What “luxury” items do you carry on your back?

[BlackSS]

This is primarily for experienced backpack / back country guys. Doing my first back pack trip this fall for a late season rifle hunt. What items do you bring from comfort that aren’t strictly necessary but you feel are worth the weight? Accustomed to horse camps so this is a change for me.

Currently planning to bring items below as they seem worth the weight on their own, but combined seems like a lot of extra stuff.

I’m estimating my pack weight with food, 1 day of water and to be 60-65 lbs including rifle with all of the below. Looks like if I went bare bones and eliminated all / most of the below I could drop 10 lbs or so.

We will hunt out of base camp and do not intend to move camp once it’s up so these will really only be carried in and out, not daily. 3-4 miles from trailhead. I’m in pretty good shape and will do some extra rucking to get ready but I’m a flat lander. Mountains are going to kick my ass.

Here is my list of luxury items in no particular order:

1. Titanium stove - not sure this counts since there 3 of us are going and we will split the tipi / pole & stakes / stove between the 3 of us. It’s going to be cold. 4.5 lbs or so
2. Thermarest ultra lite cot. 3 lbs. I am a terrible sleeper and think the weight is worth it
3. Camp shoes / rubber soled slippers ~1 lb
4. Hatchet - 2 lbs. will have a couple of saws between us so not really necessary but helpful.
5. Battery powered led dome light for tent. 8 oz.
6. Tripod with bino attachment and yoke. it’s a small one, 1.8 lbs. pretty tight country, not a lot of open spaces for glassing so won’t get a ton of use but it’s nice to have as a rest if opportunity for a longer shot
7. Pint or so of liquor. 1-2 lbs. Definitely needed but fun

 

[Poser]

I simply do not get the ultra light cots. You’re still sleeping on a pad, presumably the same pad you would be sleeping on without a cot. So what does a cot get you besides 3 inches of elevation and what does that elevation do to improve your sleep?

We always pack in bourbon. I’ve even expanded that luxury with a set of plastic whiskey tumblers.

Hatchets are heavy, even the lightest ones. Unless it’s a late season hunt and you are certain you need it for wood processing in addition to a saw, fine. Otherwise I would ditch it.

 

[Moserkr]

Comfort is key now that Im getting older. The stove comes 99% of the time (unless restricted by fire regs). I also bring a camp chair - helinox chair zero. That thing is a life saver for glassing all day. Good youre bring the tripod though, thats essential. At 3-4 miles from the trailhead, Id consider the camp shoes and booze as well. Hell, we are bringing in a frozen steak for the first nights dinner next weekend on opening day. Same situation, 4 miles from the truck and an easy flat hike. I would leave that hatchet though, it serves no purpose i can think of especially with saws in camp. I have a tent light too but its a rechargeable night ize that weighs 1.5oz. Other than that, I dont do the cot thing but my buddy does and it helps him sleep alot.

Sounds like you’re just missing a comfy chair!!

 

[Molon Labe]

Off your list i would only take the camp shoes. Those crocs are probably the lightest.

Stove is split weight. Cot worthless. Hatchet too heavy vs saw (you can just use your knife and a piece of wood for splitting if you want). Dome light silly...you shoudl have a head lamp. No tripod just use binos if its timbered area...use your pack or natural terrain to build a steady position...tripod will take longer to deploy than a tree branch. Liquor...50/50 can be fun

My luxury items are a foam pillow and flamin hot cheetos.

 

[fatlander]

Getting your backpack dialed takes a lot of trips to figure out what you need and what you don’t. And you still may need to change a few things each trip based on the certain situation. I’d go backpacking a couple times between now and then. That’ll give you a better idea.

There’s stuff you have listed that I don’t need, but I’m not not you.


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[BBob]

You're about 15lbs or so over my goal weight and that's carrying a full sized tripod and bigger optics. Other than a small flask I don't carry anything else you have listed. For a late hunt I could see the split stove weight and the saw but we don't. Can't say on the tripod as I don't know your situation.

 

[BlackSS]

TBH I’ve never used the cot but in my prior warm weather backpacking trips I wake up all night off my pad on the ground. Let’s say I’m an active sleeper.
I agree the dome light is silly but shining headlamps in each other’s eyes every evening / morning is annoying. It’s only 8 oz and doubles as a backup battery to charge in reach if needed (usb charging port)

 

[Britt-dog]

Real coffee.

 

[UtahJimmy]

What elevation? I don't do alcohol in the backcountry because I struggle staying hydrated as it is. Altitude sickness is no joke. If your body hasn't been through it before and you don't know how it will react, I would highly caution against drinking.

