[Closed] Trying to go backpack less.. where does everything go?

I have an Evoc Bum bag which is a good solution, but to be honest I've just gone back to a pack for the last couple of rides (nice Ergon pack with the water bladder in the lower pocket, like a bum bag).

Otherwise, short rides in fairly cool weather, pockets.

EDIT : Disclaimer - I'm a bit of a backpack fetishist. I'm quite picky, and have far too many for all sorts of things (walking, skiing, biking etc) and a lot of them are a compromise. I have a couple that I consider are "good", and for MTB that Ergon pack, closely followed by an Endura pack I have, is probably the best compromise I've come across so far for me.

EDIT again : I also have a OneUp EDC pump mounted to the frame that has multitool, spare quick links for the chain, tubeless anchovies etc that I forget about. It's quite useful, and I use the same solution on my gravel bike.

For short local rides , up to 2 hours or so -

- Tube is taped to bike on downtube.
Bottle in cage.
Multitool in left pocket, 2x C02 in right pocket.

For longer rides I used a 'hip pack'. Yes, this is not backpack less but I@ve found it much, much less restrcitive than a full camelbak type bag.

Extra bottle in hip bag, more tools, bit of food etc.

Dirt cheap deuter one, was about 20 quid I think.

wallet, 27.5 tubeless, phone.

Small frame bag. One bottle. Multitool. Tubeless repair kit or tube. Pump. Jelly babies

I have just bought a cheapy Pod Sac frame bag from OnOne - all repair kit, pump and a small snack go in that. If I need it, a waterproof, extra layer, buff and emergency bivvy fit in either my bum bag or the cheapy Endura bar bag from OnOne on the road bike bars.

It won't cut in in bad weather, high / remote routes or if I have a group so need bothy and first aid kit.

Tiny saddle bag with a tube, multi-tool and tyre levers.
Pump mounted on the frame using the bottle cage mounts.
Water in a bottle.
Phone and other stuff in pockets.

I've got one of those small Camelbak fannypack things. Fits a bottle in the side pouch because I can't fit one on the bike. The pocket is just big enough for a pump, multitool, wallet.

It's good for peace of mind on short journeys and stops you from getting a sweaty back.

One up tool in steerer, bottle on frame. Money, co2 head and Stanley blade wrapped in tape up the steerer secured with Fork Cork. Sahmuri swords in ends of bars.

Bontrager rapid pack with 2xco2, tube to suit bike, phone, bit of food and a small shell. Extra bottle in there if needed.

I would like to do it on longer rides too but cant figure out where to put everything I need?

Tell us everything you need, for starters.

I have a bumbag which holds pump, food, first aid, phone and waterproof (and hand sanitiser and water filter right now), with room for another layer - gilet/arm warmers etc. Tube and tools go in a tool bottle and water in a second bottle.

I have a second bumbag (osprey seral) which is much bigger, and I would take that on longer rides where I might need some extra layers or food.

Top tube bag for tools, pump, spares, inc. tube. Has also (literally) saved my balls a few times during unintended excursions stem-ward.
Single bottle cage and snacks in pockets, or if I need space for layers too, I have a Lowe Alpine hip pack that's pretty small but has enough space for a jacket and a sandwich, and has a holder for a bottle too.

Edit: I always ride in shorts with proper pockets to, so I'm not trying to find space for keys/wallet/phone either. My Endura Humvees have front hip pockets, nice deep rear pockets, and little ones by the knee: plenty of room 👌

Bottle on frame.
Bag of nuts taped to frame.
Pump and spare tube on frame.

Tell us everything you need, for starters.

Wallet
Phone
Combi tool
More water
extra layer
Tube
Pump

Sounds like I need a back pack !

That's pretty much what I take, and I get it all in a Lowe Alpine hip pack. £22 from memory, so not expensive.
I don't take my wallet now, prefer to tuck £20 and a bank card into my phone case.
Also, having a decent thin outer layer that's not too bulky helps.

