A luxury and a book...

[Springchicken]

Here is the scenario: you are heading out into the woods for a month; you have all the 'necessaries' with you in your rucksack, that is to say - something to sleep under, something to sleep on and something to sleep in, food (including brew kit), water bottles and means of purifying, clothes and boots, your knife, axe and saw, something to light a fire, something to cook in and something out of which to drink as well as headtorch or candles, compass and a map of the area.

In addition to these 'necessaries', you are allowed one luxury and one book. The luxury can be anything but you must be able to carry it in your rucksack; equally, if it is something consumable, will you be able to carry enough of it? The book is pretty self-explanatory.

So, in true "Desert Island Discs" fashion, what luxury would you choose and why? Similarly, which book and why?

Over to you...

 

[crosslandkelly]

A small folding chair and Bradford Angiers' How to Stay Alive in the Woods.

 

[Pattree]

I’ll probably rethink this in a day or so:

Item: a small First Nation flute.

Book: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam.
It’s my favourite poem, I know about a dozen random verses. In the quiet of the woods I might learn it all!

Edited to add:
The flute isn’t really a luxury. I’d have one with me anyway. I play one or more every day.

 

[Broch]

You're right, there's no section in Angiers' book on how to make a chair

 

[oldtimer]

A fully charged Kindle has proved the very realistic problem you imply. I have carried a book of cryptic crossword puzzles in my rucksack ever since getting snowed in for days with only one book while on trek many years ago.

Based on his own experience in the Great War the philosopher Herbert Read produced a book containing excerpts from a wide range of books from comic verse to the classics which was printed on very thin paper for soldiers to carry. It was called "The Knapsack" . So the problem you pose is not new, but is of eternal interest!

 

[John Fenna]

A very good bottle of Islay malt (rationed well it should last) and the complete works of Shakespeare - you can get small print copies of the complete works so no packability issues and it is a great read!
A chair I can make!

 

[hughtrimble]

Luxury: thermal monocular
Book: The Lord of the Rings. I think this can be read and reread endlessly.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Luxury: A small photo album of the dogs I've had, so in the dull moments I can whip it out & dream, reliving all the great moments we had together.
Book: Jack London's 'Call of The Wild" ....even if only reading a few chapters at a time, it's enough to spur me on & remind me of what is what.

 

[TeeDee]

Luxury: A small photo album of the dogs I've had, so in the dull moments I can whip it out & dream, reliving all the great moments we had together.
Book: Jack London's 'Call of The Wild" ....even if only reading a few chapters at a time, it's enough to spur me on & remind me of what is what.

I was not expecting that from you Sir!

 

[The puffin squire]

Pipe and jar full of plum pudding reserve and Walden by Henry Thoreau

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

 

[Tengu]

Does Lord of the Rings count as one book? If no, The Silmarillion.

(Or, the Harvard lampoons Bored of the Rings which IMHO is the funniest book ever written)

Can you have another book as luxury?

Or, a 30 piece box of high quality chocolates

 

[haptalaon]

I think for a month in the wilderness, the real things I'd struggle with would be boredom and isolation. A solar powered battery pack for my phone of some kind, above and beyond what you'd need for emergencies, allowing me to chat with people - I think it'd make a big difference.

Equally, some kind of above and beyond craft kit to stave off boredom. You can do a lot of practical and attractive camp crafts with just natural materials and a survival knife, but I'd want the advanced kit: some crochet hooks, a spoon carving knife, maybe balls of good wool for knitting and braid. Itd depend what I was into at the time. A craft equipment which was pure hobby, not a survival thing, would be good.

Books: depends how wilderness the wilderness was. If it was serious Chris McCandless territory, a decent guidebook to wild foods or whatever survival info I couldn't easily commit to memory. If more it a luxury book, lord of the Rings is a great shout. I might also pick Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It's *extremely* sedate, it's got a kind of seductive procedural dullness which reflects the patient, unglamorous spywork in the novel, and my memory is so bad that no matter how many times I read it, the twists are always a surprise. The Complete Smiley Novels anthology if that isn't a cheat. It's real comfort reading for me, and the TV series as well.

 

[haptalaon]

I’ll probably rethink this in a day or so:

Item: a small First Nation flute.

Book: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam.
It’s my favourite poem, I know about a dozen random verses. In the quiet of the woods I might learn it all!

A musical instrument is a great idea!

(ideal place to practice away from longsuffering next door neighbours!)

 

[grainweevil]

Luxury would have to be a notebook and pencils, because I'd go nuts if I couldn't write or doodle for a whole month.

Can't see any toilet paper included in the necessaries, so any book with lots of thin pages!

 

[Chris]

Luxury would have to be a notebook and pencils, because I'd go nuts if I couldn't write or doodle for a whole month.

Can't see any toilet paper included in the necessaries, so any book with lots of thin pages!

https://www.boffinsbooks.com.au/books/9780987234049/gus-and-the-shiny-ring ?

 

[Springchicken]

Can't see any toilet paper included in the necessaries, so any book with lots of thin pages!

My mistake! Assume that your hygiene essentials, along with any prescription medicines, are included in your kit. That said, I do remember that the NOLS in America teach their students how to dispense with Andrex and use two sticks instead...!