Check all gear TWICE before a trip

+1.  The trip before last I somehow forgot some prescription medications.  The trip prior, I forgot my pillow.  You can bet I’ve made some updates to my gear list…

Walt

I failed to pack a shelter on a three day trail maintenance trip last fall.  Ended up in a three sided ski hut … good thing … got about five hours of torrential rain the first night.

Just as important as checking your gear list is putting your gear through at least one short, easy shakedown trip before heading out for a longer trip. The first backpack of the season always turns up at least one thing that needs fixed or replaced for some reason.

I got the skis, boots, and poles for 6 friends to go skiing.  Except the boots didn’t make it into the car.

I was literally rubbing sticks together on one trip when I’d forgot the mini-Bic.  I’ve packed an extra in my repair kit ever since.

In 1935 a Boeing prototype 299 (the future B-17) crashed because the crew had not disengaged a control lock.  Even though the pilots and crew were all very experienced, airplanes had gotten so complex that the accident investigation concluded that they needed to consult a checklist.

When I was leading backpacking trips, we’d give all participants a checklist with required (tent, sleeping bag, etc) and optional (camera, notebooks, etc) gear detailed and then, upon meeting to drive to the Sierra, review those again.  That’s even more important on a Scout trip, (unless you view forgetting your sleeping bag as a great learning experience, which it is).

REI, among others, has a reasonable list.  There are LOTS of things you can leave behind on most trips, but reviewing the list lets you DECIDE to leave it behind.

https://www.rei.com/content/dam/documents/pdf/Gear%20Checklists/Printer%20Friendly/Backpacking_Checklist_PDF.pdf

A couple of years ago on a trip with a friend to the Lost Coast while setting up camp for the first night he realized that the poles weren’t included with the used tent (BA Seedhouse) he just bought on Ebay. I couldn’t believe he didn’t check it out when he received it and more so, while packing for our trip. It rained that night and the remaining nights of our trip 4-day trip. He got creative with driftwood and the tent body/fly a couple of the nights, but it didn’t look pretty. He survived the trip. I enjoyed the trip.

Five of us who grew up together as kids annually convene from various parts of the country (and one from Shanghai) for a reunion hike in Washington state.  This past year our friend from Shanghai and I both could not attend due to health reasons.  But the other three got together for a trip in the Cascades.  The host from the Seattle area bought a brand new Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 from the REI flagship store but did not test it.  Apparently it had a fly with a defective coating because on the first night out they experienced a very severe storm during which the two sharing the tent got their down bags completely soaked.  The next morning they all bailed on their trip.

In retrospect I sure was glad that I was not there because I would have been “hoppin’ mad”, having spent $500+ on airfare and taken time off from work for a one night campout!  I always, always test my gear before a trip, even if it is in my backyard.  My friends learned a hard but good lesson.  BTW, REI was most apologetic and gave Joe a full refund on the tent.

I have a list but still occasionally miss something

Sometimes I’ll put in the pile to go, check the list, then somehow it wanders out of the pile before getting to my car.

Or I’ll go through the list and skip something, like because it’s in the refrigerator, and then forget to include it.

But, I always make do.

When I work around something that’s missing, I try not to be pissed at myself, but instead try to learn what I can from working around it.  Maybe I don’t need to take that item.

Once I forgot my boots so I just went back home and got them.  The first day of the trip was different than I initially thought it would be, but that was fine.  Driving to and from the trailhead is usually a good part of the total experience.

Once I forgot my sun hat. Fortunately, I realized it before I got to the trailhead, and purchased a not-as-good a hat. Now I keep that one in the “camper”. I keep a pair of gloves there too, which I have never taken backpacking. And an emergency poncho. And an extra tent stake. The point is, storing gear which I no longer use in the “camper” makes it more likely I will have backups in case of forgetfulness or changing weather conditions.

I once had to make-do for a missing sun hat by using a rubber band and the cover taken off of a round Jiffy Pop popcorn tray. Good times.

But my favorite forgot-to-pack-it story is from the late 70’s when a friend and I did a long loop trip in Northern California (Lassen NP and the Caribou Wilderness) and discovered on the first night that between us we had neither tent stakes or a compass. The tent stakes were easily replaced by stakes we whittled from some branches, but the compass was another matter.

