When you are going for a really long MTB ride in a remote location, what do you need to carry?
I will list some of the things that I usually carry, divided in two sections 1) stuff that I always carry, let's say for 3-4 hours, and 2) stuff that I carry when I need to be fully self-sufficient.
what to carry for medium-length rides
1 - Some money / credit card for emergencies (and for coffee!)
2 - your medical insurance details
3 - CO2 cartridge loosely screwed into the inflator
4 - hand pump
5 - multi-tool, preferably with chain tool
6 - spare tube (you could choose tubes with sealant)
7 - tire levers (2)
8 - tire plugs and insertion tool (see this post: @ultrabiker/how-to-mtb-plug-your-tubeless-mtb-tires-1)
That's about it. I might take 1 or 2 items from the second list below, e.g. some lube if it's dusty or if there are many river crossings.
What to carry on extremely looooong rides
For really long rides, in addition to the above list, I would carry the following additional items:
9 - a little botttle with some extra sealant for the tubeless tires
10 - a little bottle with some lube for the chain
11 - 1 or 2 extra CO2 cartridges
12 - a valve tool to remove the core of the tire valve
13 - An extra valve (for tubeless tires)
14 - Some extra plugs to plug the tire
15 - a spare derailleur hanger
16 - some chain links to be able to repair the chain quickly
17 - a bit of duct tape (you could e.g. wrap it around your pump), for repairing just about everything
18 - cable ties for repairing just about everything as well
A tip: cling foil is really good to keep the small items together and make sure they will not be easily lost. You might want to buy one of those bottle-like tool cages, and install a bottle carrier on your saddle pen.
That's it. Note that this is for a MTB with tubeless tires; I ride in South Africa with often very rough trails and lots of thorns. Let me know if you have any questions or let me know what you carry on your bike!
Please check out my other posts on cycling @ultrabiker
Plugging your tires: @ultrabiker/how-to-mtb-plug-your-tubeless-mtb-tires-1
My bike, Salsa Cutthroat @ultrabiker/my-bicycle-salsa-cutthroat-force-1
My competitors @ultrabiker/my-competitors-are-the-greatest-athletes-on-earth
Fast after 50: book review @ultrabiker/book-review-fast-after-50-how-to-race-strong-for-the-rest-of-your-life