When you first start out Green Laning you will need to have your essential items like your helmet for example, and then there will be other things that you are better off having but not essential. These are things like gloves with knuckle protection.
If you have enough equipment to get out there and be safe, I say do it and give it a go. You can adapt your setup and add products as you go.
In this post we shall look at a range of items you would normally take green laning and also talk about what some people get by with.
So lets start from the top down and in no particluar order.
MX Helmet
Obvious right? Well maybe…. but for the absolute dirt biking novice maybe not.
I’m sure we all know that we do need a helmet when riding but it’s a motocross helmet that is best suited to green laning rather than a standard road helmet.
If you already have a road helmet and are trying green laning for the first time then maybe you don’t want to spend out on a second helmet straight away and that’s cool.
MX helmets are prefered over road helmets for a few reasons. Here are the main points.
- light weight
- no visor to get steamed up
- peak to protect from sun glare and debris
- protruding chin style offers greater chin protection from knocks as well as greater protection from brush and derbis.
- They are alot cooler than wearing a road helmet
For a more comprehensive comparison then you can check out my post about it. – Motocross Helmet vs Full Face Helmet
My advice on getting a helmet for green laning is buy the best you can afford. If that means using your road lid then fine.
Goggles X2
Goggles for green laning are a must for anyone wearing an motocross style helmet as you dont have any eye protection otherwise.
It’s recommended to take a spare pair because a big hit from a branch or a stone flicking up can easily crack the lense.
You can buy goggles from as little as £20 so they don’t need to be expensive.
Body Armour
This is a critical item for me and I’m sure many would agree. It’s the equivalent to wearing a helmet for your head, the body armour is going to protect your chest area, shoulders and elbows.
Here is my post about the best body for green laning
Made from hard plastic they can feel restrictive but it going to be worth it when you fall off.
You can get jackets that have body armour parts fitted in them and although these can be great in the winter, they can also get very hot in the summer.
Included in your body armour setup should be knee pads and they don’t have to be anything special.
You will find that buying items like knee pads, specifically marketed towards dirt biking, they can carry a higher price tag, when infact you can get the same or similar product for a cheaper price.
For example buying generic knee pads instead of biking ones will save you some cash and do just a good of a job.
Gloves
Everyone is going to be wearing gloves, getting your hands smacked about without any on is going to be painful.
It’s your call as to how protective you want to go with them. In the summer it is very tempting just to wearing a pair of thin, light weight motocross gloves.
I like to have some extra knuckle protection like that offered from the FOX Bomber range.
You can see my post about the 5 best gloves with knuckle protective for MX to give you more info.
Again if you are just starting out green laning and have gloves used when road riding then you would get away with these for the time being.
Boots
There are boots and then there are boots. This is an area with a wide range of price points and there are definitley varying degrees of protection offered across the ranges.
Basic boots are going to give protection against knocks and flying debris but ankle and shin protection will be limited.
The best boots for green laning will give you a higher level of protection all round, with additional plastic and/or metal guarding. They should also have decent grip so your feet aren’t constantly slipping off the pegs.
More money usually gets you more comfort and a better level of waterproofing.
In a nut shell your feet are going to be exposed and will get a beating as well as getting wet.
Sidi and Alpinestars are a couple of the leading brands you will probably recognise and it is worth striving for a pair of these in the long run.
Another brand worth looking at is Forma Adventure Boots, they seem to be popular among green laners with decent reviews although I have never used a pair myself to date.
Trousers – Jacket – Top
There are many combos you can consider between these 3 items. For example you may opt to have a very well padded jacket that acts as your body armour, or you may have a light weight alternative that fits well with body armour.
Trousers simply be jeans with knee pads over the top, or you can go more pro and were MX trousers that offer padding.
Some kind of water proofing on your legs is a great idea and you choose to by trail riding trousers or for a cost effective solution, find a gortex pair at a hiking shop or military surplus type store.
Other Items To Consider
The time of year can play a part in what you are wearing. Getting cold in the winter isn’t nice especially when combined with getting wet.
Thermal under clothing and thicker socks can help in that department, where as padded shorts for example maybe incorporated in the summer months when the weather is warmer.