Originally Posted By topshot

The only stupid thing I know that I've done (after the fact) was setup my shelter in a 12,000' rock basin as a storm approached. Kept me out of the rain and hail and the thunder was really cool in surround sound (!), but the hiking pole (aluminum) needed for my shelter could have spelled my doom in said lightning I suppose (though the surrounding peaks were much higher targets and I never felt the tingling you get before a strike). As an electrical engineer, I fully understand the dangers of lightning, but I never even thought about that (I love thunderstorms - just not getting wet).


I've actually done the total opposite of that when I was younger: my buddy and I were pinned in a canyon when a rainstorm started, so we set up camp in the first flat spot we found.
Bad idea, the one flat spot in the bottom of a canyon. By sheer fortune I'd failed to talk my buddy out of taking along a tent, and no sooner had we had it up did we get thunder, lighting, hail, driving rain. We ended up with a standing inch of water on the floor of the tent.

I think that falls under both the "be aware" and "don't be an idiot" points... blush
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