Frame bag for tools (extra sealant / darts / co2 / spare tubes / hex tool / mini pliers / levers / other bits'n'bobs) + two bottles in cages + bar bag for any extra clothing

Wallet? Just take a debit/credit card and maybe a tenner.

Sahmurai Sword tubeless system in bar ends.
Pump mounted to frame.
Tools, spares, emergency inner tube, card and cash, first aid kit in small top tube bag.
Water bottle mounted to frame ( mount for pump is part of this)

Phone is either top tube bag or jersey pocket.

Waterproof is in jersey pocket.

That’s for summer. Obviously as things get colder and wetter there’s more and bulkier kit to consider in which case a backpack becomes the better option.

EDC tool in steerer with multi/chain tool/tubeless plugs/chain pliers/tyre lever

76Projects Piggy with drybag, has tube, CO2, whatever else.

Phone and key in pocket.

Water bottle.

Job done.

Tube, multitool, tyre levers and tubeless kit strapped to frame.

Correct quick link taped to each bike

1-2 bottles

Pump, jacket, phone, key, credit card and food in Jersey pockets.

I have a frame strap which holds a tube, tyre levers and multi tool. Also have a water bottle in the cage on the frame. Quick link taped to the bars and phone in my pocket.

Only thing I need to find a place for is the little tubeless wotsits that stick in your tyre as I had to cut a ride short last week because a hole wouldn't seal and I didn't have a tube with me.

Small saddle bag containing tube, multitool and keys OR enduro strap for tube and tool
Water bottle
Tiny pump on frame

And I believe this is the innovative part:

Phone in a runner's belt around my waist. Also put the keys in here if I'm using the enduro strap.

I have a litte neoprene pouch that will hold a co2 canister, some anchovies, a couple of chains links, that goes in one pocket, a small multi tool goes in the other.

Tiny saddle bag with a tube, multi-tool and tyre levers.
Pump mounted on the frame using the bottle cage mounts.
Water in a bottle.
Phone and other stuff in pockets.

This

Spare tube, levers, multi-tool, quick link and jacket go in saddle pack
Pump strapped to frame
Phone, keys and sunglasses in one of those zip up case things that fits in standard bottle cage. If my bike only has 1 cage this goes in a jersey pocket.
Water bottle, in a bottle cage.
snack in jersey pocket.

For local, like sub-5-miles-from-home-as-the-crow-flies-walking-home-if-needs-be sort of local, I'll just take a bottle of water or juice. Anything much further and I've got a charity shop bum bag (£1) with a spare tube in case the tubeless fails, a small pump and a basic multitool. House key, a bit of cash and a bank card go in my pockets.

This sort of topic comes up a fair bit. I think the amount of stuff folk take with them depends a lot on if you want to be prepared for any eventuality or just what you might need and that links into where you ride. I tend never to be more than a half hours walk from where i can get a taxi home so I do not need the stuff for the 1:1000 incidents - but if going out into the wilds i do carry more obviously as that 1:1000 incident could be much more serious in outcome.

Putting the stuff on the bike adds a couple of kilos - some folk will find that ruins the handling / ride. Some don't find this or care

When I riding from home I just stick a water bottle on the frame and my phone in my pocket.

Its when I plan longer rides that I need something as I have to drive to an decent routes near me so will have car keys too.

This is where roadies have it right, the back pockets of their shirts are perfect for this.
You can easily get an extra layer, your keys and all kind of other stuff in there.

Allen key set attached to bottle cage, chain breaker in head tube and bottle on bike always.

Then it depends on the ride, if I am not far from the car and winching up and down or doing laps I wont put anything else on the bike. I will then put a dynaplug in my pocket as a means to get back to the car if I get a puncture.

For longer rides which are far away from the car or house I put a mini pump, tube, tyre levers and dyna plug in the SWAT storage*, and have bib shorts which will take a bottle and some snacks, have done big loops this way.

