UKC

Is it just me or does anyone find the amount of kit being lost, left behind, blown away or dropped just staggering?

in winter no, its super easy to loose kit

Cold fingers don't work so well but I have an alarm constantly flashing in my brain that I don't want my jacket or gloves blown away.

I think it's plain dumb to let your axe fall off the back of your sack. I guess it's much  harder with modern axes that don't have an adze as it doesn't sit naturally in the axe loop. Or am I just tight! ????

I expect it’s much the same as it always has been, just more people post on ukc about it.

Or just slide it down the side straps of the bag and remove the risk poking peoples eyes out or damaging other kit. 

Never lost any kit but took a friend up a route 3 weeks back in the snow and he had a crampon bag blow right off a cornice. Not everybody is so careful.

I lost both my water bottles in the Alps on a trip once. Both

I had a small slip and was struggling to get back on my feet, really slippery snowy scree.

Thankfully I was with a mate who still had his, and I had a folding canteen in my bag. 

From now on I'm using bottles with loops/clips when I'm in the hills!

I had an ice screw disengage itself from an ice screw clipper on my harness in Rjukan last year. Some kindly soul day caught it and returned it to me at the next belay. I like to think it was due to clipper failure rather than operator error as I'm very anal about losing kit in winter but it has made me more cautious.

Last week however I dropped my flask and ice axe on an easy gully (don't ask). That was definitely operator error! Retrieved both but did make me realise how breathtakingly stupid I had been.

On consideration not really surprised.

Far more climbers and walkers and far, far more equipment available and being bought. Concomitant increase in less experienced climbers who are possibly more prone to leave gear for various reasons.

On the plus side, the amount of free kit lying around is also staggering 

I find that hypothermic seconds are sometimes half-hearted about retrieving stuck gear. Serves the leaders right for being slow.

Ive found more gear than I've lost.  Thanks to you all!!!!

I always cross my rucsack straps over the axes to keep them from falling back - they are then pretty flush with the sack itself.

"Never lost any kit" .....seriously, as an experienced well travelled climber?

I lost a water bottle at Symonds Yat, it took off at speed, pausing only momentarily to bounce on someone’s helmet. 

Luckily no injuries but it was a really good bottle

I'm a firm believer that, if you can't look after the kit that your life depends on - then you shouldn't be out on the hill.

Never lost anything on the hill.  I have abandoned pro - but never just dropped and lost something.

ho ho ho flattered!