ok, got back from a day out in the sun... more things I just found out, or knew before but didn't have time to post, these are mainly with outdoor stuff:
1. be prepared (as an eagle scout that one is embedded in my mind, but I am never surprised anymore when I realize after toking up, that I have left something very important. So this last time I made a list. Down to the absolute basics of a paper towel so I could wipe my face from the sweat (100+ degrees yikes!) to the myriad of writing utensils (pen, pencil, marker that I knew I would need) and a short shopping list.
2. this one might be more for me, but Know what you can carry, and how you are getting it there. I have a 15 mile bike ride (yes a bicycle not a motorcycle) through town, then a gravel road, then a country road, then a dirt road and then up a hill. I almost killed myself at 4:30 in the morning trying to discreetly carry a half gallon of purified water to my site. Hindsight, shoulda gotten a backpack or bag or something to carry that stuff in. I had no room in my bike, and the weight dragged me to the left, and any right turns would have resulted in a sudden and severe case of broken neck. I am still here though, so that didn't happen. I had to MacGyver a bottle of water to my bike with my bike lock, thank god it stayed tight enough I didn't lose it, and deal with fog so thick I coulda eaten it with a spoon.
3. Bring pest control for YOU. not just your plants. I have at least 1 orange flying thing that is the biggest thing I've ever seen (at least its the loudest one I've ever heard) and it is out to kill me. I can't remember how many times I've come running out of the garden after hearing the tk-tk-tk-tk-tk-tk machine gun sound of its wings as it dive bombs me from some unknown direction. A can of raid later, and Larry is absent, thank GOD.
4. Poison Ivy. look it up and watch out for it. also Poison Oak, sumac, stuff like that. I thought I was digging in some weeds, til the next day when my back, legs, and arms were all infected with the poison stuff, not fun.
5. Get plenty of rest. If you gotta take a 15 mile or so hike, you wanna be rested, cause at the END of that hike, is when the work starts. There's been a couple days when I get to the garden and all I wanna do is lie down and sleep, which means that I will wake up infested with ticks and mosquito bites.
6. Stay hydrated, but keep it separate from what you feed your plants. I will take a gatorade bottle, nice unique shape there. its mine. Good electrolytes and all that scientific stuff that means that I stay healthy and hydrated. then a bottle of water (totally different shape. I can grab either of them with my hand, not look and know which it is. that said, your plant feed should be clearly labeled so you don't add the wrong nutrients