View Full Version : Your one luxury item?
CoolBobby
09-09-2015, 10:59
Forgive me if this thread is redundant. I've searched the forums and come up empty handed.
I am curious what is the one item that you hike with, regardless of the weight, need, and what every other hiker talking head says...
I carry my handheld thermal imager/camera. It weighs a little over 12 oz with batteries, but man it takes some cool pics! Its neat stay up after hiker midnight and watch the woods come to life with the wildlife when it is pitch black... I think most would be surprised at how much wildlife wander into our camps after we a safely zipped up in our 1 pound tents...:-)
31925 31927
Whats your must have item, that is not related at all to your hike?
my luxury is always food - I do without a lot to be able to carry very heavy groceries when the mood and opportunity coincide
Traffic Jam
09-09-2015, 11:11
My knitting, usually socks.
BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 11:15
My camera. Canon EOS Rebel xsi. It is fast becoming dated. Waiting for the mirrorless cameras to come down a bit.
GoldenBear
09-09-2015, 11:17
But the fact is that I wouldn't be out on The Trail unless I had my cell phone -- which is also my camera, GPS, map viewer, music box, store locator, etc, etc.
I myself have to consider this item a "luxury" when you consider that hominids have been doing long distance walks for about half a million years before they started doing so with cell phones.
But I just don't think I could do so without it. Without a means to contact my wife periodically (I try to do so once a day), or SOME means to contact help if I need it, I doubt I'd have the courage to disappear for even a week.
Another Kevin
09-09-2015, 11:19
I don't think I have just one luxury item, but most of them are related to why i hike, even if not necessary to making the miles. I do photography, and map making, and journalling, and want the tools for it:
Camera.
Smartphone and charger (The charger is a mil-spec 14000 mAh one, about the size, shape and weight of a small brick, because I run the smartphone GPS all day long.)
Cables for camera, smartphone, charger, AC adapter, spare camera batteries, spare memory card.
Guidebook.
Notebook and pencil for field notes.
Beyond that:
Nylon bucket. (I like a bath once in a while.)
Melitta filter for coffee. (If I can't have real coffee I'm not going!)
Tyvek tent footpint (that very seldom goes under the tent, but becomes bath mat, doormat, ground sheet at shelters, dry place to sit, etc.)
When I'm solo, or on a bushwhack, or traveling in winter, or expecting an extended period without cell coverage, add:
ARC ResQLink PLB
And every gear list that I share with others lists: "None of your business - 2.0 lb"
And every gear list that I share with others lists: "None of your business - 2.0 lb"
if you want to post in the lightweight forum quit writing "none of your business" on 2 lb clay tablets
http://cdn.levenhuk.com/images/products/large/0/levenhuk-ra-115r-triplet-ed-ota.jpgStock picture of the telescope that I carry but have replaced the metal tube with a carbon fiber tube cutting the weight with the tripod down to 12 pounds 3 Oz
CoolBobby
09-09-2015, 11:46
http://cdn.levenhuk.com/images/products/large/0/levenhuk-ra-115r-triplet-ed-ota.jpgStock picture of the telescope that I carry but have replaced the metal tube with a carbon fiber tube cutting the weight with the tripod down to 12 pounds 3 Oz
Nice! I see a new niche market....
BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 12:26
And every gear list that I share with others lists: "None of your business - 2.0 lb"
2 lb !!!! Holy cow AK! My "none of your business" weighs 8 oz. I sure hope "none of your business" covers more than just 1 "none of your business" item. If not, I am going to start calling you Tipi AK.
gregpphoto
09-09-2015, 12:34
I was going to say beer, but who are we kidding, thats a necessity.
coach lou
09-09-2015, 12:34
31929:banana
Another Kevin
09-09-2015, 12:35
2 lb !!!! Holy cow AK! My "none of your business" weighs 8 oz. I sure hope "none of your business" covers more than just 1 "none of your business" item. If not, I am going to start calling you Tipi AK.