Our route included a cross country segment linking two parallel trails, and when we got to the jump-off point we decided that we’d just keep the sun on our right shoulder and all would be well. Now you’d think two college students with an affinity for science would have realized the sun moves during the day, but for some reason we were clueless and set out on what became a long arc that eventually met up with the other trail, but miles further down from where we expected to connect.

We sure had fun though.

**  One time I did a short 5 day backpacking trip and forgot my pack cover.

**  Another time I pulled a 6 day trip and forget my tent pole repair sleeve and just happened to break a tent pole—

**  Another time I left my car shuttle ride for a 15 day trip in my sunglasses but left my regular glasses in the car.

**  On an 18 day trip I forgot my toothbrush.

Generally though my checklist is inside my head and my pack is loaded up the same way every trip—which means every pocket and nook and cranny has its specific piece of gear—which means if a certain space is unfilled it means I’m missing something.

On my last 19 day trip in February 2017 I finally stepped on my pack’s hipbelt and broke the buckle—but luckily I ALWAYS CARRY a spare hipbelt with me in my ditty bag—

Time to go through those first aid kits too.

Toothpaste does not last forever, gets real weird.

A few weeks ago I forgot to check my pants pockets at the trailhead. Ended up carrying a worthless and heavy iPhone for 3 days, which I normally leave in my vehicle.

“Ended up carrying a worthless and heavy iPhone for 3 days, which I normally leave in my vehicle.”

I’d rather heft the extra 6 oz. than leave a $600 super mini-computer in my car parked at a TH for a couple of days just waiting for some local tweeker to swipe.

tipi wins this thread

I’ve forgot my sun hat once also, and just bought one, not real good but good enough

I’m with Alex, I’m not leaving a smartphone in my car.  I put a navigation app on it so that it’s at least theoretically useful.

A subset of this discussion might revolve around checking all gear twice before breaking camp each morning, and on breaks during the day.  This was driven home to me on a 9 day trip in 2013, when I left my backup glasses, used at night and if I get an eye infection which precludes contact lens use, behind on morning 4, and then left my sunglasses behind on a break coming down off Cartridge Pass on day 7.  That cost me dearly when it snowed overnight and I had to hike most of day 8 in blinding snow on a sunlit day 8.  This is probably mostly a senior concern, but still, I think it is worth mentioning.

Just to expand the parameters a bit: I once forgot to take the rocks out of a stuff sack I used to counter weight my food bag back when counter balancing was allowed. Carried them to the trailhead that day… (It was the last day of my hike so it didn’t take too many rocks to counter what was essentially breakfast in the other bag. Still…).

Cook kit checked and double checked.

Dark > camp > tent up. Freeze dried meal waiting. Pot, cone, fuel (ethanol) and lighter all ready to operate…………. Burner missing :-(

Ended up pouring 5ml at a time into the bowl of my spoon and lighting that – 3-4 fills to get a boil.

Only an overnighter fortunately.

Ended up pouring 5ml at a time into the bowl of my spoon and lighting that – 3-4 fills to get a boil.

Now THAT gets my “comeback player of the thread” award. ;^)

There are several items for me that CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN—namely my bic lighters and tent poles etc.  Without my Bics my trip would be ruined—since most of my food is dehydrated and works best hot.  Not having tent poles is obvious of course.

I carry three mini Bics—two in my ditty bag and one squirreled away in a “safety” container to prevent the gas depress button from ever getting accidentally pushed and draining all the fuel. (It has happened before).

Bigger items are not forgotten—tent, pack(!), pad, bag, clothing, etc.

Related to this subject is Upgrading gear when it doesn’t quite need to be upgraded—As In:  Replacing your inflatable sleeping pad with a new one when your old one is a couple years old—just to be on the safe side.  This also works for boots and some buckles and water bladders.  After a year or 18 months with my platypus 2 liter bag I always replace it with a new one even if it isn’t leaking yet.

i don’t hang much any more but packing up a hammock gives me anxiety because you really, really do not want to leave your tree straps on a tree. i usually end up stopping after 20 minutes of hiking to triple-check the straps are in my pack.

One time I left my trekking poles behind. No big deal except I needed them for the maiden voyage of my tent.  There wasn’t rain in the forecast so I cowboy camped.

Tom mentioned checking all gear twice before breaking camp each morning. Also check twice before leaving the trailhead to start your hike, and especially before driving home at the end of the trip. In the past I have lost water bottles, food, ski poles and other items on more than one occasion by putting them on or against the car, forgetting about them, and then driving home.