Headed to elk camp, forgot what?!

[Boarmaster]

I travel in my truck for my deer hunting. I use a list of the gear I will be taking. I generally haul that gear in rubbermaid brute totes and a few Yeti load-out boxes. I don't pack too early before the hunt. Regardless of when I pack a few days before I leave I go through my gear with my list. The totes and boxes are dedicated and are not used for any other purpose. Although I have not opened any of them since March but I could probably grab those right now and throw them into my truck and not be missing anything. But I dont, I would go through each with my list regardless of my confidence.

Once season has started the boxes of gear stay packed with the exception of my clothes which get washed and repacked. I keep things like socks and gloves in those travel organizers. One of My load-out boxes house my optics , harness and smaller items. The other load out has ammo , gun care, shooting type gear sort of a range box. I carry a small pack with what I need to my stand. That stays packed.

I do five to six trips a season. When I am on a trip and using my gear I keep a list of things that I will need to replenish , repair and clean as well as add for the next trip.

 

[grfox92]

I thought my Steripen took one cr23 battery. I always have spare batteries for everything in my kit so when the battery died on my steripen this summer on a 30 mile pack trip, I went into my pack and got the battery unscrewed the steripen and 2 cr23 popped out.


Me and my buddy had to share his life straw for the whole weekend.

I typically dont forget anything because I have a punch list that I check like a lunatic. Im the type of guy that will forget his head if it wasn't attached, so when it comes to going out on a multi day trip, I make sure I have everything I need with a litterall paper list.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

 

[Chris in TN]

Oh, I know one:

A lifelong friend of mine is in CO right now. When I started looking into taking my daughter hunting I reached out to him about taking his son. His son wanted to bowhunt and my daughter didn't want to share camp with people she doesn't know. So they're in CO right now. I helped him e-scout but they're in a different unit than us. They weren't certain when/where they'd arrive so they neglected to make hotel reservations anywhere for their first night in CO. Turns out there's a big motorcycle rally labor day weekend in the area and Saturday he had enough service to explain to me via text that they realized they needed a hotel. I probably called twenty hotels and cabin rentals across a 3-county area. No vacancies. They ended up driving back to New Mexico before they found a hotel.

 

[Weldor]

I always have someone in Elk camp forget something. Most mentioned here ,battery's, socks, knives,flashlights,.. I keep a tote at camp with extra of each. I usually forget the time of day in Elk camp, LOL.

 

[EastHumboldt]

I have a separate list for hunting backpack, hunting car, fishing backpack, trailer camping, gig with duo, gig with full rock band. I modify them frequently especially the back country lists, after each trip. It’s so easy to do on a computer. I use the list religiously and don’t forget stuff or take unneeded stuff.

A long time ago before the age of lists, we forgot silverware. Spent the whole trip eating with our hunting knives. Minor problem.

Edit: Recently went on an overnighter backpack with my son and his two boys. First backpack trip for the grandkids so only 1.5 miles, and I didn’t take packing seriously. Didn’t use the list. Remembered everything except…. Fuel pump/valve for MSR dragonfly stove. It’s not a stove without the pump, so we ended up cooking on a campfire. Once again minor problem.

Common things that get forgotten

Tags
Weapon
Spare ammo
Spare socks, skivvies, warm layers
Cookware/ cups
TP, wipes
Maps
Meds
Knife/sharpening tools
Game bags/processing supplies
Various parts of the tent… poles, stakes, etc
Various parts of sleeping gear … bag, pad, woobie, repair kit for pad
Optics/ cleaning supplies
Toothbrush/floss

Alright enough… make your own damned list…..

 

[neandth]

A good knife or few for the work after the kill
Good first aid stuff
Lights of your choosing
Extra socks if you plan to cover a lot of ground
Game bags of your choice
Something for just in case defense from the critters (bear spray, etc)
Apporpriate clothes and rain gear for the weather
Comfortable pack for snacks, hauling elk out, etc.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Long spoon has been forgotten before. Had to widdle one.

Have also forgotten boots before for a shed hunt. Hiked around in NoBulls for two days, not fun.

 

[BigCam47]

I forgot my boots on my way to a bear hunt with my dad. Got 4-5 hours into the 9 hour drive and realized my mistake. Hunted in crocs the whole weekend! He loves to relive that story.

 

[trevvamos]

I forgot where I was going once. Drove to the wrong unit. Had to backtrack and cost me a couple of hours.

Did this exact same thing last year, drove to my archery elk unit… my tag was a desert mule deer rifle tag.

 

[Purdue]

I once forgot our tent stakes for a large wall tent. Stopped at Home Depot, bought long pieces of rebar and borrowed one of their saws, cut it right there at the store!

I was just happy I realized it before getting into the mountains.

 

[lantern68687]

Cold weather gear one time on a winter deer hunt. I was lucky to be able to borrow pieces from other folks with me on the hunt.

 

[Mw01313]

In 2018, a buddy and I did out first DIY elk hunt. We hunted 3rd season, and it went about like most 1st OTC hunts. Slow would be an understatement.
We were hunting a spot one morning that was about a mile down a closed FS road. Around the mile point is where we'd split up and go up separate ridges to glass. Once we got there I realized something didn't feel right. Then it hit me.
I asked my buddy, "What do you see that I am missing?"
He looked at me for a long minute but couldn't put his finger on what was off.
I had left my rifle in the truck and hiked a mile in without it. He said go back and get it.
I told him it's cool. The way this trip is going I won't need it. I was right.

 

[eamyrick]

I once forgot our tent stakes for a large wall tent. Stopped at Home Depot, bought long pieces of rebar and borrowed one of their saws, cut it right there at the store!

I was just happy I realized it before getting into the mountains.

This is me. Forgot the poles to my Kodiak Canvas tent. Figured it out trying to set it up at dark next to the river in NM. We just slept in my truck bed for the 3 day trip.

 

[bz_711]

A couple miles in from home one year at 4 AM I called my buddy in his truck behind us to be a smart A and said "you got your tags right?"...he said "Oh shit" and promptly turned around...luckily we were only 5 min from home and he caught back up a few hours later.

 

[CTXhunter]

Really enjoyed reading this over coffee this morning. Thanks for all the cool stories. Worst that’s happened to me thus far is my pad wouldn’t inflate on one very snowy night. Spend most of the night stocking the stove to stay warm.

 

[midwestcowboy]

Yeah my buddy forgot TP on a day hunt (left it at the truck). Around midday he asked me if I had brought any, I told him "I went this morning, so no...?"

The horrified look on his face was priceless. I believe he sacrificed a sock or two that day. Guy hasn't left the HOUSE without a pack of wipes since.

 

[eddielasvegas]

I forgot my sleeping bag 4 or 5 years ago. The first 2 nights were not particualrly cold, maybe 35-40F, but the following nights were teens and 20's with snow so I begrudgingly made the 2+ hour drive (100 miles RT and over some narly terrain) to civilation to buy a sleeping bag.

I was pissed at myself for forgetting it but glad I made the drive on those cold nights.


Eddie

 

[long hunter]

Not me but a fellow hunter, we were all but to where we were hunting antelope and he is all excited, seems he left a work tablet in the last motel we were at traveling (to top it off it was a government tablet) now this was about 400 miles ago. Told him we were not going back so he borrowed one truck and left, bye the time he returned we had three goats in the coolers.