Lost Gear?

[Sredfield]

In the course of sorting and packing for an upcoming trip, I’m forced to acknowledge that a couple old standbys are gone. They aren’t exactly “important” but I’d grown attached to them. The most disturbing in that regard is a ~30 foot length of parachute cord I’ve hauled on every trip I’ve ever been on; it was great for hanging food or lowering a pack. I suspect it’s hanging on a tree in the Gila Wilderness; forgotten one morning as I packed up.

The other is a newer pair of short gaiters, I’ve no clue where they’ve gone (that’s why they call it lost). I’ve great hope they will turn up around the house sometime, since I am sure they came home from every trip they went on. In the meantime, Campmor will provide.

What’s the most important piece of gear that you’ve lost?

[Sredfield]

While hiking up a drainage out of lower WCC, I lost a teva sandal that was strapped to my pack. This was back in 2000. Last October I took the same route and found it, just sitting there on top of a rock. I still have no Idea how it could possibly have stayed put in that steep drainage through all types of weather for 7 years! Unfortunately, I threw the other one away. I decided to keep it anyways.

If you had said Randolph Canyon I'd have been excited, I found one Teva sandal along that drainage a few years ago, but being it was only one, and I had a ways to go, and it was at least a size 14, I left it. That is also something of dilema, should you leave good gear where it lies on the premise that someone may come back for it, or take it out on the premise you are cleaning up after them?

[fotogirl53]

My Manfrotto hiking tripod is somewhere down the cliffs from Robber's Roost out of Sedona. I searched for a couple of hours on the steep rock and juniper slopes but couldn't find it. Some anthropologist a hundred years from now might come across it.

[oceanwithin]

one of my favorite hiking shoes was lost somewhere along sycamore creek - they were strapped to the outside of my pack and one was snagged in the gnarly bushwhacking. kinda horrifies me that someone's going to come upon that shoe and think "what kind of lazy jerk leaves their shoe in the middle of a wilderness area?!?")

[azbackpackr]

Snuffle snuffle, grrrr!

[cabel]

My GPS unit on a Grand Canyon shuttle bus. Started the hike and went to turn it on when I realized it was gone.

[joebartels]

Doh! That seems worse than loosing it on a trail for some reason

In response to oceanwithin:
that probably explains a lot of things found

In response to fotogirl53:
A little to close to the edge? Actually I guess the "ground" is shaped like a bowling ball so where you putting your camera away or setting it up? Guess you have to be glad the camera didn't go along for the ride! Still the thought of losing a $$ tripod like that stings just thinking about it

[tibber]

A few years ago, my Panasonic camera battery went tumbling over the ledge at the top of Camelbck Mountain. It's not lost, I knew exactly where it was but I just couldn't get to it. It was a $45 battery. Fortunately, I found a cheaper one online for about $25 but darn I was mad at myself. That was an expensive hike. So now I try to change my battery in a safe place. ;)

[Cheerycow]

I left some high-end trekking poles leaning against a trailhead register deep in the Frank Church Wilderness when I signed out. I was 200 miles away and headed for the airport when I finally figured out where they were.

The second biggest loss was a map. It got ripped out of my hands by a huge blast of wind and flew over a 1,000 foot precipice. I probably would have gone with it if my grip had been strong enough. I spent a couple hours looking for it at the bottom with no luck. The remainder of the hike was fortunately quite simple.

A few other times I've been convinced that Iost an article of clothing (glove, sock, headband) after repeated frantic searches, only to find it still in my pack when I got back home. Usually it's stuck inside something else.

I know, OLD THREAD!
But...
I too left behind a brand new pair of Leki poles in the dirt parking lot (it was dirt back in 2000) along the railroad tracks behind El Tovar Hotel at the South Rim. I had just completed an amazing 5 day trip and I leaned them against a tree while packing up before heading to the near-by hotel. At 3am I sat bolt upright in my bed and made the 5 minute driver over there...no poles. A report into the Lost & Found never produced anything. The poles were new at the start of the trip. Someone got a nice present!

I have lost so many things in my life, I wouldn't know where to start!.

[big_load]

Another pole victim.

I lost mine the first week of August, 2007. I replaced them with the same model, but they had stopped putting cork grips on that one. They still seem like "my new poles", instead of being just "my poles", so I must have really liked the old ones.

[uphill_junkie]

I lost one sandal hiking out of Havasupai as well. But the worst was when I lost EVERYTHING - my entire backpack and all it's contents. It was stolen actually. After coming back from South Canyon Route, at the carpool spot, the driver carried my backpack over to my Jeep as I was heading back to his car to check the back seat. When I got home, there was no pack...... Called said driver and he said "oh, I thought you heard me say I put the pack BEHIND your truck". Wow, really, all the doors were unlocked and the entire Jeep was empty. Ugh, there goes my zero degree sleeping bag, big agnes pad, jetboil, favorite hiking shirt, mega-headlamp, favorite packing percolator......the list goes on.

Of course I turned right back around and went back to the carpool location, but to no avail. Even kept looking on Craigslist to see if the thief was trying to re-sell my stuff. I was gonna "re-buy" it - haha!

[Sredfield]

Ouch!

[azbackpackr]

Ouch indeed. On my budget, I'd just have to go back to using all my old gear. Which, yes, indeed, I do keep! I do have enough old gear to outfit myself completely. Did you check with any of the ranger stations, such as at Lee's Ferry?

[uphill_junkie]

Unfortunately, it was stolen in a Denny's parking lot!!! That was the carpool area, and when I went back, I went inside & asked if some kind Samaritan turned it in - nope. Checked the nearby Fry's as well with the same luck. We had seen some seedy looking guy wandering the parking lot as we were unloading. He probably sold all my stuff for pennies on the dollar, having NO clue what it's all worth (monetarily AND emotionally!) Which is why I looked on Craigslist........

I had one sleeping bag and a tent left, but they are both cumbersome and weigh more than I like to take. Luckily that year I got a LOT of REI giftcards for Christmas! Everything else, I have accumulated back slowly when Backcountry has a smokin' sale or REI clearance outlet has their 20% off coupons.

[gummo]

My car keys.

[Trishness]

I have to say that uphill junkies story is about the worst scenario I could think of happening. SO sorry that happened to you. I've only lost one fleece jacket (somewhere in Pueblo Canyon) and one headlamp (probably yet to be found in my X-Terra). Losing ALL my great lightweight gear would really be the pits.

[uphill_junkie]

SO sorry that happened to you.

Thanks, so was I!

and one headlamp (probably yet to be found in my X-Terra)

[azbackpackr]

Headlamps are sneaky little critters. They like to hide.

[Trishness]

Headlamps are sneaky little critters. They like to hide.

Yes, this one likes to be lost, then found, then lost again. Once the temps get below 90 I'll take everything out of the X and see if I can locate it. It's sketchy cuz it's been MIA for a long time.