Drove 3 hours to a star party and forgot my tripod

Last month I packed up my telescope and drove all the way to Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania for their annual star party. Got there, set up, and realized I left my heavy duty tripod sitting in the garage. Had to spend $45 on a cheap plastic one from a gas station that wobbled in the wind and ruined every long exposure shot. Has anyone else had a gear mishap like this that cost you time or money?

3 comments

3 Comments

noahmartin22d agoTop Commenter

That bit about "focusing on the main event and missing the details" really hit home for me. But I gotta ask, do you think it's actually a blind spot or is it more like we get too confident and stop double checking ourselves? Like for me, I'll check my bag three times for the telescope tube and eyepieces but somehow the tripod just gets a mental free pass because I've taken it so many times before. The routine stuff is what I always forget, not the new gear I just bought. It almost feels like my brain says "yeah you got this, you've done this a hundred times" and then relaxes too much and skips the important step. Have you noticed you forget certain types of things more than others or is it totally random for you?

eva_thompson22d ago

That tripod thing is so specific and so real. I actually did the exact same thing last month with a camping trip to Big Bend, forgot the little wire that holds my eyepieces in the case, had to wrap everything in a t-shirt. It's definitely the confidence thing for me too, like my brain just assumes the routine stuff is fine because I've done it a million times. I'll obsess over the new collimator or a fresh filter but totally blank on the lens cloth I always bring, it's like the important stuff becomes invisible after a while.

milesbailey22d ago

Man that stings. Cherry Springs is such a dark sky spot too, perfect conditions wasted on a wobbly gas station tripod. This kind of thing happens to me a lot, not just with gear but with everyday stuff. Like I'll grab my keys and phone but leave my wallet on the counter, or I'll remember to pack my lunch but forget the lunch bag itself. It's like your brain has this weird blind spot for the one thing you actually need the most. The more you plan for something big, the more likely some small thing slips through the cracks. I think it's just how we're wired, focusing on the main event and missing the details.