I’ll be the first to admit that I’ll never be an ultralight backpacker. While I consider myself pretty outdoorsy, I’m also a homebody who prioritizes comfort (and aesthetics). Can you tell I’m a Taurus??
This blog post shares 10 luxury backpacking items I consider worth the extra weight!
If you’re looking for real backpacking essentials, check out this post that details the gear I bring on every backcountry trip.
>> One backpacking essential is a working knowledge of Leave No Trace! Need a refresher? Here’s a quick guide to responsible recreation!
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Backpacking Luxury Items Worth Extra Weight
While these items might not be luxurious by a normal person’s standards, they are considered to be fairly ‘extra’ in the outdoor world. These are items that are not essential to safety or navigation, or anything super important; they are simply luxuries that can make your backpacking trip even better.
I will say, weight does add up fast when backpacking. While I would like to bring all of these luxury backpacking items with me on every trip, I usually pick three (or four) from the list. If I’m backpacking with my husband, I make him bring the rest, haha.
Table of Contents
Camp Shoes
Camp shoes – The best feeling of a backpacking trip is taking off your heavy backpack as soon as you get to camp. The second-best feeling is taking your hiking boots off! Hiking shoes can be heavy, laces can get cumbersome when getting in and out of your tent, and sometimes you can get blisters on-trail.
For all of those reasons, an essential piece of luxury backpacking gear that I always pack (and encourage all my friends to pack) is a pair of camp shoes.
Camp shoes are exactly what they sound like: shoes you wear around camp. They are easy to put on and take off, super handy for middle-of-the-night trips to pee behind the nearest bush.
Depending on the weather, I rotate between a couple of different pairs of camp shoes. My trusty pair of Teva Universals is my go-to for warmer backpacking trips. If the weather is a little colder, I’ll opt for Bedrock Clogs or Teva ReEmbers.
Camp shoes could also be Crocs or lightweight Birkenstocks! Or a cheap pair of flip flops! Whatever they are, I highly recommend packing a lightweight pair of camp shoes for your backpacking trips.
Extra Sleeping Pad
I will always prioritize comfort when I’m camping, and at the very tippy top of my comfort needs are a good night’s sleep. I like to practice the advice, “prepare for what you are scared of”, and I am scared of my inflatable sleeping pad getting a hole and leaving me sleeping on the cold, hard ground.
For those reasons, I always pack an extra sleeping pad! I pack an inflatable sleeping pad, usually this one from Nemo, plus a foam sleeping pad. Yes, I always backpack with two sleeping pads! And more than once, my foam pad has saved me from sleeping on the ground!
The foam sleeping pad is well worth the extra weight because it serves multiple purposes. It gives you some extra insulation between the cold ground and your inflatable sleeping pad. A foam pad makes for a great seat around camp, or a yoga mat.
>> Heading out for a hike or backcountry adventure? Don’t forget The Ten Essentials! Get the full list in my blog post to ensure you’re fully prepared.
Backpacking Pillow
I thought a backpacking pillow was a pretty standard backpacking essential, until I went backpacking with people who used their hiking boots as a pillow. I’ve also heard of people rolling up their hiking clothes and using that as a pillow. Nothing wrong with either of those options, but personally, I prefer to rest my head on something less smelly.
I’ve tried several different backpacking pillows over the years, and my favorite is the Nemo Fillo Pillow. It’s an inflatable backpacking pillow that has a foam pad inside! Similar to my sleeping pad situation, it’s the best of both worlds.
Pro tip: Only inflate it to ~80% of its capacity for maximum comfort.
String Lights
Yes, my idea of recreational fun is hiking into the wilderness to eat gross dehydrated food and sleep outside, but at the end of the day, I’m still a girl! Pretty twinkly string lights will always be my favorite luxury for backpacking!
And while yes, they look pretty, string lights are also functional and provide a nice ambient light around camp.
Note that, along with the string lights, you will need to pack a small portable charger to power them. Maybe that’s another piece of backpacking luxury gear, but for me, I always pack something to charge my phone.
Book or Audiobook
I love reading before bed, so I’ll always add extra weight to my backpack to bring a book along. Or my Kindle! Or if I’m listening to an audiobook, I’ll pack my headphones. No matter how I’m reading, I’ll always bring a good book on my camping trips.
Lightweight Camp Chair
I’ll never make the mistake of backpacking without a chair ever again! After a long day of hiking, you’ll want somewhere comfy to sit to make your dinner and hang out with friends.
I’ve tried a couple of different lightweight backpacking chairs and have three favorites!
If I’m going on a shorter backpacking trip, I’ll opt for my REI Co-op Flexlite Chair. It’s comfy, easy to use, keeps you off the ground, and weighs just over 1 pound.
For something lighter, I’ll pack my Crazy Creek Hex Chair! It’s slightly lighter than the REI Co-op Flexlite and features a comfy sit-back seat.
The lightest backpacking chair I own is a sit pad! You can make your own by cutting two sections off your foam sleeping pad, or spend $25 for the lightest (maybe least luxurious) backpacking chair out there.
Tripod
This might just be specific to me (a content creator, photo-lover), but my least-relatable backpacking luxury gear is a tripod for my iPhone. It’s how I captured a majority of the photos in this blog post! It’s also how I take my favorite memorable photos of my backpacking trips with friends.
Depending on my mood, I’ll pack this simple expandable tripod, or my slightly-heavier but more sturdy 67” tripod.
A Fun Drink
Have you heard of a summit beer? A beer you drink once you reach the summit? Well, I love bringing a fun drink to crack open when I get to camp!
It could be a refreshing bubbly water, a fun canned cocktail, a juicy IPA, or my personal favorite, JuneShine. And just so it’s said, I always pack the empty can out (along with the rest of my trash).
Skincare
Even when I’m camping, I do my best to prioritize my skincare routine. If I’m going bare-minimum, I’ll bring a pack of Sea To Summit Wilderness wipes, chapstick, and a little trial-size SPF. You know those free skincare samples you can get at the dermatologist’s or as bonus gifts in your standard skincare orders? I hoard those and bring them backpacking!
While it might seem unnecessary to pack skincare on a backpacking trip, getting the day’s dirt and grime off my face helps me sleep better at night. And when I sleep better at night, I hike better the next day.
A Bandana
The final piece of luxury backpacking gear I’ll share is a simple cotton bandana. It hardly takes up any room, weighs next to nothing, and has dozens of uses in the outdoors.
Cotton bandanas can be used to keep the sun off your neck, as an eye-mask at night, a tissue, a pee rag, to swat bugs away, to wipe your hands, grab a hot pot, or wash your face. There are literally dozens upon dozens of uses for bandanas, so I always pack one for camping trips.
You can get cotton bandanas practically anywhere, ranging from $5 to $20. My personal favorite bandanas are from Bandits Bandanas. They are super-soft, hold up well in the washer and dryer, and give back to important causes.
Final Note on Packing Luxury Backpacking Items
The items shared in this blog are meant to add a little luxury to your backpacking trips! They won’t make or break your trip, but simply add a little extra fun, comfort, and whimsy.
And if someone has the nerve to ask you, “But how heavy is your pack with all those luxurious backpacking accessories?”, you can say, “It shouldn’t matter to you because I’m the one carrying it.”
I hope this blog post inspired you to carry a bit extra weight, pack a luxury item or two for backpacking, and make your camping trips even better.
