luxuries?

[Kim Grant]

I'm certain everyone has a secret luxury thing or two they carry. What are they? Mine are baby wipes and coffee.

-K

[kevin davidson]

Valrhona chocolate and chocolate coated espresso beans

[David Noll]

chocolate and a ula amigo that doubles as a shower

[Gabriel August]

sometimes an mp3 player (depending on the trip length)

wee bit of dewar's scotch whiskey :) (works better than benedryl to get to sleep)

[Erik Sund]

I guess I'm something of a sybarite by UL backpacking standards. I carry a whole load of luxuries aimed at tricking myself into getting some sleep (never an easy task for me, even at home after a long day's work).

* Lightweight silk long underwear top and bottom ("pajamas")
* Small open/closed cell pillow with cloth cover
* Small supply of bourbon
* A few wet wipes

Sometimes I also take a small mp3 player like an ipod shuffle. Collectively, these extravagances come to over half of a pound, not including the whiskey. The long underwear does at least do double duty as an extra layer of clothing and a means to keep my sleeping bag clean.

[Doug Johnson]

I use a Creative Zen Nano mp3 player. 1.2 oz and a whole day of music. I love this when I want to get into a zone on the trail. I don't use it all the time but sometimes, hearing some sweet tunes while cruising throught the forest is just the best!

I also love my Advil PM. It's a comfy mattress and a big pillow in one tiny pill!

For shorter trips, some fine Tequila or a bottle of wine in a Platypus is a real treat.

The ultimate though, is my son Henry and a few of his favorite toys. Bringing him into the backcountry is my ultimate luxury. :-)

[Gail Lusk]

Hammock- 1 lb version
Baby Wipes
Pillow

but as I grow older it feels more like the above list falls into a "essential" category over a luxury item… LOL

[Pamela Wyant]

A small 0.9 oz hairbrush to detangle my long hair. Sure, I could detangle with my finger tips, but the brush makes it so much easier!

A small (0.6 oz) pack towel, a 1.6 oz 'Mapdana' bandana, and a 2 oz (large size) Gladware bowl and lid. They're all multi-use, but really nice for washing up before going to sleep at night when it's hot and humid. I'm thinking about using a smaller bandana and a smaller bowl to save another 1-2 ounces.

My biggest luxury though is taking a bit more clothing and insulation than I think I will really 'have' to have for the expected temperatures. I could probably save another 8 oz to a pound there, but I like being warm!

Pam

[Paul Luther]

Aye, single malt for me,and more than a wee bit:)

BUT, I hadn't thought of wine in a Platy. Nice idea Doug.
Paul

[David Goodyear]

Single cup size gourmet hot chocolate mix from land-o-lakes sipped while watching the sun-set.

Dave

[Jim Sweeney]

A .5L Nalgene wide mouth hard lexan bottle, at 3.2 oz. It means I never have to get out from under my sleeping bag (or quilt) at night, no matter what my bladder says. And there's probably a lighter bottle out there that will work as well.

[Janet Brewster]

Sorry, but chocolate (GOOD chocolate) is a necessity, not a luxury!

I bring a small packtowel and small vial of Dr. Bronner's soap so I can go to sleep clean. And I bring a pair of Teva flip-flops — they're extremely lightweight, and even though my boots aren't heavy it's really nice to get out of them at the end of the day. Next will be resoling them with 5.10 rubber!

[Paul Wozniak]

I agree with the Bronner's. Clean to bed.

And clean(ish) sleeping clothes. A tshirt and boxers, or longsleeve T and LJs if cold.

Hammock – there is a small weight penalty vs. ground sleeping. Oh but the sleep.

Oh yes, I also agree with a nip of tequila. 100% blue agave – personal favorite is Cazadores.

A small aluminum frying pan and oil, mostly just for brook trout, wild leeks and stumper mushrooms.

