Some other thoughts about wanting comfort is that it can be a slippery slope as well. I'm not arguing against taking something that gives a person joy but when we start valuing comfort in camp too much we can forget that we also need to schlep all that comfort around wherever we go. If you choose comfort in tents, sleeping systems, cooking gear, clothing, recreation devices etc... without a counter consideration of "can I do without this for a time" you will pay for that in discomfort pedaling.
That discomfort then impacts your tour decisions. You choose shorter routes, less mileage per day, fewer hills etc... or in the case of one former member, an e motor to haul his multiple sleeping systems, four gps units, extra battery packs, trailer and jumbo sized SS thermos.
I'm robably a little more spartan than most but I also like the stoic sensability. My home, where I spend the majority of my life, is very comfortable, with all the amenities that I constantly find I have to clean or maintain and I find getting a way for a week or two or three provides a chance to bring things back to simplicity. I only have a few things to care for, a couple of activities to perform and one "job" as it were - pedaling down the road and taking pictures.
It also depends where you are touring. Currently I spend my time in western Canada which is sparsely populated and with services and attractions far apart. For me it makes sense to do at least 100km's per day if I want to optimize my vacation time and complete routes. To do that I need to go lighter. If I were touring Europe or Japan or the NE US I might be more content to do less mileage because of the dense population and availability of attractions/services. Doing 100km a day in GB (for example) seems counter intuitive as one would miss so many stops of interest.
Last edited by Happy Feet; 06-24-19 at 10:20 AM.