immediately for something among lines of Banshee or commencal short travel offerings, you know, kind of bikes that get most sht on PB lately... Expensive, heavy and not Enduro enough Wink
  • 3 0
 Mentions maulings many times, but never suggests bear spray or bangers
  • 5 0
 it depends on where you ride. I know you Canucks like think that Pinkbike is all about you (well it is really) but I got to accommodate my viewers from all around the world.. like the UK. Imagine the barrage of insults I'd get if I banged on about bear spray and all we have in the UK to bite you is midges. Oh and one small snake.
  • 1 0
 My mob all carry a snake bandage...
  • 3 1
 how is all that less than 2.2 pounds? I feel like multitool and tube and nearly that on their own.
  • 1 0
 What kind of tubes are you riding with? They are usually 180-200 g. Multitools can be about the same. Bolts and derailleur hanger would be maybe 50g at most. Jacket would be 150-200. Pump 150-250. Seems to add up to 1kg or so but it depends on how heavy you get stuff
  • 5 0
 man tubes
  • 4 0
 Yep I was cunningly careful to weight that kit before I shouted that claim.. tube, Lezyne carbon pump, mini shock pump, tube and all the spare bits come in at 800g, the Endura emergency shell jacket is a scant 155g. Choose the right stuff and you can keep it lightweight. :-)
  • 1 2
 Got it. The rider's dilemma is that the greater the adventure, the less crap you want to carry. For rides where I actually care if I have to walk back, 3kg of water is usually necessary, and when you add in 1-1.5kg of extra stuff and a 1-2kg pack, it kind excessive.
  • 1 0
 Which Endura jacket do you use?
  • 1 0
 He uses the "Endura emergency shell jacket".
  • 1 0
 The Endura MTR Emergency Shell stays in my pack for any ride. Its uber light weight. Just got hammered by rain in Morocco Atlas mountains this week and so I know it works. For big adventures I use a Mountain Equipment goretex packite jacket. Heavier but burlier
  • 1 0
 Thought I'd ask. I carry a hair bulkier Marmot waterproof that's online for about $50-75US that has pit zips, hood and adjustable sleeves. This time of year I prefer to strap it on the outside of my Camelbak Mule, so it's not pressing on my back or in the way of maps.

I had a shell once that didn't have a hood and had to walk out in an icy downpour and said I'd always carry a hooded one thereafter. I ride in it alot rather than excess clothes layering.

But I love to learn how others combat the elements.
  • 3 0
 TP for sure. and a trail map…that you can use as TP in case you forgot
  • 3 1
 Food, water, waterproof layer, spare tube, multi-tool, pump, $5 cash, and a little Mary Jane is all I bring.
  • 2 1
 the Mary Jane is the worst idea....it just makes you eat all your food and drin kall your water faster....lol
  • 1 0
 Welp, your clear sarcasm aside, I don't get the munchies and I just pack a little extra water. It works better and faster than painkillers in reducing my back spasms. Plus, it makes the ride more fun!
  • 1 0
 Doing anything under the influence of any drug does not equal "fun", it is dangerous and can lead to serious consequences.

I've said my "Dad" peice for today now....

LOL
  • 2 0
 Thanks Dad
  • 1 0
 Some of you might as well bring the whole trailer along so you don't freeze when the day becomes dark!
  • 1 0
 yes !!! the photo is from corsica trail calanche de piana ! dan the corsica is the place to be for the epic ride ;-)
  • 2 0
 Good info, I like it
  • 1 0
 Buzz told you, cheek-face. Toilet paper and water.
  • 1 0
 Always entertaining! Thanks Dan!
  • 1 0
 snake bite kit also.
  • 1 0
 snake bite kit in my world means a flask of whiskey!! haha
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