I noticed the use of cell phones in BW thread popped up again. Lots of pros/cons and strong opinions on both sides. I used to bring up a little radio for some occasional background noise or weather updates. Now I use my cell phone to listen to something while I chop wood, or catch a weather update right when I need it. Good to have when there's heavy thunderstorms on the horizon.

ANYHOO, thought I'd refresh a separate polarizing topic: Glamping. Yeah it's fun to go up and rough it. That's why we're all here, right? To get away for a bit. But over the years I find myself bringing comfort gear, or simplifying other steps. Why sleep in a 2p tent when a 4p tent gives you extra elbow room sorta thing.
We no longer fish for our protein or bring up raw protein to cook. Usually precook some items and piece together meals on site – like chicken caesar wraps. Or hard boiled eggs in the morning. Requires no fire. Less time harvesting wood, more time adventuring or relaxing. (still need that after dark fire for the feel good vibes though).
I've brought up big clear cocktail ice blocks. Doubles as cooler ice, but when it's time to unwind with a sip, I'll yank one out and toss it into my cocktail. Puts a smile on my face every time.

TL;DR My question to all y'all: What are some less necessary/unconventional items, or creature comforts that join you on your camping adventures to make things a bit more enjoyable in one way or another?

I have all of the glamping gear, big chairs, cots, tents you can stand up in, cast iron, coolers full of beer/raw protein, royalex/aluminum canoes and a motorboat... and I camp with that stuff way more often than I go to the BWCA, either in WI, the UP, or the SNF. When I go to the BWCA I welcome a return to 'primitive' camping. I'll bring a chair.

My glamping gear is a table, chair, and stainless steel wine glass with a plastic stem. It pairs very nicely with the steaks we always bring in for the first night.

It has been a bit over a dozen years ago I switched to hammock camping. Honestly, hammock in the BWCA is my definition of "Glamping". I especially like waking up on a rainy or misty morning with a view of the water from my hammock. I have passed and even abandoned otherwise attractive campsites that had sub-par hammock-hanging sites.

With my Aeropress within reach there is no better way to great the day than from a hammock in the BWCA.

My favorite part of BWCA trips is traveling with as little baggage as possible. It is such a relief to my brain to keep things really, really simple. A sleeping pad and inflatable pillow are enough glamp for me.

Extra lures and whisky.

YaMarVa: "Extra lures and whisky. "

Sounds like a good name for your forthcoming autobiography.

At 53 I am just not there yet, but probably sometime. As I travel on trips into the interior I am always making notes of locations closer I might want to “glamp” when I get too old to do my usually trips.

Glamping…I would take a nice chair…maybe my BA six…larger tent, probably an axe to split wood, bigger fish finder with side imaging or live scope.

T

All of this.

Love this thread because we often accuse ourselves of glamping as we started out roughing it and have upgraded everything over a couple of decades. With a big group double portaging you can still bang out miles if you want to.

Whatever floats your boat!!!!

In our 20'sw with a young son, we started with a small tent and sleeping bags, no pad. As we kept on we upgraded to thin pads, then self inflating pads, then thicker self inflating pads. Now in our 70's we sleep quite well on our air bed and enjoy sitting in our collapsible chairs or laying in the hammock. I think we have earned the improvements as we have lived to see them being invented or greatly improved. The old cotton hammocks have given way to ones that can fit into a 4" diameter ball and weigh mere ounces. While it means that one of us has to go back to get the extra backpack our age also means we don't get to go as far into the BWCA as we used to as some of the portages are not kind to older bodies.

straighthairedcurly: "My favorite part of BWCA trips is traveling with as little baggage as possible. It is such a relief to my brain to keep things really, really simple. A sleeping pad and inflatable pillow are enough glamp for me."

Agreed! My wife and I are long time backpackers which has served us well on our BWCA trips. Glamping to us is taking just enough gear to feel safe, confident, and comfortable. We put a lot of thought into shelters, sleeping systems, and clothing. Filter water, and eat a lot of fish. Less weight means less work and more fun.

My gear list will be different for each trip depending on who I'm with, how far we are going, time of year, etc.

I do agree on the tents. For me a "3 man" is actually a 2 man, squeezing 200 lb adult males into a tent can be tight if you follow the manufacturers guidelines.
I also have come to appreciate my Leki camp chair which I can usually find a place for on all my trips.
No right or wrong as long as you follow the rules. Although the guys I saw packing bottled water over the Lake 1-2 portages was interesting. But if they want to carry it, not my business. Mildly entertaining, but to each their own.

I think the idea of "Glamping in the BWCA" is an oxymoron. Sure, bring a Helinox Chair or a two burner stove if that's what helps you enjoy the wilderness. But in my opinion, glamping is better suited for the State Park.

Some trips (family ones for the most part) we bring a lot of comforts, double-portage and don't travel as much.

When I solo I am probably one of the lightest travelers you'll ever see.

Very much a 'paddle your own paddle' thing...whatever floats your boat.

However if your boat does not float, you have indeed brought too much.

A rock for a pillow and some leaves for a blanket

Saw this in Alaska, they swamped right before hitting the ocean.

LindenTree: "Saw this in Alaska, they swamped right before hitting the ocean.


"

Great photo - really like the guy with the paddle blade inside the boat!

It depends on whether we're planning to do a bunch of portages, or base camping without many portages. If it's the latter, yes we spoil ourselves. Screen tent, table, chairs (I bring chairs even when we portage, I'm getting old, and need the back support).

Here's three things probably no one on this site glamps in the boundary waters (well, two of these anyway):

One base camp trip we've taken 50 times, only requires one very short portage, and weight is not an issue.

