Daughters first bike packing trip: essentials to take ?

[Ridgeway]

No4 daughter has signed up for her first bike packing trip in June. It’s a 5 day trip with 50km a day with average 500m e elation each day, but she is only 13yrs old and the only girl in the group of 10, apart from her teacher, also a lass.

She’ll be taking her trusty hard tail and i think I’ve convinced her to take panniers even if they have been advised to take a rucksack, i think because most people won’t have panniers but i have enough spare racks and kit to solve that.

Just trying to think of some basics she should take with her for such a trip ? She’ll be staying in hostels each night but will take a light sleeping back but isn’t camping. So far i can think of:

- Torch
- Bike lights
- Chamy cream
- Sunglasses
- Puncture kit, 3 tubes and basic tool kit
- 2 pairs of gloves
- Small pump

I’m sure I’m missing a lot of things as personally I’ve never done it so just drawing from my camping and walking experience. Routes are all planned as are stops and eating so overall it’s not a too stressful first venture.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

A rucksack will be better for manoeuvrability on technical terrain and unless they are riding overnight a torch and lights won’t be necessary with such long daylight hours. Won’t the hostels provide bedding? Shouldn’t need to carry much weight at all.

 

[HelenD123]

A rucksack will be better for manoeuvrability on technical terrain and unless they are riding overnight a torch and lights won’t be necessary with such long daylight hours. Won’t the hostels provide bedding? Shouldn’t need to carry much weight at all.

Always worth taking lights in case of bad weather. They could double as a torch.

Water bottles, suncream, snacks. Personally I've never bothered with chamois cream but then I rarely need padded shorts either.

I would expect the teacher to have a pump and toolkit so don't go overboard in this area. Definitely take tubes to fit her tyres.

Look at the forecast close to the trip and pack clothes accordingly.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

No4 daughter has signed up for her first bike packing trip in June. It’s a 5 day trip with 50km a day with average 500m e elation each day, but she is only 13yrs old and the only girl in the group of 10, apart from her teacher, also a lass.

She’ll be taking her trusty hard tail and i think I’ve convinced her to take panniers even if they have been advised to take a rucksack, i think because most people won’t have panniers but i have enough spare racks and kit to solve that.

Just trying to think of some basics she should take with her for such a trip ? She’ll be staying in hostels each night but will take a light sleeping back but isn’t camping. So far i can think of:

- Torch
- Bike lights
- Chamy cream
- Sunglasses
- Puncture kit, 3 tubes and basic tool kit
- 2 pairs of gloves
- Small pump

I’m sure I’m missing a lot of things as personally I’ve never done it so just drawing from my camping and walking experience. Routes are all planned as are stops and eating so overall it’s not a too stressful first venture.

What a fantastic thing to be doing at that age!

Maybe I'm stating the bleeding obvious but wouldn't the teacher be best placed to advise?

I see you're in Switzerland so that may have an effect on clothing, lights etc.

Normally, I'm not a fan of a rucksack for long bike rides but I can understand it if there's offroad/singletrack. Is the teacher advising a rucksack because she assumes no-one has panniers or because she thinks it's the best? Perhaps there are plans for off bike activities and panniers just won't be suitable?
Something else to consider too is that not too many kids of that age want to be different to everyone else.

Any toolkit is only useful if she knows how to use it.
I see no mention of a first aid kit?
Surely the teacher has a list of what is supplied?

Perhaps some electrolytes to mix with water if it will be hot?
A phone? (And a charger)
A camera to record everything.

Perhaps I'm wrong but gear or the bike is not the first thing that leaps to my mind in this scenario. This is a 13 year old girl off for a few days in a group of 9 boy peers. Is she used to being away from home? Used to being the only girl in a group of boys? Does she know them? Do you know them?
If she's daughter #4 would daughters 1-3 be able to offer advice?

I'm thinking less in terms of gear to bring and more giving her the skills, confidence and inspiration to be able to enjoy herself.

Also a great opportunity for some father - daughter practise!

