
If I Rode The Kokopelli Trail Again
The Kokopelli was only my third bikepacking trip, and first multiple night trip. What follows is a comparison of gear from my first trip and what I would bring If I Rode the Kokopelli Trail Again.
The trip was planned to optimize weather and route conditions. This meant I was able to leave certain items like rain gear and other items at home. I also cached water for the ride. The Kokopelli Trail lacks water sources and water caching is almost a must for most who attempt it.
To give you a better understand of the changes I’d make for next time, one needs to know my approach. The main goal would be to ride the route faster, sleep less, and bring less gear.
Hopefully this post, If I Rode The Kokopelli Trail Race Again will help others plan their own ride of the Kokopelli Trail and better their chances at a successful ride of the Kokopelli Trail.
Do you find this page valuable?
Shopping with our affiliates helps fund the development of content like this.
BIKE
Item
Brand
Reason
What I Used Last Time
Bike
Undecided
I no longer have the Rocky. I would use whatever I had.
Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt 790 MSL BC Edition
Undecided
Whatever was on the bike I had at the time.
Fox 34
No Change.
OEM (Carbon)
HAB Bar Ends
None
Not enough HAB to justify them.
None
Great hand position options and they help with fatigued.
Unmatched comfort for long days in the saddle.
Undecided
Whatever was on the bike I had at the time.
Stans ZTR Flow Tubeless Ready Rims on Stans 3.30 disc hubs
Generator Hub
SON 28 15 110 Generator Hub (boost)
Great output and bomb proof.
None
No Change.
Undecided
Whatever was on the bike I had at the time.
46×32 SRAM
The Kokopelli Trail, with its short distance and rough desert terrain is the perfect route for a full suspension bike. One does not have to worry about limited storage space of a full suspension. A hardtail might save one from having to wear a pack but I’ll leave the choice of which type of bike up to you.
Which ever bike you go with, make sure it has a wide gear ratio to tackle the many steep climbs and also the fast flat sections. Wider tires will be your only friend in the Yellow Jacket section, which is a huge sand box. Large tires will also help with the roughness of the route.
If I rode the Kokopelli Trail again I would most likely use another full suspension.
Bags
Item
Brand
Reason
What I Used Last Time
Gas Tank
JPak Gas Tank
I had issues opening the double zipper of the Revelate while on the go, and if you forgot to close it, things fell out easily.
Jerrycan
Defiant Jerrycan or a tool wrap under the down tube.
I broke the zipper on the Revelate and had to replace it.
Nothing or I’d use two feed bags.
If I could trim down my gear and eliminate it I would. The goal being to lighten the front end.
None
None
No Change.
None
Get the smaller Terrapin.
The goal would be to force myself to carry less with a smaller seat bag.
JPaks
If I rode my current bike, I would have JPaks make me a slightly wider one than my original to increase its volume.
None
Under Downtube
Something custom or buy
I would move my tools from the Jerrycan to this to get some weight lower.
Water Bottle
Backpack
None if possible.
Depends on the bike I use and how much gear I could store on the bike.
Camelbak Volt 13 LR
The less bags you have the less you can carry, thus less weight to slow you down. On the flip side one has to plan carefully and trust themselves that they have the ability to carry limited gear, and still be safe.
I chose to keep my bike light so I could more easily tackle the challenging route. I would do the same next time, but bring even less. No matter which bike I used I would try to get some of the gear onto the frame. Whether that was a small frame bag or handle bar bag, either one would help get it off my back and lower my center of gravity.
I would use a tool wrap, mounted under the down tube to also help get the weight lower. I could also then use the Jerry Can to store more food.
Hydration
Item
Brand
Reason
What I Used Last Time
Depends on the bike. If hardtail then the dromedary, if FS then the Duthie.
Camelbak Volk 13 LR
(2) 20 oz Water Bottles on forks?
Tool wrap would be on down tube. I’d use the bottles for straight water and the bladder for hydration mix.
20 oz Water Bottles – Down tube (1) and (1) under down tube
None
Cached water and what I could carry.
None
None
Extra weight I never used.
Staying hydrated is probably the biggest crux of the whole Kokopelli trail. Even in the spring there’s not much water to be found. You might find a few streams flowing in the La Sals but other than that, there’s no water.
Carrying capacity is a major concern. I would definitely cache water again at strategic places, thus limiting how much water I had to carry at one time. I would also be sure to use electrolytes and bring supplements with me. You’ll sweat a lot, and that means losing key nutrients that your body needs to keep going.
Health/First Aid
Item
Brand
Reason
What I Used Last Time
Custom First Aid kit
Outside of crashing most all ailments can be remedy with my other items.
Small assortment of bandages and antiseptic creams
Pain Relief
Advil
No change.
Advil
Medicine
Tums
Tums would work faster than Imodium.
Tape
Useful for many injuries.
None
Sun Screen
No Change.
Tweezers
One blunt end and one pointy.
Cactus
None
Lip Balm
Cherry flavored
No Change.
Cherry flavored
Oral Care
None
No change but adding a flosser.
Tooth brush & paste
Toiletries
Dude Wipes & hand sanitizer
No Change.
Dude Wipes & hand sanitizer
Vision
Disposable Contacts or get Lasik
Lasik would be the best option, but the daily wears are much better for my eyes than wearing normal contact for days on end like I did the first time.
Contact case / contact fluid
I’ve done quite well with my custom first aid kit. It’s super simple and small. K-tape has many uses and is a must for me these days. I would carry extra contacts and a small bottle of fluid next time. I got sun screen in my eye last time and the last 20+ miles were very uncomfortable.
Conclusion
For someone looking to do the Kokopelli Trail fast and light, I think the above kit is a solid one. It’s built on experience and reflect the trail confidence I’ve gained over my years of bikepacking.
With the above changes, experiences from my first go, and a better understanding of terrain I believe I can shave time off my previous ride without compromising too much comfort or my safety.
Hopefully this, If I Rode the Kokopelli Trail Again, post gave others some insight and helps them plan their own trip.
Lastly, be sure your own gear list reflects your own personal style and matches your confidence level. Do your own homework, do shakedown rides, and build your trail confidence before hitting the Kokopelli Trail. Good luck!
MORE RESOURCES
Read these next or checkout the main resource page.
Gear lists from the AZTR, CTR, and TD; Pros & Cons; Things I’d do different; and Tips.
In depth look at what I would bring for gear and why, if I rode the AZTR, CTR, Kokopelli Trail, and Tour Divide.
CHECKOUT ALL OUR GUIDES
What’s New in Our Store
Cool threads and more!
OB Sucks
Throwing out of bounds sucks!
Class of ____
Celebrate your thru-hiking class with the Class of ___ T-shirt!
R.E.S.R AZTR
It’s June. Ride, Eat, Sleep, Repeat Arizona Trail Race.
Checkout all our available products in our store, and thanks for the support!
Support the Project
Simply clicking on the links below with our affiliates supports the Project.
Or checkout our Deals page to save big!