Headed to elk camp, forgot what?!

[Billy Goat]

The wife mentioned something to me this summer about everyone's hiking shoes for a mountain trip, while handing me a garbage bag. I threw the bag away and wondered why she mentioned hiking shoes while she was handing me garbage when I was wearing my shoes anyway. Two days later I learned that the garbage bag had everyone else's shoes in it.

I have a buddy who packs stuff in garbage bags.


Cleaning up camp, loaded garbage bags on the back of the trailer headed out.

Stopped at a dumpster, threw out the trash, and apparently all of Steve's hunting clothes.


He still puts his stuff in garbage bags, but now he puts flagging ribbon on the tie of the bags.

 

[IDVortex]

Watched a Billy Molls video the other day. The hunter forgot his tag and had to have it flown in and air dropped. Don’t be that guy

Ive been that guy. I think it was like the 3rd year of me hunting. Was working graveyard and a part time day job, over worked, not enough sleep. Spent a week getting gear ready. Made it to camp after a night shift. Camp all set up, day before opener. Night before opener. Getting my day pack set up for opening morning, couldn't find my tag. Realize I hadnt bought my tag yet. Thankfully I was able to make a 2ish hour trip to the nearest tag sale location before they closed.

 

[Jermh]

I hate this subject. Last year was my buddy’s turn to take his truck so we had shit scattered all over the yard getting loaded and I wanted to throw my bow in last. We were about 12 hours into the drive, middle of the night going through Denver and all of a sudden I got a sick to my stomach feeling. Quick scanned the back seat and sure as shit…my bow was on my tailgate back home. Luckily we had my buddy’s spare bow in the truck so we rough broadhead tuned real quick like at the trailhead and rolled. Ended up calling him in a good bull that trip but I’ll never live it down lol. I’ve never felt dumber

 

[MallardSX2]

Drove 2 hours to go goose hunting on a new section of river . Forgot my waders at the damn house. Drove the whole way home, got my waders and hunted a local river. Was late getting set up. Killed my 5 bird limit in 1/2 hour.


It was a sign….lol

 

[Matt5266]

I'm sure there's been several times I've forgot stuff but the last time I can recall is my entire quiver on a archery mule deer hunt. Left them on the hood of my truck because they don't fit in my bow case. Borrowed 2 arrows from a buddy that I went with and stuffed them in the long side pouch of my pack. I felt like an Indian the whole time.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I forgot a belt one time (OK, not serious) because I wore a tie-up pair of pants on the way out on a solo hunt a few years back. I fashioned one out of a buckle strap that actually worked very well and now keep it in my core hunting gear for an emergency. Makes a good strap for my packs too. You just got to McGyver things up every so often.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Watched a Billy Molls video the other day. The hunter forgot his tag and had to have it flown in and air dropped. Don’t be that guy

My brother did this once. Left his tag in his wallet on the cot in camp. Killed a bear a few hours from camp. Guide was thrilled. All worked out.

 

[mainbeam pursuit2]

I have forgot tags and rifle slings a couple of times.

 

[go_deep]

Forgot stakes for the wall tent one year. Lucky we have a shop not far from where we were and they were doing a huge aerial wreck out so I drove down and picked up a pale full of pole bolts and we were back in business!!

 

[wweaver]

Forgot Sour patch kids once. This was vitally important. You wont kill an elk without them. Hand full in your bino harness will save the day.

 

[Garcia_8]

Socks! I forgot my merino socks on a hunt once and now it’s my #1 priority while packing for a hunt

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Got to a climbing area few hours from home ... "I thought you brought the rope?"
I've neglected to bring stuff on hunting trips, not really forgotten.

 

[kota]

Have a tent I use when solo that is so small the tent poles don’t roll up in the tent and don’t fit in the bag. Left after work, 3 hour drive, 2 hour hike and realized I didn’t have tent poles when trying to set up the tent at 11 at night. The trekking pole solution worked as long as I didn’t move…. Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep that night…

 

[txtransplant]

I have forgotten my quilt or sleeping bag 4 times!

I started scouting at 6 or 7 years old and kept it up through high school graduation, averaging 14 camping trips a year. My dad never missed one, but let’s just say camping isn’t my mom’s thing.

Dad had an old full size billiard table that we used to lay out our gear and plan packing each time. Worked great.

When I was about 13 or so, I went without dad on an campout called “the ordeal.” Basically, you fast for the weekend, maintain silence, do service projects, and sleep without a tent. Some light challenge stuff to build character (“the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees”).

Anyway, dad wasn’t going (this one wasn’t father-son), and so I didn’t load into the SUV at the back driveway where the gear was. Instead, I made a trip or two carrying the gear through the house and out the front door to a friend’s vehicle - past my mom sitting at her desk.

As I was making my final step out the front door for the weekend, my mom said “did you remember your sleeping bag?” Having been camping well over 100 times by this age, I quickly shot back “I’ve been camping before, mom.” Who did she think she is, anyway? She doesn’t know the first thing about camping.

Well, guess which piece of gear I forgot, and didn’t even realize I was without until everyone was climbing into their sleeping bags.

To this day, that is the only time I have EVER forgotten my sleeping bag. I still don’t know if she somehow knew I left it behind, or if it was just dumb luck that the ONE time she asked if I remembered something was the one time I forgot it.

 

[Matt5266]

God bless our mothers. Words of wisdom and tolerated all the shenanigans way better than our dads.

 

[StuckoYota99]

We forgot to bring the elk....
But seriously I've packed a tent without poles. Turned into a semi freestanding flourless trekking pole shelter.
forgot sleeping one time and slept in all my clothes inside a black trash bag.
Forgot a steripen so boiled water.
Now I have aqua tabs as a backup.

My wife packed in the shelter and I carried the water. We get alll the way up to the camp spot and she looks at me with her headlamp on full beam and asks "where's the tent?"
Luckily it was good weather and we slept under the stars.

 

[Ope]

One time I loaded up 2 huge coolers, had prechilled them overnight, and put the ice blocks back in the freezer until last possible minute.

Ice blocks got left behind and I didn’t notice until I made my first trip down, got to the truck, and went to slide the cooler out to load meat and it moved with minimal effort.

Luckily a buddy showed up with ice and an empty back pack to help pack out, not always an option so don’t forget ice folks.

I can relate. Same thing happened to me, wanted to leave them in the freezer until the last minute. Fortunately I caught it on the way when I stopped to get some extra gatorade to throw in the cooler and seen that I left my ice packs at home.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

I use the shared checklist on my iPhone and iPad through the notes app. Weeks before I create a few lists. One for gear, food, and camper/vehicle stuff. I check the list twice before I go.

Fortunately, camp is only a couple hours from the house. I’ll get any needed items when I do a food resupply.

 

[OKHunter84]

I honestly stress about it so much for at least a week before I leave, I usually end up over packing and having way too much crap in the truck.

 

[TopherDave]

A buddy and I were 10 miles back on day 1 of a 10 day sheep hunt and realized we didn’t bring enough fuel for the solo stove. We ended up bumping into a random hiker who was looking for his kid. The kid was going up and down, drainage hoping. It was rather odd but he gave us his fuel on his way out!