Active Living Blog
Blog Posts
- Berrrmidji Kids’ Ice Fishing event: Sunday, February 19th, 2012
- Berrrmidji Kids’ Ice Fishing event
- Ice skating at Nymore Park
- Streets are not just for cars – streets are for people too.
- “Top 9” items to pack when bicycling to work.
- How many "R"s in Bemidji?
- Stay active this winter by walking to The Cabin Coffeehouse and Cafe for a cup of tea.
- On my bike I feel like a super hero.
- Top 30 Destinations
- Active Living Bemidji Policy Pursuit
- Bemidji Area Complete Streets Workshop
- Busy Times for Active Living Bemidji
- Bike Bemidji
- Showing Our Support
- Making Serious Strides
- 2010 Paul Bunyan Trail Ride
- Perceived Barriers to Walking
- 37 States
- Just a reminder...
- Oh the troubles we face...
- Have the Intern Do it 3/3
- Getting Physically Active: Let's do it for the Kids!
- What is active living?
- Active Transportation Challenge: (Update 5 of 15)
- Bicycling Myths, Busted!
- Danger! Pedestrian Crossing
- Trail Wayfinding: Utilizing the Lake Bemidji Bicycle and Pedestrian Route Map
- Active Transportation Challenge: (Update 4 of 15)
- Bicycling Around Lake Bemidji and Lake Irvine - from the eyes of an intern
- Active Transportation Challenge: (Update 3 of 15)
- Active Transportation Challenge (Update 2 of 15)
- It's not too cold for some exercise
- Active Transportation Challenge (Update 1 of 15)
- Active Transportation Summer Challenge
- There's No Time for Boredom
- 84 out of 85: Not a Death Sentence
“Top 9” items to pack when bicycling to work.
Posted: Jan 24, 03:48 PM
BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA (January 24, 2012) – Pack these 9 items and roll out the door to the office.
Helmet
Bike lock
Water bottle
Blinky light
Backpack or messenger bag
Work clothes
Lunch
Snacks – almost always includes a banana and jar of almonds or pecans
Raincoat
It’s only 3.64 miles from my home to my work, so in the grand scheme of things – a short bike ride. I rarely even drink much water on my ride, since it only takes 15-45 minutes, depending upon the weather conditions. I rarely fill my water bottle past half-way for work commutes, since the additional water adds weight; however, I guess there are plenty of reasons to bring extra water, if you want to be on the safe side. I don’t carry my rain gear unless the forecast calls for more than a 20% chance – another trick to keeping my pack light. I also use the smallest and lightest bag I need for my ride. I like my new Kelty Redstart, which is impressively light and weighs only 1 lb, 12 oz. This bag is fine for point A to point B travel, such as bicycling to work. However, when I’m running errands in town and need to stop and start frequently, I use my messenger bag. My messenger bag allows me to quickly load groceries and has zipper pouches that make it easy to settle up my tab, without delaying other shoppers.
This is not an all-inclusive list and can easily be tailored to your bicycling preferences. Feel free to post any questions or gear you would consider in your “Top 9”…or “Top 10”, if you want to be trendy.
See you on the trails!
Natalie Gille, Bemidji resident and outdoor enthusiast
