Not all cyclists enjoy having multi-tools, flat repair kits or CO2 cartridges crammed into their jersey pockets when they ride. That's where the stache system comes in, as it allows such gear to be stored in a water bottle … which still also carries water.
Created by British entrepreneur Philip Finden, stache consists of several parts, all of which join together via threaded interfaces.
First of all, there's the BPA-free transparent plastic bottle itself, which is open on both the top and bottom. A standard lid with an integrated BPA-free silicone bite valve screws onto the top. If users wish to carry nothing but water, a flat plastic end cap is likewise screwed onto the bottom. That flat cap can be swapped for a deeper-volume cap, in order to carry more water.
Should riders want to carry some gear in the bottle, however, they stick said gear inside a cylindrical storage unit, screw that unit onto the bottom of the bottle (so the cylinder protrudes part way up inside the bottle), then screw the flat end cap onto the bottom of the storage unit. When they need to retrieve the gear, they just unscrew the end cap and let the gear drop out of the cylinder.
The main bottle is being offered in two sizes. It's pretty difficult to figure out how much water they each hold in their various configurations, although the larger one appears to have a capacity of 625 ml (21 oz) without the storage unit in place and with the flat end cap.
Should you be interested, the stache system is presently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. If you want to get more than just a bottle with a top and a bottom, pledges start at £10 (about US$14). Assuming it reaches production, shipping should take place in August.
Source: Kickstarter
