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

[isocyanate]

I’ll add to the chorus, a chair and crocs is what I wanted this year. Will probably bring a little bourbon next time too. This is base camping about 3 miles and +2000 feet from the truck.

 

[QuackAttack]

Spiced rum, butter, and a metal mug to heat it in.

Beyond that, I carry more med gear than most. I have a decent IFAK, two SWATTWs, hemostatic gauze, chest seals, tension pneumothorax dart, dressings, burn gel, SAM splint, hot bag to treat hypothermia…then a separate minor med kit with blister kit, bandaids, stomach meds, and so on. I also try to bring antibiotics and whatnot if I have them.

Add in visual signal setup, VS17 panel and strobe.

If you have the ability to inflict a gunshot wound, you need to be able to treat it.

 

[Indeepship]

Baby Wipes. Hunting in CA its nice to get the dust off yourself and for when duty calls

 

[huck]

I like my tripod, my evening drink after about day 3 and Im beat to hell . Get rid of the cot ,use a R4 or better blow up pad. forget the hatchet get a saw with 2 blades ,1 bone 1wood there is a difference. Midway sells a light that looks like a lightbulb that I use,works just fine in a 5 man teepe tent . use a decent bag and dont be the guy that sleeps by the stove.

 

[EdP]

My camp shoes are neoprene socks that I use for overnight pee trips only. Easy on and off and keep your feet dry and warm. Canoe boots work great too and have more of a sole. They can actually be worn around camp but are a lot heavier.

Bourbon is my luxury item.

 

[MTWop]

Baby wipes and fresh fruit. Well worth the extra weight

 

[Lelder]

I like to precook a baked potatoe/and a ribeye, wrap them in aluminum foil and store in a ziplock. Then I can heat it up on the stove or in the coals of a fire. When it’s cold and tough hunting it’s a great pick me up. I agree with the guys on the alcohol dehydrating you but those little bottles of fireball whiskey aren’t bad. Everything in moderation

 

[Mosby]

I sometimes take a Jimmy Johns sandwich in with me. Gives me something to look forward to on the hike in. Get the tent set up before dark, eat my sandwich and make a hot drink before bed. I normally give up bread and fast food months before hunting season, so a simple sandwich becomes a real treat for me.

I will also take a Kindle on longer hunts. Having something to read in the tent when it's raining or I can't get to sleep adds a lot of value to me.

 

[gdiemer]

+1 for the Kindle. 6 or 7 oz and it barely takes up any space. Preload it with a couple books and you'll good to go

 

[Honyock]

Bourbon for medicinal purposes. At the end of the day, my old bones need lubing.

 

[PvilleMac]

I bring camp shoes and a pillow. Neither are horrible weight penalties, but both are pretty decent space penalties.

 

[Jlfine]

Real coffee.

Yes!

 

[bamacpl]

A lightweight camp chair & a nice pillow

 

[Deputynrc]

For you guys who like to take a pillow, I stumbled onto this dry bag from Zpacks. You can carry clothing or other items in and when you are ready turn it inside out and one side is flannel lined. Stuff it with your puffy or other clothes and you have a great pillow. I love dual use items when heading into the backcountry.

https://zpacks.com/products/medium-plus-pillow

 

[mtwarden]

I've got a very similar one, from HMG- works well

https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/products/stuff-sack-pillows

 

[chase4545]

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

All of it, some things I like most are a cell phone, head phones, podcasts/music, and extra backup power. With that I can stay weeks in the back country without food.

 

[BlackSS]

Just saw this post still getting some attention.

I didn’t most of the “luxury” items I was initially considering but did end up adding a BTR stool. That was well worth it. No cot, no hatchet, no tripod. Found some knock off crocks that were really cheap and 12 oz that made nice camp shoes.

Unsuccessful hunt but logistical success. Pack was heavy but we got an early am start and were in no rush to get to camp.

Opportunity to cut more weight next year is better communication with hunting partners. We had extra lights, too much extra stove fuel and too much battery capacity. We will bring less between us and share more stuff.

Everyone likes good coffee, I ground some beans at home and bagged them up and used the jet boil press. Did the trick nicely.

Next year someone else gets to carry the heaviest part of the tent so I’ll personally get to save some weight there too.

 

[URE_G]

I consider my inflatable pillow and a paperback essential luxuries

 

[NCtrapper]

I started to carry a small Blank hard spine book. Each night in the tent its nice to write down everything you saw and what happened. its easy to forget the little things even after a few days. Something I can re-read one day or my kids can read .

 

[Currymac]

I don’t go anywhere without a little a little whiskey or a beer to reward myself, packets of hot sauce because I love spicy food, and my flip flops because at the end of a hard day hikingI want to kick my boots off and relax. Don’t care how many extra ounces I carry if it brings me pleasure in the field. I don’t hike much more than 10-12 miles a day and my mindset is it’s to heavy to carry I just need to get stronger.