Tips for avoiding losing things when backpacking?
It can be a real pain to lose or forget something when backpacking, especially if you have to backtrack miles to retrieve it.
Are there any tips to avoid this?
Routine is your friend. Tent pegs: One person picks up all the pegs. Start from the front and go around. Count the p …
7y ago
Before leaving home: I prepare myself two safety kits (see this one as an idea) - one contains medication and first aid, …
7y ago
An extension of the same things in same pockets approach is kits for specific purposes: a cook kit might include cutlery …
7y ago
I try to always check all the zippers on my pack before putting it on and then turn around and scan the area before walk …
7y ago
Well, I'm a total scatterbrain on the trail, so I can answer from hard experience. There are three scenarios - before y …
7y ago
The tips that I can think of are, Keep your backpack organized and place things into the same pockets each time. Try t …
7y ago
6 answers
Routine is your friend.
Tent pegs: One person picks up all the pegs. Start from the front and go around. Count the pegs.
Cup & spoon: Top right pack pocket. Rain gear: outside top pocket.
etc.
When running trips, I tied each boy's cup to his spoon with 18" of paracord. Told them to hang it in a tree by their tarp, or in their pack when not in use. When I found a cup and spoon left around the camp, I'd pick it up, check the name (paint pen) "Smith!" "Yes sir?" "Who's responsible for your cup?" "I am sir." Hold up cup. "Oops"
We also would do a check of camp, not just our own tent, but all the tenting sites. Most of the time we would raise hell about litter, but we found other stuff too.
Lunch was the biggest problem. People would peel down to swim in the creek, or layer up because they were chilled, then forget stuff when lunch was over. One person again, did a sweep.
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I try to always check all the zippers on my pack before putting it on and then turn around and scan the area before walking off.
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An extension of the same things in same pockets approach is kits for specific purposes: a cook kit might include cutlery, lighter, stove tools, washing up necessities, penknife; a valuables or daily carry kit could include money, ID, keys, penknife. But wherever you choose to put the knife, that's its home. Then you can check the cook kit after everything has cooled down and before you set off, for example.
Each kit goes in a bag, with as much labelling as you feel necessary. For trips that involve shared responsiblity, a full list of contents for each kit can be written on the bag. Small thin dry bags are quite suitable and can be written on with marker pen. These bags are often brightly coloured, which is no bad thing; in fact bags that are effectively camouflaged run the risk of leaving the whole bag, especially if you're setting off at dawn.
Larger items are much less of an issue and are dealt with by checking the ground after everyone has their pack on. Check carefully around the fire or where you had the stove. This is also a check for litter.
Worst of all are tent pegs. They hide in the grass and you may have quite a few without spares. If you're running really tight, counting them into the bag may be the only way. If you've got (or can make) a couple of spares, you don't need to go to that extreme.
You can keep a log of who finds the most dropped kit after the bags are packed. They win a symbolic prize on return, like the leader buys them a drink.
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Before leaving home: I prepare myself two safety kits (see this one as an idea) - one contains medication and first aid, the other has survival tools (like matches and stuff to build a fire). I check their content periodically, so when I leave to a trip I just throw the boxes in my bag and know I have all I need.
The rest of the things: I try to run a scenario of a day. I need water and food - do I have a bottle? snacks?; I arrive in the evening - I need tools for cooking; I have to set camp - do I have all I need for sleeping?
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Well, I'm a total scatterbrain on the trail, so I can answer from hard experience.
There are three scenarios - before you go, leaving camp or accommodation, and getting back on trail after a rest.
Before you go
This one's easy - the spreadsheet is your friend. I have printed checklists in plastic sleeves, and they have saved me a good deal of pain.
Keeping your storage organised will definitely help, but it's easy to forget things that you have in your day-sack, or that torch you used for a job around the house...
And having a packing routine is also helpful. If everything has its place in your system, you're more likely to notice if it's missing.
Leaving camp or accommodation
This really shouldn't be a problem. You're fresh, and you've just been packing so making sure you have everything is top of mind.
One key is developing tidy camp routines. If I use anything away from the tent such as a stove, I'll stow it back under the fly immediately after use. If everything is in one place, it's hard to forget in the morning. If you spread yourself around, the risk is higher.
The most common risk is tent pegs - so again, develop a routine. Count them into your hand as you take down your shelter to be sure you don't leave any in the ground. Then put them straight into the peg bag - never lay them down. Know how many you have out with you and as a double-check, count them in the bag before you pack it away.
Before I leave, I will always have a wander around to double-check I've got everything.
The same applies if you're in a hut or hostel - be sure to keep everything in one place rather than spreading stuff around. Here the main risks are electronics on recharge, toiletries, towels and torches.
In each scenario, have a mental checklist for your morning pack.
On the trail
This is more risky. You may be tired, or chatting with your companions, or preoccupied with some issue you're facing on the trail.
My personal solution is lanyards. Everything vital, such as my hat, compass, wallet, phone, PLB and the like is either attached to my body or to my pack (even as a scatterbrain, I've never managed to forget my pack!).
I do try to remember to check around when I leave, but sometimes forget. Which is why I've resorted to physical safeguards.
Long story short...
Be aware of the things you are most likely to forget in each scenario, and develop a routine to run through a physical or mental checklist every time you depart
If you are still liable to forget things, tie them to yourself or to your pack!
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The tips that I can think of are,
- Keep your backpack organized and place things into the same pockets each time.
- Try to avoid pulling everything out of your backpack if you don't have to.
- If you have to pull stuff out of your backpack, place them onto a barren surface like a rock or tarp (avoid long grass).
- Brightly colored things are harder to misplace, it can be worth it to mark things with bright orange tape or paint.
- Keep the area in which you place items as small as possible.
- After everything is packed and your backpack is on, do a visual sweep of the area to make sure that nothing has been left behind.
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