What comfort/non essential items do you pack?

[TheGDog]

Whoo man... yup... isht that happens when you're out there?... Definitely changes you forever man. Especially dehydration. You never look at the world the same again after that. Tongue all bone-dry as far back as you can reach back to touch it. Heart palpitations as your body starts stealing water from your blood stream.

I think about it often when I'm out there... how bad it would suck to be one of the other animals and get injured only to die a slow death of starvation while in pain. Plus just wondering how often does it happen that they do get life-changing injuries out there? I'm sure it would blow our minds how often their own actions likely bring about there own deaths out there.

And yet, you'll also encounter things like an animal you took which also has like a .22 LR embedded in it's shoulder. And you wonder things like how far away was the idiot who took that shot? What must that have been like for this animal to experience?

 

[BradArnett]

Helinox ground chair

 

[Spence14]

Lol at the guy with a 30 pack. That's serious!

I pack in one of the 1 lb REI camp chairs and my crocs. Feels great at night to have a chair to cook and eat dinner in. The chair also adds a lot of comfort to glassing.

 

[805Bowhunter]

Great thread. I agree with a lot of what has been said and honestly it depends on the hunt. For me, it is crocs (nothing like taking your wet boots off at the end of a day and building a fire), a pillow (for years I used a jacket because I was stubborn and had no idea how much this really hindered my sleep), and if its a long backpack hunt, I take a very small dropper of Dr. Bronners (hippie soap you can get at Trader Joes) and a rei backpacking towel. Because I hunt a lot of poison oak covered areas in CA, the soap does wonders in preventing the oil from getting on your skin. This is especially helpful after getting a PO covered animal on the ground. Not necessary but certainly nice convenience and there is nothing quite like rinsing off in a stream when its A zone archery and 105+ degrees for a week straight.

 

[sickles107]

Blow up pillow, thick sleeping pad, advil pm and ear plugs make sleep much much better

3 sets of spare headlamp batteries so I can run it full tilt with no concern

Fritos to be crushed into tuna packs are not the most convenient, packable, or calorie dense combo, but man does it taste better than another frozen pro bar

Shell mittens for rain wind snow or general quick warmth over a liner glove. Get a pair at rei for like 12 bucks

 

[Vandy321]

Non-essential "essentials" for me:
Z seat, Copenhagen, pillow, more Copenhagen, and a luci light for the tent.

I accidentally left my bolt in the truck last year...think I might pack that next time too.

 

[SonnyDay]

• A flask of peaty-ass scotch
• Sea to Summit inflatable pillow
• Sea to Summit insulated sleeping pad (along with a closed cell foam sleeping pad if all else fails).

 

[coyyota]

Compression/recovery pants. Sleep in them at night. Can really help legs and feet recover, especially on backend of the hunt. Also it gets bottom base layer off and let’s it air out a bit.

Relatively light weight, takes up very little pack room.