Impromptu Hang - Unprepared Fail

[SkyPainter]

===> Lesson in having all you gear in one bag, ready to go. I hooked Knotty up with a nice hang spot, and my daughter, Ewok, was chomping to go back and hang. All my gear had been moved to a storage unit I rent, and was scattered. We went there, and I just started tossing things for the two of us in a pack. Found two WBBBs, grabbed some UQs and TQs (hopefully - never got to find out!). Some tarps, a bit of cordage and some other misc gear.

We went to the site in the dark, and I started to set-up in the dark, with headlamps.

Prob #1 - lost a Dutch Clip. Had spared for the second hammock, so far so good.

Prob #2 - had no stakes! Scrounged for sticks, (State Park, pretty clean) and the ones I made from deadfall kept breaking.

Prob # 3 - had no Tree Straps for the second hammock! Not enough cordage to make any, either.

Decided to call it. This was not going to be a good experience for her (she offered to sleep in her car - kinda defeated the purpose).

Her car was Problem # 4. Battery died from trying to use the headlights to set/up and repack!

Knotty returned, and we didn't have Jumper Cables. He was kind enough to call the Ranger Station, and they did have a Jumper Pack. He actually drove backwards through the woods about 1/4 mile back to the site!

We figured-out how to use the Jumper Pack, got it started, and quickly tossed everything in the car. Thanked and apologized to Knotty, the left and returned the Jumper Pack to the Ranger Station on the way out.

We tried, anyway. Takeaway is to have everything ready to go at a moment's notice, all the time! Maybe just repack TQ & UQs. Lesson learned.

We will be re packing and going back out for a couple of days, with the right gear!

~ SkyPainter The Embarrased

[Crash]

I keep a lot of my gear in my cars trunk ready to go. Maybe next week I'll escape.

[Jayson]

I also keep my pack ready to go. Add food and go. Basic load is good for me down to -6/7*C.

[sargevining]

I'd be lying if I said something like that has never happened to me.

[craige]

Sorry to hear of your bight being ruined, maybe it'll teach you to plan better?

I'm just getting ready to head out for an impromptu overnighter with my younger sister hope we don't have any of the same problems. :s

[Dead Man]

Good thing is wasn't the zombie apocalypse. You'd have gotten your face eaten off.

Excellent lesson learned. Better fortunes next time and thanks for the courage to share that. I'll be better for your experience.

[SkyPainter]

===> Thanks. To make matters worse, my truck (the truck of holding), which always has enough gear in it for a small group encampment, had lost the brakes that afternoon, and was in the shop! So I was limited to gear that was stored at the storage unit.

~ Sky

[oruacat2]

Nice D&D reference. haha

[g2outdoors]

Good thing is wasn't the zombie apocalypse. You'd have gotten your face eaten off.

It's always important to remember how much worse things could be if the dead rose from their graves to kill and consume the entire human race. Perspective everyone!

[SkyPainter]

===> Zombies would have been far easier for me to deal with! I am always prepared for them! Many appropriately sized blades on hand.

~ SkyPainter