*If I didnt have SWAT storage, Id use a MTB strap to secure this stuff to the frame.

My Apidura frame bag holds:

• Pump (decent one, not a pointless mini thing)
• Nukeproof tubeless repair kit
• Spare tube for Mrs. Knob's 26-incher + a few patches and levers
• Waterproof
• Emergency jelly babies
• Bit of fruit
• Phone
• Power Bank for Garmin if on an all-dayer
• Topeak mini toolkit

There's normally a bit of space left over to stuff random things in, like layers that need to come off or a petrol station sandwich etc.

Water on the frame in bottles obvs. Nothing else strapped to the frame.

I've been sackless, no that sounds bad, bagless, not sure that's better actually...

Anyway, I bought a fidlock bottle, it's only about 600ml which is the largest that I can fit on my bike. I've got my car key in one pocket (if needed) and my phone in the other. The only other thing I carry is the grim determination that if I flat, I'm walking.

I can have a tiny custom frame bag made for £50 if I want, or a enduro strap, but as I'm the type of geek that has a full data sheet for my bike, a torque wrench and locktight I am willing to gamble nothing will fall off, equally I, on average, get 1 'p word' a year, with or without tubes. So I'm risking it for now.

Saying that my riding consists of either local, or Trail Centre, which I think mitigates some of the risk of a long hike alone.

Tube on the frame + a large bottle.
One small padded wallet thing (ancient item - palm pilot size) with CO2, multitool, anchovies, quicklinks, tyre levers and another wallet with phone and keys. All this into a 3 pocket jersey with the other pocket for food, layers and my inhaler.

OneUp Tool with Dynaplugs inside OneUp Pump mounted to the frame.
Water bottle in cage

The rest goes in a Evoc 1l hip pack:
Phone with £20 cash stashed in case
Emergency shell
Tube
C02 canister
Decent tyre lever

I've a 3l hip pack too, and would use that in the Alps if we're going to be out all day, in which I'd take a first aid kit and some snacks for the chair lifts.

Minimalist hour or so local gravelish ride:
EDC pump / Kit - mounted to cage
Loomi strap w/ Tube, co2 and a puncture kit / quick links / mech hanger.
Drink Bottle in cage.
Phone in shorts pocket. I have apple pay if I need anything
In covid times - a mask + sanitiser goes in pocket too.

Half Day out MTB:
Minimalist + extra bottle in extra cage
Flux capacity bibs - phone / wallet in back pockets, a gel or jelly beans in case I can't find sustenance on route.
Wolf Tooth Pump Bag - first aid kit, field dressing & safety blanket
If chance of shower, lightweight jacket strapped to frame.
If chance of rain, probably take seat pack and stuff bigger jacket in that.

Full Day out:
Bit more food in pump bag.
Powerbank in pump bag

Bumbag containing a tube, multitool, a few plasters, a pump and some tyre levers. And a banana obvs. Bottle on bike, phone in pocket with 2 tenners folded inside in the case.

Tube, pump, levers etc haven't been used in years.

Granite design multitool in steerer, chain quick links taped under saddle, tyre anchovies shoved into steerer next to multitool. Co2 strapped to frame with nukeproof strap.

That'll do most things.

I went backpack-less 3yrs ago. I just thought of all the bits the backpack I hadn't used and ditched them.
Small frame bag (or saddlebag on the road bike) for tools and tubes.Frame mounted pump. Pockets for phone, door key and debit card. Larger frame bag for clothing, but only on rides I need them on. Up to 2x water bottles.

I suspect the actual answer is 'take less shit' which is probably copyrighted by someone on the Bearbones forum. You're going out for a little bike ride, not any kind of Ernest Shackletonesque expedition.

Take your phone if you need to, tube and pump if you need to, have a butty and a cup of tea and for goodness sake remember that you're just riding a bike.

