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Back in the middle ages when it was still
possible to legally ride the Heaphy, Waldo, Cosmo and
I headed off one weekend to ride the track 'there and
back'. We were stomping along on the first day as we
approached the McKay Hut. Then calamity struck. Waldo
sucked his derailleur into his rear wheel and shagged
his drive chain. "No worries - we'll turn it into a
singlespeed - who's got a chain breaker?" Blank faces.
We were collectively ill-equipped. His bike was now
an expensive titanium scooter. Waldo was doomed to
spend the night in the hut. We would collect him on
the way out the next day. As we waved adios amigo,
a young female backpacker strolled into the hut. On
our return there was no sign of Waldo. No note, nothing.
We finally caught up just near the end of the track.
He was all smiles and shyly introduced us to 'the Canadian'.
He continued to follow her half way around the world
for the next two years. The lesson? A stout pair of
MTB shoes will take you a lot further than any bike.
Apart from a chain
breaker and sensible (non-race) shoes, a truckload
of go-fast food and the appropriate threads (see
opposite page), the good boy scout will need to pack
some well-chosen goodies for a dawn-to-dusk backcountry
epic ...
| Essential
tools |
| • |
Pump, couple
of spare tubes, puncture repair kit and a couple
of tyre levers. Check that your vulcanising glue
hasn't dried up. Glueless patches are ok in an
emergency, but they don't 'deform' enough to properly
deal with the varying pressures in a MTB tyre. |
| • |
A trendy
multi-tool or for the weight conscious, a selection
of individual tools tailored to your bike: allen
keys; chain breaker, 6-8 spare links and a spoke
spanner. |
| • |
Chain lube. |
| • |
Some duct
tape (quack), zip-ties and a short length of inner
tube for padding out a torn sidewall ... and a Padded
Cell tool wallet ($19 from Ground Effect) to
keep it all tidy. |
| • |
If you're
heading into real tiger country then consider packing
a few spare spokes, a folding tyre and rear derailleur
as well. |
First Aid
Surprisingly, your body is even
more important than your bike. Pack some heavy duty
painkillers, arnica cream, anti-inflammatory and
antihistamine tablets, plaster and dressings for
the nasty falls, a crepe bandage and survival blanket.
You can score a ready-made kit from St. John Ambulance www.stjohn.org.nz.
If you haven't done so already, get yourself along
to a basic first aid course. Or at least download
the Emergency First Aid Guide from www.stjohn.org.au/emergency/index.html so
you can make like a seasoned paramedic.
| Getting
Lost |
| • |
At the
risk of stating the obvious take a map, compass
and the skills to use them. If your route crosses
private land then ask the land owners permission
first ... and try to glean some local knowledge
from them. |
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A GPS is
a very useful toy to know exactly where you are,
how high you climbed, how you got there and all
sorts of other train spotting type info. For the
paranoid or truly death defying trips get down
on a personal locater beacon (EPIRBS) like they
use in multi-day adventure races. Setting it off
is like blowing a whistle that the whole of the
Southern Hemisphere can hear. For the good oil
on these and GPS units check out www.mapworld.co.nz |
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Cell phones
have limited coverage in the backcountry - but
are useful to holler for help, text your mates
at work or call for pizzas. |
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A torch
and flashing tail light - handy if you're be-nighted
or face an after-dark road-bash back to the car. |
| The New
Zealand Mountain Safety Council regularly hold
Outdoor Safety Courses in First Aid, Navigation
and even Risk Management. All handy tools for your
resume. Check out www.mountainsafety.org.nz for
more information on available courses and additional
resources. |
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