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Re: Checking your gear

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Checking your gear
August 19, 2019 07:45AM
My wife and I have hiked something more than 2500 miles in the Sierra Nevada and other parts of the West. We've backpacked for years and years, and we are as experienced a pair as you are likely to find on any given day on the trail. So what could possibly go wrong?

Well, on our last trip, just as an example, we had a few misfortunes. My toothbrush broke. It was a source of some amusement to see me trying to brush my teeth holding the stub of the brush with both hands and still reach the teeth in the back of my mouth.

And my sunglasses also snapped above the ear. No worries, we had packed duct tape--except that for some reason I had switched lip balms, and the supply of duct tape was wrapped around the old lip balm tube, not the new one. That's OK. We also have adhesive tape in the first aid kit. In fact, that tape came from my parents' first aid kit...and let's see...my mom passed away how many years ago?

So It was tape, but it wasn't adhesive. hmm. Luckily, we still had a few small band-aids, and a couple of them, wrapped around a twig as a splint, fixed the sunglasses at least enough to get him home. Just a reminder that it pays to make sure all your gear is newish...and that you've also got a back up!



Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-Rocks-Paul-Wagner/dp/0984884963
Re: Checking your gear
August 22, 2019 04:15PM
...and that your air pillow doesn't have a hole in it (56 y/o, I need to sleep well)
...and that you have 2 water bottles with you (depended upper Yosemite falls a few weeks ago, no water
...and that your GPS is still registered (couldn't send messages to loved ones, thought we were in trouble)
...and that you reviewed your checklist before the trip so the above doesn't happen
It's easy to get lazy on this stuff smiling smiley
avatar Re: Checking your gear
August 23, 2019 11:13AM
And always try setting up a new tent before taking it on a backpack.
Re: Checking your gear
August 23, 2019 01:56PM
Totally! I recheck first-aid kit every couple of years and didn't know until a few years back that the hand-warmers have a shelf life and expiry date. Thankfully we had just reached DeweyPoint from the tunnel v and it wasn't too cold.
Your reminder about a thorough check totally makes sense.
Re: Checking your gear
September 05, 2019 03:34PM
We found out the antiseptic wipes in the first aid kit were all dry. Luckily, I had a smaller one in the depths of my pack that had one that we could use to clean a minor scrape. You never know!
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