Three Bikepacking Repair Kits (Video)

compose Miles Arbour
time Feb 1, 2024
comment 4

Following our cook kit video from last week, Joe, Neil, and I are back. This time around, we’re digging into the repair kits we brought on a recent week-long bikepacking trip in Southern Arizona. The region we rode in is littered with sharp, tire-destroying rocks and thorns, and it calls for a specific assortment of repair items and spares. It’s interesting to see how much our kits vary, from Joe’s more minimalist approach to Neil’s fully stocked, get-out-of-any-situation setup. Watch the video below and scroll down for a breakdown of every item in our kits.

Neil’s Repair Kit

Neil: I only used two items from my repair kit on this trip. My chain lube about every other day and the 4mm hex wrench to check bolt torque a few days into the trip. I stored most of my repair kit in my keg, which was placed in a water bottle cage on the underside of the downtube. My chain lube along with the Gerber tool were placed in my rear top tube bag, and the pump and 2oz Stan’s bottle were stored in the bottom of my frame bag. This is a pretty complete repair kit for me, and I tend not to change it much from trip to trip.

• Topeak Mountain 2Stage Digital Pump ($115)

  Available at Worldwide Cyclery

• Specialized KEG ($12)

  Available at Specialized

• 4mm Hex Key ($6)

  Available at Amazon

• Blackburn Big Switch Ratchet ($50)

  Available at Blackburn Design

• Dynaplug Racer ($48)

  Available at Dynaplug Amazon

• FiberFix Emergency Spoke Replacement Kit ($15)

  Available at Peter White Cycles

• Stan’s Tire Sealant-2 Ounce Bottle ($3.50)

  Available at NoTubes.com

• Gerber Dime ($30)

  Available at GerberGear.com

• Revoloop Tube
• Tire Boot
• Chain Lube
• Electrical Tape / Gorilla Tape
• Nylon Thread
• Derailleur Hanger
• Tube Patch Kit + curved needles
• Superglue
• Brake Pads
• Extra screws, tubeless valves, quick links, etc.

Joe’s Repair Kit

Joe: I think I only used chain lube! In terms of mechanicals, we had some pretty good luck on that ride. I actually spread my kit around my frame bag so it doesn’t all live in one place. The multi-tool and chain lube are always really accessible. So, those things live in the side pockets on the frame bag, but the rest of it kind of goes deep, near the bottom bracket in the frame bag because it’s not stuff I’m gonna be looking to use on a daily basis, and it’s relatively heavy. It has its happiest place at the bottom of that bag.

• Crankbrothers M17 ($30)

  Available at Crankbrothers

• Specialized Big Bore Pump ($50)

  Available at Specialized

• Gerber Ultralight LST Knife ($26)

  Available at Gerber Gear

• Stan’s Tire Sealant-2 Ounce Bottle ($3.50)

  Available at NoTubes.com

• Dynaplug Pill ($64)

  Available at Dynaplug Amazon

• Spare tube
• Zip Ties
• Tube Patch Kit
• Chain Lube

Miles’ Repair Kit

Miles: I spread my repair kit across my bike, depending on how accessible I want specific items to be. My spare tube, bolts, zip ties, tubeless sealant, and other items I hope I don’t need to use are stuffed in the bottom of the frame bag. My multi-tool was stashed in the shallow non-drive-side pocket of my frame bag alongside some other essentials I sometimes needed throughout the day. My pump lived inside the main compartment of my framebag, secured to the side thanks to a sleeve and velcro strap. My Dynaplug tool and chain lube/rag were stuffed into the exterior mesh pockets on my Rogue Panda Bismarck Bottle Buckets–my new favourite stem bags.

On this trip, I used my multitool several times for small adjustments. I dipped into my spare bolt collection to replace a lost rack bolt early on in the ride. I lubed my chain twice and added air to my rear tire once. Overall, it was a pleasantly uneventful week on the bike!

• Dynaplug Racer ($48)

  Available at Dynaplug Amazon

• Crankbrothers F16 ($60)

  Available at Crankbrothers

• Wolf Tooth WT-1 0.5oz Lube ($7)

  Available at Wolf Tooth

• OneUp EDC Pump ($65)

  Available at OneUp

• Revelate Designs Tool Cash ($45)

  Available at REI Revelate Designs

• Forager Cycles Link Wrench ($30)

  Available at Forager Cycles

• Wolf Tooth Pack Pliers ($33)

  Available at Wolf Tooth

• Stan’s Tire Sealant-2 Ounce Bottle ($3.50)

  Available at NoTubes.com

• Presta to Schrader Adapter ($3.50)

  Available at REI

• Tiny Rag
• Tire Levers
• Spare Tube
• Quick Link
• Tire Boot
• Zip Ties
• Spare Shift Cable
• Electrical Tape / Gorilla Tape
• Spare tubeless valves, bolts, SPD cleats, brake pad spring, etc.

Do you have any repair kit items you never leave home without? Let us know in the conversation below.

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