After two incidences which could have got serious I vowed never to leave my pack.
First, on the Appalachian Trail I left my gear in a shelter and went down to get water; it was much further than I thought. I looked up and thought I hope to hell I can find my way back,. Why does it all look so different on your return journey and it gets darker quicker than you think. I thought it could be a long cold night, success in the end. Break twigs and overturn rocks to leave a trail is a thought. Native Americans sometimes marked such a trail with a hatchet swipe on trees.
Second time was when I walked the Rob Graham Round. So that I could run up and down Seat Sandal and Fairfield I Ieft my pack in a bracken clump in between the two summits. I even left a twig arrow not far from my gear. When I finished I looked for my gear and then saw just how many bracken clumps there were. I searched and eventually found the pack. A lesson learnt.
Now if I ever left anything I would take an accurate, long grid reference, take a photograph of the location and at least take rain gear with me so sleeping out might just be possible.
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Post edited at 17:16