How much of my 'none of your business' budget I actually use is also none of your business. ;)
BirdBrain
09-09-2015, 12:39
How much of my 'none of your business' budget I actually use is also none of your business. ;)
I will not conceal that detail. I carry 0% of my 8oz none of your business item on the trail. :D
Off the trail, I can be counted on carrying 100% of "none of your business". :banana
nsherry61
09-09-2015, 13:26
I must be such a boring sot.
I don't carry any "none of your business" or any other luxury items on a regular basis. If I carry luxuries, it's because I want it or them for a particular purpose on a particular trip. . .
Although, I do carry a tent, a stove, a cooking pot, various fancy food, probably 10 lbs of "luxury items" to accommodate my wife's preferences when she comes. Thank goodness I start off pretty light so the extra 10 lbs is still manageable.
When going with my brother-in-law I generally take a flask of Scotch.
Although, I am certainly not dependent on it, I take my phone and still don't consider it a luxury item since it is (as noted above by GoldenBear) my gps, alternate map source, light, alarm clock (for climbing), camera, music box, book, communication device, trail journal, guide book, etc. . . mostly it's just my camera.
Sarcasm the elf
09-09-2015, 13:40
Usually a border collie, sometimes a german wirehaired pointer instead. Worth every ounce.
Bear Canister
SPOT
2.5 lbs so that my husband has the luxury of a great night's sleep at home. :)
And I also sleep better with the bear can. I don't think that I'd fall asleep with food in my tent. And I'm pretty sure that I'd just end up with a bear pinata attempting a bear hang.
Since I'm carrying the stupid bear can, I really don't have room for other luxuries.
HooKooDooKu
09-09-2015, 14:00
What I sort of consider "luxury" above and beyond what is "required":
Camping Broom and Dust Pan - Used to keep the inside of the tent clean, and the broom often comes in handy to clean off other surfaces.
Sitting Pad - Cut from a WalMart blue sleeping pad. Not only softens what ever you are sitting on, provides a dry place to sit when its been raining, and is great for fanning the flame for the times I'm around a camp fire.
Gravity System - I use an Evernew bladder attached directly to a Sawyer mini. That's all you NEED to filter water. But to make things easy, I include some tubing directed into a platypus.
Battery powered Fan - During summer weekend hikes. Helps with that transition time from getting in your tent when it's still just a little too warm to get to sleep.
Vegan Packer
09-09-2015, 16:19
A small MP3/FM radio combo.
Luxury item? Not sure. I carry what I want. At the end of the day, it is only weight. I don't mind carrying a little more of it. I've never had a hike where I thought "if I had only taken a lb or 5 lbs less in gear, it would have made a difference."
Of course, I am mainly a weekend warrior. Longest trip I've done was 4 nights in the smokies finishing by noon the next day. Maybe if I were to thru hike my opinion would change, but I sincerely doubt it.
I suppose camp clothes may be considered a luxury item. I like changing out of hiking clothes and sleeping in clean clothes and being in my tent/sleeping bag/ camp with clean those even though I am never clean. I bring my camera to document my hikes. My phone. My air pillow. Baby wipes for a baby wipe bath before getting into camp clothes. I don't count lbs so i don't consider anything I carry a luxury item.
Sarcasm the elf
09-09-2015, 17:49
Bond. Gold Bond.
Try again, that ain't no luxury item. :D
squeezebox
09-09-2015, 17:52
lukotape not duct tape for blisters,
FlyFishNut
09-09-2015, 17:56
Maybe a flask of good bourbon to put in hot tea.
If it its one of those trips with a bunch of people that will be sitting around a fire hanging out I will bring my REI Flex Lite chair 1.b-10oz.
I really like the idea of that thermal camera! What brand / model is that and how much will that set a brother back$?
A couple primo cigars. Helps me wind down.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Harrison Bergeron
09-09-2015, 18:30
The only item in my 28lb full-up pack weight for my 4 week section this year that I would consider a luxury was a 12 ounce plastic flask of single-malt scotch. You can't imagine the intense pleasure that a single swig produces at the end of a long day of climbing Georgia mountains.
