Rhiannon
Way to go girl!!!! I was fortunate to take a co-ed crew to Philmont in 2000
and it was a wonderful experience. The co-ed crew was much more social than
any of my other 5 all male crews. It was a good time.
I have included sections from the Philmont Advisor's Guide on women at
Philmont. These sections were written by experienced female advisors and may be of
help to you and the other young women trekking with you. The full Guide is
available as a MS Word email attachment for a $10 donation to Venturing Crew
1519. Hope this helps.
Women at Philmont
Every year more and more women come to Philmont, usually as part of a
co-ed crew or a Rayado Crew. This trend is reflected in the growing number of
female Rangers that prepare crews for the backcountry. Even though you may not
be a co-ed crew, you could be assigned a female Ranger. Women clearly have
established that they are as capable of handling the same strenuous Philmont
conditions as their male counterparts.
With the increase of women at Philmont has also come a down side in the
form of blatant sexual harassment of female staff members and co-ed crewmembers
by male crewmembers and their male advisors. In 1994, a crew almost lost its
chance to earn their Philmont arrowhead patches when one of the crewmembers
made a sexually explicit remark to the female staff member responsible for
monitoring the crew's conservation project. After a lengthy discussion and an
apology, the crew was allowed to continue their work and ultimately received
their patches. That same year, another all male crew was assigned a very
attractive female Ranger. The crewmembers immediately began to talk about what they
were going to do to their Ranger after it got dark, loud enough so that the
Ranger could hear exactly what was being said. When the advisors did nothing to
stop this discussion and acted as if "boys will be boys", the Ranger reported
the incident to the Chief Ranger. As a result, the council involved received
written notification from Philmont that these advisors would not be allowed to
return to Philmont again. Perhaps this behavior is a result of too many
years of single sex camping or an outright opposition by some crewmembers and
adults to females participating in Scouting's high adventure programs. Whatever
the reason, it is still wrong. Advisors should tell crewmembers, that they
expect them to live by the Scout Oath and Law while on the trail. That means all
people, regardless of sex, race or religion should be treated with the same
level of respect and dignity, whether in base camp or on the trail. We applaud
those young women who come to Philmont either as staff members or as
crewmembers because they add a unique dimension to the overall experience. It is time
for all of us to get beyond the single sex issue and focus on what can be
learned from one another while on the trail at Philmont. And guys, be careful
about how macho you become while on the trail. There are some women out there
that can hike you into the dirt without even getting winded and not even look
back.
Co-ed Crews
If you are an advisor to a co-ed crew, you need to be comfortable
discussing women's issues. Some advisors may feel that it is just not their place to
discuss topics such as menstruation with both male and female crewmembers.
This is simply not the case. Right from the very start, advisors need to be
frank and honest with their crewmembers and provide any information that will
make the trek more successful. Open communication with the entire crew will
help to encourage better understanding and cooperation among its members.
The stress of hiking in the backcountry may induce or delay a woman's
menstrual cycle or it may have no effect at all. Therefore it is important to
know how to deal with it under wilderness conditions. Each female crewmember,
despite the timing of her last period, should carry a supply of sanitary
products in a waterproof container inside of her pack. A smaller container, such as
a Ziploc bag, can be used for daily needs and should be kept handy in a
pack's outside pocket. When the crew arrives at its camp for the night, the daily
container can be resupplied and the used products can be removed and stored in
the waterproof container. Sanitary products (both used and unused) are
considered as "smellables" and must be placed in the bear bag at night. In the
NOLS Wilderness Guide, it is recommended that woman bring along small Ziploc bags
for the storage of used tampons and pads. They have also found that placing
several crushed aspirins in the Ziploc bag can help eliminate the problem of
odor. Outward Bound recommends storing used sanitary products in a Ziploc bag
with dry tea bags to absorb the odor. Used sanitary products and toilet paper
used by menstruating women must never be placed in latrines or buried in the
backcountry. They should be packed out and discarded - double bagged - at a
staffed camp or commissary. Used products must never be placed in latrines or
buried in the backcountry. In 1997, Mimi reported that some staffed camps in
the backcountry maintained an emergency supply of sanitary products. Women
may want to consider discussing hormonal therapy with their doctor to prevent
the start of their menstrual cycle while on the trail. This method is NOT 100%
effective and sanitary products still need to be readily available.
Hiking at Philmont is tough but it can be made even more difficult with
cramping. Advisors need to be aware that women can experience cramping between
menstrual periods. The pain can occur on either side of the abdomen or lower
back. Women who regularly experience cramping are familiar with its symptoms
and are better able to cope with the associated pain. Cramping usually goes
away within 36 hours. Sometimes when cramping occurs on the right side it can
be mistaken for appendicitis. However, with appendicitis, other symptoms
including low-grade fever, diarrhea, and vomiting are present. Cramping has none
of these symptoms. If a female crewmember experiences severe cramping, it
may be necessary to hike at a slower pace or even off load some crew and
personal gear. While this situation did not come up with Wally's five co-ed crews or
Coop's one crew co-ed crew, they both had discussed the situation ahead of
time with their entire crews. While the some of the guys were not happy with
the idea of increasing their personal loads to assist a female crewmember, they
at least understood the reasons why.
