PDA

View Full Version : What are things you forgot?



Stone1984
09-07-2017, 15:32
I leave out for the approach trail for a 10 day section hike in the morning. As I am getting my stuff packed up in the car tonight I am wondering what I forgot.

What are some things people don't think about?

JC13
09-07-2017, 15:56
I forgot to clip my fingernails before I left last outing. Other than that, I generally re-pack the night before to ensure I have everything from my lighterpack list. Worked well so far.

Stone1984
09-07-2017, 16:05
I forgot to clip my fingernails before I left last outing. Other than that, I generally re-pack the night before to ensure I have everything from my lighterpack list. Worked well so far.
I did that last night so I wouldn't forget tonight!

kempset
09-07-2017, 16:09
I usually forget to check my headlamp battery level and spare batteries. I also like to check my toiletries just in case I overlooked some items.
Enjoy your trip!

Stone1984
09-07-2017, 16:27
I usually forget to check my headlamp battery level and spare batteries. I also like to check my toiletries just in case I overlooked some items.
Enjoy your trip!


Thanks I haven't replaced those batteries yet.

Hatchet_1697
09-07-2017, 16:40
I forgot my hiking poles once, not the end of the world. I've known ppl who forgot tent stakes, meds/ibuprofen, odor-proof bag for garbage, phone charging cord. It's usually the small stuff.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Stone1984
09-07-2017, 16:46
I have a Zpacks Duplex so if I forget my hiking poles it might be the end lol

DownEaster
09-07-2017, 17:09
I have a Zpacks Duplex so if I forget my hiking poles it might be the end lol
Naw. You just whip out your KA-BAR knife (a featherweight 2/3 of a pound) and whittle some wooden replacements. :D

Slo-go'en
09-07-2017, 17:19
Forgot my boots once, then my poles another time.

grubbster
09-07-2017, 17:30
Forgot toilet paper......once. Not a mistake you repeat.

RangerZ
09-07-2017, 18:01
Superfeet insoles for my boots.

Hatchet_1697
09-07-2017, 18:12
I have a Zpacks Duplex so if I forget my hiking poles it might be the end lol

I have an Altaplex, a good stick works wonders. Of course you'd need two. You know Irma might pay you a visit, don't forget the rain gear and a trash compactor bag pack liner.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Alligator
09-07-2017, 18:43
Can't remember...

egilbe
09-07-2017, 18:44
I forgot my spoon once, forgot to pack enough snacks once, forgot rain gear once, forgot toilet paper once...do you see a pattern?

TTT
09-07-2017, 19:11
I generally leave my troubles behind

TTT
09-07-2017, 19:17
I never forget to bring this with me


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREUrbGGrgM

MtDoraDave
09-07-2017, 20:52
So far, I've been thorough about packing things before I leave the house. (Lucky)

I have, however, left a campsite without my bear bag line. The first morning, too! Had to make due with the shorter spare the rest of the week. Since then, I retrieve it when I retrieve my food bag. Coffee can wait an extra 45 seconds.

garlic08
09-08-2017, 07:14
As others have said, leaving home isn't a problem. Make and use a detailed checklist. It's packing up from campsites or even after a meal break. Consider bringing a laminated checklist. Police the area carefully by habit and make things visible.

I no longer own the green-gray sack I once had a set of tent stakes in. I've hiked away from lunch breaks without the map bag, or poles, after setting them down behind me.

It may not apply to you, but I've left a motel room having left black rain pants in the dark corner by the bed, reading glasses on the table, compass nicely camouflaged on the patterned bed spread. Lots of people leave chargers plugged in somewhere. A friend makes a habit of leaving cameras and phones all over the world.

hikermiker
09-08-2017, 07:31
I forgot a spoon or spork one time. I picked up a piece of wood to carve into one but then visited a general store that had a plastic spoon. Now I pack an extra plastic spoon right in my foodbag.