But the flask got more use than one item I didn't originally consider a luxury but then never used -- a 7oz USB backup-battery charger for my cellphone. There wasn't any reception anyway and my phone only lost about 50% charge per week in "Airplane Mode", even taking lots of pictures and reading for an hour on the Kindle app every night.
The flask also got more use than my little 3oz can of Counter Assault bear spray, but self-respect is no luxury, and my self-respect demands that I not be defenseless in the face of rampaging bear, Sasquatch, or gangsta rappa -- none of which I actually encountered on the trip.
I added one item that some would call a luxury but probably saved my sanity -- a 1.5 oz Thermorest pillowcase that I picked up at Franklin. It finally gave me a good night's sleep by turning my sweaty, lumpy clothes bag into a usable pillow. In desperation, I had bought a $40, 3.5oz Big Agnes blowup pillow at Mountain Crossings but it was worse than nothing. I then spent the rest of the hike trying give it away and it kept coming back like a bad penny. I'm so cheap that I wound up carrying the damn thing all the way home rather than throw away $40.
Lone Wolf
09-09-2015, 18:35
luxury item? nothing. everything i carry i want and need
LittleRock
09-10-2015, 08:01
Camp shoes. Only 8 oz. to give my feet a little pampering after hiking all day. :-)
hikernutcasey
09-10-2015, 09:12
I don't think I have a "luxury" item in my gear but I know a lot of folks don't worry with carrying a pillow and I can't leave home without it.
I also agree that carrying less allows me to carry plenty of food and snacks. I don't like to be hungry :)
I tend to carry more food than I need...at least a couple of days extra. I also carried a beard trimmer and a pair of fingernail clippers for 850 miles. On a long distance hike there are some things that might make sense that you would never carry for a weekend trip.
I take one of the backpacking showers which weighs very little. I lucked out (hammock camper) and camped close to a stream last hike, and filled up the bag and hung it from a limb close to my hammock. Took a shower and had left over water to fill up pack bladder.
Never go on a hike without a camera. It's the one luxury item that is really a necessity!
rocketsocks
09-10-2015, 14:06
radio
ipod
camera
external back-up battery
crocs
pillow
extra socks
more food than is necessary usually (as I always seem to go home with some, perhaps that's just bad planning, or good planning depending on how you look at it.
cook set up (pot and stove)
none of this stuff we really need to go hiking, but I like bringing and using it.
mtnkngxt
09-10-2015, 15:49
My "Modified" Ursack. Take spliced eye winch line and replaced stock rope, then use a biner to connect the two eyes. No tying knots in the dark, no bear pinatas. Find a tree trunk, throw it around it and clip it on. Other than that, I suppose my Delorme InReach is a luxury as it puts my wife's mind at ease if she isn't going with me.
Umm...haven't planned all my needed stuff yet...so definitely haven't planned my "just cuz!" item yet. Though I have some ideas.
has anyone packed a fire hydrant an entire long trail yet?
FKTWFH!
Hasselblad SWC, plus tripod.
No worries, I made up the weight elsewhere.
My "Modified" Ursack. Take spliced eye winch line and replaced stock rope, then use a biner to connect the two eyes. No tying knots in the dark, no bear pinatas. Find a tree trunk, throw it around it and clip it on. Other than that, I suppose my Delorme InReach is a luxury as it puts my wife's mind at ease if she isn't going with me.
Any more details on the Ursack mods? Pictures? YouTube?
Sarcasm the elf
09-13-2015, 19:23
The honest truth is that I find hiking to be a luxury in and of itself, so I guess the answer is: All of it.
rocketsocks
09-13-2015, 19:29
Umm...haven't planned all my needed stuff yet...so definitely haven't planned my "just cuz!" item yet. Though I have some ideas.
has anyone packed a fire hydrant an entire long trail yet?
FKTWFH!
