I totally agree, hikermor!

We've all dealt with people who think they're wise just because they have a few years under their belt. Likewise, some people find it easy to dismiss others because of they're getting old.

People get overconfident and end up under prepared - be it in equipment, experience or knowledge - for a number of reasons. Add to that the reality that we don't don't know what we don't know, and you have the holy trinity of impending disaster. It usually takes a series of small missteps to add up to a survival situation, and it's very easy to be blind to your own risk factors because they don't exactly replicate someone else's.