Bronk
09-08-2017, 08:29
This may sound goofy but before I leave for a trip I mentally imagine myself setting up camp, cooking dinner, etc. It helps me mentally go over all of the gear I'm going to need and remember if I forgot something.

Uncle Joe
09-08-2017, 08:37
Left the house without fuel once. Thank goodness for 24hr Walmart! Left my folding stool this last trip. It was to be my first outing with it and have been nice to have too!

centerfieldr162
09-08-2017, 08:40
Left my trail runners once.. Man I was not happy once I realized that and had to turn the car around

Maineiac64
09-08-2017, 10:36
It is good to use a checklist.

TTT
09-08-2017, 12:03
Checklist
1. Cigarette lighter
2. Cigarettes
3. Bottle of vodka
4. 3 x cans of tomato juice
5. box of extra small condoms
6. backpack
7. collect clothes from laundry
8. buy food (lots)
9. shoes
10. passport

Longboysfan
09-08-2017, 16:30
Checklist
1. Cigarette lighter
2. Cigarettes
3. Bottle of vodka
4. 3 x cans of tomato juice
5. box of extra small condoms
6. backpack
7. collect clothes from laundry
8. buy food (lots)
9. shoes
10. passport

Thank you. I'll use this list.:banana

Dogwood
09-08-2017, 19:00
At one time or another - pocket knife, map(s), lighter(ability to start a fire), appropriate food for the length I'll be out between a resupply, sunglasses/reading glasses, bug juice/tick prevention, and basically winging it without properly preparing logistically - not reviewing the hike on a map, water availability, alerts(trail closures, etc), winging obtaining a permit if it was needed, not matching gear like shoes, apparel layers, or rain gear to the hike. You should go through all your gear setting it all up and checking it all out pre hike so you have no on trail surprises in this category.

MtDoraDave
09-08-2017, 20:52
Ooh, I remembered one!
On a cold weather outing (I'm from Florida, so anything below freezing is cold) I forgot chapstick. That trip is when I figured out I could use the Vaseline cotton ball fire starters on lips and fingers.

zig-zag man
09-09-2017, 07:12
I forgot my spoon once, forgot to pack enough snacks once, forgot rain gear once, forgot toilet paper once...do you see a pattern?
"..once.."

Mountain Wildman
09-09-2017, 08:22
I always forget to forget several unnecessary items.

TexasBob
09-09-2017, 10:39
This may sound goofy but before I leave for a trip I mentally imagine myself setting up camp, cooking dinner, etc. It helps me mentally go over all of the gear I'm going to need and remember if I forgot something.

I do the same thing and not just for backpacking.

Deacon
09-09-2017, 15:03
This summer on July 2nd, I stayed at Elisa Brook shelter after it rained 4 inches in two hours. The next morning I walked away and left my $180 Packa hanging on the outside of the shelter.

For the next eight days I walked through the Whites with no rain wear.

How dumb is that?

eblanche
09-09-2017, 15:07
Left for my through hike and forgot 1. a pen/pencil to write in my journal/notepad with. 2. a small journal/notepad to write in 3. lighters!!! did not bring on plane and forgot.

The small journal was surprisingly not available in the gift shop as I expected.

evyck da fleet
09-09-2017, 15:24
I forget��

Dogwood
09-10-2017, 17:32
There's less risk of leavingsomething at home or at a CS IF:
1) DO NOT bring a large kit
2)Have one general basic kit from which you work that is easily amendable
3)Store gear organized into categories like packs, shelters, sleep system, food, trail hygiene, cookware and fuel, apparel with sub apparel categories, etc. This makes it easier to grab needed items. If need be post an essentials checklist in your gear storage area
4)Keep a tidy pack generally repeatedly packing all items the same
5)Keep a tidy camp. Keep your
stuff together. Extra due deligence required if you're in a group?
6)at all CS's triple check for anything you may be forgetting

