Important Lesson’s You’ve Learned the Hard Way

Don't assume your partner has the spare water.

Grizzly bears with radio collars have attitude…

Hi Adam

> I was thinking of doing a reader review on Jetboil, but really, I am never going to use the thing bushwalking again (its too heavy for my liking anyway

Way too heavy. Try a light upright like Snow Peak GST100 or Vargo Jet-Ti and a light Ti pot – a fraction of the weight for any length trip.

Lesson learnt:
Really, its OK to bring an extra 1 or 2.

Lesson: Don't hike Bonney Pass (Wind Rivers, approach to Gannet from Titcomb basin) in the dark after waking up from a poor nights sleep at 3:30 just to wander/suffer up 2,000 vert of fluid talus in the dark only to get onto the glacier and find Gannet buried in cloud and it starts to snow. So, we turned around, not feeling like climbing wet class 3-4 rock in a cloud while being cold….. so, back we went, up and over Bonney Pass again and all the way back down 2,000 vertical feet of steep talus….

1. Go with what you are comfortable with, whether it be trip route, daily destination, food packing or gear packing/choices. But be judicious or you will run into number 2.

2. Do not overpack on food. Despit the temptation, do not overpack. Apply the benefit of past experience. And plan for the actual trip. If due to a last minute change in trip location it apears your loop will only last four nights, do not fail to unpack the extra four nights rations you packed for a possible second four night loop.

3. Research your trip, and then do not change plans at the last minute based on word from a USFS employee who staffs the office and answers the Ranger District Office phone when you call.

4. If you do change your trip location at the last minute, do not talk toa thru hiker you run into a week or so later who just hiked through your original intended hike location becuase he will report that conditions were ideal; perfect.

5. If you do change a long planned trip at the last minute and end up humping twice the food you need because you were in too great a hurry to get in to the first nights' camp, eat well, and be philosphical about it. Also, take some of your wife's pack weight on, as this is her first backpacking trip in 15 years, and you want her to have a good time.

6. Take Baileys and hot chocolate and powdered gatorade and monopolova vodka.

7. remember that you can always take that trip next year.

8. Always take a knife, even on a day hike in familiar territory.

9. If you hike where the lemmings (overweight suburbanites) hike, take your cell phone.

10. Leave the ten essentials in your pack at all times.

11. Take gloves.

12. Stainless is heavy. Take titanium, but foil lids blow away.

13. Take a sit pad.

14. Take a disposable paperback. A light, used one.

15. Take a trash bag big enough to serve as a pack cover if need be.

16. Avoid the "military – industrial complex" that has taken over the outdoor recreation products world as much as possible.

17. Food shop at Winco, not REI.

18. Have a fire if legal.

19. Clean up after others.

20. Be willing to move camp.

21. Slow down and enjoy the walk.

22. Do some trail maintenance while hiking, and dedicate some time (a couple weekends a year at least) to trail work.

23. Be nice to the people you meet on the trail; don't just hike on by unless it is a mob scene. If it is, hightail it.

24. Carry matches and/or a lighter in your pocket at all times.

25. Take red peper flakes, pepper and salt.

Do what you need to do for coffee.

17. Food shop at Winco, not REI.

May I add: Shop at WinCo, Trader Joes and Central Market ;-) And online at Harmony House Foods and Just Tomatoes.

That is everything you could need!

1. never let a guy named Roach cook
2. always make a note of things that worked or didn't work
3. always clean/repair/dwr finish equipment after a trip
4. always inspect climbing equipment before and after a trip
5. never tie into a rope on a technical mountain route if you haven't rock climbed or scrambled with them before
6. when I start to believe this is more like a lifestyle then a hobby I look at old pictures and reminice about friends and dogs I've known.
7. don't talk to me about equipment, it doesn't mean sand.
that's why you have a visa card and free will.

