What's the dumbest thing you've done

[Drybones]

I'm still feeling guilty about calling someone a dummy a week ago, made me recall what a dumba** I was when I was younger, I'm still alive only by the grace of God, cant believe some of the stupid stuff i did, it's a miracle any kid lives past the age of 12. What's the dumbest thing you've done, nothing please that can be used against you in a court of law.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

imagine 11yrs old, large garage, can of gasoline and an M80....kaboom

[moytoy]

I'm going to qualify this. I'm not going to include anything that had to do with a pretty girl There was some really dumb stuff.
When I was 14 I stepped off a 50' drop because I walked into a wasp nest. I still limp.

[JustaTouron]

Me and my friends created a pipe bomb by cutting off the heads of matches and sticking them in pipe, we blew it up in the woods. I am still amazed we were lucky to get thru that without a spark while we sawed off the heads of hundred of matches. One spark and we would have been seriously injured, probably not killed, but seriously hurting.

[Drybones]

I'm going to qualify this. I'm not going to include anything that had to do with a pretty girl There was some really dumb stuff.
When I was 14 I stepped off a 50' drop because I walked into a wasp nest. I still limp.

Yeah...there's probably a lot of us out there that wont confess to the truely dumbest thing we've done because it involves a member of the opposite sex.

[Drybones]

Yeah...there's probably a lot of us out there that wont confess to the truely dumbest thing we've done because it involves a member of the opposite sex.

And I'll give you odds it's not 5 posts before someone says the dumbest thing was getting married.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I am an optimist and like to think that my dumbest days are still to come.

[Drybones]

I am an optimist and like to think that my dumbest days are still to come.

Hey, you're still young, bound to have some stupid still left in you.

[coach lou]

And I'll give you odds it's not 5 posts before someone says the dumbest thing was getting married.

I was contemplating posting....'The third time'....but I do love her AND she likes to Backpack and fish!

[Teacher & Snacktime]

And I'll give you odds it's not 5 posts before someone says the dumbest thing was getting married.

You did, and it was post #6

[Drybones]

I was contemplating posting....'The third time'....but I do love her AND she likes to Backpack and fish!

Backpack and fish......I'd keep her.

[hikerboy57]

I was contemplating posting....'The third time'....but I do love her AND she likes to Backpack and fish!

Backpack and fish......I'd keep her.

and she makes a wicked cheesecake

[max patch]

To keep this hiking related years ago I boiled water for my morning coffee. Only I somehow poured white gas into the cook pot instead of water. The eventual ensuing fireball was warning enough not to drink the "water".

[Drybones]

To keep this hiking related years ago I boiled water for my morning coffee. Only I somehow poured white gas into the cook pot instead of water. The eventual ensuing fireball was warning enough not to drink the "water".

You got first place so far Max.

[Drybones]

I was contemplating posting....'The third time'....but I do love her AND she likes to Backpack and fish!

All she's lacking is a good coon dog and a pick up truck and she's be the perfect wife.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Not the dumbest thing I've ever done, but it was the worst meal I've ever had on the trail:

Alright TW, I think I've got the winning story.


The first ever overnight I did as an adult had a memorable experience. My buddy and I had just dropped a good chunk of money buying gear for backpacking even though we couldn't afford it, in order to make ends need and still hike, my buddy who had no experience made his own soda can alcohol stove for the trip.


I was skeptical at first, but he tried it out in his kitchen and the soda can stove worked well, it boiled water quick enough and was practically free, so I agreed to use it. He even bought a MSR backpackers pot to go with the stove.


On our first day out we made it seven miles ( a big deal on your first trip wearing a pack in over a decade). We got to the campsite and I proceeded to make dinner. I removed the stove that was nestled in the new cookpot, lit it with the denatured alcohol I bought and made couscous.


The first few bites were okay, but then I accidentally took a bite from the part that was at the bottom of the cookpot and my mouth exploded in pain and sent signals to my brain that we were under attack. I instantly turned green and without consciously knowing what happened I ran close to the edge of the tent site and spit out everything in my mouth, replacing it with dry heaving. Not knowing what happened, I unsuccessfully tried to rinse my mouth out as my very concerned hiking buddy tried to see if he could help. He said so something to the effect of "I've never had couscous before but this tastes terrible". To which I responded that I ate the stuff all the time and that this must save been contaminated.


After a brief discussion, the truth came out. It turns out that my buddy was too lazy to buy proper cooking alcohol when testing his stove. Instead he grabbed the only flammable liquid he had available, his girlfriend's nail polish remover, and used that for his first few trial runs. The problem is that nail polish remover does not fully burn down and instead leaves a residue that tastes something like rocket fuel. Turns out that since he hadn't washed the stove before putting it inside the cookpot, all the residue was shaken out into the cookpot.


Not an experience that I will soon forget.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

what's a little acetone in your couscous....wimps

[HikerMom58]

I was contemplating posting....'The third time'....but I do love her AND she likes to Backpack and fish!

YUP............................

and she makes a wicked cheesecake

She's a keeper!! AND she's good at shoveling snow...

[JustaTouron]

Not the dumbest thing I've ever done, but it was the worst meal I've ever had on the trail:

Hate to derail a basically humor thread, with a serious issue, but your story got me wondering. Is it safe for me to store my white gas stove inside my cooking pot? Haven't had an issue yet, but that doesn't mean it is safe. I know it is fairly common practice but is it a good idea?

[Toli]

Not the dumbest thing I've ever done, but it was the worst meal I've ever had on the trail:

Did you punch him in the junk???