View Full Version : Items left behind?
Different Socks
03-31-2011, 01:02
What's the most common item you've regularly left behind at a shelter or tent site?
I've done over 10,000 miles of hiking/backpacking and I seem to have a bad habit of leaving behind bandannas or silverware.
The most expensive thing that I lost was a montbell windbreaker. I did spend a previous day hiking with a guy who wanted one, so hopefully he came across it on the trail and kept it--I'd like to think that it has a good home.
Tent stakes disappear, especially in snow. And I've lost a few headlamps as well.
I've found a couple of headlamps at shelters. socks get lost. Met a hiker named Spoon cause he wore his spoon around his neck cause he kept losing it.
nitewalker
03-31-2011, 08:15
i cant recall leaving any items behind. my hiking buddy is always leaving things behind. he lost an ems rain jacket in blood mtn shelter or near. he left a nalagene on top of mt clay. he left a full pack of butts at a random location along the wild cat ridge trail. left a pair of grungy hiking socks hanging on the outside of deep gap shelter and im sure if i asked him there is more. he even had to go back for his hiking poles after a short break along the AT on the franconia ridge area just be4 reaching the garfield ridge trail..its funny becuse we always make an idiot check but the few times we do not he seems to have things get lost.....???? cant figure it out....
Blissful
03-31-2011, 09:32
I left my trusty fleece hat at stream while getting water. I was cold that night with only a bandana on my head.
Monkeywrench
03-31-2011, 09:49
Nothing. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
Seems to me if you've got so much stuff you can't keep track of it, you've got too much stuff!
Nothing. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
Seems to me if you've got so much stuff you can't keep track of it, you've got too much stuff!
i like that monkeywrench... i tend to frequent the shelters around daleville and the blue ridge parkway ive found almost evrything but usualy its smalll things like socks and bandanas found parts to gear and broken gear usualy small plastic parts to filters and such.. found a killer lightweight tarp the other day sombody left it to close to the fire cornor was burt/melted... found a rubber snake so i stuck it in the lamberts meadow shelter register holder sorry for any quick jumps by anyone..n someone got me with it first..
oh yea i tend to find un opend packages of food in fulhardt knob shelter.. free snacks are good..
Unfortunately, here in GA you might find most anything! Lots of wet clothing left behind, and plenty of too heavy gear... but accidentally left stufff is another story. Bandanas, socks, gloves, hats, and jackets are fairly common. Not because someone didn't have a place, or was carrying too much gear, but generally they remove it and forget they were wearing it and not carrying it in their packs. I've personally lost a couple of jackets that way. As the day gets warmer, one can forget that he even had on a jacket when he came in.
Buffalo Skipper
03-31-2011, 11:36
A year ago, I left a borrowed GPS behind. The campsite was down in a low hollow, and I was having trouble picking up enough satelites. I set the unit down on a log and hiked out of camp. From the campsite the trail went straight up (350' gain in .2 miles). About a 1/4 mile out of camp I remembered it. DOH! :datz
I dropped my pack, and booked it back to camp. Recovered fine, but was rather out of breath by the time I caught up to the rest of my group.
Different Socks
03-31-2011, 16:38
I've found a couple of headlamps at shelters. socks get lost. Met a hiker named Spoon cause he wore his spoon around his neck cause he kept losing it.
LMAO!!! That was good!
Freaking pole bags!
I've heard this before, and am still not sure why you even need the pole bag. Am I missing something? Not trying to be a smart a$$ at all.
I kept my poles on outside of my bag on side. Pole bag helps keep them from getting snagged on branches as your hiking.
I've left my hiking poles behind. I was distracted talking to some nice people with vicious dogs camped next to a spring where I needed to get water.
I've also lost jackets because they've fallen off my pack.
I've gone back to get both these items.
I lost some gloves once. I had stuffed them in my shirt thinking my shirt was tucked in. It wasn't. Never saw my gloves again.