A Powersports Tool Kit: There’s No Heated Shop Where We’re Going
Welcome to our “From Problem to Product” blog, where we tell the stories behind the inspiration for some of our most popular product designs. We share how a problem we faced out there riding inspired the Mountain Lab product that provides a solution.
Backcountry Tool Kit: A Universal Powersports Tool Kit for Riders
The Problem: Off-The-Shelf Tool Kits Are Not Made for Us
Over the last 10-15 years or so, there’s been a particular emphasis on the importance of being well-prepared for adventuring in the backcountry. In the early days, being prepared meant you had the ability to change your jets at the top of the mountain and enough beer to get you through the day.
The recognition of a need for a powersports specific tool kit became clear as a result of the lame patchwork solutions our riding group came up with over the years for carrying tools for repair jobs in the backcountry.
Most of the guys didn’t bring any tools at all (classic), while some brought just a couple of random and mostly useless things (a pipe wrench?!?). And there always seemed to be one guy burdened with more tools than he could possibly need or even make use of, including a bunch of useless SAE sockets for vehicles that increasingly all use metric fasteners nowadays.
A pretty classic trailhead scene—four guys wrenching on a sled using a random assortment of shop tools tossed in a bag. It ain't pretty, but they'll get er done
This oddball assortment of tools would typically come wrapped in things like a leaky old dry bag, a canvas sack or just loose in a backpack.
We knew there had to be a better way!
The main problem with finding a useful tool kit for riders is that powersports are fairly niche in the grand scheme of things. Common tool manufacturers seem unwilling to manufacture any kits with a powersports-specific selection of tools that meets our needs. That's an opportunity.
The other problem is that what typical tool kits are available, tend to come in the cheapest possible crappy plastic case that you know is gonna shatter the first time you drop it in the cold, or on a rock, or from any hardship worse than being propped on a shelf in a heated shop.
The Product: Backcountry Tool Kit for Powersports Repair
We’re riders, and we recognize the need for a repair tool kit that is designed to handle the unique needs of motorized outdoor recreation.
So what does that mean?
Tool Selection
Typically, our vehicles use smaller fasteners than you’ll find on an automobile, and they’re primarily metric (at least for late model powersports vehicles). So we focused on a suitable range of smaller sized metric sockets and wrenches, and added in only the most common SAE size wrenches and sockets for added versatility.
From the start the design was guided by a primary focus on minimizing total size and weight
Every tool choice was carefully scrutinized with the goal to keep the kit as compact and lightweight as possible while still getting the job done. With that in mind, we decided to use a tough ¼” drive ratchet, extension and sockets. We include a 3/8” drive adapter for the few larger sockets that require it (15 mm deep, 16 and 17).
The 1/4" drive system keeps the weight down but is still strong enough to remove bigger fasteners in the skid
For the wrenches, we use double open-ended wrenches to eliminate redundancy as much as possible.
Of course, powersports vehicles love to use Torx and hex head bolts for handlebar controls, body panels, etc., so we include those common bit sizes as well.
We won’t get into every single tool included here (check the product page for the complete list), but there are a few extra added parts worthy of mention that help illustrate how this tool kit was really built with real-world, common field repair scenarios in mind. It’s amazing what you can stitch together with mechanic’s wire as a quick and dirty fix to get you back to the trailhead. That, some electrical tape and zip ties can do wonders, so a small supply of these repair items are also included in the kit.
Sturdy Organizer Carry Case
We’ve got to carry our tools with us—generally somewhere in storage on the vehicle itself. So it’s got to be as light and compact as possible.
And since we’re our enjoying the great outdoors (not working in a heated shop), conditions are likely to be wet, or muddy or snowy. So the kit has to be durable, water-resistant and soft yet protected.
We chose an EVA carry case for a couple of reasons:
- When used with a water-resistant zipper (as it is here), the case becomes highly resistant to the elements
- EVA is tough and won’t break when dropped or banging around loose
- The foam interior tool organizer protects and prevents the tools from jostling around with little weight added
- The soft case won’t scratch or damage your vehicle if it moves around underway
An initial concept of the carrying case layout. It ultimately required adjustment to create stronger foam separations between the tools, and to make each tool be held in place on its own
An early prototype prior to final colors and logo branding. Several other improvements have been made since
So that was the original concept for the Backcountry tool kit, which was designed to be a one-stop-shop solution for the broad spectrum of recreational powersports vehicle repairs on the go.
The Backcountry tool kit quickly become our best-selling product in the first year of its release! It seems our riding group wasn’t the only one dealing with some of the problems mentioned above.
Since our first production run, we’ve identified and made a few minor improvements to the kit:
- Sturdier water-resistant zipper
- Additional finger cutouts around tools to help with removal
- Improved foam insert spacer between halves for better durability
The Backcountry tool kit weighs 1932 g (4 lb 1 oz). It is 240 x 240 x 60 mm (9.5 x 9.5 x 2.5 in.)
We sure hope you find the Backcountry tool kit useful for your own backcountry powersports adventures, like we do. May you have it and never need it!
– Pat Winslow, Mountain Lab Product Manager