Hauling stuff in your pockets

That was one of the reasons I stopped using those pieces of crap. Even without overfilling they would fume out, they are not allowed on airplanes (rightly so - as a exception amongst all the water, toothpaste and nail clippers), they never really burn well, and the flame is not hot enough. It is nice to refill them on the bike though.

Anyways, me dad always told me to never get a hard sunglass case while skiing when I was young, he learned his lesson. What am I doing now? I carry all kinds of stuff in my motorcycle jacket, including a screwdriver sometimes. That is more than stupid.

Thanks for the reminder.

I carry everything in my tank bag when riding. I use the pockets for stuff when off the bike, but here's my vote for jackets and pants with a lot less pockets. I just want two zippered exterior pockets on the jacket for handwarming and carrying my wallet and keys when off the bike, and maybe a couple of pants pockets in the front. They don't have to be waterproof and I want them not to stick out where they'll catch the wind. Less pockets = less cost, more streamlined, probably more crash resistant, and less temptation to carry stuff in them. Carry your phone in your tank bag inside something that might protect it where it might survive the crash. I've seen phones destroyed by just dropping them, so I have little faith they'll survive a real get off in your pocket.

It's a riding bag, it is very very padded against my back.
I think that if I were to go down and land on my back, the padding would help my back, even if there is other stuff in the backpack (assuming the backpack didn't break apart and pull away from me.)

Messenger bag! That's another potential hazard. I often wear one around town, sometimes with a bunch of stuff in it. I can imagine them being a fairly nasty injury liability. Even though I often wear padded gear there could be books/cans, etc. jabbing my spine, splee, etc. It would probably mess up a good body roll, too, though might be OK with a slide. Also, the bag could get hooked on something and pull your body onto something really bad.

RE: Preflight announcements: The remove pens sharp objects from your person statement isn't in the prelight safety briefing, but if the plane/crew is preparing to make a emerency landing of some sort.

I have a utility pouch I got at a surplus store that I put my pens, pocket knife, plant keys, chewing gum, etc.. in when i'm on the bike. I put all the stuff in it when i'm signing off at my desk, and throw it in the top box. Plus, I don't have to round all that stuff up the next day when it's time to go to work.
I usually keep my phone in the front pocket on my Icon vest, or a knee pocket on my pants. It's an old G-Shock phone, so it's waterproof and crashable, if a little bulky.

I think a backpack is not a 'you'll break your back'' proposition if you're carrying soft stuff like clothes, or something flat like a laptop. A big thermos bottle, not so much.

I'd rather wear a backpack than a 'lumbar pack' if i'm going to crash on it. I have a Mountainsmith lumbar (like a big fanny pack) that I wear snowboarding to carry water, extra gloves, goggles, and having wiped out and landed on it, i would much rather take that blow between the shoulders than in the small of the back.

Who really knows, but my gut feeling is you are safer carrying things like a cell phone and a wallet in front pockets (even thought I don't do it) than you are carrying a bunch of stuff in any bag, whether it is strapped to your back or your waist. I just wouldn't want to be sliding down the road with a big strong strap or straps holding a bag wrapped around my body. I've had a backpack catch on things while riding my bicycle or hiking and it isn't pleasant. I carry my wallet, keys, phone, pen, etc. in a small plastic "click clack" type of clear food container that I can just throw into my tank bag, and quickly grab if I'm leaving the bike to go into a store. Protects the contents and keeps them all together and organized. Before I did that I found I was always leaving one thing or another at home or in the tank bag by accident.

Last time I hit the pavement, my Motorola was clipped to my jeans pocket. Some guy found it and brought it to me. No damage and I was able to call my wife and let her know how my day was going.

+1 on not keeping things in chest pockets.

I have no scientific proof of anything but when I crashed at 40mph, and tumbled like a ragdoll/rolled I had my phone and a garage door opener in my left chest pocket. I came out of it with numerous cracked ribs on the left side, my left lung collapsed, and I had an aortic dissection (aorta comes down the left side kinda). I might've had that stuff if I didn't have anything in my pockets, but the extensive left side injuries and having stuff in the left chest pocket seem to be related.

for me, everything goes into the tank bag including my wallet & phone, i keep nothing in my pockets. i think in the event of a crash where i need to call 911 my phone stands a better chance of staying intact being in a dedicated pocket of my tank bag as opposed to being in one of my pockets where it could get smashed. i know if i get separated from the bike i might not be able to get to my phone but on the other hand a hard crash and a broken phone does me no good either.

Earplugs. Credit Card that I only use for gas for the bikes. Emergency contact info page in ziplock baggie.

That's it.

Dude it's a 50/50 chance. I'm not convinced your experience is statistically significant.

I crashed last year and got injured on my left side. My wallet was in my right pocket. Thus, wallets protect you from road rash!

I'm not sure my experience was statistically significant either hence why I prefaced it with "I have no scientific proof".

Please learn to read and comprehend what others write before insulting others in a veiled fashion in order to hide your own incompetence.

You must be new here.



Edit: n00b fight.

Here's a back pack situation.

Watch at the 1:55 section of a buddy going about 40mph give or take 10mph.

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From my POV he high-sided and landed directly on his pack, which had water, tools, and spare parts. Here are what the results looked like a that night and couple days later. Although it hurt and he was fine... it's probably more the parts that weren't protected by the back pack.

That night:


Couple days later...




I'm a firm believer in wearing backpacks and tool belts to provide extra protection off-road, if you pack them right and they are designed for MC use they will provide that extra protection. Contents may not survive though and sharp objects can/will penetrate. Pack accordingly...

Oh yeah, he crushed the header pipe like a pancake. If you want to read the details click on the first link in my sig line.

Yes, that has been suggested to me too. However, in case of a crash, I doubt if something as delicate as a cell phone will survive the crash. So I carry a salsa whistle with a cord. Made of plastic it's virtually unbreakable. And if I don't have collapsed lungs, I will be able to blow the whistle much easier than screaming or yelling from the bottom of the ravine...

Indeed; I can go one better. I crashed with a blackberry in my left breast pocket, my wallet and a camera in my right breast pocket. A GPS case in my right hand side waist pocket. The only place I was injured on my torso was damage to my spleen at the same location as the left hand waist pocket. This was the one pocket on the front of the jacket, which didn't have something in. Therefore stuff in your pockets prevents injury in crashes.

In all seriousness, I think you'd be mental to carry something sharp in them, but with something rounded and semi-soft (like a wallet or GPS case, or a small point and click in a padded case), I really think the extra "armor" such items provide against piercing injuries probably offsets the increased risk of them getting driven into you. Phones with stubby arials are probably a step further than I'd be prepared to take this thinking, though.

Sorry, but I have to have quick access to my throwing stars.