Short, But Confusing: Out in the Sticks

Now, where had I put it?

I checked the nearby picnic bench and then in the backseat of my truck. When I didn’t find it in either of those places, I unzipped the bag my tent had been packed in, but the only things I found inside were the tent itself and the pegs to use to secure it.

Frustrated now, I checked inside my suitcase and then unzipped my navy-blue backpack, which I had set on the rocky ground. I was just about to give up on my search when I lifted my backpack up and there it was.

What was I looking for?

-D.P.