The One Luxury Item I’ll bring on the Kalalau Trail

gear May 27, 2023

Weight is one of the main concerns when selecting gear for your Na Pali adventure. I can’t count the hours I’ve spent obsessing over grams, researching and buying lighter items, and weighing my gear in an effort to shave a few more ounces here and there. And, in a way, it’s been a little, well, fun to do that.

But, there’s one item many would consider an unnecessary luxury and yet I am unabashedly packing it anyway and feel good about it. It’s the Amazon Kindle (more specifically, the Paperwhite version, which is waterproof and doesn’t mind a little sand).

Let me explain… There are several reasons why my Kindle is now indispensable to me:

Distraction when needed

Yes, we’re all coming to Kalalau to unplug, get away from things, and enjoy the amazing NaPali coast. But unless you hurry in and out with just a night or two, there will be time to fill during the day and after sunset, especially if you head out - like me - solo (for 4+ nights). The Kindle is a fantastic way to fill those gaps and dispel any boredom if and when it rears its head. Especially during a rain shower or after sunset, before turning in for the night, a quick read - preferably on the beach under the stars - does the trick.

Inspiration

Unplugging and getting away to me also means occupying my mind and reflecting on things. A great book - fiction or non-fiction - can be a great catalyst to doing just that. In past years, I’ve read several books that are actually set in Kalalau (Shadows of Kalalau, Love & Magic in Neverland) and really enjoyed that experience. This year I’ll give a hopefully inspiring non-fiction book a try.

Critical Document Storage

Turns out, you can send PDFs and other docs to the Kindle for storage and viewing. This can be quite useful for product manuals (like my favorite Garmin InReach Mini 2), first aid guides, and wilderness survival instructions - you never know! The bigger screen makes it easier to read as well compared to a phone.

Why Kindle (Paperwhite)

An actual book would - at least for me - be very challenging to bring on the trail due to the weight (and size). This particular Kindle model, on the other hand, is ideal for several reasons:

  • It only weighs 7.23 oz - not nothing, but quite doable. And it’s quite compact, so it’s very easy to slide into your pack.
  • It’s lit, which is great for the late and early hours. It even does soft, warm light so as to not mess with your circadian rhythm.
  • Battery life is weeks! You don’t have to worry about recharging it.
  • You can bring as many books as you like as it easily stores several hundred books.
  • It’s waterproof and can handle a little sand and dust - no problem. 
  • It’s easy to hold and operate with one hand.

You can see, there’s a lot to like here for the weight-conscious backpacker. Can’t you just use your phone? On shorter adventures, maybe, but I would argue that screen size and battery life make the phone an inadequate replacement.

 

So is the Kindle a little bit of a luxury item? Yeah, I suppose. But is it worth every gram to me personally? Absolutely. So you too might consider it for your Kalalau adventure.

I’m curious: what luxury item(s) can you not live without?

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