Mountain Biking Trip: What to Bring?

If you are setting out for a mountain biking trip, there are essential things you need to bring. I suggest you consider carrying the following items:

Bike
Obviously you need to have a bike. But I don't mean an ordinary bike. You see, not all mountain bikes are the same. Each is made for a particular terrain and weather condition. So before heading out for the trip, ask yourself: do I have the right type of bike? If your bike is not properly tuned with the terrain you are heading to, you may want to replace some parts first. Ask an experienced biker from your group what are the parts that must be changed. Remember this: riding on a wrong bike increases your chances of accidents. 

Gears
After the bike comes the gear. Pad your hands with a good pair of gloves. Regardless if it is full or cut-offs as long as are wearing a pair and comfortable with it, it really doesn't matter. 

A helmet is a no-brainer. Never leave without wearing one. 

Sunglasses are equally important as it protects your eyes helps improve your vision of the terrain on all weather conditions. Sunglasses come in different styles and color. Choose one that has plastic frames and with the right color of the shade. 

The type of clothes to wear depends on the weather condition. There are different brands that sell a complete line of biking clothes. This can be expensive so if you want to buy a set or two, shop around. But if the budget doesn't permit, I recommend that you just buy padded shorts. For tops, your everyday cotton shirts will work just fine. Make sure that you bring a wind breaker, extra t-shirts, a long sleeve shirt and water-resistant jacket in case it rains.  

Food 
Biking burns calories. Long hours of mountain biking burn even more. Pack up some high energy snacks that will give you power to pedal throughout the day. High energy bars or fruits like bananas and apples are good. 

Hydration
Water is still the best form of liquid but with extra physical work, you may want to bring energy drinks. Stay away from coffee, caffeine tea and soda. 

Hydration pack with a water bladder is highly recommended. It allows you to drink liquid more conveniently and also gives room to store some snacks, clothes and a pump. If you don't have one and are not planning to buy anytime soon, bring water bottle instead.  

Tool kit and Puncture Repair Kit
Never go on a trip without any of these even if you have the most reliable bike in the world. If you haven't experienced a puncture before, there is always a first time. Tool kit is for mechanical repairs. Puncture repair kit help you repair tire blow out. Bring the most compact but complete and functional set of kits with you. 

Link Extractor
Chain breaks happen because your sprocket and chain set do not match or if you have an old set that suffers a lot of stress. A link extractor allows you to repair damaged chain. 

Pump and Spare Inner Tube
Mini pump with gauge will come in handy after repairing your punctured tire. If the damage is beyond repair, you must have an inner tube ready to replace the damaged one. 

Where do you put all these stuff? Mountain biking backpacks are designed to house every thing you need for your trip. 
