Luxury Item - you're crazy

[Crossup]

ONE luxury item? Bah, why limit it? I've hike with my BA TripleCore pad....25x78x 4.25" 4lbs while also using a BA Copper Spur3 while solo. Also carried 3 stoves so I could cook 2 items at once and have a backup(but the wood stove was mainly to support the alcohol stove and pot), yes I'm a raspberry crumble addict.

I see a chair in my future too.

[cmoulder]

Smartphone for multi-capabilities... mainly camera—and they're very, very good these days—and for the occasional position check, and a cigar or 2.

[Marta]

I played with going really light about 15 years ago. Then I realized that, even if I'm carrying nothing at all, I'm still not going to be setting any FKTs, or even hiking terribly long days. I seem to do fairly well if I hike for about 8 hours a day. That leaves me 16 non-hiking hours. 6 or 7 of those will be for sleeping. That leaves 9 hours of camp and resting time. So...luxuries:

Warm stuff--I want to keep snug, so I'll go for a warmer bag than I could probably get away with. I'll have warm gloves and mittens and a toasty warm hat and shell layers that allow me to sit around without getting chilled.

Food and cooking gear--As an old lady, I am pretty particular about eating well. I also like to sit around and drink hot tea, and this year I'll be bringing heavy cream powder with me to go in my chai lattes. I like a JetBoil because one can efficiently boils lots and lots of water for both food and drink. I carry a smallish Hydroflask in my pack. In cold weather, it has hot tea in it. In hot weather, it keeps water cold and refreshing.

Comfortable sleeping stuff--NeoAir is way more comfortable that anything else I've tried. Sleeping bag liner to add warmth, if needed, or to be a lightweight cover in the heat of the summer. I recently acquired a Sea to Summit inflatable pillow. Lovely thing.

Tent big enough to sit up in (I'm not short), stretch out in, and keep all my stuff in out of the rain and dew.

Entertainment--Even after spending lots of time on food and drink, and on keeping myself and my clothing clean, I've still got several hours of rest time. I always have reading material. I carry a small knitting project, usually socks. I'll have a deck of cards. I'll have several light sources to facilitate reading, knitting, and playing cards.

As someone said above...why limit yourself to just one luxury?

[The Solemates]

Tent
Tent stakes
Sleeping pad
Stove
Phone
Book
Toilet paper
Wet wipes
Water filter
Extra food

My luxury items. I don’t always bring all
Of them.

[poolskaterx]

Among many of the luxuries I bring along I think my neoair pump is the most ridiculous that I enjoy so much. Pop it on my thermarest and it is aired up just in time to slide ot into my tent����

[Tklp]

My Kindle. Besides that, probably my sleeping bag liner. It just feels so much better against my skin, and I hate getting my stinky dirty self all over my expensive quilts & whatnot.

[Cboon]

I have had people tell me that carrying and but pad to sit on is excessive. I have the Z seat and love it, I never considered it luxury but some have. I will pack a heavier fleece if it is colder even though I have a down puffy. something about the comfort of fleece when its cold makes me feel better.

[Deadeye]

Among many of the luxuries I bring along I think my neoair pump is the most ridiculous that I enjoy so much. Pop it on my thermarest and it is aired up just in time to slide ot into my tent����

If you want to feel less luxurious, you can make a nice pump (rather than buying one) for thermarest and Nemo mattresses and others like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGW_b-sdGRc

Works great, dirt bag cheap.

[perdidochas]

I have a relative who tried leaves once.He never tried it again because the Chiggers nearly ate him alive.I can see where it would be easy to get poison ivy off of leaves or sticks which could likely be worse.

When I was a kid, it was pretty common to use leaves if you had to poop out in the woods. My Dad had a story about doing that, and he chose poison ivy. It's the only time poison ivy ever bothered him.

[centerfieldr162]

I regularly will carry a 6 pack of beer in my backpack and drink them at the campsite that night. I have settled for whiskey in my Nalgene flask, but I'm way more of a beer person.

Weight doesn't matter to me when it comes to extra stuff. Most of my gear is UL and I'm 27, in really good shape, and can carry 35+ lbs on any 25 miler day. I don't even really think twice throwing something additional in my pack if I need to or think I might want something.

[TexasBob]

If you want to feel less luxurious, you can make a nice pump (rather than buying one) for thermarest and Nemo mattresses and others like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGW_b-sdGRc

Works great, dirt bag cheap.

Here is another cheap alternative that is easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyK_5B06KhM

[Meenkya]

+1 on the Therma-Rest neoair mini pump. Just over two oz's and very convenient to set up, walk away and do other camp setup, come back, top off, done. love it...

[Ryder]

A small flask of really good (10 year old single batch) bourbon. There really is nothing better than a bit of bourbon and cold branch water at the end of a long hiking day.

Agreed!
I also love beer at the end of a hike. Wish it was easier to carry!

[OwenM]

So I've about decided to get a chair. A "UL" chair, but...a chair.

I have gone in whole hog on luxury items, lately, as my pack weight is so low it's ridiculous. For overnighters, anyway. Doubt I'll be toting all this crap in the Rockies with a week's food or anything, but I do a lot of 1-3 night hikes in winter where the days are short and I spend a little time sitting around camp playing with fire before turning in.
And everything, including the tent, fits inside my stripped and lidless Exos 38, so why not?
FB_IMG_1571980655211.jpg

I got a REI Flexlite Air chair and Exped pillow. Even bringing my cook kit(I'm "no-cook") so I can have coffee and peppermint tea.
Ultralight glamping
FB_IMG_1571980648535.jpg
Still under a fire ban here 'til Nov. 1...

[Mother Natures Son]

Does anyone know how much weight and what Earl Shaffer & Grandma Gatewood carried?

[reppans]

nvm.........

[Daideo]

The time needed for the adventure. Doesn't take a lot of space, but weighs differently for everyone.

Many posts in this thread are snarky, many are serious. Few, IMHO, express the *wisdom* in yours.

[TR Trail Guides]

a can of coke for each day.

[LazyLightning]

my pee bottle is as luxury as it gets

camp/water shoes and an actual camera besides the phone