Aren't you fogetting something?

[isleroyaleguy]

Everyone forgets stuff when they go on a trip. Whats the most crucial thing you have forgotten?



On our first trip to Isle Royale my wife forgot her nicely worn in boots. We ended up stopping at Pamida and picking up the closest thing they had. There wasn't much of a choice. She did fine with them. She's a trooper. We still laugh about it.
IRG

[Jay w]

I've left my brain behind a couple times.

Ok, this probably doesn't count, but on a "photography" hike, I've left behind my light meter. The meter would go between two packs (120 and 4x5) and sometimes I'd forget to move it (and the cable release). Luckily I know how to run.

I went on a backpacking trip into the BWCA with a few friends and one was planning to catch his food. All he brought was a sleeping bag, fishing pole and 5 lbs of M&Ms. We got 7 miles in, and he discovered he forgot tackle. He didn't even have hooks. He's a spacey guy so we kept saying we weren't going to feed him, and we were serious. He begged a hook off a guy that came through (he couldn't believe we were there because he was on some crazy canoe route), he used moss to catch minnows, and used the minnows to catch more fish than we could eat. That was a real "in your face" moment for him.

Jay

[Stmarypete]

I forgot my golf shoes once.

[joybird]

It was very, very early in the morning, still dark out, raining hard, and I was totally discombobulated and we were way behind schedule getting to the airport. We were seriously in danger of missing our flight.

I dropped my traveling companion at the terminal to check our bags and I went to park the car...and while RUNNING across the lot in the rain to get to the terminal I looked down at my feet in absolute horror and realized I was still wearing my house slippers! Ackkkk!!!!!

My hiking boots? Under the dining room table at home. Doh! ::facepalm::

Our flights weren't going to get us to Kalispell until late afternoon or early evening. And we had a reservation at the Granite Park Chalet the next night...which meant it was non-negotiable that we HAD to be hiking the Highline by noon-ish the day after we landed. There was no realistic way to buy new boots (much less break them in) in time. I was, as they say, in deep doo-doo.

So much for hoping to impress my friend by taking her on her first trip to Glacier.

After red-facedly confessing my mistake, and finding out from the ticket clerk that there was no way to change our flights, as we boarded I called my next-door neighbor to ask if she could (pretty please!) FedEx the boots to St. Mary for me? While switching flights in Atlanta I called her back to find out how the plan was going and she told me the bad news: FedEx couldn't do overnight delivery to a "remote" location like St. Mary. It would take THREE DAYS for my boots to get to me. Uggghh.

Needless to say, I did not enjoy that flight. I will ever be grateful to my exquisitely patient friend who kept me from slitting my wrists with the snack-pack's cheese spreader.

But then, somewhere over Colorado, I suddenly remembered that in the blur of last-minute packing I'd changed my mind and decided there was room in the bag to include my (relatively new) Chaco sandals after all. Maybe all was not lost?

And, surprise, surprise, the next day I found that Chacos are just about as good to hike in as boots. Mind you, they were a bit less toasty in the SLEET that we had on the Highline that day -- and I'm sure my companion was appalled to be seen with me in SANDALS WITH SOCKS (and wool socks, at that!) -- but they worked. And they certainly looked better than house slippers.

Now, the last thing I always do before I take a trip is ask myself: "do you know where your boots are?"

And no matter how light I'm trying to travel, I ALWAYS bring my Chacos along.

[Heff936]

I once forgot my camp/water shoes so I was stuck in the my boots or barefoot the whole Northern Traverse. That was much more miserable than I would have thought. When you get to camp you can't wait to get the boots off. I may forget something on future trips but I it won't be my Salomon TechAmphibs.

Heff

[Pocketlint]

I remember one 3 night backpack I did in the George Washington NF--Locust Springs part in the far NW corner of Highland Co. Virginia.
It was a beautiful October weekend prior to bow season. Leaves were looking great.
My first night was only about 3 miles downhill maybe ~1800ft to Laurel Fork.
I set up my tent and got ready to make dinner and that's when I discovered I had an empty stove
This was early 90's and I had a Coleman fuel stove.
Fortunately I had 3 esbit tabs in my "emergency kit".
Plenty of wood around and fires were OK at that time so I could make a fire to cook on...which I did.
I didn't do Mountain House type meals then. I ate a lot of those dinners like chicken and rice that require simmering for 10-15-20 minutes.
"Simmering" on a open wood fire with rocks for pot support sucks. It's NOT an "adventure" to be remembered
That business about hanging a pot over a fire with sticks is greatly overrated imo. Try "simmering a meal with that rig.
I sure as hell can't do it.
So "meal time" wasn't great fun that trip.

pocketlint

PS

Those of you living near Highland Co. VA should check out that NW corner for hiking, backpacking, fishing in Laurel Fork is supposed to be terrific.
Fall is gorgeous and so is Spring. There are GIANT rhododendrons(10ft plus, occasionally a lot +) in spots along Laurel Fork in the shady areas. The lavendar blooms in Spring are incredible. Spring in the Allegheny mountains along the VA/West VA border is beautiful. Check it out.
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en

[Stmarypete]

Love the stories! Much better that forgetting my golf shoes on a golf vacation, but most backpackers really don't appreciate golf anyway, for good reason.