Storm Camp: The Gear Audit

A storm in the forecast doesn't always mean turning back. Sometimes it means finding a secure spot and settling in for a Storm Camp. It’s easy to see this as a setback—a pause in the route. I see it as an opportunity.

When you’re tent-bound by wind and rain, you have a captive audience with your entire kit. This is the moment for a gear audit. Not the theoretical one you do on the living room floor, but a real-world, real-time review. Is that 'waterproof' jacket wetting out at the shoulders? Is the tent holding up to the gusts as promised? Are your hands getting cold, and why?

This is where a simple tool becomes invaluable: a waterproof field notebook and a pencil. Taking five minutes to jot down what’s working and what’s failing is one of the most productive things you can do in a storm. These notes aren't just memories; they are data. They are the foundation for future confidence, the small truths that inform better packing, mending, or replacing later on.

The goal isn't to have perfect gear. It's to have a perfect understanding of the gear you have. A storm camp, and the notes you take during it, can deliver that.