-forgetting sleeping bag (I feel snuggly, how bout you?)
-forgetting climbing gear (especially rope)
-forgetting gear (I was suppose to clean what?)
-forgetting the rack on lead (Now where's that…awww..crap)
-forgetting to re-rack (You'd think I learn)
-dropping gear on top of a LONG climb and it's getting dark (well, there goes the ATC, my water AND my dignity)
-forgetting one's light when rapping down the last 3 full length pitches in pitch black(of course it has to be overhanging, and the ATC is still missing)
-forgetting driver's liscence while standing on the side of the road being stripped search in the snow in socks, while trying to convince the officer that the climbing gear is NOT for breaking into a bank (having a roll of $1 dollar bills in the glove box doesn't help either)

-Trying to convince a significant other that the last 10 miles is really 3 miles (Couch has become my new snuggly buddy)

-Trying convince significant other that we don't need a shelter it won't rain (It sleeted instead)

-Last but not least, forgetting mountain money (toilet paper), after forgetting the sleeping bag, forgetting the rope, losing the light, dropping the ATC, stripped searched in the snow, eaten bad food and in dire need of wipage.

cheers

1. Letting yourself get cold, tired, hungry and dehydrated diminishes not only your strength but your intelligence! If you want to make good descisions, eat, drink, layer up, and call it a day before you're spent- if you don't, you get DUMB…

2. Endorphins from pushing hard make you feel good. They also allow you to injure yourself without realising, and to push yourself even further beyond the limits you've already exceeded. NEVER give it 100%- give it 70 at most, then you've got a clear head and 30 in hand to deal with the unexpected without flaking out.

Same thing really, but I reckon most of my tragi-comic blunders have stemmed from one of these two points.

1.) Take a camera … leaving it at home is NOT worth the weight savings

2.) Don't hesitate to ask people along the trail to take your picture when solo …. you make great friends that way.

3.) Cut your planned mileage in half whenever possible. The Journey IS the destination …. unless you just like saying … "man … I wish I'd spent a little more time at xxxxx".

4.) Don't hike with people you can't or don't trust just because they can make the trip when you can. You'll end up solo anyway, why not start out that way.

5.) Two cups of rice weigh almost nothing but can stretch your food by DAYS if you need it to.

6.) Learn how to cook over an open fire ….. there is no such thing as a 100% reliable stove.

7.) An Ace bandage is ALWAYS a good thing to carry.

8.) Mark's Law: The temperature will ALWAYS drop 15 degrees lower than predicted when you don't carry enough insulation.

9.) A knife, some cord, a lighter, raingear, and warm clothes are MANDATORY anytime you leave the trailhead.

10). Hypothermia only takes 3 hours to kill. Thirst will take three days, hunger three weeks. Stay dry and stay warm.

11.) Routefinding is the MOST important backcountry skill. There's not a mountain range in North America that you can't hike out of in 5 days or less if you can find your way.

12.) A good Map is NOT optional.

1. When sitting around the campfire, my current position is always downwind.

2. Smoke hurts my eyes.

3. But there is still little else as comforting in this world as a nice fire on a cold, dark night.

1. It will always be better then you think, or it looks, up in the mountains but if you don't go you'll never know.
2. The reason they called him Shortcut Bill is he wasn't.
3. If I just brought a bivy sack to cover my bag with I'd be dry right now.[greg child]
4. If I'd just brought a bag to cover me during this bivy I'd be warm right now. [greg child]
5. Dehydrated green cabbage flakes do not reconstitute into coleslaw.
6. The US Forest Service and National Park Service measure trail miles in klingonese. Mountain weather reports are in Romulan.
7. Like your friends, dislike your enemies,and regard strangers with tolerant indifference.[edward abbey]
8. I always wanted to be Norman Clyde but I couldn't carry his pack, walk in his footsteps, or climb in his shadow, everytime I thought I'd found a remote untrod summit or ridge in the Sierra he'd been there first with fifty more pounds and twenty more years in age so I decided to be Fred Beckey and after tackling a few northwest classics realized I wasn't going to be Fred either. Currently I've reinstalled a new brain and I'm trying to be me.
9. All this really still doesn't mean sand….

From a New Zealand perspective, many of the things I've gained insight into revolve around the weather.

1) The weather forecast is wrong more often than right

2) Therefore never cancel/postpone a trip because of a bad weather forecast

3) Never leave the house unless you are fully prepared for four seasons in one day

4) If you DO pull out of a trip because of a bad weather forecast, DO NOT ask the people who went anyway "how was your trip?" The answer will always be "Great. Fine and sunny."

