PDA

View Full Version : Abandoned Gear



ShakeyLeggs
03-25-2007, 02:58
What are some of the things that have been abandoned on the trail? I have seen tents, food items, clothing.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
03-25-2007, 07:44
I've seen several stoves, a full bottle of fuel, cookware, several sleeping pads, a cotton quilt :eek:, a four man wall tent (had to weigh about 10 pounds), ripped tarps, ponchos, rain pants and a full pack with note on it that said "Take what you need, I'm going home"

Dances with Mice
03-25-2007, 08:28
This week (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15782&c=654): Tent and poles with bags, shower curtain, and cooking utensils (spatula, large spoons, etc), candle, roll of duct tape, paperback novel all from one shelter.

moxie
03-25-2007, 09:56
I maintain a section in Maine almost 200 miles from Katahdin and I find abandoned gear even this far north. Of course some of it could be left by southbounders. It is uaually left in shelters or hiker boxes, At Springer alot is tossed into the woods or left along the trail. I gave away a huge salami in Georgia. It was heavy, would take me weeks to eat it, and I gave it to a trail maintainer that could use it.

Appalachian Tater
03-25-2007, 10:04
Huge cans of unknown variety of fish from Russia, at several different shelters in the 100 Mile Wilderness. Each can could have fed at least six people.

Spam brand turkey, pouches and pouches of it, in Dalton, MA and again at several shelters to the north.

Slim Jims, scattered about the fire ring, at a shelter just south of Rangely, ME.

Plus the ATC headquarters in Harpers Ferry had a wider selection of different "flavors" of ramen than any grocery store I've ever seen.

freefall
03-25-2007, 12:16
I have seen tents, food items, clothing.


This week (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15782&c=654): Tent and poles with bags...


... a four man wall tent (had to weigh about 10 pounds)...

Last year heading out of NOC:

Two cousins had started from Springer and were sharing some gear inlcuding a three person tent dome tent like you get at Wally World, etc... Well, one ran out of money and decided to go home at the NOC so the other absobed allthe gear that they were sharing, including this tent. Well, hiking out of the NOC I passed him which was unusual as he was a faster hiker than me. About a half hour later he comes bounding up and passes me. I asked him where he gotthe burst of energy? his reply: I dropped that f'ing tent back there, feels 100% lighter.

I almost, almost went back to take the tent to the NOC but dreaded starting that climb all over again.

Doctari
03-25-2007, 18:50
I found a perfecly good "wally world type" tent in front of Tray Mt Shelter in 97. With a heavy brown tarp under it. As I was already carrying over 65 Lbs (Hey, it was my first long hike) I didn't have the energy to carry it, but I did take it down & put it in the shelter. I think someone took the tarp cause he didn't have a ground cover. The tent was in good condition, but set up in a poor location & it had T-stormed about 3 nights before, lots of water inside.

TJ aka Teej
03-25-2007, 19:22
Between Katahdin Stream and Hurd Brook over the few years: Two tents, Vermont trail maps, a nice old brass compass, a little pair of binoculars with a bird guide, four pairs of jeans neatly folded on a rock, dozens of gallon ziplocks of various food stuffs, cans of tuna, a pair of walkie talkies, dozens of batteries, four or five new heavy tourist-type carved wood hiking staffs, some books-on-tape (including Bryson's Walk), many paperbacks, some cheap hiking poles, sneakers, socks, tee shirts, lighters... and that's just the stuff I lugged out. The Rangers at Katahdin Stream and Daicey Campgrounds, trail maintainers, and Linda at Abol collect boxes and boxes of abandoned gear from MEGAs every year.

RockStar
03-25-2007, 21:07
I saw a long sleeve button up denim shirt laying over a bush just after Gooch Gap Shelter. And At Bly Gap just as you start up the vertical climb ,lol, there was a huge blue wal mart looking tarp folded up. I can tell you...if I dropped something down that climb...I would NOT be going to get it.

I know this isn't something I found but, worth mentioning. I had 3 guys pass me somewhere after Hawk Mtn Shelter the last guy was a bit squirly but, had a full pack and was carrying a wal mart bag with a six pack, in one hand, of something and more.(couldn't tellmuch more than that, it looked heavy!) I wanted to give him a medal.

Grampie
03-25-2007, 21:10
In 2001 I found an unopened 25# sack of rice at Watauga Lake Shelter.

gsingjane
03-26-2007, 06:59
Last fall at Silver Hill campsite there were several black plastic bags tucked under the privy steps, filled with gear. There was a radio, lots of clothes, dishes, a sleeping bag, and bunches of other stuff. It was kind of spooky. We thought maybe the hiker that went with it was somewhere around, too, but decided not to look for him/her.

Jane in CT

pitdog
03-26-2007, 07:39
Hopefully they retrieved their gear and continued their journey.

highway
03-26-2007, 08:07
Rummaging in the hiker box at a motel in Hiawassee I discovered a huge metal flare gun and a bandoleer of maybe 6-7 or so flares, the type appropriate for marine use, weighing 3-4 pounds or so. The owner heard a bunch of us laughing and took it. That was in 2004.