21st-Century Camping

Stephen Regenold 2006-09-18 00:00:00.0

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Deep in the Garnet Mountains of northwest Montana, through a forest thick with pine, and miles from any road, John Way sleeps tight in his heated canvas tent. His head is sunk unseen in a pillow, linen-white and full. A feather bed -- stuffed with goose down, fitted custom to his cot -- cradles Way's woods-weary frame as he sleeps deep through the night.

Then, at sunrise, there is the morning cleansing ritual: "Everyone needs a hot shower in the morning," he said.

Way, a 34-year-old backcountry guide with Paws Up Outfitters of Greenough, Mont., has led hundreds of camping trips over the years, and comfort has never been an afterthought. Indeed, Way's experience at Paws Up, a company that leads extravagant backcountry trips that cost several thousand dollars per week, has turned Way into an indisputable expert on the art of luxury camping.

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Beyond the feather beds and the propane-powered hot showers -- which let campers steam off alfresco in the morning alpenglow -- Paws Up relies on several key pieces of gear to keep clients happy.

"The right equipment can turn the trip from just bearable to extravagant and pampering," Way said.

Way's top-recommended luxury camping items -- including an aluminum pack stove, a water bottle with a built-in filter and a collapsible bucket for toting fresh river water to camp -- exemplify the type of equipment that can make a wilderness trip not just comfortable, but quite cushy and civilized.

In a quest to identify a list of essential luxury camping items, we polled Way and seven additional outdoor aficionados. The group represented a fair mix of car campers, industry executives, deep-wilderness explorer types, a hard-core climber and at least two ski bums.

Opinions ranged on what qualifies as a luxury item while out in the woods. For serious outdoor athletes like Rebecca Rusch and Kaj Bune, for example, extravagance was noted in simple things like a stout carbon canoe paddle or a thin, air-filled sleeping pad. Feather beds did not enter into their equations. "If I have a regular-size pillow and a sleeping bag, things are feeling pretty luxurious," said Rusch, who lived out of her truck for three years before garnering sponsorship from the likes of Red Bull.

Kristin Piccirillo of Backcountry.com defines luxury camping equipment as "items you can live without, but wouldn't want to." Her top picks include a Nikon digital camera with an extra-long zoom lens, a two-burner propane stove, her iPod and a camp chair. She said toting the small extravagances takes up space in a backpack and adds weight to the load, but the bulk is usually worth the effort. "It adds comfort no doubt, but this kind of gear can also impress the guys!" she said.

Large tents, comfy air mats and warm sleeping bags were cited by all as top luxury items. Ancillaries like camp tables, coffee presses, coolers, portable electronics and GPS units were top picks. Liquor -- in the guise of wine by Veramonte and whisky by Laphroaig -- was an ever popular choice. Ms. Rusch nominated baby wipes; Mr. Bune, a nylon tarp. And then, of course, there's Mr. Way and his cushy feather bed. "The guests rave about them," he said.

See our slideshow of high-tech gear.