1) We have these aluminum canoes with a flat triangle on the upper part of the stern, where we can attach a motor. The entry point is a motorized lake, so we take 4 horse power motors to the end of the motorized zone, and then ditch the motors and paddle the rest of the way.

2) Those canoes are basically aircraft carriers. At one point we had 3, and called them the Yorktown, hornet, and enterprise, after the 3 aircraft carriers involved in the battle of midway. It's nearly impossible to capsize those canoes. In our old age, we got to the point where it was difficult to fish more than about 4 hours, without getting a back ache, so we re-inforced the aluminum seats, and put in swivel boat seats. You sit a little bit higher, but the comfort is amazing, and we never get back aches on those trips anymore. Unfortunately, the weight kills any portage longer than my driveway. I think with the seats, they probably are about 110 lbs now. I think they were 95 lbs before the alterations. Even a 60 rod portage is brutal.

3) One of the highest reasons for an emergency med-vac, or whatever you call that, is hatchet injuries. I've read enough horror stories to know that I don't really want them on the trip, regardless of who is coming. When we are on this particular base camping trip, where weight isn't an issue, I've started bringing pruning "Loppers". They don't weigh much, but they sure make it easier to trim old brush for the fire. It's a lot easier on my hands.

One other thing we've brought occasionally, on base camping trips, was minnow trap. (Mixed results).

Jakthund: "
No right or wrong as long as you follow the rules. Although the guys I saw packing bottled water over the Lake 1-2 portages was interesting. But if they want to carry it, not my business. Mildly entertaining, but to each their own.
"

Exactly, Jakthund. I get so frustrated with the crowd that says if you don't do it my way, then go to a state park etc... IMO, just follow the rules, be considerate with noise, LNT, ethics at portages and after that to each their own. You wanna bring a cellphone? As long as I don't hear you on it--have at it. Wanna bring screen tents and a kegger? As long as I don't have to listen to you or clean up--have at it. Base camp or travel--fine by me, just clean up and be quiet. I like things a bit more low-key and traditional, but that's me. I have way too much fun tripping my trip to worry about how many conveniences, electronics or gadgets you have. I would much rather outlaw the busybodies who expect everyone to act like them, than the ones who enjoy the wilderness in their own way. Again--don't let me hear you or clean up after you and you can do whatever glamping your heart desires.

I like to enjoy my time up there.
I find that the more comfortable I am, the more I enjoy.
All my footwear and the garb I wear are chosen for comfort and function. In that order.

I bring a heavy chair.......it's only downfall because it packs down decent and is bulletproof. Brought a little chair for a winter trip back in '89, and as I sat there I was thinking....."Why am I not bringing a chair on every trip?!" And I have every trip since.
The foam pad on my canoe seat transfers to the chair in camp.

I've stacked two Prolite sleeping pads for the last 10 plus years, have never slept better on the ground.

I do bring other "glamping" type items...... little side table, radio, IPod and Bluetooth speaker, string lights, solar panel to keep powercells and gadgets charged.
I freeze mini coke bottles to place next to the steak and stuff in the soft cooler which is then inserted in the insulated food pack. Depending on the fall weather, I can have a steak and chilled rum and Cokes third night in.

Is all of this needed for a successful trip? Of course not, but it personally makes a trip more enjoyable for me.

Solo canoe trips I'm limited to what I can fit in a CCS Solo Food Pack and an Explorer Pack.
Solo winter trip, I have the caboose sled option.
:)

LindenTree: "Saw this in Alaska, they swamped right before hitting the ocean.


"

So many things to say...but I won't. But I'll ask: Is the stern paddler in the middle canoe really >wearing< a backpack, while his buddy paddles with his feet on the gunwales? Oh boy...

My motto has always been: if you can carry it in, and it's legal, good for you. I have a very specific way of doing things and I deviate very little. But everyone has their own style, along with their creature comforts.

We are not super lightweight campers by any means. My only thing that I consider close to glamping gear is my sunshower. I shower before bed every night (appropriately away from the water.) It seldom gets super warm, but I don't much care...then I'll take a cold shower. We also take a very small old shortwave radio we purchased in Andorra in 1995. It keeps going!

Mike

I'd like to add a quote by Sigurd Olson.

"Simplicity in all things is the secret of the wilderness and one of its most valuable lessons.”
— Sigurd F. Olson

Less might be better and a simpler experience may be more meaningful experience.

I think for me a REI knockoff Helinox chair, a large bottle of whiskey, and my Hummingbird Helix 7 mega DI. Other than that, as previously said, I consider our hammocks glamping as well.

okinaw55: "I think for me a REI knockoff Helinox chair, a large bottle of whiskey, and my Hummingbird Helix 7 mega DI. Other than that, as previously said, I consider our hammocks glamping as well."

Spot on. Right down to the Hummingbird Helix! Flexlite chair, Jack Daniels, and a Hummingbird 5 GPS DI, and a Warbonnet Eldorado with a 10 x 14 CCS tundra tarp. These things feel a little "cushy" to me and truly help make my trips comfortable.

OCDave: "It has been a bit over a dozen years ago I switched to hammock camping. Honestly, hammock in the BWCA is my definition of "Glamping". I especially like waking up on a rainy or misty morning with a view of the water from my hammock. I have passed and even abandoned otherwise attractive campsites that had sub-par hammock-hanging sites."

Love my hammock. Not sure I'll ever sleep on the ground again. I use an oversized tarp for extra drip coverage on wet nights. In lieu of a sleeping bag, I use an under-quilt and a blanket up top. No fuss getting cozy.