Puppy Dog Trail North Dual Sport Gear List
With Spring in the air, it was time to dust off the bike panniers, pack some extra layers, and head out for an adventure on the dual sport. So last weekend, my buddy Jim and I set out to ride the Puppy Dog North Trail. It’s a 95-mile route that heads north from Westerly, Rhode Island to Greenfield, Massachusetts, along with a mix of beautiful country roads and dirt trails. Along the way it passes through some old-school towns, reminding riders of a time when life was simpler.
All in all, the ride was an awesome experience, in part because I’d nailed the gear list for an early spring ride when the temperature and road conditions haven’t quite gotten comfortable. Here’s what I brought.
What I Wore. The trail was so muddy that my gear needed a good wash the next day. But my kit performed great and I stayed dry, warm, and comfortable the whole day.
Base layers: Skins compression fleece top and bottoms, Smartwool light ski socks. I like compression layers on the bike as it helps with body vibration while on the bike all day as well as muscle fatigue. It’s also a lot more comfortable under body armor as you don’t get that bunched-up feeling.
Alpinestars Bionic Body Armor. I try not to ride without this, and while sometimes it can be annoying to have body armor on all day, months in a cast is so much worse.
Klim Dakar Jersey and Pants. For the pants, I like an over-the-boot style because it helps prevent water from getting into my boots.
Klim Pro Dakar Gloves. The extra padding on the palm is much appreciated during a long ride.
Leatt Rally Jacket. It does a great job of stopping the wind and any possible drafts due to its fitted design.
Sidi Adventure Gore-Tex Boots. These are hands down my go-to boots. The fit and function are top notch and I never need to worry about my feet getting wet since they are 100% waterproof.
Klim Krios Helmet. As I mentioned in an earlier review, this helmet is awesome.
What I Packed. Now that we’ve covered what I wore, let’s get to what I had with me for gear.
My Pack. I brought my Reckless 10 by Mosko Moto. I’ve previously mentioned how much I love this pack, so I’ll be brief here. The Reckless 10 was perfect for this trip. The two 5 liter dry bags provided all the storage I needed for space for this early spring trip. I had plenty of room for my gear along with a few extras. In addition, it fit an extra liter of fuel, which was a really nice backup and gave me peace of mind when we were out in the sticks of Central Massachusetts. Finally, it carried my Pinner Tool Roll perfectly.
As the forecasted temps varied from the mid ’40s in the morning to high 60’s in the afternoon, I packed a series of layers to ensure I stayed comfortable all day. In the Reckless’ two dry bags, I had a bunch of gear. In the right one, I had:
Full first-aid kit and splint
Face mask by Under Armor
Smartwool winter hat
EMS power stretch gloves (for emergency use, not so much for riding)
An extra Skins compression base layer.
Klim Viper Goggles.
Meanwhile, in the left one I had:
A North Face puffy jacket that packs very small and can also fit under my riding jacket. Feeling bulky is the worst so make sure to try on all your gear see what fits well together because some jackets can be too much and restrict movement, something you really don’t want happening.
EMS power stretch 1/4 top. It’s a great layering peace when a puffy is just too warm.
Extra set of Klim Dakar riding gloves just in case the gloves I had on got wet or torn.
4 extra Clif Bars.
With all this gear, both dry bags ended up pretty full, the bigger layers in the left one taking up a surprising amount of space.
My Tank Bag. I like to keep my tank bag simple, with the Mosko Moto Nomad Tank Bag being my favorite. In it I keep everything I might need in a pinch. On this trip I had:
2 cans of Red Bull. On long rides a fast pick me up is important critical.
5 Clif Bars. I brought all these just in case Jim wanted one or we decided not to stop for lunch. Having them here meant I didn’t need to go through my dry bags to find them.
Extra set of warmer riding gloves. I choose some old Black Diamond ice climbing gloves because they are padded and have an articulated hand designed for gripping.
A Leatherman multitool. It handles small jobs quick.
Smith sunglasses, in case if my goggles or the windshield on my helmet get messed up.
Electrical tape. So many potential uses: first aid, clothing repair, bike repair. I could go on. Well worth having nearby.
Earplugs. I choose Surefire shooting earplugs because they do a great job at cutting wind noise and muffler noise while still allowing me to hear my riding partner with my helmet on.
Phone charging battery. Come on, it’s the 21st Century. A man’s gotta know when the ladies swipe right on Hinge.
1.5 liters of water. The biggest plus of Mosko’s tank bag is not having to carry water on my back. My back loves it and it ’s a lot more convenient to just look down, grab the hose, and get a drink.
In sum, this trip was awesome and there’s very little that I’d change on the gear front. And while it was a long day on the bike, I was psyched to explore some remote backroads of my home state on two wheels. I highly recommend the trip and if you need a track, leave a comment below and I’m happy to send it your way.
See you on the trails!