5) Look forward to wet feet. If you dread the idea of wet feet, you will not have a good time. become one with the water. Whatever you do, DO NOT take your boots off to cross a creek or river. If you do this for every water crossing it will double the amount of time it takes to cover the distance. And other people will laugh at you.

6) Knee high gaiters are you closest friends.

7) "Spaniards" are your worst enemies. They're what make gaiters your closest friends.

8) On second thought, sandflies are your worst enemies. At least spaniards don't ruin your evening while you're sitting around trying to cook dinner, or wake you up at crack of dawn, or keep you scratching all night…

9) Just because there is a track or hut marked on the map, do not count on it being there when you walk it. This also applies to 'route descriptions'. One man's 'route' is another man's 'lost in space' nightmare.

10) No, there is no cell phone cover, so don't even think about it

10 insights is enough for today.

Hmmmm… Very interesting topic.

– Don't camp in a depression.
– Long miles can lead to stress fractures.
– All trail runners are not created equal. I buy stiffer trail runners to avoid stress fractures.
– Milage on trail signs is often innacurate.
– Durable gear is important to me. I'm not into disposable gear.
– It's worthwhile to carry more water than I think I'll need. I feel more thirsty if I'm worried about my water supply.
– In some regions, you can go many, many miles with no camping.
– Sleeping in the wind SUCKS, windproofness is a high priority in shelters for me.
– For early season trips, be prepared to get shut down by heading in to the high country before the snow melts.
– Carry more clothes to the trailhead than you think that you'll need, it might be colder up there.
– Packcovers are not waterproof.
– Advice on the internet is often dubious, provided by "experts" who go out only a few times per year.
– All gear is a compromise: don't get caught up in spending too much money because something isn't "perfect". Nothing is perfect.
– Always look back at a rest stop or camp after you've taken a couple steps away from it. Loosing stuff in the backcountry sucks. If you do loose something, completely dump your pack. I've found maps at the bottom of my pack two days after I've lost them and had completely redefined my trip.
– Don't leave food in your pack, EVER. In bear country, take your bear canister out of your pack as your first order of action once getting to camp.

Coming from near sea level, I would always get a terrific headache on my first day backpacking in the mountains. I found that if I went to the mountains a couple of days early and did easy day hikes and sightseeing, I didn't get the headaches when backpacking. I also got to learn a little more about the environment and history of the area.

*A small ziplock of candy placed in the bottom of the pack and forgotten about later makes for an amazing boost! It's like finding a $20 bill in your pockets, only you can eat the candy. I've actually shouted with joy that I found 2 pieces of Jolley Ranchers.

Unless the bear gets to if first!

When you haven't hiked in the mountains in a while, don't pick the hardest trail and expect to walk long miles.

A mile is always longer then it seems.

Everyone likes the equipment that they own. Find many reviews before purchasing gear.

Never climb down a tree off a 100' bluff. The branches will soon run out and the tree will be too wide to hug.

Quote from Aaron Sorenson:
1. Map
2. Compass (optionally supplemented with a GPS receiver)
3. Sunglasses and sunscreen
4. Extra food and water
5. Extra clothes
6. Headlamp/flashlight
7. First aid kit
8. Fire starter
9. Matches
10. Knife

Woops, I rarely carry more than 4-5 of these.

Learning the knowledge of the area before hand, I don't carry a compass or Map, (If on trails).

I usually go cold food and there aren't too many places in California that you can start a fire at any way, so no matches or fire starter.

I never carry a knife; never use it, maybe to clean my fingernails.

Extra clothes- Not really necessary if you have a warm enough sleeping bag along with good rain gear, right? (and you don't do anything stupid).

Extra food- Only if I am in the middle of nowhere.

First aid kit- Same as above, maybe some tape for the feet if I'm out for more than 3 days and I'm pushing some technical trails.

I only 2 things I consider essentials that aren't on the list are.
1. Insulation for head.
2. Water purification.

People are too needy.

