Trail Truck's Steve Whetman spills the secrets of his bum bag.. Many years of trail riding adventures and misadventures across the UK and Europe have taught me some tough lessons. Even the best prepared and maintained bike will encounter problems on the trail from time to time and experience has shown me that there are a few essential items to carry which can help get you moving again and get you home. Obviously, you will need to 'customise' your base kit depending upon location, duration of the ride, remoteness and number of bikes in your party, so here I present the 'default' or basic list for you to consider and adapt as you see fit.
How to Carry it All
	Essentially you have a choice between strap on bags that fit direct to your bike, Rucksacks or Bum Bags. My personal preference is to use a bum bag to carry my bike spares, tools and repair items. These are often the heaviest bits of kit and I like to keep them low to reduce my centre of gravity. Carrying the load low on my hips helps with bike handling and also reduces strains on the arms and shoulders. I use a rucksack fitted with a hydration bladder to carry personal items, fluids and anything that wont fit inside the bum bag, such as a fuel bottle if needed. The choice is of course personal, however my advice is to buy good quality. Your carry holder will be subject to heavy abuse and significant strains. It is a major pain in the backside if a strap breaks or the bag doesn't fit comfortably, go for quality every time.
Bum Bag Kit For Adventure Trail Riding Personal medication Business card with address of your hotel & of the local “fixer” Emergency Telephone numbers for that area Bike registration document & insurance certificate Driving License Money in local currency small bills Mobile phone in waterproof impact protective case Spark Plug in waterproof case Cable repair kit Pliers Penknife Plug Spanner Screwdriver – Philips & Flathead Allen Keys – all that fit your bike Spanners 8,10,12 mm Adjustable Spanner Rear Axle Spanner Front Axle Spanner Quick Steel Liquid Metal, emery paper, stick. Chain Split link – same make as your drive chain Chain Breaker Cable Ties & Tree Ties (more robust) Lock Wire Insulating tape Duct Tape Zinc Oxide Tape Wet Ones cleaners Spare Nuts & Bolts Radiator Hose Section 3 metre Tow Rope & carabiner Clutch Lever F Brake Lever Gear Lever Latex Gloves OHP permanent marker pen Fuses Electric wire Pipe cleaner Fuel Syphon Tube 20ml spare brake fluid. Small Plastic Bag Small Flashlight Whistle Compass 80mm length of Photographic Film Negative Hydropack Spare gloves Camera in an impact resistant camera case Spare thermal in a dry bag Lightweight waterproof jacket 1 litre fuel can If Running On Tubes: Spare 21” & 18” Tubes Repair Kit Tyre Levers Pump   tow kit, compass and protected mobile   Tools for your bike Selection of nuts, bolts and useful bits! Spare Kit To Bring In A Tool Box As well as the kit you carry out each ride on your machine, you will also need to have a selection of spares with you for your trip. These can be left at base each day or transported in a support vehicle. Replacement Air Filters Replacement Wheel Bearings front & rear Replacement Drive Chain & Sprockets Replacement front & rear brake pads Replacement throttle cable & clutch cable Replacement Clutch Friction Plates Work mat Wire brush Chain Lube WD 40 Engine Oil & jug Grease Brake Fluid & bleeder kit 10L fuel can & funnel Bulbs Hammer & drift File Mole grips Hand drill & bits Latex Gloves Copper grease Epoxy Glue Feeler gauges Spring puller Head Torch Battery Charger & plug adapter Spare Tyres front & Rear Within a group a lot of the kit listed can be shared.	Cable repair kit Bike and Personal documents Duck tape & wire rolled onto a holder Film tool for clearing fork seals General spares and waterproof 'dry bag' Personal medication and useful local contacts Spare plugs and chain repair stuff Emergency fasteners and 'instant metal'
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