Fanny Pack Tool PouchBy Cam Carr
Feb 2006
Breaking down on the trail is never fun, especially on a hot day in the dunes or countless trail miles away from your truck. Often, having along a few well chosen tools can make the difference between a great ride, or having one of those days you would like to forget. It is amazing what can be repaired on the trail with a few tools and some ingenuity. Nuts can be borrowed from somewhere else on the bike, and ty-wraps or haywire can go a long way towards keeping something in place to get home.
I began carrying a fanny pack after I received a nice one as a gift (empty of course). I ride some long single-track loops and having some tools along seemed like a good idea. It didn?t take long to become accustomed to riding with it. The small additional weight is barely noticeable, and is more than made up for by the additional peace of mind while you?re out on the trail. The weight may be an issue with some, but I view it more as training aid to strengthen my legs while I ride. Most of the time when I go riding I don?t bother to put my main tool box in the truck. I rely on the selection of tools I bring along in my fanny pack to handle any minor maintenance. It is ironic that, so far, I have never actually used it to fix my own bike, only riding partner?s bikes and other hapless riders I found broken down along the trail.
What (What Not) to PackWhat tools to carry in your fanny pack is the never-ending question. Pack too much and weight can be an issue, but don?t take that one vital tool and you might end up walking home. Your choices come down to a tradeoff between, the probability of a particular failure (i.e. a flat tire) and the weight of the tools needed to repair it. You also must be realistic about your mechanical abilities. If you can barely change a tire in your workshop, packing all the tools and expecting to accomplish an ISDE speed flat-repair on the trail is unrealistic.
ToolsThere are lots of high quality fanny pack tools available on the aftermarket. I take the alternate route and enjoy making many of my ?special? tools by modifying other tools. Wrenches can be filed to larger sizes and sockets welded to wrenches. The goal (within reason) is to carry a tool to fit most every size nut and bolt on your bike, even if you end up with a ?frankienwrench? (a wrench with a few sockets welded to one side). For source tools, I frequent 2nd hand stores, tool sales and mostly the bottom of my too large tool box. Cheaper is better since it is easy to lose them in the field. As an example, the KX500 takes a 30mm wrench for the rear axle. The one in my tool box is about 20? long and weighs enough to do arm curls with. For a starting point, I found a thin, lightweight 1-1/8? double open end aircraft wrench, filed the jaw to 30mm and shortened the handle. It may take a few kicks to get the axle nut loose, but it works, it?s extremely light, and it only cost me $1.
The following is a list of what I carry with me on a typical day-ride. It may seem like a lot but it easily fits into my fanny pack with room for a snack, spare gloves and my digital camera. Heck, for some rides you could probably make do with a crescent wrench and a couple of beers.
Tools That I Carry:1. Sparkplug wrench/spoke wrench (I use the KX one that came with my bike).
2. Sparkplug (a cheap BR8ES in case you must give it away to a stranded rider). I keep mine in a plastic holder to
protect the plug.
3. Leatherman type multitool (heavy but handy).
4. Rear axle wrench (home made).
5. 8mm/10mm/12mm T Handle (home made).
6. 10 assorted ty-wraps (Longer is better).
7. ? roll of Black tape.
8. 4? fuel line (for drinking, siphoning, petcock to petcock gas transfer, tourniquet etc).
9. 10? of hay wire.
10. Needle-nose vise grip pliers.
11. Mini multi-bit screwdriver.
12. Small flat screwdriver for carb tuning (I keep this in an outside pouch for easy access).
13. Assorted combination wrenches: 8mm to 14mm.
14. Allen wrench selection.
15. Mini flashlight (I use a mini-mag light but need a lighter one).
16. Disposable lighter (ever spent a cold night somewhere bad?). Spring for a new one every season.
17. Paper towels.
18. Energy bars.
19. Compass. (Take a reading at your starting point and mark it ON the compass).
20. Cell phone (but don?t count on having coverage).
21. Masterlinks - take an assortment (Make sure it fits ? not all brands are universal).
22. Spare nuts & Bolts.
23. 5 Minute type epoxy steel (for patching case holes).
24. Location and phone number of nearest medivac helicopter (expensive but sometimes necessary).
25. 15' tow rope - 1/8" high strength kevlar climbing accessory cord. (added Sept 7/09 after not having one when I needed it)
Note: Since I frequently ride with my family, I carry wrench sizes to fit 4 different bikes.
Extras (Might only carry on extra long rides)1. Single use pouch of 2-stroke oil (available at most chainsaw shops). Enables you to borrow gas and make up a
lean mix to get home.
2. Spare tube or patch kit. (Carry a 21? tube since it can be used universally)
3. Tire irons.
4. C02 tire inflator.
5. Signal mirror (an old CD is great for this. Nice and light too)
6. Emergency blanket. (To keep yourself or and injured rider warm)
Additional Tips:1. Many fanny packs come with the familiar plastic quick release buckle. I thought it was fine until it fell off and I wasted an hour searching the trail for my fanny pack. I replaced it with a $3.00 metal positive latch buckle obtained from a safety supply store tool belt. Always write your name and phone number on your pack as most people will return a lost pack if they can tell who it belongs to.
2. I paint most of my tools fluorescent orange to make them easier to spot on the ground after a field repair.
3. Although I am a pro tire changer, I deliberately don?t carry a tube or tire repair tools in my fanny pack (yet). I historically never get flats and since most of my riding trails stay within 20 miles of my truck, I have chosen to risk having to ride home with a flat. So far so good.
4. When welding tools don?t cool them with water to speed up the job. The inherent hardening will become brittle and the tool will shatter the first time you uses it.
5. Make sure the fanny pack you purchase has a glossy coating on the fabric or cover. They catch a lot of mud spray from the rear tire and need to easily wipe clean.
Authors Note:The medivac helicopter might seem a bit extreme but the knowledge of where, who, and how to get it is free (yellow pages) and can be a life saver for you or your riding buddies in the right instance. I?ve never required this dirt biking but have used the information while backcountry skiing to extract an avalanche damaged skier from the middle of nowhere. You just never know.
