The new D3 mountain biking helmet by Troy Lee Design’s looks sick. Talk about state-of-the-art. TLD is calling it he safest mountain biking helmet on the market. For some great deals on other Troy Lee Design products like helmets, shin guards, jerseys and more… visit Jenson USA

Came across this article in the examiner about a mountain biker in Detroit who had a whistle to help medics locate him in a trail system. I worked with  a few bike couriers who road around with whistles. A whistle is a great little item to keep on your pack while mountain biking. They can good while riding in bear country if you don’t have the next item I’m about to mention… a bell.

I know quite a few riders up here in Eugene who ride with bells on their handlebars. A period bell ring to notify other trail users like hikers or equestrians that you’re coming is usually pretty welcomed.

Several weeks back some IMBA Trail Crew / Riders came to the area to do some trail building and do a little teaching. They joined the DOD for a Webnesday night ride at Whypass.. the IMBA riders both had little cow bells tethered to their handlebars.  It can be a little more annoying than a period bell ring… but will most likely scare off any unwanted encounters with wildlife like bears or mountain lions, and other trail users will definitely hear you coming.

So there you have it.. two essencial safety items for mountain biking -a whistle and a bell.

The answer I hope goes beyond water. Everyone is different so everyone carries different things. I used to carry more and there are definitely some items that I need to add but for now, here’s what’s in my Camelbak…

Mountain Bike Clothing
In my Camelbak.. I generally carry at least 1 extra core layer.. sometimes its a long sleeve polypro, other times is a vest. Being in the Pacific Northwest.. I generally carry a light weight shell (Marmot PreCip Rain Jacket)  about 8 months out of the year.

Tools & Parts
When it comes to tools.. I generally carry a 3-way allen key by Park Tools, a bike pump, a Leatherman, a gerber pocket knife,  some tire levers, 2 tubes and electrical tape.

Nutrition
Depending on the length of the ride, I usually carry a small bag of trail mix, a granola bar or 2 and almost always 2 Larabars.

A couple of misc items worth a mention are a lighter, cell phone, toilet paper, I used to have a compass but my kids lost it and a headlamp. So I guess aside from the TP… this would be the safety item category.

So what’s in your Camelbak or hydration pack when you go out for a mountain bike ride.. post up… no registration required.