Couldn't Get It Up
Dear Dr. T,
Something disturbing happened to me on a recent camping weekend. It had been a long day, I may have been under a bit of stress trying to organise everything and generally rushing around, as when it came to the critical moment late at night, I couldn't get it up. I’d done this sort of thing hundreds of times before and although I’m now not as young as I used to be, this was the first time anything like this had ever happened to me. The lady I was walking with gave me a hand as much as she could, but everything we tried still resulted in it collapsing limply or flapping about uselessly. I could have been forced to sleep out in the open, but fortunately she was very understanding about it and didn’t mind me sharing her tent for the rest of that night, but I still felt very embarrassed about it all the next day. I’m worried it could happen again - is there anything you can do to help?
Yours hopefully, Rundown Bushwalker, Gladstone Park.

Dear RB,
I’ve had many similar experiences, but none so drastic as yours. For many years I’d go camping and find I’d left something or other out of my pack. Usually it was something that I could manage without or borrow from someone else, such as a Swiss army knife, but things came to a head one terrible weekend when I realised that my Angel Delight was still on the kitchen table back in Melbourne. From then on I took to using a check-list of things to take, not just a sheet I’d glance over and think “yep, yep, got all that” but a fresh copy for each trip on which I’d mark things off only as I placed them in my pack. I suggest you do the same, that way you won't forget your tent poles and pegs again.
Yours, Dr T

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