Dogwood
09-10-2017, 17:32
There's less risk of leavingsomething at home or at a CS IF:
1) DO NOT bring a large kit
2)Have one general basic kit from which you work that is easily amendable
3)Store gear organized into categories like packs, shelters, sleep system, food, trail hygiene, cookware and fuel, apparel with sub apparel categories, etc. This makes it easier to grab needed items. If need be post an essentials checklist in your gear storage area
4)Keep a tidy pack generally repeatedly packing all items the same
5)Keep a tidy camp. Keep your
stuff together. Extra due deligence required if you're in a group?
6)at all CS's triple check for anything you may be forgetting

Dogwood
09-10-2017, 17:34
Do not drug or drink when backpacking.

nsherry61
09-11-2017, 12:34
I'm sure I've forgotten any number of things over the years. But, I generally pack with a list and double check it, so I have never left behind anything vital.

However, since my packing lists include "first aid kit" as a single line item, it is not uncommon for me to head out with some items missing from inside my little emergency kit that I forgot to replenish following a previous trip. Never fear though, for anything truly vital, I always have more than one way of solving the problem, even if the alternative is a pain in the back side.

Forgot chap stick? Put sun screen on my lips.
Forgot band-aids? I use duct tape or athletic tape.
Forgot sunscreen? I use chap stick or various cloth coverings.
Forgot spare batteries? I pull out my little emergency backup light.
Forgot toilet paper? Good. That's just smart. I hate the stuff. Water works so much better.

tak2w
09-11-2017, 13:37
Last trip I forgot to test my Sawyer Squeeze water filter. When I went to use it I couldn't get any water through it...well maybe just a few drops, but it would have probably taken an hour to filter a liter at that rate. It worked fine on my previous trip and I had only used it with clear water, so it shouldn't be clogged. Anyway I tried to back flush it with a Smart Water bottle with the squeeze top, but no mater how hard I squeezed, no water would go through. Fortunately I was able to share a friend's filter, so no real issue. When I got home I tried to back flush it with the syringe, with not much luck. I ended up soaking the filter in water overnight and that did the trick. After that I was able to back flush it and it worked like new. Not sure what the issue was.

Anyway, two things not to forget:
1. Test your filter before you leave.
2. Backup method for water purification (aquamira, tablets, etc.)

BuckeyeBill
09-12-2017, 11:07
Last trip I forgot to test my Sawyer Squeeze water filter. When I went to use it I couldn't get any water through it...well maybe just a few drops, but it would have probably taken an hour to filter a liter at that rate. It worked fine on my previous trip and I had only used it with clear water, so it shouldn't be clogged. Anyway I tried to back flush it with a Smart Water bottle with the squeeze top, but no mater how hard I squeezed, no water would go through. Fortunately I was able to share a friend's filter, so no real issue. When I got home I tried to back flush it with the syringe, with not much luck. I ended up soaking the filter in water overnight and that did the trick. After that I was able to back flush it and it worked like new. Not sure what the issue was.

Anyway, two things not to forget:
1. Test your filter before you leave.
2. Backup method for water purification (aquamira, tablets, etc.)

Sounds like some "crud" got caught when you used it and forgot to back flush it. Remember that it filters down to .1 microns. By soaking it, you basically hydrated the filter and "crud" so as to make back flushing possible.

Maineiac64
09-12-2017, 11:18
I got to the trailhead once and realized that i would soon need to be digging a cathole. I then realized I hadn't packed my trowel/tp etc. I decided to look around in my car for alternatives and there was my poop kit on the seat since I had brought it with me on a day hike the weekend before. Phew. That was a relief.

Deadeye
09-12-2017, 11:25
fuel for the stove, now I include that on the checklist!

