What do you do with your gear when backpacking?

[guySmiley]

Use an external frame pack and lug a car battery around with you so that you can electrocute anyone stupid enough to touch your stuff.

Hmmm! Perhaps it is time to come up with an anti-theft pack device, a-la James Bond/McGiver - any movement more than 4 feet from origin sets off the alarm. Alternatively, for "really dirty rotten scoundrels" set it 50 feet from sleep point and put a "bouncing betty" underneath. Be sure to put it behind a tree of sufficent diameter. Also works on bears!!!!!!!!!!

[Binford]

Stealing a persons food and essential equipment on the trail is some downright disgusting behavior.

Yeah, it's pretty low.... Got to practice my survival skills of finding my own food and such....

I would have used the experience to practice my tracking skills. But that's just me....

[cwayman1]

yeah, I know everyone else has already echoed this, but stealin' a man's gear is almost as low as it gets .

and I kinda like the car battery idea !

but I usually put my gear form a separate line parallel with my hammock with the hip belt strapped around so I can get in and out of it easily in the night... and I really like the idea of the bells... I think I might have to try that =D

[TinaLouise]

my backpack empty weighs 2 lbs, is small and fits under my feet inside the hammock. all my other gear is in the pockets of my clark except for what's in the food bag hanging way over there (and hopefully out of sight of anyone wanting to steal that).
My last camping trip, I had a group of scouts with me and I told them your story, I used it as training to see what the scouts would come up with to survive after loosing all their gear. And also what they could do to keep some lowlife from taking their stuff in the first place. Honestly, until you posted your story, I never even thought of anyone stealing gear while out on the trail. So thank you for opening my eyes and giving me a great learning lesson for my scouts.

[Spogatz]

yeah, I know everyone else has already echoed this, but stealin' a man's gear is almost as low as it gets .

and I kinda like the car battery idea !

but I usually put my gear form a separate line parallel with my hammock with the hip belt strapped around so I can get in and out of it easily in the night... and I really like the idea of the bells... I think I might have to try that =D

Wouldn't the bells get a little noisy if there is a good breeze?

[Roadtorque]

Wouldn't the bells get a little noisy if there is a good breeze?

Im sure you could configure it so your pack would act as a wind break with the bell on the leeward side of the pack. Then just sleep with a taser, so you dont have to get out of bed to let the guy know your mad