Bike one
Podsack bag from on one, Bottle on frame. A bit more stuff would go in a waist pack if I can't be bothered to strap any more bags on.

If it's A big day out I have a frame bag that takes 2l water and sandwich and tiny extra layer. The water bottle has to come off to fit thaisTools in a top tube bag.

If it's a bigger day out I add a bag on the bar. This will take lots of snacks or another bottle or a waterproof jacket.

The step after that is full bike packing

Bike 2
Never out for more than 3h on this. Tube, levers and co2 under saddle. Pump on frame, small frame bag for tools, phone and keys.

local rides, i don't take a lot. Everything i do take goes in my bikes SWAT compartment in the downtube. tubeless plugger clipped onto the bike for ease/speed of deployment. Water bottle in cage, phone in pocket.

Longer rides, i have all the extra stuff i might need in a bumbag with extra water bladder (EVOC one)

MTB - Very small saddle bag with tools, co2 etc. Tube on frame with strap. Pump mounted under water bottle. Phone/food in pockets. If hot or need more water, I have a backbottle for more water in pocket, or plan stops.

Road - small saddlebag with everything in it incl tube. Pump on frame with 2 water bottles. Phone/food in pockets.

I would like to do it on longer rides too but cant figure out where to put everything I need?

Backpacks are for when you need to carry more than will fit in your pockets.

I have a pump attached to the water bottle cage, a bottle in the cage. Tubeless repair kit in the bars and a small multitool, mini pliers, spare tube and quick links in a small frame bag.

On longer trips or when I expect bad weather I'll take my pack. Not only for a few extra tools but a waterproof and some extra water comes in handy.

Phone and keys go in my pocket, I used to have an emergency £20 note but google pay takes care of that these days.

Tube, pump, tyre levers, and emergency gel in the SWAT box, multi tool in the head tube (has a chain splitter and spare links), water bottle (I use a camelbak 660ml insulated one) on door of SWAT box, phone in pocket (apple pay so no need for cash/cards) That's me for about 2.5 hours. I've a Camelbak Repack hip/waist pack if I need space for another layer and more food if I'm going to somewhere remote without access to shops.

Can't remember the last time I used a rucksack for mountain biking TBH,

I have a revelate jerrycan with my tools and inner tube. Have a pump attached to my bottle cage, water bottle in said cage.

Having said that, I take a hip pack on most rides because I tend to keep useful bits in it - keys, phone, extra layers (or space to store them). I could probably fit this in my jersey pockets but don't mind the pack at all. I have another rear light on it as backup.

I also carry a buff, cafe lock and packable rucksack in there. Useful in case I need to get supplies while I'm out e.g. get a text off the wife asking for milk or bread

bike mounted stuff is fine but what happens when you have 3 bikes you use fairly regularly? 3 lots of kit or do you swap it all over? what do you do with a coat or hoodie when you get hot/cold?

i've started using a bum bag OK for short jollies where you are near the car but i'm not convinced a back pack isnt better for anything else. especially on hot/hungover days when you need litres of water or heading out into the showers when you`ll need a coat, or dig n ride days when you need some stuff.

a back pack is definatly better for crashing on to too! i'll admit a bag doesnt look cool though!

Wallet
Phone
Combi tool
More water
extra layer
Tube
Pump

I have (fairly recently) got the one-up EDC tool. combined with a frame mounted pump, that covers all repairs and adjustments that can conceivebly be fixed, with the exception of a shock pump. I've had the car of shame once, 5 broken driveside spokes.

Riding somewhere rocky, or if I'm a bit wary of a newly installed tubeless tyre, I'll add a tube strapped to the frame.

My frame takes a large bottle, that will do me 2-3 hours in most weather conditions, especially with hydrating before hand. My long ride from home, I know where there is a free water tap.

Phone goes in pocket (with applepay) will occasionally take credit card and/or a note too. Wallet hasn't left the sock drawer since last year, biking or otherwise.

