PBP Drop Bags

PBP Drop Bags
By Jeff Bauer
July 15, 2007

FWIW, here's what I'm planning to carry in my PBP drop bags:

I usually have a couple pairs of shorts and jerseys, spare gloves and socks. As was mentioned earlier, the most important thing if you are wet/cold is dry clothes. Add whatever under/over layers you think you might need -- e.g. if you've been riding all night in the rain, swapping out a pair of dry tights may be nice.

Along with dry clothes, it's probably worth having a couple of spare tubes, spare tire (if you aren't carrying one on your bike), sunscreen, gels, energy bars, drink mix. You'll have plenty of *real* food at the controls, but not much to carry with you between controls. I was unable to find anything like Powerbars, Gatorade, etc., even before the ride.

Spare batteries, backup taillights, LED lights are handy to stow in a drop bag if you're bringing along spares. For me, it's easier just to replace the taillight, rather than fiddle with putting in a fresh set of batteries, though I carry along a spare set on the bike. If you're using CO2, spare cartridges go in the bag.

I usually have a couple of plastic trash bags in each drop bag. These are for dirty clothes, or as an emergency outer layer.

If I'm using water bottles, I may have fresh (clean) water bottles in the drop bag, to reduce the chance of bacteria growth.