Postby Nessie » Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:47 am
I too have never brought a rope. (Everybody who asks me what to do with quicksand always thinks I need rope.)
I have a big dark-blue golf bag. That's what the stuff is in.
During the cool season, I bring waders, woolly socks, and a pair of swim shoes. During the period right before freeze and right after thaw, I bring a pair of snow pants too since the mud will be cold.
I don't change clothes at all except to add extra pants during the coolest days. Often, I'll have to remove one layer on top (it's a hike, and by the time I get there, I'm usually warmer than when I got out of the car).
I don't need to be cleaned after a wader session but the waders and shoes do. I hike to the creek and do it there.
During the warm season, I never wear real underwear. I always wear a bikini under things. This way I am never indecent in case anyone shows up during cleanup. Over this I wear the clothes to be seen on the trail. In the bag is my real sinkwear. I change in any area where I know for a fact that people won't go.
Sinkwear always includes special mud shoes. So my regular shoes go in the bag while I'm sinking.
If I'm shooting, I need a couple paper towels to wipe my eyes off after I submerge. I also need the "peat brush" which is one of those brushes with plastic thick spikes. I think they're meant for extra-thick-and-curly hair. Brushing hair underwater with one of those gets guck out well.
I've tried bringing make-up for shoot days but it's pretty hopeless. I can't leave lipstick anywhere hot. It melts. I try to make up a bit -- sometimes -- before leaving the house, but basically, when you go to natural quicksand, you'd better learn to love yourself the way you are since very often the stuff doesn't stay on well in when the weather's hot and I'm sweating.
If I'm not shooting anything, I don't submerge, and depending on what the sinkwear is, I may not really need to change. I can clean it all up in the creek while it's still on me.
I just air-dry.
In summertime, lots of spray with DEET in it is absolutely necessary. I might bring something to drink. Monster Energy Low Carb is the preferred source of liquid refreshment.
At Massivia I also bring a very light foldaway stool. So when I'm on the trail, I end up, generally, with two bags and a stool.
The story behind that is that I need to be able to sit down to use my camera on its tripod to shoot wildlife. I really do use it for that too so that's not a lie. It's easier to shoot ducks while on a stool than while standing up.
On mud trips, though, while changing footwear, sometimes I really need to just sit down. The "mud shoes" are tight! I have also used the stool, in folded form, to smack weeds flat so I can walk through them.
I always bring the cell phone and the car key is attached to it. I bring camera when applicable. When the sky is very cloudy, I need to carry plastic bags for the camera and phone in case Mother Nature dumps on me.
I do get tired of carrying too much stuff and I keep trying to think of ways to thin this down but if I forget something, I usually end up regretting it. Only people who don't want to be in quicksand have the luxury of blundering into any with nothing on them!
Nessie
) so I went out a couple of days ago. But as I started packing my bag for the adventure ahead I totally forgot what I needed! Had to mentally run through the day to just create a list of things I needed.