Bikepacking - a viable alternative to racks & panniers

This is probably the best place to ask, any suggestions for smallish bags that go in a water bottle cage? Something like this but cheaper I guess http://upsobags.co.uk/recycled-bike-bags/seat-packs/stirling-seat-pack-272-273-275-290-291-292-293-294-295-296-297-298-299-300-301-302-303-304-306-395-396-397-398-399-400-401-402-404-423-424-425-426-427-detail

Just put it in an old bottle?

Go WHSmith and look for those pencil cases that look identical... or maybe Rymans...?

Bottles are a bit small for phones, etc. Pencil case is a possible, will have a look.

I wonder if Carradice have a factory shop, I'll be in the area in a couple of weeks.

Has anyone got Salsa anything/Blackburn cargo cages I could borrow for a week? No need to use them, I just want to study potential ways to fit them on my Straggler's fork.

According to a bikeradar thread, someone called it a 'tool bidon', and yet that produced very few hits.

Vittoria storage bottle:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-bottle-cage-tool-bag/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360592634&kpid=5360592634

Also hard plastic ones were in Condor, and also sold by Lezyne et al.

*or buy it with a tyre belt - http://www.fatbirds.co.uk/1768808/products/vittoria-corsa-cx-belt-blk-wht-with-zip-bottle.aspx

I have two. Never used, if you want to borrow or, in fact, take off my hands.

Cheers, I'd seen the plastic ones but they are all a bit small. The Vittoria one looks promising, although reviews seem to suggest the zip isn't great (but a third the price of the Carradice one)

I wonder if Carradice have a factory shop, I'll be in the area in a couple of weeks.

Pretty sure they do, never been tho. Probably mentioned in the Carradice thread.

I've been commuting with an Carradice SQR Tour for a few years now, but have recently switched to a carbon post so I'm not really inclined to put the SQR clamp on it.

What bike packing velcro/strap seatpost/saddle-mounted bag could I use that'd be able to hold the following:

2 x inner tubes
Multitool
Boxers
Socks
Shirt
Wallet
Keys
Work phone, ID and that sort of thing.

I just typed 'bikepacking' into ebay and found this, which looks about right but is there anything better/similar for the same kind of money or cheaper?

Should note that there's a "v2" of the above bag which looks like it'd work better if there's less seatpost showing, but I've got 20cm or thereabouts of seatpost so I guess either would work.

Cheers!

That thing looks way huge, You'd have a lot of excess bag, it says capacity is 10-11L. I'd say what you've listed would fit less than 2L (I bet if you cut the top off a bottle of Evian it'd all go in).

Hmm, maybe you're right. Although apparently the capacity of the SQR Tour is 16l and that was always pretty full... I suppose it wasn't compressed at all, and there was always room for extra bits if I needed.

So what would you recommend that isn't a chopped up evian bottle? :)

Edit: @psee I found an old comment of yours saying you've got one of those uraltour bags. Are you still using it? How is it?

I've had an sqr on a carbon post for years. No issues to report.
In my head, you clamp it pretty tight in the seat tube, so clamping in the same way with the sqr should make little difference. To date my findings have supported my hypothesis.

yeah a flappy saddle pack is shit and I'd agree that there'd be way too much space there.

3l too small though?? https://www.alpkit.com/products/kowari

these look smaller too but unhelpfully they don't tell you size

https://bikepack.pl/en/seatbags/21-repack-small.html

Personally I reckon saddle bags are a bit of a faff for everyday use. I'd be tempted by one of these though 13l too big perhaps. Bar bags don't flap though and these a much easier to get on and off. (and only £16)

https://www.alpkit.com/products/airlok-xtra-dual-13-litre

I used to use one of these http://www.carradice.co.uk/bags/saddle-packs-sqr-bags/carradura-maxi-saddlepack Seem to remember it strapped to the saddle/seatpost pretty well and didn't move around and is plenty space for all your stuff but not massive, and only £20. (It's not SQR, though the URL gives the impression it is.)

The 3ltr alpkit look perfect! Not idea for proper bikepackinfg but a brilliant addition to front panniers or credit card touring.

Cheeky 2nd dibs if giofox doesn't need them and you decide to sell ;)

Weird, both my alu seatposts have got quite big marks from the two bolts on the SQR block. Definitely not something I'd want with a carbon post...

Although my list of stuff doesn't sound like much, I'm carrying the same amount of stuff currently in a Carradice Stockport bag (also 16L) on my Brompton and that's pretty much full. Again, not compressed, but it fills it.

@enghoff has actually beaten you to 2nd with a cheeky PM. I'll keep you in mind for 3rd tho :P

Haha I resisted sending a pm as thought it a bit too presumptuous. #niceguysfinishlast

The bolts shouldn't touch the post should they? The two bands just tighten around the post and the bolts should be short enough so they stay shielded by the plastic of the unit itself.

My alternative to the carradice when I've got less to carry is a full length top tube bag. I managed to pick up a home made forum option which works well if not packed too full (otherwise it brushes my legs):
https://www.lfgss.com/comments/13332264/

Dunno if they should, but in my experience on both bikes I've got the blocks fitted to, they've both left marks/gouges on the seatpost (thomson alu in both cases).

I didn't go nuts overtightening them, just tightened them enough to stop the bag moving and had a layer of electrical tape under the mount as well.

I hate using a rucksack, and this'd be pretty much exclusively for a 28mi each way commute to do once or twice a week, so would prefer something on the seat tube/saddle than something rubbing my legs on the top tube...

Haha, I had the same thoughts but ended up falling down the presumptuous side!

You can cut the bolts down if they're hitting the seat post, they're only there to tension the bands.

In my opinion bigger is better as you can always roll the bag smaller