Ditch the hatchet and let your buddies carry the saw(s) for wood.

I've never packed a cot or a chair and never wished I had one. But cots are awesome for car camping!

There are much lighter options for a tent light if you think you want one, but I've never needed one. Just use your headland.

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[Moserkr]

Just slip some extra gear in a buddy’s pack and take whatever you want!! Lol. If you are a flatlander AND a first timer, then 60-65lbs will be rough. How many days are you hunting? How hard is the hike in? You said miles, but not elevation change, and at what elevation?

Im doing a 4-mile hike, 500’ elevation drop on the way in, at 7k’ for opening day - thats easy for me, so easy Im debating bringing a few beers to compliment my fishing poles and chair…. But my packs dialed. Including the clothes I wear, rifle, AND water, Im at 50lbs for a weekend WITH my comfort items.

An above post brings up a really good point - altitude sickness. Ive seen it, its not pretty. Stay hydrated especially with alcohol. Horse camping is much easier. Hauling weight for miles will test you. Im hoping your hike in isnt 2k vertical feet in 4 miles at 10k’…. I would rethink any comfort items then.

Barebones - no cot, no tent light, no hatchet, no booze, no tripod, no camp shoes. Yes stove - essential to me as its split weight and a safety/comfort item.

 

[madcalfe]

id ditch the cot and the axe. and if your not using a spotter ditch the tripod as well
the dome light is dumb just hang a head lamp

 

[BlackSS]

Ok. Dome light will get snuck in someone else’s pack.
We will be around 8k, 500’ climb on the way on. Shouldn’t be too bad. I’ve hunted the same general area and have covered a lot more ground at higher elevation - with a day pack

 

[bsnedeker]

Late season hunt days are so short I think it makes sense to pack some luxuries for sure. You're going to be hanging out at camp for hours every night so may as well make it comfy.

Personally I would ditch the hatchet and the dome light (if you are talking about the same one from coleman I have for car camping it's worthless anyway). I WOULD take a chair with you. Helinox chair zero at 1 pound, or lots of other options in the 2 lb realm that cost a fraction of the Helinox if you don't care about the weight. I take my chair with me every day so the weight is important, but if you're leaving at camp not such a big deal.

 

[bushangler]

Ditch the cot and the hatchet and camp shoes unless they’re croks.

I would add a chair I use mine constantly, around camp and while glassing and I wouldn’t go without some kind of a light for the tent. I hate everyone wearing headlamps shining in each other’s eyes, hanging headlamps doesn’t work very well. I like having a nip of bourbon before bed so that would be worth the weight.

60lbs is a heavy pack, I’m in pretty good shape but I don’t like being over 50lbs.


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[bushangler]

Ditch the cot and the hatchet and camp shoes unless they’re croks.

I would add a chair I use mine constantly, around camp and while glassing and I wouldn’t go without some kind of a light for the tent. I hate everyone wearing headlamps shining in each other’s eyes, hanging headlamps doesn’t work very well. I like having a nip of bourbon before bed so that would be worth the weight.

60lbs is a heavy pack, I’m in pretty good shape but I don’t like being over 50lbs.


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[WoodBow]

Mine is a decent pillow. I use a my pillow brand travel pillow. I'm not about that inflatable pillow or rolled up jacket life!

I took and UL cot on one trip. Then i sold it. Saves you some time removing lumps where your pad will be. That's about it. It can save you if water gets under a floorless shelter too. But that can be avoided.

I personally like a dome light in the tipi. I run a luci. It's like 4 oz. It is nice to have group lighting and not be shining headlamps in each others face.

If we are below timber line and will take a stove, I modded a hatchet into more of a tomahawk. It weights 1 lb exactly.

 

[beachbunny]

kinda funny how once you are "seasoned",cough,cough ,older, than your needs kinda change/
anybody remember just sleeping on the ground?

 

[bsnedeker]

kinda funny how once you are "seasoned",cough,cough ,older, than your needs kinda change/
anybody remember just sleeping on the ground?

Yeah, lots of guys slept on the ground in November in the mountains. We call them "corpses"...lol!

 

[Elkfitness]

I bring camp shoes/crocs and little sugar packets for my coffee. I also bring some soap sheets from rei and a light camp towel to wash my face and feet when I feel the need.


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[BlackSS]

No spring chicken here, being comfortable is important. Maybe I’ll look at swapping hatchet or tripod for a chair. Honestly I’ve been carrying the tripod in my day pack for years in same area and it rarely gets used. Just convinced someday I’ll really wish I had it.