[Denis Hazlewood]

My SlingLight Chair

[Doug Johnson]

Really Dennis? You carry a 1 pound chair? I've looked at these before (online) and folks that use them seem to rave about them. What makes this so good that you'd want to haul one when backpacking? The rocks and meadows behind the hikers in the photo look plenty comfy to me…

Not knocking your luxury at all- I'm just curious!

Thanks,
Doug

[Denis Hazlewood]

Doug,

With the snow in the background, green equals damp. I've had my SlingLight for going on 22 years and, when I decide to carry the extra weight, it provides comfort for my old bones in the extreme. I most always leave the headrest at home and use a jacket or some such piece of gear instead. The chair may weigh a pound but it's like my MB Thermawrap: it feels sooo light for so much comfort.

Also Doug,please remember, I'm a Californian from Marin County, where we keep the Hot Tub hot, the Champagne Cold and the Peacock feathers handy.

[kevin davidson]

Unlike those of us in the Northwest where we let the volcanoes keep the hot springs hot, keep the Pinot Noir room temp. and keep the REI catalog handy.

[Sven Klingemann]

A 0.02oz strip of tough and scratchy duct tape to cushion the grip of my bare carbon fibre hiking pole. But only during winter time. Just kidding. I use a full-length sleeping pad (but only a "petite size",ha!)and a double-wall tent since I cannot stand condensation. Did I mention not sawing off the handle of my tooth brush? And that is independent of season!!
Cheers,
Sven

[Roleigh Martin]

My luxuries. A 4gb Sandisk m260 mp3 player with many audiobooks, my hiking partner walks about 1/2 hour ahead of me – I can't keep up with him, so I listen to books while I walk. I can squeeze easily 20 unabridged books on the player. It uses only one AAA battery – a lithium battery lasts about 3 days, and they're much lighter than alkaline batteries. Another luxury, a McMurdo Fastfind PLB (11 ounces) which is my Linus blanket on the hike. And yes, finally, I admit to carrying bear spray can. Call me the paranoid backpacker. I hike the High Sierra Trail, am doing a 16 day round trik hike this July-August.

[Doug Johnson]

Right on Denis- NOW I get it…It's a Marin County thing! Peacock feathers and Slinglight chairs. :-)

Seriously, those chairs look cool.

[Dale Wambaugh]

My luxuries…

A County Comm AM/FM/SW radio with built in LED lamp and some small earbud headphones. http://www.countycomm.com/gp4light.htm

A Canon Digital Elph camera.

An Army surplus MASH inflatable pillow.

A "full size" knife.

I wouldn't count small pack towels, soap, or baby wipes as luxuries. Staying clean and free of chafing and rashes is just good trail health practice. That doesn't mean you need to haul the whole drug store either. One of my pet peeves is the tendency to put a few band aids and a packet of Neosporin in a baggie and call that a first aid kit. IMHO, you can do a little better than that for wandering around the backcountry.

[Linsey Budden]

Minox with Kodachrome

My fathers 'full size' Boy Scout knife

My impossibly heavy Exped (torso sized) down air mattress (a new addition this year as I seem to need three weeks to acclimate to my very light closed cell foam matt).

[Jim Sweeney]

I like that idea a lot. It's fun to go out by oneself sometimes, but after several days it can get lonely. Listening to an intelligent voice might be great, particularly in the evening when everything is done but one's not quite ready for asleep. I remember once hearing a small piece of Moby Dick, and being amazed at how, in its descriptive passages, Melville's prose is simultaneously orotund, self-mocking, and witty; when I'd read the book, I'd sped past these sections, racing from one adventure passage to the next.

[Linsey Budden]

Today I shamefully remembered that at least 1/2 the time I'm backpacking, I have with me the very frivolous removable pads installed in my bra–once I actually sent them home at a resupply.

[Jeffrey Hartman]

has anyone thought of carrying a 9.5 oz squish pillow

that would be a luxury for me

i was thinking about taking one on my 2008 AT thru attempt

thanks

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