Rent a fighter or warrior pawn since people tend to make them huge and they can carry a lot. Put your camping kit on them. Forget about it for a few hours. Or do what I did, make your own huge warrior pawn instead of scantily-clad sorceror chick #30000, put the kit on him at the start of the game, and literally never think about it again. I spent significantly more time managing the mountains of monster materials I gathered and never really thought about the kit unless I found a better one.

I agree about your point regarding minor inconveniences, but I do not feel it applies in DD2s case. They’re either incredibly minor (art of metamorphosis costs 500RC, or just beat the game), or non-existent. The decision to bring a camping kit was a conscious one and I could have just left it in storage, but I felt the benefits outweighed the costs. I never considered buying a single one of the MTX. Like you said, you get around 4 port crystals per playthrough. Drop one in Bakbattahl, one by the dragonforged, one by the Sphinx shrine, and the 4th wherever. Vernworth, Harve, and two other spots late in the game (very late) get permanent ports, one of which actually replaced one of the others I had placed. If you’re considering buying RC, 1)why 2) just make your pawn a thot, those always get rented.