Do you use a pack when lift accessed Downhilling?

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Do you use a pack when lift accessed Downhilling?
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flag bbell01
Posted: May 29, 2016 at 9:57 Quote
Hi:

When riding lifts all day at a park do you use a pack to carry your water, tools, tubes, snacks etc. I feel the pack also gives you a bit of extra protection on your back as well.
flag kent
Posted: May 29, 2016 at 10:51 Quote
No I never ride with a pack.
Lift access usually has tools and water at top and bottom,
Shuttling the truck st bottom has tools and water.
When I go hike the local mountains I usually tough it out without water and keep a pretty good eye on my bike and bolts.
I run tubeless so flats only happen when I destroy a tire, so I risk it and ride without tools.
flag Eleytheria
Posted: May 29, 2016 at 22:31 Quote
I ride with a pack almost always. This is of course personal choice and you don't have to be a llama but carrying the basics with you is just convenient and for most people doesn't really affect enjoyment at all.

It's more important if you aren't like @kent there and use tubes. Try getting a flat at 1/8 of the way down a hill at a bike park and see how fun it is to walk down (or up). Unless you are lucky and run into a patroller who might be nice and call someone for you. I approve of exercise but if you only have a day pass especially, this eats up quite a bit of time.

Lots of little things can happen on the trail that are easily fixed by the tools offered at a bike park but if you aren't carrying tools that can sometimes mean riding down in an unsafe manner if you knock a brake lever out of place or something.

Some packs do indeed (and are designed to) provide limited back protection as well.
flag StevieJB
Posted: May 29, 2016 at 23:59 Quote
Only time I put a pack on is if going on an epic ride say 50 miles or more and the weather looks changeable. For normal riding I can put all I need in my jersey pockets, a traditional Lycra cycle jersey with 3 back pockets and endura hummvee shorts

1 X tube centre jersey pocket
Multi tool, tubeless puncture kit with a few old tube patches thrown in & tyre leavers in one side pocket
Phone in other jersey pocket.

Hummvee shorts the huge map pockets has a small pump


So that's everything I'd ever need and really you don't even feel as if you are carrying anything and all can be accessed quick and easy no stopping pack off to search through.

If on enduro or trail bikes waters in a bottle in the cage, if on an uplift with the DH bike then waters left at the bottom, if it's an uplift where you are never that far from the car park then I don't bother carrying anything but a multi tool.
flag phatplat
Posted: May 31, 2016 at 3:21 Quote
I use a camelbak mule without the bladder. Wallet, keys, juice, water, medical, other. I would love to not use one, but I have to.
flag bbell01
Posted: May 31, 2016 at 8:00 Quote
Hey Phat:

If no bladder do you just keep your water in a bottle? Whats the logic for this?
flag phatplat
Posted: Jun 1, 2016 at 3:06 Quote
bbell01 wrote:
Hey Phat:

If no bladder do you just keep your water in a bottle? Whats the logic for this?

Normally I ride a smaller mountain that does not need the gallon on my back and I use Tail Winds and just put it in two bike bottles. Initially it was to keep the weight down, but now I just need more space. There are a few packs now that let you put less water (volume) down low. I will probably look into those. Ultimately I got the Camelbak for free after working at my company for 10 years, shutup I didn't want a purse or blender.
flag thereisnospoon
Posted: Jun 1, 2016 at 7:30 Quote
I usually ride DH with a hydration pack and some tools, but it depends on the hill.
now that I ride with a neck brace, and am tubeless, I wear a pack less and less. usually just for water, since Whistler and Sun Peaks are the only hills with easy water at the lift.

sports/hydration pack manufacturers are a bit of a pet peeve of mine. neck braces are pretty popular, but even packs with integrated spine protection (designed solely for gravity sports) aren't designed to integrate with them. EVOC, I'm looking directly at you - you make several beautiful packs with excellent spine protection, but the one pack you designed specifically to work with a neck brace isn't made with spine protection. baffling.
flag IanSpackman
Posted: Jun 1, 2016 at 10:14 Quote
No matter what kind of ride I go on I bring a pack with water/medical/tools/snacks. This is not only for myself but also for any other riders that may need a tool or a quick snack if their blood sugar was low, etc.

I have also been in a situation where I was deep into the mountains and ended of wrecking and tore the tendons in my hand as well as hurt my leg to the point where I couldn't walk or ride (bike wheel was tacoed). At this point no one knew where I was and I didn't have any supplies with me because it was supposed to be a quick ride. Anyway, I was in a bad spot and it took a long time to be able to drag myself off the mountain and I would have killed for a few supplies.

So.. after almost dying on the mountain I have learned to always bring a pack with the essentials, especially water. Always a full camelback. I'm not saying this would happen at a park, but you never know! The USWE pack (and the later designed LEATT) pack with the 4 point harness is perfect for riding. I can hang upside down without the pack slipping off my shoulders or sliding anywhere on my back, so it really makes it easy to wear because I never notice it.
Unsecure image, only https images allowed: http://allroadendurotouring.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/USWEhydrationPackH4NDM2013AllroadMotorcycleTouring.jpg
flag wobblegoblin
O+
Posted: Jun 1, 2016 at 10:27 Quote
I only ride at Mammoth (45 minutes away for me) and I always wear a pack. The trails can be quite long and if you break something it's going to be a long, long walk. I broke my rear axle last season and had to walk for an hour to get back to the bus stop.

Back in the 90's I read about a guy that fell 90' down a cliff at Moab, onto his back and had zero injuries because of his camelback. Whenever I'm about to try something a little hairy I blow a bit of air into my bladder.

Watch the Hydrapack video were they run over a bladder with a forklift!!!

I just ordered a Leatt and I hope my osprey pack fits okay with it, if not I'll be getting a Leatt pack.

I also like being able to mess with air pressure on my tires & fork, as well as other maintenance items, I love having a pack on, but I've come to realize that I'm not Brandon semenuk so I don't even bother trying to look cool.
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