Three unnecessary things ...

This season we did our annual “big” trip – 3 weeks in Wabakimi.  3 weeks means a lot to carry so we need to be very conscious about keeping the amount of stuff we take to a minimum.  But, still, there are 3 things that we carry, that I would say are completely unnecessary, that we wouldn’t leave home without.

Reflector oven.  This season, we a took a reflector oven with us for the first time.  This is a completely unnecessary item.  We only used it 5 times over the 3 weeks but it is such a marvellous piece of technology and it was so much fun using it that I would never leave it behind on any extended trip.  We baked brownies, date nut loaf (twice), current bannock, and corn bread.  All were baked from scratch and all of which came out perfectly with no hassle.  Is there anything better on a long trip than freshly baked goodies?  We use the Svante Freden Reflector Oven   (You need to Login or Register
Weighing less than 2 lb and folding down flat to 10”x13”x.5” this is a brilliant piece of gear that, based on my experience of myself, is completely idiot-proof.
Here’s the oven with our first foray into baking with it – date nut loaf.  Mmmmmm!
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Hammock.  This is another piece of gear that we took with us for the first time.  When we’re in travel mode we’re not likely to use it but whenever we’re doing layovers it’s in high demand and a total delight.  This is the Nano 7 hammock by Grand Trunk and it is truly amazing.    (You need to Login or Register
All this comfort weighs in at an incredible 7 ounces and packs down to the size of a large fist.  Wow, what a way to spend a lazy day in the middle of nowhere!  You can see there’s going to be trouble when my wife says, “My turn!”
[IMG]http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa383/PsychoG/2011_09050285.jpg[/img]


Chairs.  This 3rd piece of gear is an old favourite, our Sling Lite chairs.   (You need to Login or Register
These chairs weigh in at just over a pound each and are incredibly comfortable.  Durable too.  The only problem with them is that they don’t fold down to where we can stow them inside our portage pack.  They do fold down but we have to secure them on the outside of our pack.  It works quite well (we added a couple of D rings to our pack to make clipping them on pretty quick and easy) but sometimes the attached chairs can be a nuisance when loading or unloading the pack from our canoe when the landing or put-in is a bit dicey.  Still, these are the lightest most comfortable chairs I’ve seen to date and until I find something as good as these that totally folds away, they’re coming with us whenever we head out.
Double dip – comfy chair and date nut loaf (plus a bowlful each of fresh, wild blueberries just in case we aren’t having enough pleasure.)
[IMG]http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa383/PsychoG/2011_09050195.jpg[/img]


Any unnecessary items you wouldn’t leave home without?

This last trip we brought a shower bag because we had ladies with us. I said up until the day we used it I was just going to dip in the lake and call myself clean. Having a nice hot shower was pretty amazing, and it weighs next to nothing.

Kerry, I too am a fan of those hammocks. On layover days or when you're wind bound, it is great to relax in them. We always joke about using them as a sail as well, but never have  :D

whisky
camera
book
treats to eat

I'm sympathetic to the reflector oven but prefer the JMO (jello mold oven) for same reasons.  It works on a gas stove or over a fire, and is lighter.

Also a big fan of solar shower.  It's that last item I think about leaving out and then toss into pack at last minute.

Paperbacks, binoculars, star chart, and playing cards - the other items on my not absolutely necessary list.

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whisky camera book treats to eat

Whiskey.  Not a necessity.  Now I'm confused!

The solar shower can also be used to wash your hands.  You have warm water and the gray water stays on shore.  I only take the shower when my wife goes with me in late August.
Westwood

I take too much clothing. Enough for the absolute worst weather, bad luck trip I can imagine and consider myself blessed when I only use a pair of socks or two and maybe a shirt. All that unworn stuff would be sorely missed if the weather turned sour so it still goes. Plus I have room in that pack when solo. Having a smile on your face because you are physically comfortable after three days of cold and rain and wind is priceless.

Last trip I forgot my mattress pad which also means I forgot my chair. I was able to get a pad from an outfitter but my back really missed the chair aspect the first few nights. Even once I adapted, I missed it. It's a necessity for me. Adds weight but the space is seriously minimal and goes unnoticed.

Big luxuries for me is my camera gear, fishing gear, stove/fuel, and tarp. I'd go w/o them if I had to but considering the ease and/or pleasure they bring, why?

I do take a thermos I'd bet most people would poo-poo but I have room for it and enough hot water for two cups a joe and a pack of oatmeal is convenient for early starts. Helps warm the bag on cold nights too.

I did stop taking a ground cloth a few years ago. My old one probably has a years worth of use and looks to me to be in fine shape and will probably outlast that tent. A sun shower is nice for heating water but for actual bathing I find a couple pots of water work better so that stays home lately.

The five Ws define what's necessary or not in my book. WMMAV.

I've gone without a chair, but find it nice to have. This is a comfortable chair that packs down small. My girlfriend didn't care for my old chair but found this one so comfortable she wanted one too.

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Fishing gear is about as unneccessary as I get.

Having said that, whatever anyone is willing to carry is valid.  On longer trips these amenities can make the difference.  After any trip I find a real chair to be a welcome luxury.

I have been very pleased with my 1.5 pound REI trail chair, which replaced a Crazy Creek seat.  I use at night under my head for my outstretched elbows.

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Considering the old time outdoor guys got along with just one pair of clothes/wool coat and hat.
Wool blanket/canvas tarp and a pot/fry pan and firearm/fishing rod/ good knife/axe, almost everything we take is a "necessity" ;D

But I take or have taken just about everything mentioned. Until weight becomes a major factor due to age/physical issues, I like a little comfort after a long day. What ever gives me that I'm willing to lug along.

I put fishing gear into a "must go". It is one of the reasons I go to the Q to begin with. That said, I may pack a little heavy in that category, but to me it is worth every ounce.

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Whiskey.  Not a necessity.  Now I'm confused!

Kerry, you beat me to it, tho I'd insist on "bourbon" instead of that whiskey crap.

Not a necessity? Picture this: Traveling all day in late September in cold rain and blustery wind, from, let's say, Glacier way down to Louisa.

You pull up to a campsite, shivering. You know you have to build a fire, get dinner going, pitch some tents, set up a tarp, and a clothesline, then cut some more wood.

What's the first thing you do?

Why I dig in a pack, take out an old, olive-green, hard plastic Army canteen filled with a great Kentucky invention (small-batch or single-barrel bourbon) and pass around a little burning warmth, saying "Boys, congrats ... now let's get to work."

-- kypaddler

On Glacier there's that rock campsite with all those ledges and shelves. I have a pic of four such "flasks" in one of those ledges, a la a "liquor cabinet." Not that we drink all that much, but it was kinda neat to see, left to right, Old Weller, Blanton's, Four Roses and Knob Creek.

Having said all that, we usually each take a book, there's always a camera or two floating around, and we take a cast iron skillet! (because the cook of the crew insists it's the thing for best-tasting fish, and having eaten his fish since the mid-1990s, I can't fault him for it and usually even carry it.)

kypaddler wrote on Sep 29^th, 2011 at 2:50pm:

Quote: Whiskey.  Not a necessity.  Now I'm confused! Kerry, you beat me to it, tho I'd insist on "bourbon" instead of that whiskey crap.

Heh, that stuff is too heavy compared to the greener option.   :D

Knob Creek?

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[/quote]Heh, that stuff is too heavy compared to the greener option.   :D

When in doubt, take both.

Knob Creek is a small-batch bourbon made in Clermont, Ky., and marketed by Jim Beam.