What’s in the bag? Not the proverbial pig in a poke, I hope! But just what do I carry in that under-saddle pack? Let’s take a peek into my Topeak!

At the very bottom, and closest to the seat post, is my Park Multi-Tool. I put it there because it’s relatively heavy; and in that location it puts the least strain on the pack’s holding straps.

With it go two CO2 cartridges and their nozzle; and a spare tube is a must. It’s a good idea to pump some air into that tube now and then, especially before a big event. I want to be sure it still holds air; but the catch with that is, it’s impossible to get every bit of air back out so I can fold the tube compactly enough. That makes it take up extra space in my pack.

I don’t carry a patch kit. It seems redundant when I already have a spare tube; but if I were to do a long tour, having a patch kit as well as a spare tube would be extra assurance in case I had more than one flat.

I also wiggle a tube of sunblock into the pack. Another item is a small plastic bag holding some bandaids; and squares of those heavy, blue paper towels called shop towels. There’s also an adapter I can use if I have to inflate my tires at a filling station. The last item: a couple of GU-Gels.

So that’s it! An emergency kit, if you will. Even those few items cram the pack to capacity, but hey! All that what’s in the bag means that there’s no room for that pig to hide!