Over the years I’ve discovered the magic of making and maintaining prep kits. I define “prep kit” as a collection of things assembled for a specific purpose. A first-aid kit is probably one of the most common examples.
Having a prep kit assembled and ready to go is a huge time saver, not to mention stress relief because you know you will have what you need. Essentials are located in one place so you don’t have to spend time and energy searching for them. And it makes those key items easy to find.
During the spring and summer, I ride my bike everywhere. After having forgotten my night gear a few times, I put everything together in a pouch.
Reflective pouch fits under the bike seat, front and rear lights, safety sashes, two pant cuff clips, a seat protector, and an emergency lip balm.
Now I can grab all my gear in one movement and find it easily in my new large and cavernous pannier. I also included a seat cover for those times when it rains. Riding on a wet bike seat is a distinctly unpleasant experience. I have a separate prep kit for repairs with a pump, a patch kit, and something to clean my hands.
Easy to see and find the pouch in the depths of my filled pannier.
One of my other commonly used prep kits is for the gym. I assembled this one at least 10 years ago because I kept forgetting key things when I went to workout, such as a lock, shampoo, gym fob, comb, etc. Now I just take my gym pouch and I’ve got everything I need. Occasionally I have to refill or replace something, but the maintenance is minimal.
Prep kits also make it easy to change bags and feel confident your essentials made it. My aunt was fond of packing smaller themed pouches for her day-to-day items. This made it easy for her to switch purses and know that everything was coming with her. Or to pick and choose which pouches to take on each occasion.
I worked with a woman once who liked to use a different purse almost every day of the week. Instead of prep kits, she purchased a purse insert. The purse insert is an internal organizer that can easily be moved from one bag to another. See examples here.
Do you have any prep kits? For what? Write your response in the comment section below.
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