One of my instructors, a big Linux guy and old-school networker, is famous for saying, "First make it work, then make it pretty." Well, it wasn't pretty but they did make it work! They made some major mistakes (not leaving an itinerary, failure to wear proper clothing and carry a good fire kit, etc) but kudos for keeping their heads and using the training. They caught a bit of luck but if you keep your cool you can often make your own luck.

This definitely drives home the importance of giving your gear a thorough check before hitting the trail. How many times have you ever swiped some ibuprofen or bandages from your FAK because it was closer than the medicine cabinet or you were out, thinking to replace it later? Well, did you? I've occasionally raided my FAK and forgot to immediately replace it. So far I've never neglected replacing something and needing urgently, and hopefully I'll be diligent enough to avoid it in the future.