Ok whatever boy scout grandmaster has this down, props to them but my last trip to the NWT felt like the exact opposite of preparedness. In a rush, I threw together my gear, with the brief thought, “If I forget, something what’s the worst that can happen…” Personal discomfort and mild ego bruising is what happened folks. I think I mastered the art of being a dumb ass. A few of my key mistakes from the start:
- Not packing enough underwear is a BIG deal
- Changing face lotion, just because one comes in a travel size- Not wise
- Procrastinating ordering a new pair of glasses and taking the old semi-broken ones for “in case of emergency”- BAD IDEA
- “It’s August, who needs a heavier jacket now?”
- Gortex hates camp fires
- “I don’t need to pack those bulky chargers… ” turned me into a battery conservation Nazi
Me foolishly relaxing before the trip, thinking I’ve got it all covered
In my defense, I really didn’t know if we would be backpacking the entire trip which lead me to get as ultra lightweight as possible. I took two pairs of clothes folks, that’s it, that’s all. I think G2 was sick of hearing me gripe by day 10 that I was totally over my wardrobe choices… Getting stuck for an extra 5 days didn’t help. By the end I had reversed my long underwear and socks with the thought that maybe that made them new again? Who knows what I was hallucinating at that point, and no it didn’t help.
One and only picture taken from a distance, without the Urkel glasses (I don’t think I could see this shot being taken-hence the squinting), and I’m wearing my pillow aka grey vest… OH CAMP LIFE!
When you’re in a remote hunting camp and the accessibility to a shower is at a big fat zero, you don’t exactly feel attractive in the first place. To add to my unshowered uncomfortableness I changed my skin lotion to a small generic brand which meant I might as well have rubbed margarine all over my face. By day 3 my ultra sensitive skin had broken out to a full Stage 10 acne riddled war zone, I could have been a test case on a Proactive commercial but when I thought it couldn’t get any worse I ran out of contact solution…
My “In Case of Emergency Glasses” needed to be put out to pasture badly. Outdated, broken and with only one functioning lens (the other endured some mystery chemical spill the coating is eaten off and looks like you are peering through aquarium glass). So this what I had to help me through the days without my contacts because without them I am quite literally blind. So with my perfectly blemished skin and Urkel glasses I ran around with the camera taking photos and video (please note, I had enough discretion NOT to point it at myself). Sadly the day came when I slipped on a piece of wood and lost my eyewear, only to step on them and break the arm while I was blindly searching for them. Then out came the duct tape…
Finally the other errs in judgement came in the form of not packing enough clothing which subsequently made me put on every layer I had brought. Towards the end of our trip it started snowing which was heavy and wet. After being miserable and riding through this for a couple of hours we stopped and made a fire. Being soaked to the bone we huddled around. Getting really close I was delighted to see steam coming off my clothing. Ha-ha I was drying off, while all the others stood back and shook. Finally being warm I sat back and relaxed, only to recognize a distinct “somethings burning” smell. Looking down I see my expensive Gortex pants curling up like Saran wrap on my leg… Mackenzie Mountains-4, Brandy- 0. Looking back, I’d do a number of things differently but these are some of the small eccentricities of our trip that makes it all the more memorable and gives you something to laugh about.
You poor thing!!! I didn’t pack enough stuff when I went on our hunting trip either. I was told I had to “pack light” but then we packed in 2 cases of beer. So stupid. And I didn’t change my face wash, but instead just got the face wipes that were the same brand as the face wash I regularly use…well apparently they didn’t work very well because I left with a broke-out face as well. As far as your Gortex pants, I’m sorry that they didn’t do well with the fire, but I’m glad I read this…we got soaked on our trip so I was actually looking at Gortex coats thinking I should get one. Guess that might not be the smartest decision, so thanks!
Haha, not really poor me, stupid me. I know better… As for the Gortex, it is great for wet weather, it just doesn’t do well around heaters or fires!
That sounds like one memorable trip to say the least! I know the feeling of being stuck in your back up glasses for sure ( I flew home with only one pair of daily’s contacts and forgot my glasses on my dresser) so I had to wear the funk out of those contacts (can you say dry eyes) or alternatively wear a pair of 4 year old glasses with not the right prescription my mom found in the bathroom from when I still lived at home… that sucked without any of the other things you went thru! I bet it was a beautiful trip none the less.
Thanks Sara, it was an amazing trip. All the little things along the way like the glasses, make it that much funnier (looking back). All these learnings just reaffirm how great it is to do these trips and push a person’s personal boundaries. Next time I’ll know better 🙂