A series of mishaps took a situation from bag to worse for a hiker in Canada’s Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, ultimately leading to the man being found shoeless and wearing a black garbage bag.

According to a report from local source North Shore News, the man started his hike at the Vancouver-area park on October 30 amid a rainy week. At some point during his hike, the man placed his gear inside of a hollow tree to go and get some water – that’s when things started to go wrong.

Upon returning to get his gear (including his phone), he was unable to find it. As he was still searching for his lost items, day turned to night and amid the darkness, he took a tumble. During the fall, he lost both shoes – and like his gear, he was unable to find those, as well.

This left the man shoeless in wet and rainy conditions overnight, and he wouldn’t be found until the following day. Two runners eventually spotted him wandering down a trail around 3 p.m. with a garbage bag over his torso to stay dry and with no shoes on his feet.

Per the North Shore News report, he was found in “surprisingly good shape” when rescue crews reached the man about two-and-a-half hours later. Rescuers helped him dry off and ultimately drove him to safety.

The man’s missing items have not yet been found. The North Shore News report didn’t address how the man acquired a garbage bag.

It’s safe to say that this hiker didn’t intend on donning a garbage bag as a fashion accessory, nor was he likely to think he’d be shoeless by the time he made it back to the trailhead. That said, hiking can be unpredictable and many times, it doesn’t take much for a bad situation to get worse.

It’s important to always keep your gear with you opposed to leaving it somewhere to get later. Not only can it be difficult to find gear you’ve placed amid a bunch of rocks and trees that start to look the same, it’s also possible for someone to move it under the assumption it’s lost or was left behind. Plus, there’s always theft. Either way, keeping your gear on your person or in sight is the safest and most responsible option. Several rescue missions on Colorado’s fourteeners related to this mistake come to mind.

A lesson can also be gleaned from the man’s use of a garbage bag as rain gear. This might sound funny, but it works quite well. Not only can including a garbage bag in your backpack make it easier to pick up trash on the trail, it can also be used to keep you warm and dry in a pinch. It can honestly work better than many rain jackets and can offer enough coverage to keep your pack out of the rain, too.