Aaron,

I am sure you are an experienced backpacker with much skill. However your line of thinking is dangerous. You may have gotten lucky over the years but one day the stuff will hit the fan and the items you poo poo could save your life. If you are not an experienced backpacker you are really dangerous. My $.2, take it for what it's worth.

The following is based on 19 years of backpacking, I turn 31 in 9 days.

1. When camping on the snow an open cell foam pad will not keep you warm. A closed cell foam pad is the minimum, closed and open in nice.
2. With in safe reason, quiting because you are tired will haunt you. You will forget how tired you were and only remember that you quit. (See a previous post about the 70% rule when deciding to quit.)
3. Just because synthetics will keep you warm when wet is no reason not to put on you rain clothes.
4. Don't expect to use a filter the next morning if temps are below freezing and your filter is left out in the cold over night with water in it.
5. Don't drink tea or coffee at night. Try warm water and Cytomax or other electrolyte replacement instead. Caffeine and the excitement of a big day will keep you up.
6. Bring ear plugs. Wind, animals, noisy camp mates combined with .25 inches of padding makes it hard to sleep.
7. Wear all your cloths to bed and carry a lighter weight sleeping bag.
8. You don't have to be having fun to have fun. Sometimes the agony of the moment is the memory you will cherish the most in hindsight.
9. Clean feet make happy feet.
10. Sleeping bags aren't just meant for sleeping. They are great for staying warm while sitting around camp before bed.
11. Don't try to climb some rock feature, alone, when you have no business trying to climb said rock feature.
12. Camping alone when conditions are deteriorating is scary and just plain sucks.
13. Being too close to lighting is scary and just plain sucks. Plan you day and trip so as not to be caught in exposed areas if lightning threatens.
14. That sound you hear outside your tent is likely MUCH smaller than it sounds. Now go back to sleep.
15. Don't carry water to a dry camp very far. Turns out water is heavy and you need more than you think.
16. Heavy sunglasses that slide down your nose cause strain in muscles in your head.
17. 2 trekking poles are the only way to fly.
18. Don't try to look over really big cliffs. I still get the willies from sitting on the edge of Half Dome with my feet dangling over the edge when I was like 16. Stupidity of youth.

Wow, Mtnfiend, 19 years of backpacking. Most sound like overt common sense to me. $20 says maybe in another 19 some of these might change, maybe even one with some wisdom!

Donald,

Thanks for the complements chief. We don't all become wise overnight. If you do the math I started backpacking as a 12 year old. Overt common sense is built over a lifetime. I assume you ran out of the womb with godly omnipotence?

Not sure why you are trying to start trouble in such an insightful thread.

A good 3rd post on this forum… from someone who is still trying to figure out the difference between a softshell and a hardshell:
2nd Post

A hardshell is what you get when you wear your softshell crosscountry skiing in below freezing weather in our Northwest. It will return to its soft condition upon thawing.

1. Choose your campsite wisely. Camped once at site #71, Whiteoak Branch Trail (horse + hiker), Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It began raining early in the evening. By supper time, rivers of horse… em, waste were flowing everywhere. Only two flat spots for tents, both downhill. By morning, everything was covered in a film of manure.

2. Try your food before going. Same trip, I whipped out a package of MSR mashed potatoes. They were awful, and going to bed on a less-than-full stomach did not help my already manure-induced lousy mood.

3. Take extra snacks and water. Learned a few weeks ago that even one extra Hershey's bar or a handful of peanuts can give you some extra zip at the end of a long day-hike.

4. Get your food bag line ready before sundown. Nothing like trying to fling a rock over a dimly flashlight-lit branch at 10:00 PM. There's also nothing like hearing that same rock whiz by your face after you actually got it over the branch and it turned into a 90 MPH pendulum coming straight back at you.

Man of Wisdom spaketh "and it turned into a 90 MPH pendulum coming straight back at you."

I saw that one last year! The adrenalined kid tried to impress all when threw the line with a heavy rock over the bear bag line, saw it coming back at him, ducked and SCHWAKKK/THUUDD!, beaned and dropped his helper, who apparently forgot to bring his night vision goggles….

I think there is another lesson learned there, be it use something soft for ballast, or clear the area before launch…