That might even be a Guinness record.
squeezebox
09-13-2015, 21:25
Condoms
(Hey!! I can always hope)
Another Kevin
09-13-2015, 22:33
Condoms
(Hey!! I can always hope)
They work for carrying water, and for keeping small items like watches or phones dry.
Odd Man Out
09-13-2015, 22:54
I carried one of these for my first night out last year:
31989
But then my knees hurt a lot so this year I gave up on luxury items. But I still like to take nice pictures, so I still take my camera.
31990
It's nothing special but much better than a cell phone camera. The cell phone stays buried in the bottom of the pack and used only for emergencies.
31992
Heliotrope
09-13-2015, 23:02
I carried one of these for my first night out last year:
31989
But then my knees hurt a lot so this year I gave up on luxury items. But I still like to take nice pictures, so I still take my camera.
31990
It's nothing special but much better than a cell phone camera. The cell phone stays buried in the bottom of the pack and used only for emergencies.
31992
Nice photo. Is that on Lake Superior?
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Tea In The Trees
09-13-2015, 23:52
Soft "home" pajamas... they weigh 1.2 lbs.... but I dont care, they are so cozy and comfy. -Nate
I carried 4lbs of camera gear on my Thruhike. But I probably wouldnt have had so much fun without it.
Also, on weekend or 4 day hikes I carry a ukulele.
But i tarp and do other ultralight nonsense, so my pack weight with those two & food/water is still around 22-23 pounds.
Hasselblad SWC, plus tripod.
No worries, I made up the weight elsewhere.
I'm not crazy after all. I want to take my 501/80mm Planar backpacking.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Odd Man Out
09-17-2015, 08:22
Nice photo. Is that on Lake Superior?
Yes. That is Spray Falls at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in MI Upper Peninsula. I hiked the Lakeshore trail the full length of the park (part of the NCT) 40 miles from east to west in 4 days. Great trip
twilight
09-17-2015, 09:17
I would have to say my luxury item(s) would be my air mattress and blow up pillow. Changes a night on the trail to like a night at a Hilton for me. (Well maybe, more like not really, but I sure do sleep good.��)
Twilight
rocketsocks
09-17-2015, 13:55
I would have to say my luxury item(s) would be my air mattress and blow up pillow. Changes a night on the trail to like a night at a Hilton for me. (Well maybe, more like not really, but I sure do sleep good.��)
Twilight
One hikers luxury is another hikers necessity...got have my blow.
rocketsocks
09-17-2015, 13:55
that's blow-up :o gotta have my blow-up.
CoolBobby
09-17-2015, 14:02
Maybe a flask of good bourbon to put in hot tea.
If it its one of those trips with a bunch of people that will be sitting around a fire hanging out I will bring my REI Flex Lite chair 1.b-10oz.
I really like the idea of that thermal camera! What brand / model is that and how much will that set a brother back$?
This was purchased in another life, when I had a very real need for it and it was used daily. It was also purchased as part of a "professional gear package" Now it has been re-purposed for my hiking trips... With that said, it is a Inisght (L-3) MTM-IR with IR laser for target designation. Here is a link to look at the specs (and to see the cost GASP!)
This is just the first site that popped up when googled. I am sure you can probably find it cheaper if you looked.
http://www.cobratactical.com/L-3-Insight-Technology-MTM-IR-Restricted_p_7661.html
Small plastic bottle of Jim Beam (12oz. when full)
Typically will take a real paperback book
shakey_snake
09-17-2015, 18:32
a real coffee mug.
Sarcasm the elf
09-17-2015, 18:36
This was purchased in another life, when I had a very real need for it and it was used daily. It was also purchased as part of a "professional gear package" Now it has been re-purposed for my hiking trips... With that said, it is a Inisght (L-3) MTM-IR with IR laser for target designation. Here is a link to look at the specs (and to see the cost GASP!)
