Trail repair kits are way lighter than I thought, like half the weight

I always packed this huge toolbox in my sidebags for riding up near Cochrane, figured I needed every tool imaginable. Then last month I weighed it out of curiosity, 18 pounds just for tools and tape and spare parts. Turns out modern trail kits with a multi-tool, tire plugs, a small air pump, and some zip ties can cover 90 percent of what I dealt with in 5 years of riding. I stripped my kit down to 9 pounds after watching a buddy fix a snapped brake lever with nothing but a socket and a leatherman. The only thing I still carry heavy is a tow strap because getting stuck in mud near Kapuskasing is no joke. Anyone else running a minimal kit and actually using it, or do you still pack for every worst case scenario?

1 comments

1 Comment

beth_baker6926d ago

Nine pounds still sounds like a full mechanic's garage to me, but then again I'm the guy who once patched a radiator hose with a granola bar wrapper and hope. Must be nice having tools that actually fit under the seat instead of needing their own trailer.