🏔️ That time we lost our tent poles – A Hard Lesson in Hiking Survival

Some lessons you only need to learn once—and trust me, losing your tent poles on the way to Federation Peak is one of them. This experience (and many like it) shaped how I hike today, and it’s why I wrote Pathfinder: A Beginner’s Guide to Hiking Success—to help others avoid the same mistakes.

It was the year 2000, and I was making my second attempt at Federation Peak—one of Tasmania’s most infamous and formidable climbs. The weather was spectacular, spirits were high, and we were making great progress toward our goal.

By day three, after an exhausting eight-hour push in brutal heat, we arrived at Stuart Saddle—a spectacular but exposed campsite with jaw-dropping views. It was the perfect place to recover from the day’s grind.

Then, out of nowhere, I turned to see my hiking buddy sitting with his head in his hands.

"What’s wrong?" I asked.

His response hit me like a ton of bricks: "I don’t have the tent poles."

In a place where shelter isn’t just about comfort but survival, this was not the kind of mistake you want to make. The area itself is a stark reminder of the dangers of Tasmania’s wilderness—named after John Stuart, who perished here in 1956. Suddenly, the stunning views felt a lot less inviting.

We realised the poles must have slipped from my friends pack at some point during the day’s hike. It was now early evening, and exhaustion was setting in fast. My mate decided to retrace our steps for an hour, hoping to find them before dark. Meanwhile, I set about improvising a shelter, rigging up the tent using rope and guy lines.

We made it through the night, thanks to the calm conditions—but it was far from comfortable. The next morning, we made the tough call to backtrack our entire previous day, a brutal decision that cost us our Federation Peak attempt. After hours of retracing our route, we found the poles near the very start of the previous day’s walk—a gut-punch of a moment that sealed the fate of this trip.

A few months later, we returned and finally summited Federation Peak.

This experience on Federation Peak changed how I approach hiking forever. Here’s what I took away—and why these lessons could save you from making the same mistakes.

There are some pieces of gear you can afford to forget, but shelter, food, and navigation tools aren’t on that list. Before every hike, I now run through a pre-hike checklist to ensure everything critical is packed and accounted for. This simple habit has saved me from potential disasters more than once.

I also do a final gear check at camp before leaving each morning. It’s easy to misplace or forget something in the rush to pack up—especially small but essential items like a headlamp, stove, or map. A quick check could mean the difference between a great hike and a miserable one.

Back in 2000, we secured the tent poles to the outside of my buddy’s pack. That was our first mistake. Over the years, I’ve learned a hard truth: if it’s essential, it goes INSIDE the pack.

I never secure critical items like:
✅ Tent poles
✅ Sleeping bag
✅ Warm layers
✅ First-aid kit

Anything tied to the outside can fall off, get snagged, or be lost without you even realising it, especially on many of the rough tracks in Tasmania. Sure, securing an extra water bottle externally is fine, but never risk losing something that could make or break your trip.

No hike ever goes perfectly to plan. When things go sideways, your ability to stay calm, assess the situation, and come up with a solution is everything.

That night at Stuart Saddle, we had two choices:

We chose the second option, using rope and guy lines to jerry-rig the tent into a workable (if not ideal) shelter. Had the weather turned ugly, we might have been in real trouble—but adaptability helped us make it through.

It’s one thing to read about survival skills—it’s another to apply them when you need them most. Now, I always approach hiking with the mindset that something will go wrong and being flexible is just part of the adventure.

That night, the only reason we had a functional shelter was because I had extra paracord and guy lines. It’s one of those items that weighs next to nothing but has endless uses:

✔️ Replacing broken tent poles or guy lines
✔️ Repairing gear
✔️ Creating an emergency shelter
✔️ Securing loose equipment

Now, I never hit the trail without at least 5-10 meters of paracord or ultralight Dyneema cord in my pack.

Losing the tent poles forced us to retrace an entire day’s hike, which threw off our timeline and ultimately cost us our shot at Federation Peak on that trip. At the time, it was frustrating. Looking back, it was the right call.

The mountain will always be there. Your safety comes first.

Some hikers push on because of sunk-cost bias—they’ve already invested time and effort, so they feel like they have to continue. But here’s the thing: the smartest hikers know when to turn around.

I’ve had to make that call many times over the years. And every single time, I’ve been grateful that I did. There’s zero shame in making the safe, smart decision—because hiking should be about enjoying the adventure, not taking unnecessary risks.

This experience—and many others like it—led me to write my first book:
🗺 Pathfinder: A Beginner’s Guide to Hiking Success

It’s packed with hard-earned lessons, practical tips, and strategies to help hikers avoid the mistakes I made and hike with more confidence and skill.

As a reader of this newsletter, you can access a special prelaunch discount here.

If you’ve ever found yourself making avoidable mistakes on the trail, this book is for you.

THAT’S ALL FOR THIS WEEK

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Until next week.

Stay well,

Mowser

Helping hiking enthusiasts explore the great outdoors