Equipment Check

Some people would assume that checking your equipment should go without saying.  However, it is a step that takes a few minutes and most of us overlook (Even me).  Regardless of what kind of trip you're planning, whether it is a simple hike at a local park, camping, backpacking, or a hunting, we all need to take the time to go through a check and test our equipment.  I prefer to check my equipment every couple of months to ensure that it's still in working order and that I still remember how to use it.

A good example of this would be something that happened to me today.  I recently put a new scope on my rifle got it all setup and bore-sighted.  Good enough and ready to put some food on the table right?  Wrong.  When I went to the range to check check the zero the first three were right on the money.  Then the grouping became increasingly erratic to the point I wasn't hitting the paper at 100 yards.  After a quick visual check of the firearm I then realized that the bracket that attached the scope to the rifle had come loose.  Had my friends and I actually gone pig hunting last weekend like we had planned then I would have been out of luck.

So as I said, set aside time to check your gear at least every other month.  Pull out your pack and check for defects, throw some weight in it and walk around with it to make sure that it will still function.  For this I prefer to load about 20 lbs over what I would ever normally take just to be on the safe side, because you never know when you'll be in a situation where you'll need to take on more weight; water is heavy.  Set up your tent, fire up the grille if you use one.  If you hunt, then check your firearm regularly.  Clean it, take care of it, take it to the range to make sure you're still zeroed at the desired distance.

....And remember the 4 P's: Proper Planning Prevents P*** Poor Performance