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That one September weekend in the Smokies where everything went wrong
I planned a 3 day trip to the Smokies back in 2016, right around when the leaves start turning. First night, my old tent zipper completely gave out around 2 AM, and I woke up with a dozen mosquitoes inside. Then my camp stove wouldn't light because the fuel canister was almost empty, I forgot to check it before leaving home. I ended up eating cold canned beans for breakfast, which is fine but not what you want at 6,000 feet. The worst part was the rain, it started Saturday afternoon and didn't stop until I packed up Sunday morning. Everything in my pack got damp, and my sleeping bag felt like a wet towel. I swore I'd never cheap out on gear again after that trip. Has anyone else had a trip where the weather just wrecked all your plans?
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dakota78729d ago
Defend that trip all you want, but honestly sounds like user error more than bad luck lol. You knew you had a busted zipper and didn't fix it before leaving, then you grabbed a half empty fuel can without checking. That's not a "everything went wrong" situation, that's just being sloppy with prep. The rain sucks for sure but damp gear is part of backpacking if you're not running a dry climate. I've done tons of trips in similar weather and never had my sleeping bag turn into a wet towel because I kept it in a dry bag and had a halfway decent tent. I get that it was a rough weekend but blaming it on "bad luck" or "nature humbling you" feels like skipping accountability.
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