Clothing-wise, look at the weather forecast. yes, this will take a bit of trial and error to know your body. If you get cold, pedal faster. If you get to hot with a jacket on, with no backpack restricting the airflow around the sides and back, opening up the zip has a great cooling effect. No pack also means you wont have a soaking wet back of your shirt.

@Van Halen There isn't a right or wrong answer to this. I know some folk who can get through 2 litres in 2 hours of riding, and TBH the best answer for that is a bladder on your back. my GF likes to have a couple of layers with her, a back pack is the right answer for that too.

@Van Halen - I used a Camelbak Lobo on the YD300 last month as I knew there were long gaps between potential watering holes so having 3 litres meant I didn't have to stop at every, potentially stagnant, beck. Ten days ago on the Cairngorms Loop I took one 500ml bottle.

As for multiple bikes - I have a set of kit for each so the right spares (mech hanger, quicklinks, etc.) are on the right bike. It's not that profligate really, I use common hex bits on a 5mm Allen Key - there's only a few sizes needed on each bike plus a Torx for the rotor bolts. Everything in the shot below and right of the Tubolito, plus the nitrile glove, goes in the tin at top right.

Pump on frame, Leatherman Squirt, chain tool, Tubolito, tyre lever, tyre boot and zip ties in top tube bag/Jerry Can. Top left is the Sahmurai tubeless applicator which goes in the bar ends.

"bike mounted stuff is fine but what happens when you have 3 bikes you use fairly regularly?" - All my bikes have tools that go with them. I only have one MTB though

"what do you do with a coat or hoodie when you get hot/cold?" - diff options for different bikes. But that's what a hip pack is great for. I also have the Backcountry Research super 8 on my MTB, useful for storing stuff like clothes. Rarely used for my own stuff, usually for when out with the kids and they decide they don't want their jumper on

For multiple bikes I have an appropriate tube taped/strapped to each then just a bumbag (the little camelbak one with one bottle holder, I forget the name) with multitool, pump, etc. Bag and bike are always ready to go. With a bottle on the bike I can be fine for 3-4hrs and a light jacket fits with some persuading too.

Longer rides, or just more kit needed, I have a bigger bumbag with bladder or a pack for days out.

I don’t take my wallet now, prefer to tuck £20 and a bank card into my phone case.

Yep, confused by the wallet suggestions?!

One thing I have to ask.
Those that use a frame strap, why not use a small saddle bag ? What's the advantage of a strap ?.

What’s the advantage of a strap ?.

A saddlebag or strap on the seat rails can hit the tyre with a dropped dropper and compressed suspension.  They also get covered in muck off the back wheel

Edit: and your choice will be limited to those that don’t hamper the operation of a dropper

A saddlebag or strap on the seat rails can hit the tyre with a dropped dropper and compressed suspension. They also get covered in muck off the back wheel

Edit: and your choice will be limited to those that don’t hamper the operation of a dropper

And things in a saddle bag rattle about.

My saddlebag is tiny and fits a fair bit in it. I would imagine a bag would have to be mahoosive to hit a tyre.

I suppose a strap keeps stuff more out of the mud if fitted appropriately.

Can Helen. My answer is to swap the frame bag

Bumbag with 2l of drink spare jacket, 1st aid kit and snacks. Tube on frame, pump and multi tool integrated into bottle cage and a keg  in bottle cage with spares

1 or 2 water bottles on frame depending on expected time riding and weather.

Spare tube, tyre levers, co2 and co2 pump in a louri strap on frame.

Pump attached beside bottle cage.

In pockets have a couple of nakd bars and gels.

In a small packet in pocket I have tubeless repair kit, tube stickers and quicklinks.

Minitool, first aid kit and waterproof in back pocket.

Phone in thigh pocket and a single door key on a lanyard in rear pocket.

Have ridden for 4+ hours with that setup and know approx 5 water refilling points (canals have them every 5 miles or so) which I can use if I go out for an extended period.