What’s the Craziest Luxury Item You Can Think Of? 

The clock is ticking. The A.T. is on my doorstep and I keep thinking about that all-important question:

What sort of toys do I want to take on my thru-hike?

Come on, we’ve all been there. You start to wonder what items you simply can’t live without for the next 6 months. Then you realize the list isn’t so much exhaustive as much as exhausting.

For me, if weight were no factor, the list would include:

• Cat
• Husband
• Chair
• Casio keyboard
• Painting supplies
• Nalgenes instead of Smart Waters (for numerous tasks)
• A real book (no Kindles)
• The biggest bottle of cheap pink moscato (yes, I drink trash)
• My Exped Megamat because (remember) weight isn’t a factor in this scenario.

But in the backpacking world, weight is probably our most important factor.

So here is the list of luxury items I’m actually considering:

• Deck of cards
• Chair
• Earbuds
• Camera
• Sharpie (to have people personalize my gear along the way)

The chair is probably going to be removed from the list. No, I’m not going to get into the chairs vs. no-chairs argument in this post. If I DO bring one, it will be the ultralight one my mom made for me (seen in the picture above with me napping).

But I think everything else on the list is coming. 

So why do I keep coming back to that Casio keyboard?

It’s because I’m a musician. The fantasy of playing music on the A.T. with other hikers fills me with joy. If I’d known I’d be embarking on this journey when I was 7 years old, I would have chosen a more ultralight instrument than the piano, like the tin whistle or the harmonica. But the piano spoke to me as a child and I have no regrets. It fits my hands and my brain. It just won’t fit in a backpack. 

Please, please talk me out of this so I don’t end up taking this 5.7 lb musical monstrosity on the trail!

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever considered bringing on the trail? Leave it in the comments below. I want to know!