This is just the first site that popped up when googled. I am sure you can probably find it cheaper if you looked.
http://www.cobratactical.com/L-3-Insight-Technology-MTM-IR-Restricted_p_7661.html
And here I was thinking that it was gonna be expensive :D:banana
BirdBrain
09-17-2015, 18:52
that's blow-up :o gotta have my blow-up.
I think blow would have been more palatable with this crowd.
CoolBobby
09-17-2015, 18:55
And here I was thinking that it was gonna be expensive :D:banana
Yeah. I think that is a newer model. Mine is a few years old and a version or two earlier. But probably something I should leave at home, it's just too cool... :-)
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tauwillow
09-17-2015, 19:08
I always take my Thermarest down pillow (5.6 oz) & my Alite Monarch chair (1lb). My trips just aren't comfortable without them.
Nalgene filled with Crown Royale,for medicinal purposes only!
JumpMaster Blaster
09-17-2015, 22:32
...
And every gear list that I share with others lists: "None of your business - 2.0 lb"
I laugh every time I see AK say that. Sometimes the weight of my "none of your business" varies. Diversity is key.
But seriously, I carry an old smartphone to use as my GPS. I keep track of all my hikes, distance, time, calories burned, etc. I use my new phone for emergencies, "come get me" phone calls, and for taking pictures/video. I recently purchased an Anker 20000 mAh charger to keep them full.
I always have a small 3x5 notepad and pen so I can update my blog. I always carry either a folding map of the area or a photocopied map section of the area.
But my one huge comfort I've been bringing lately is a book. I love falling asleep reading a book.
Rolls Kanardly
09-17-2015, 23:35
31929:banana
Cheesecake, you crack me up. I want to hike with you. Rolls
cneill13
09-18-2015, 04:42
My luxury item is my Big Agnes Bellini camp chair. 1.7 oz of pure comfort. I use it after a long hike sitting in the campground around 4:20.
Sarcasm the elf
09-18-2015, 06:25
Cheesecake, you crack me up. I want to hike with you. Rolls
I can vouch for the cheesecake. He has brought one to both of the winter group hikes we have been on together. The dang thing weighs almost six pounds.
dabeachman
09-19-2015, 23:50
Cool,
What kind of range do you get on that night vision? I've long thought of getting one to use in the midwest, but everything there is much larger scale and I've read they only work up to several hundred feet. Could you see heat trace on a mountain a mile away?
dabeachman
09-20-2015, 00:02
This was purchased in another life, when I had a very real need for it and it was used daily. It was also purchased as part of a "professional gear package" Now it has been re-purposed for my hiking trips... With that said, it is a Inisght (L-3) MTM-IR with IR laser for target designation. Here is a link to look at the specs (and to see the cost GASP!)
This is just the first site that popped up when googled. I am sure you can probably find it cheaper if you looked.
http://www.cobratactical.com/L-3-Insight-Technology-MTM-IR-Restricted_p_7661.html
I nominate you for the most expensive pack on the trail probably EVER!!!
CoolBobby
09-20-2015, 08:13
Cool,
What kind of range do you get on that night vision? I've long thought of getting one to use in the midwest, but everything there is much larger scale and I've read they only work up to several hundred feet. Could you see heat trace on a mountain a mile away?
You can get man sized signature ID'd at around 450 meters, but you can see heat flares much much further. Example, I could see the heat of a goat on the side of a hill but couldn't tell you it was a goat until I was under 500. Normally. For ultra long distance you need to divert a predator drone from Nellis.
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I laugh every time I see AK say that. Sometimes the weight of my "none of your business" varies. Diversity is key.
But seriously, I carry an old smartphone to use as my GPS. I keep track of all my hikes, distance, time, calories burned, etc. I use my new phone for emergencies, "come get me" phone calls, and for taking pictures/video. I recently purchased an Anker 20000 mAh charger to keep them full.
I always have a small 3x5 notepad and pen so I can update my blog. I always carry either a folding map of the area or a photocopied map section of the area.
But my one huge comfort I've been bringing lately is a book. I love falling asleep reading a book.
Blaster, what application(s), did you use for GPS, distance, time, etc.?