Going back for lost things!

limbs

limbs

New Member
Messages
204
Points
0
I think I am going to make a new rule for hiking with my kids. No more MP3 players, books or barbies. This week on three separate treks the kids lost one of those items along the way. Everything was found when we went back, although it was funny trying to fish Barbie out of the river.
 
carmen

carmen

Active Member
Messages
1,051
Points
38
Location
In a house with a tin roof
We do not go back for lost things and end up taking only what is needed. It is a good way to teach kids (and adults too) about the responsibility of keeping their things together. Thankfully we have never lost anything worth a great deal of value.
 
Grandpa

Grandpa

Well-Known Member
Messages
5,904
Points
113
Location
SE Idaho
Actually, this is one of the hardest things I have found to teach my kids and grandkids when camping. KNOW WHERE YOUR STUFF IS.
When you go to bed at night have everything put away where you can find it if it snows 12 inches.
Have a place for everything and replace it every time you use it.
Pack and repack your backpack so you know where everything goes. When packing and you come to a missing item, stop and find it right then.

Most of the kids learned fast. One grandson was so used to momma picking up after him that he remained careless. Well, one night in the Jed Smith, it dumped that foot of snow on us. When we fired up our stoves for breakfast, he had to hunt through the snow trying to find where he had left his stove. (I had put it away the night before. If he had gone straight to the spot where he left it, I would have spared him the agony, but he had no idea) So we let him suffer while we ate. After a little further discussion on taking care of stuff, and after he finally had his breakfast, we moved on. He has been the leader on teaching the younger kids since then and the best part? His mother said that after that trip he started cleaning his room and developed a plan for everything in its place there as well.
 
M

MissyKitty

New Member
Messages
69
Points
0
I never take things like that with me and if a friend of mine does, he is responsible for them. I also have a rule, if you loose it, and it is not vital, we leave it behind. We might try to find it if we are still near the camp, but if we get further, it s gone.
 
limbs

limbs

New Member
Messages
204
Points
0
Yeah, I should have made this rule much sooner. I think I won't even let them leave the house with stuff they don't need for the hike itself. They may not like it at first, but I think it will be for the best.
 
G

Gondor

New Member
Messages
686
Points
0
I don't compromise on this rule. And this is not just for kids but for hiking partners as well. They often leave stuff and I won't go back with them. I try to warn them but I guess even that doesn't work.
 
B

Barney

New Member
Messages
1,044
Points
0
What I do is make a mental map of my gear. There is gear in and on my backpack, in my pockets and on my belt. Every time I leave a location I check them which takes less than a minute.
 
oldsarge

oldsarge

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,764
Points
63
After three days I went back for my lost K-Bar knife I lost in the jungle...I found it stuck in a tree where I put it while I was rigging an early warning device. I was never so happy to get my knife back!
 
ponderosa

ponderosa

Active Member
Messages
911
Points
43
Location
eastern idaho
We took a little dayhike today, and my girls (3 and almost 5) packed their own little backpacks. We had little dolls, bouncy balls, perfume, wind up toys, storybooks, a magnifying glass, kazoo, stuffed animals, and crayons. I probably forgot half a dozen other things they brought. I was pleased with the fact that they remembered their chapstick, water bottles, snacks, cameras, and little flannel hankies for their allergy noses. And I'm pretty certain we returned home with everything we brought, so I'm OK with their toy selections. Whatever it takes to get them hooked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top