I reckon we've all had experiences like that, Yeti.
It's one thing on a day hike. Let's face it, with a pocket full of snacks, nobody's going to starve in that short time. Indeed, I know many day-hikers who don't even bother with lunch, per se.
When I wrote my day-hiking book, I didn't bother with lunch. When you're doing two or three trails per day, some of them as long as 7 miles, there's just no time for a sit-down meal. But I never felt particularly hungry. The munchies saw me through just fine. To be fair, they weren't just the usual carb type snacks, though. Jerky made up for the lack of a lunch break, for instance.
But on a long hike, when you're really dependent on what's in your pack or your buddy's pack, double checking is essential. That's one of the reasons serious backpackers live and die by checklists. Forgetting a piece of crucial equipment or short changing the food isn't just an inconvenience. It can be life-threatening. |