That quote has been used to justify all manner of camping excess. I suppose it could be taken to mean Bring everything you want, and be 100% comfortable at all times. To do this you'd need, of course, to be car camping. Car camping, glamping, and other super plush forms of camping have their place but for the most part this kind of outdoor experience is not for me.
But I love the quote - and that love relies on an interpretation of the quote that's about as far from promoting glamping as you can get.
The quote is from the book Woodcraft and Camping which also includes a chapter titled: A Ten Day Trip in the Wilderness - Going It Alone. In this chapter Sears traverses, by foot, a 60 mile chunk of Michigan (this was written in the 1800's so it really was a wilderness). Something tells me that when he refers to "smoothing it" he wasn't talking about hauling a two-burner stove with him.
Another tip off is that, still in the same book, he says, "Go light; the lighter the better, so that you have the simplest material for health, comfort and enjoyment."
Is it possible to go light and still smooth it? Sure. But it requires knowledge of how to do more with less, and most importantly, a definition of smoothing it that doesn't include being perfectly comfortable at all times.
Referring to the "smoothing it" quote, he also says, "To this end you need peaceful days and pleasant nights. You cannot afford to be tormented and poisoned by insects, nor kept awake at night by cold and damp, nor to exhaust your strength by hard tramps and heavy loads. Take it easy, and always keep cool."
I should mention that Sears was a slight man, 5'3" and weighing slightly over 100 lbs. He wasn't some big brute that considered a 70 lb pack light.
I guess the next question is: what does all this have do with biking? Many riders strip down the things they carry to maybe a granola bar and various tools to fix their bike. If that's your style then by all means, go for it. My frame bag lives on my bike and carries: a map, folding saw, poop kit (trowel, TP, hand sanitizer), extra cord, sheath knife, lighter, and a tool kit and pump. Depending on what kind of ride I'm doing also included could be a lock, pot, stove, fuel for the stove, SPOT GPS device, chain lube, clothing layers. Every single one of the things I carry sees at least occasional use - and I carry them because they make my rides better. Maybe carrying around the extra weight slows me down, but 1) we Americans have an unhealthy obsession with speed. I go on bike rides to interact with the outdoors, not to blast through it as quickly as possible. 2) If you enjoy riding you're probably going to do more of it, which makes you faster. The things I carry make riding more enjoyable.
An example: last week I did some bikepacking, and took with me more than I technically needed in order to stay warm at night. It was forecast to get down to the high 30's but I took my 0˚ sleeping bag and a sleeping pad for sleeping on snow. I didn't think that my summer top quilt and under quilt would keep me comfortable. Of course the warmer gear was bulkier and heavier. I'm still glad I had it with me.
