Re: Minimalist Packpacking

I do have a half-length Thermarest that I use for longer treks that I picked up years ago ... it's self inflating and does the trick, but for one night we just used the sleeping bag. Also both of us prefer hard mattresses so slept very well. Finally I only have one so didn't bring it, but do recommend it, especially me being lazy and appreciating the self-inflating feature.

On a side note, a few years ago I picked up a VE-25 tent for about $130. That's a $600 tent but with a high REI dividend and 20% off, it felt like a great deal so I picked the top of the line to maximize the 20%. I have only used it once, when my friends came down for a visit. We went in the fall and it was way too hot for them, even with cool overnight temperatures. Granted that tent was used on the summit of Mt. Everest so overkill on many levels for our climate. Even more so overkill when my friends, the little girls they are, trekked back to my car and found them in my back seat sleeping in the morning. They heard some shuffling in the woods behind our spot and thought it was a bear. It was more likely a chipmunk.