DuneElliot
09-12-2017, 11:42
Last trip I forgot to test my Sawyer Squeeze water filter. When I went to use it I couldn't get any water through it...well maybe just a few drops, but it would have probably taken an hour to filter a liter at that rate. It worked fine on my previous trip and I had only used it with clear water, so it shouldn't be clogged. Anyway I tried to back flush it with a Smart Water bottle with the squeeze top, but no mater how hard I squeezed, no water would go through. Fortunately I was able to share a friend's filter, so no real issue. When I got home I tried to back flush it with the syringe, with not much luck. I ended up soaking the filter in water overnight and that did the trick. After that I was able to back flush it and it worked like new. Not sure what the issue was.

Anyway, two things not to forget:
1. Test your filter before you leave.
2. Backup method for water purification (aquamira, tablets, etc.)

I had a similar issue. I HAD backflushed it after my final trip of the summer last year. Went to use it on the first trip this year...it barely worked. I believe my issue was hard water and calcium and lime deposits as the water eveporated inside the filter. Now I backflush with vinegar. I don't carry a back-up filter on trips with others but I do add a Sawyer Mini in when I am solo.

I forgot to put my lighter back in my cook-kit one time but I always have a spare in the FAK. I also left my hiking poles leaning against my truck for my very first trip out...and I needed at least one for my tent. A very nice lady loaned me hers as she was just out for the day and I dropped them off on the way home. I ALMOST forgot my tent on this last trip...sitting on the floor in a black bag in a shadow.

I apparently misplaced my headlamp this last trip (swear I packed it, but maybe not) and left my gloves on the ground next to where I'd taken a bathroom break.

I pack the same way every time and I always organize well in advance so there is lower risk of missing stuff as well as keeping cettain things for backpacking only and separate from home stuff...like toiletries. Spoons and water bottles get washed and then put back in the pack as does my pillow.

Engine
09-12-2017, 13:26
About 30 seconds after the shuttle drove away I realized I was wearing my camp shoes and had left my hiking shoes at the hostel in Andover, Maine...9 miles away with no cell service at the trail head. After some cussing I started the walk toward town and thankfully got cell service 1/4 mile down the road. THANK YOU VERIZON!

Leo L.
09-12-2017, 13:41
The great caravans crossing the deserts had perfect help for the problem of "things you forgot":
Whenever a caravan was leaving the initial starting settlement, or an oasis they had stayed in on their way, they would walk just a few miles out of civilisation, and stop for the first night.
This way, anybody who had forgotten something, could always rush back and come up to the caravan again during the night.

TTT
09-12-2017, 18:41
It would have been really embarrassing if you had forgotten to bring your camel with you

Leo L.
09-13-2017, 04:48
Your date from the last oasis would ride up to your nearby nightcamp for a very last *** anyway...

RangerZ
09-13-2017, 06:54
Your date from the last oasis would ride up to your nearby nightcamp for a very last *** anyway...

Midnight at the oasis, send your camel to bed ...

Heliotrope
09-13-2017, 08:00
I never forget to bring this with me


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jREUrbGGrgM

Awesome


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Heliotrope
09-13-2017, 08:04
In the desert I can't seem to remember my name.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

flemdawg1
09-13-2017, 13:01
Forgot the superfeet insoles to my shoes, right before starting the 100 mile Wilderness. Forgotten the spork a couple of times, tent stakes another time.

Puddlefish
09-14-2017, 07:39
I hiked about six miles before I realized I left my insoles back at a hostel. I just left them behind.

The outer sole was glued back together after ripping nearly in half on a rock a few days earlier, and I was near Damascas where I was intending to replace the boots anyway. The extra space in the toe box was actually more comfortable, and convinced me to buy a shoe with a wider toe box.

Jayne
09-14-2017, 12:21
Checklists are great and help a lot but after 5 or 6 days of hiking I start doing stupid things. Last spring I left the dirty water bag for my Platypus Gravityworks filter hanging from a tree (I put the rest of it in my pack :P ). I made it about 6 miles up and over a mountain before I realized I had a problem.

MisterQ
09-14-2017, 17:22
L


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk