stuff the sleeping bag bag or tent bag (if that makes sense) with the few spare clothes you have, for a pillow.yes, I camped pretty much every night. I don't take a stove, as it's such a faff and you then really ought to carry food as well, and water, and oil, etc, etc. decent lunches, and then light dinners; you can eat cheaply on cafes and with street vendors. putting the tent up front between the bars was a revelation for me. I had a home-made sort of roll bag thing (made by a mate), and it really was the best bit of kit I've had in a long time. but the first few trips I made do with bungees.
the bag support is worth it. without the support the bag rests on the mud guard (really wouldn't be practical if you had no mud guards). having said that, it snapped while up near Glencoe, though that was after a good few thousand miles and plenty of off-roading.
I had been looking at the Salsa Anything cages, that might be useful for you.
but the lightweight thing is well worth trying out. it can all get a bit zen when you have very few possessions, but you can still get competitive and hang on to the wheels of the local chain gang, and laugh in the face of a 20% climb (and grin demonically on the down-side). for me it's all about freeing yourself from the things that you think you need, to gain a foot-loose and fancy-free feeling that being unencumbered gives you.
)