davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
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Post by davesenesac on Oct 18, 2016 10:08:58 GMT -8
A real danger in the backcountry is while on a route or trail losing the location of one's backpacking gear if one temporarily leaves it for whatever reason. Or at night not being able to find the location of one's camp spot. Surprisingly not something I can ever recall being discussed on this board though something every one of we experienced users eventually thinks through.
At night this can happen when solo if one wanders off from a tent to take a P, doesn't bother to carry a flashlight, and gets turned around. Of course even with a flashlight if one has wandered off some distance but was still groggy half asleep not paying attention, one can get lost with every step that goes off the wrong way. DOH! At night when temperatures are chilly or cold this can of course be life threatening thus is a serious subject.
Likewise during the day if one day hikes off from a camp spot and fails to find camp upon return. Much like losing one's car in a big shopping center parking lot.
If one loses the position of a backpack next to a trail after maybe dropping the pack to go out to a nearby scenic point, even if one heads back, intersects the trail away from pack, then heads in the the wrong direction, eventually in short order one will realize it is time to turn around so anyone will soon come upon their gear. However offtrail that won't work so there is a real chance of not finding a pack and with each step wander further off in the wrong direction.
Much to talk about with this subject with both personal stories and ways to avoid getting in trouble.
David www.davidsenesac.com/2016_Trip_Chronicles/2016_Trip-Chronicles-0.html
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zeke
Trail Wise!
Peekaboo slot 2023
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Post by zeke on Oct 18, 2016 10:12:42 GMT -8
I dropped my pack once to explore, and marked the spot with my GPS. Weather turned cold, and it got dark, before I returned. GPS batteries died. I eventually found the pack, but not before some serious thought about what was happening next. Coulda, shoulda.
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crawford
Trail Wise!
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
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Post by crawford on Oct 18, 2016 10:34:55 GMT -8
When hiking with a group, particularly with my Boy Scouts, I tend to bring Chem Lights and I hang one up in the center of the camp, up above my head, so that if anyone does get turned around in the dark, they can see that dim light and move towards it.
I'm personally a bit paranoid about dropping my pack. Even when going down slope to fill up on water I will take my pack along. I've heard of horror stories with folks who either lost their pack, or had it rifled through, so I'm a little overly cautious.
This is a topic worth talking about. Perhaps folks have ways to mitigate the risks.
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Post by johntpenca on Oct 18, 2016 10:40:04 GMT -8
It can happen. Been turned around from time to time, but nothing serious. It is important to look backwards frequently after dumping gear, as things look a lot different from the reverse perspective. Try to dump your gear by a significant land mark (large tree or cliff/boulder).
Strangely enough, I have "lost" my tent or cowboy camp at night in developed campgrounds after visiting the public restrooms that are a few hundred yards from my site. I've found it handy to leave a flashlight/headlamp on in my site, shining upwards.
edit: I'm with crawford; I'm extremely reluctant to leave gear when on the trail. But I can see why a camera heavy load may warrant the practice for capturing photos.
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BigLoad
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Pancakes!
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Post by BigLoad on Oct 18, 2016 10:41:10 GMT -8
I've almost lost my pack a few times, despite selecting "unmistakable" landmarks. In the rare event that I abandon it to the whims of fate, I inspect the area from a variety of approach angles and mark it on my GPS. I lost camp once for about 20 minutes, which was long enough to start worrying. Under other circumstances it would have been funny, since I was on the trail the whole time, and camp was in a designated site off a short side trail. I just had to backtrack a little farther.
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mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
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Post by mk on Oct 18, 2016 12:11:55 GMT -8
I've thought about this on a number of occasions, as I am one who has to remind herself to look around and actively note landmarks. It doesn't come naturally to me. For now, I always backpack on established routes with my husband and others. But should I one day go alone, I'm planning to take surveyor tape to mark when I leave a trail. (to be picked up upon return) And I'm taking my pack with me ...
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markskor
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Mammoth Lakes & Tuolumne Meadows...living the dream
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Post by markskor on Oct 18, 2016 12:22:31 GMT -8
Late May, Southern Yosemite...Royal Arch Lake. On a layover/fishing day, we were away from camp, chasing trout as usual, when the storm began in earnest. In the course of 15 minutes, first hail, graupel, then snow...a good foot of white on the ground covering everything.
The next morning, after hunkering down/ staying warm and dry, we proceeded to pack up but... our "kitchen" (stove, spork, cup) was nowhere to be found. Two hours later, thanks to a warming sun melting things off...found everything, probably just where we left them.
