Luxury items

[sarge]

not sure how 'on topic' this is but I thought it might be interesting to see what other people consider 'luxury' items. I ran into a group of 4 people on the weekend who were doing a local (melbourne) walk through lederderg national park for 5 days. They had amongst other things tinned food and fresh vegetables cooking for lunch. It smelled lovely but I enquired about the pack weight and they told me they always eat fresh food for every meal no matter how long they are walking for regardless of the weight.

This made me wonder what other hikers would never leave home without?

I always bring a thermarest pillow when I go hiking. It weighs about 300g and is about the size of a small football in my pack.

comments?

[tasadam]

I suppose... I would consider luxury items chocolate and fresh fruit.

Generally I sacrifice luxury items for camera gear, and happy with that choice.

It will be interesting to see what people take as their little piece of luxury...

[gorby]

luxury item but essential for me is a packet of babywipes for the most refreshing and thorough cleanup of the freckle.

do not laugh until you have tried them,they have all the good moisturisers
in them and take up very little room.

[Son of a Beach]

Luxury for me usually means fresh food and/or beer and/or wine (not on every trip though!). Two examples:

1. In a group of 4 walking up Mt Anne for my brother's birthday one year, I thought I'd surprise everyone with a 6 pack of tinnies. Sitting on the edge of the Shelf Camp cliff, at dinner time, in beautiful weather, I pulled out my 6-pack, and everybody else pulled out a 6-pack too. Turns out we'd all had the same idea, and so had a carton to consume between the 4 of us that night (we didn't end up drinking all of it, and actually carried beer OUT!).

2. Being very unfit most of the time, my friend and I decided to do a short walk for fitness training before a 14 day walk through the Western Arthurs and Federation Peak. So our training walk was going to be in Lees Paddocks, on to Pelion, up Mt Ossa (with full packs), then find an alternative route down Mt Ossa (towards Pine Stone Creek), then out again. We'd decided that to simulate pack weight for the 14 day walk, we'd need to add lots of nice food on our 3 day training walk. So between the two of us, we had 6 cans of beer, a cask of wine, several different cheeses and dips, and fresh meat and vegetables. The people in the middle of the overland Track at Pelion Hut were very envious of us on our first night!

Last edited by Son of a Beach on Tue 16 Oct, 2007 3:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[norts]

My luxury item would be a foam pillow. Usually put it on top of my clothes but so much softer than a stuff sack full of clothes.
Also silk liner, home made, doesn't tangle as much as cotton.

As far as food, it would be a stick of pepperoni. Just a little piece at the end of each day. Nice to chew on a bit of meat and whatever else is in there plus it's a bit spicy.

Carried port a couple of times but I can go without port for a couple of days or weeks.

Roger

[corvus]

Go the baby wipes and a dedicated 1lt Platapus with 700ml of Vodka (name poison of choice) for an non chafeing good nights sleep

[Natt]

Hmm on a 5 day walk I dont take luxury items

On an 2 night - I have taken a pillow before - a full size one!

And a book

But i am a girl

I actually liked kayaking trips (I got keen one season) as you can take much more - pancake mix!

[tas-man]

My favourite "luxury" item is a lightweight nylon hammock. I replaced the original chromed steel rings with minature aluminium alloy karabiners and got the weight down to 220 grams. I first used it on a ten day circuit around the SW (Melaleuca>Spain Bay>SW Cape>Melaleuca) and enjoyed relaxing in it at the end of each day's walk - always managed to find two trees the right distance apart at the beach campsites. Missed out only for one camp up on the range where there were no trees within cooee! If I can find a photo of it in use, I will post it.

[norts]

I have a new favourite luxury item, used itfor the first time on the Western Arthurs. I had the most comfortable nights sleeps I have ever had bushwalking. Exped Downmat 7 short. I have been using thermarests for the last few years, but these mats leave them for dead as far as comfort goes.
They take a bit more fiddling to inflate and it can be a bit difficult if you are trying to pump it up in a Mircolight and its raining, but still worth it.
You spend alot of time on your back, side or stomach each day so it is worth being comfortable for that 6 to 10 hours per day(or more if you get a lay day because of weather).

Roger

[Joe]

I have a new favourite luxury item, used itfor the first time on the Western Arthurs. I had the most comfortable nights sleeps I have ever had bushwalking. Exped Downmat 7 short. I have been using thermarests for the last few years, but these mats leave them for dead as far as comfort goes.
They take a bit more fiddling to inflate and it can be a bit difficult if you are trying to pump it up in a Mircolight and its raining, but still worth it.
You spend alot of time on your back, side or stomach each day so it is worth being comfortable for that 6 to 10 hours per day(or more if you get a lay day because of weather).

Roger

damn they look good from what i just read on them. what sort of price?

[norts]

I paid $179 but that was old stock. i think they are over $200 now.

Roger

[corvus]

I recently replaced my 3/4 thermarest +blue mat with a thermarest pro lite 4 and have had the best sleep ever in all my years b/walking using it and whats more the weight is less than the old combination
The exped down mat sounds really good however I am wary of the down fill in case breath moisture affected its lofting quality or caused mould (I suspect the experts in its design checked all of this out) yet I still have my doubts

[norts]

You dont blow it up with your breath. The stuff sack is used as a pump. On the Downmat 7 short it took me about 6 pumps. My mate who had the normal length took about 12-13. If you pumped them up when it was warm they needed a couple of extra pumps before bed.

I used a prolite 4 but this is alot better but it is a bit more technical and there are more things that can go wrong. Definitely need to carry a repair kit.

The instructions say that if you do get moisture in the down to open both valves and attach a hair dryer to the stuff bag then that to the valve and blow hot air through the bag. I tried this, to see how easy it was but it just over heated the wifes hair dryer( she did say that it over heats very easily compared to others she has had).

Roger