Public Land Scouting Backpack: What’s in my Pack?

Have you ever had a miserable day out in the woods…being attached by bugs from hell, poked by thorns or wandered around like a tourist lost in the woods?

…well you are not alone (heck it happens more than we’d like to admit).

Quick Story:

How I managed to wreck my new Samsung 6 galaxy and a pair of waders within a span of less than 10 minutes.

My brother and I were doing a few deer drives during last years muzzleloader season.

I was the driver and he was the stander.  I was wearing my light-weight waders because we were crossing a stream that meandered through the area with steep cut banks on one side and sandy slopes on the other.

Still, to this day I don’t know how I misjudged the bank…

I must have figured the bottom would be a little shallower than it really was.  Anyway, I was pushing the grass along the bank, and went to cross the stream…

My short legs weren’t as tall as the 4′ ledge so I ended up not reaching bottom and toppled face first (gun and all) right into the water with the current carrying me downstream…

…I quickly grabbed my composer, stood upright, yanked my phone out, and tipped my muzzleloader down to let the water run out…that sucked—I thought to myself.

You would think that would have been the end of it… Nope.  As I made my way back towards my brother finishing the drive soak and wet–I hear a zipppprrrr noise.

What the heck?  Only to look down I see my waders caught on a piece of broken, rusty barb wire sticking out of an ol’ oak tree.

Nice…

Now, with a big hole in my waders, soaked muzzleloader powder, and a drenched phone– I make my back only to find myself trapped– now that I can only wade through about a foot of water thanks to the hole in my waders.

I Finally, got back to the truck and called it a day.

Moral of the story…you never know what can happen in the woods—put on your Boy Scout hat and bring some extra gear with you!