Interesting problem: What is the most secure location for critical items? Nothing is completely foolproof. I am on my second Skeletool CX, one having strayed during a field project two years ago, and that was normally carried on my person....So, stuff happens....

Losing a backpack is the sign of an inexperienced amateur. Your pack should be on your back, primarily, but never out of reach until you are in camp, and then always handy. One learns this soon enough, sometimes the hard way....

I remember one rescue, in the Santa Catalinas, as it happened, in which the group set out and encountered adverse weather. Freaked out, they started running through the forest, discarding items from their packs (!!). This stopped when one of them crunched an ankle, which eventually initiated a rescue operation. Arriving on scene, we were relieved to see that they still had some of their essentials, including tents and bongs (gotta keep your priorities straight). We got them off the hill eventually....