Moral is, when/if the snow starts, pack things where you can find them again easily.
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Oct 18, 2016 13:22:42 GMT -8
I've never come close to losing camp at night, probably because a) we seldom camp in the woods where it is actually dark, and b) I don't go that far from the tent to pee. Dropping gear makes me nervous--I've had a marmot do serious damage, for the salt, and there is a fear of not finding it. Again, above treeline it's not too hard to find a good spot and to check often as you walk away so you know you'll recognize it on the way back. In the forest, I might leave the pack by the trail and go off behind a tree, but usually there's family with me, so it would be hard to get lost--I'm not going 200 yards away into another valley, just out of sight! Weather, of course, could change all that. Thick fog or snow can really mess with directional sense and of course would make it impossible to see the landmarks. I worried a little last summer up on the Tablelands in Sequoia, too. That was a lot of off-trail, tumbled and bent land ("flat" only on the topo maps!), and our tent was one tiny spot. We did have one discussion when returning to camp about just where it was
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Oct 18, 2016 13:24:14 GMT -8
Off-trail, In winter, I'll leave a headlamp on in the shelter to make it easier to spot at night when it's snowing heavily. Depending on the location/conditions, I will sometimes put in GPS coordinates of camp. I'll often setup up a basecamp and hike away from it, but always have my bivy/emergency kit/stove/fuel/a meal. It only weighs 5lbs together.
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Post by johntpenca on Oct 18, 2016 13:58:13 GMT -8
I've never come close to losing camp at night, probably because a) we seldom camp in the woods where it is actually dark, and b) I don't go that far from the tent to pee. Dropping gear makes me nervous--I've had a marmot do serious damage, for the salt, and there is a fear of not finding it. Good points; when I'm in the backcountry and need to urinate at night, I rarely walk more than a few steps from the camp. Don't usually stay in hardened sites, so figure the environmental effects are minimal. True that on leaving gear that is saturated with salt. Marmots and deer will eat your pack straps, padded backpack pads and trekking pole handles. Anything that has been sweated in/on. Where I hike mice are not a problem. In bear country the issue escalates. They can drag your gear a long way in a few minutes, although this is more of a problem at sunset, sunrise and night. Used to backpack off trail a lot in Lyell canyon (sierra) and came across more than a few packs torn up and left in the bushes/manzanita.
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davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
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Post by davesenesac on Oct 18, 2016 15:23:13 GMT -8
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tigger
Trail Wise!
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Post by tigger on Oct 18, 2016 15:27:40 GMT -8
Luminous cord for camp ie tent guy lines Great call - I use Kelty TripTease LightLine for my guy-outs. It does help. I have also started using reflective tape on my camera gear boxes.
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Post by trinity on Oct 18, 2016 16:24:39 GMT -8
Just last year I was backpacking in the Winds. Arrived at a lake, set up camp a ways off trail, and set up a cooking area a good distance from my tent, then ran off to fish the lake. Fished until dark, then went to my cooking area to eat dinner. I had had very little time to acquaint myself with the area. When I headed back to my tent after eating, I set off at a slightly incorrect angle. Amazing what a big difference a few degrees can make over a distance. After stumbling through the trees for a while, it became clear that I was headed in the wrong direction, so I turned back to return to my cooking area. Couldn't find it. Pretty soon I was completely turned around, with absolutely no idea how to get back to my tent, my cooking area, or anywhere else. I had a flashlight and was wearing enough warm clothes that I felt confident I could spend the night out, if not very comfortably. Because I knew this, and because I am comfortable in the outdoors, I kept my cool, and never panicked. Eventually I realized that I was camped on the east shore of a very long lake that ran almost due north south. I located Polaris and set off to the west through the trees. Eventually I arrived at the lake, which allowed me to find my tent pretty quickly. I think I was probably only bumbling around in the dark for about 15 minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. I now have a much better appreciation for how easy it is to become disoriented in the dark.
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Post by johntpenca on Oct 18, 2016 17:02:07 GMT -8
Great call - I use Kelty TripTease LightLine for my guy-outs. It does help. Agreed; have used trip tease for a long time.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Oct 18, 2016 17:20:22 GMT -8
It's why I always shake my head when people trot out, say, the JMT is "easy to follow" so navigation skills and gear is just a waste of weight.
The conceit "no one has to leave the trail" is simply dangerous nonsense. I mean, who drops trou and takes a dump in the middle of the trail? Oh, that isn't "leaving the trail". Well they recently retrieved a dead woman from near the AT who'd disagree.
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