 

[Gwylan]

My additional items would include.
Windoroof - waterproofs?
Sun cream, kids factor 50. Ensure it doesn't have those nasty chemicals that sting my eyes.
Little first aid kit - antiseptic spray and larger plasters. Grazes
1 inner tube and repair kit - smaller. Bigger patches.
Tiny pack of wet wipes. Baby ones are best. Handy when there's no paper.
Wash kit??
Soap to rinse, dry overnight, sweaty clothes.
Flip flops or similar. Those courtesy slippers from hotels.
Spanner, if necessary, to remove wheel for puncture repair.
If you can find one a high Vis tabard with flash lights on the back. Beats all the lights in dodgy visibility and much lighter and packs away
Hate rucksacks.

 

[Gwylan]

My additional items would include.
Windoroof - waterproofs?
Sun cream, kids factor 50. Ensure it doesn't have those nasty chemicals that sting my eyes.
Little first aid kit - antiseptic spray and larger plasters. Grazes
1 inner tube and repair kit - smaller. Bigger patches.
Tiny pack of wet wipes. Baby ones are best. Handy when there's no paper.
Wash kit??
Soap to rinse, dry overnight, sweaty clothes.
Flip flops or similar. Those courtesy slippers from hotels.
Spanner, if necessary, to remove wheel for puncture repair.
If you can find one a high Vis tabard with flash lights on the back. Beats all the lights in dodgy visibility and much lighter and packs away
Hate rucksacks.

Windoroof it's a whole new trend in cycle wear......

 

[Ridgeway]

Great replies and thanks.

Yes the rucksack is the suggestion of the teacher as i think she believes that most people won’t have panniers and my experience of riding with both went very much in favour of the panniers and as we have 2 pairs i only need to add a spare rack to her MTB that will easily take them. There should be any technical stuff, just gravel trails and tarmac farm roads but nothing that even a decent road bike wouldn’t handle with decent tyres.

I filled my commute rucksack last night to show her as it comes it at around 8-10kgs full and as she only weighs 50kgs i raised it as a point of concern. I did also say that the risk with a pair of panniers is that she’ll end up carrying half the groups stuff😂

Yes i think it’s a good point about not going overboard on tools etc as the teacher will be prepared but i always have a rule that you need the basics and as Hobs says know how to use them.

And yes the teacher has provided a list and i know her quite well but i just want to make sure we’re not forgetting too many things.

The lads in the group are all her class mates and some i know from a local cycling club, non live more that 300m from the house so in theory should be OK but good point and you never know.

We’ll certainly have some practice runs in the coming weekends, this we do already but now she’ll have a purpose at least.

Will update the list and integrate those items from Gwylan, thanks.

 

[All uphill]

Something else to consider too is that not too many kids of that age want to be different to everyone else.

This is, imo, really important.

I remember having to let our son make all kinds of cycling "mistakes " rather than risk spoiling his adventure. I still offer support and ideas only if he asks.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

as Hobs says

Apologies for the pedantry but....

Hobs.....

And Hobs

And Hobs

are nowhere as fun and interesting as Hobbes

 

[Jameshow]

You can get really lightweight rucksacks. I have one from eBay which is really light -280gms

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30410215...tixoXeJTeO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yes the rucksack is the suggestion of the teacher as i think she believes

You need to ask the teacher; until you do, you are basing your own suggestions on a whole load of assumptions.

 

[Kingfisher101]

A swiss army knife, one with the scissors on it.
I've a couple of these and they are great I think.
Just tell her not to be flashing the knife about and to use it appropriatley. The Climber one has a good range of tools on it. If she doesnt use it you can always have it for your adventures.

 

[Ridgeway]

You need to ask the teacher; until you do, you are basing your own suggestions on a whole load of assumptions.

Will do, we have both options so either if fine.

 

[iluvmybike]

I'd suggest a second pair of shorts - having to wear damp/sweaty/dirty shorts isn't great for the nether regions. Having 2 pairs she can wash one pair out each night and hang on bike to dry as she rides along

 

[annedonnelly]

Girly stuff - depending on how "girly" she is and how much she's used to roughing it. I know some women won't go anywhere without their hair straighteners etc., but even the most tomboyish girl might want things like lip salve, handcream, mensturual products. If she's not been away on her own before perhaps her sisters are the best people to advise on that.

Some emergency cash/debit card, just in case.