Cotton hiking shorts and underwear promote an environment that can cause
several unpleasant and debilitating medical conditions for female hikers, such
as candidiasis and urinary tract infection (UTI). Because of this, some
women may prefer to hike in nylon blend hiking shorts with a built-in nylon brief,
as discussed earlier in this guide. Outward Bound recommends nylon hiking
shorts with no underwear to participants in all-female, adult programs. But
many women, particularly those in co-ed crews, may prefer the comfort and
discretion provided by independent briefs. Additionally, independent briefs provide
more flexibility for the use of sanitary products during the menstrual cycle.
Both Cathie Cummins and Mimi have used CoolMax briefs on previous treks and
have been pleased with their durability, moisture wicking and drying
attributes, and ease of laundering. Mimi now likes REI's Featherweight LTS briefs.
They come in a variety of color and sizes, and dry almost instantly when
laundered on the trail. Mimi also likes Moving Comfort's ultralight Daylite bra,
which combines the look of a lingerie bra with the features of a sports bra. This
CoolMax/Lycra blend bra dries in a flash on the trail, and comes in black and
white.
The combination of climate, physical exertion, and sanitary conditions at
Philmont, provides an increased possibility of candidiasis, or yeast
infection, in women. The first-aid kit for co-ed crews should contain a
non-prescription anti-fungal medication, such as Monistat 7. Most adult women know whether
they need to carry this item for themselves, but teenage girls might be
surprised by the infection, so travel prepared.
Philmont is known for its wide open spaces and does not afford very much
privacy. This was not a big problem when Boy Scouts alone hiked the trails
alone. With the influx of women on the trail, there has been a change in the
backcountry. Most Scouts who attend Philmont are mature enough to handle the
change. As an advisor to five co-ed crews at Philmont, Wally was particularly
impressed by how other crews camping nearby went out of their way to respect of
the privacy of the female members of his crew.
Latrines have also had to change at Philmont. Although Philmont is
building covered and enclosed latrines, there are still some open air latrines at
some of the more remote campsites. These rustic latrines come in two
varieties; the pilot to bombardier (two holer, back to back) and pilot to copilot (two
holer, side to side) and are the source of some great campfire skits. In
fact, some these latrines are so close to the trails that one can watch a crew
walk by while doing his daily constitutional. Unless latrines at a camp are
enclosed, many female crewmembers may prefer to use nature instead. The crew
leader of a co-ed crew should keep privacy needs in mind when selecting a
campsite, preferably choosing a site that is unpopulated on at least one side. If
such a site is not available, crewmembers of a co-ed crew should be a little more
aware of who is using the latrine before just walking up. Crewmembers may
want to go to these rustic latrines in pairs, with one as the lookout who stands
between the latrine and the campsite.
Washing up can also present a problem for a co-ed crew. Philmont
requires hikers to wash up at the sump so that odors can be concentrated. However,
the sump is usually out in an open area with absolutely no privacy. Wally's
and Coop's co-ed crews simply washed in shifts using a large opaque ground sheet
that was set up around the sump to provide for some privacy.
Lack of privacy also makes it difficult for women to urinate on the
trail. For a male crewmember, it is no big thing. He can relieve himself while
leaning nonchalantly against a tree, taking in the great views of the mountains
and not even taking off his pack! For female crewmembers, it can be a little
more of an effort. As a result, some female crewmembers may not drink enough
water, just to keep from urinating on the trail. Insufficient water intake
can result in dehydration and increases the risk of urinary tract infection
(UTI), which must be treated with antibiotics, and would undoubtedly result in
that female crewmember being taken off the trail. There are several small
plastic funnel-type devices available such as the "Lady J" or the "Freshette" that
will allow a woman to urinate while standing, with a minimum of exposure. Mimi
says that she is seeing a growing legion of female "believers" in the
Freshette on the trail. She carries hers in a small mesh bag along with a small,
squirt top water bottle to rinse it out after use.
Since urination for a woman generally involves a state of partial
undress, female crewmembers need to be out of sight of the crew. This usually means
heading up around the bend in the trail. In Coop's 2000 co-ed crew, during
short packs off breaks or called pee breaks, the rule was guys head down the
trail and gals head up the trail. Female crewmembers usually headed out in
groups, providing another set of eyes and ears for other crews that might be
approaching on the trail.
You want all of your crewmembers to have urine output that is "clear and
copious". If you have a co-ed crew, make sure everyone "camels up" and be
ready to take more time on the trail. If a crewmember needs to stop, have the
remainder of the crew hike ahead while another crewmember stands lookout for any
crews coming from behind. Let your crew know that becoming dehydrated can
cause severe problems and will slow the crew down even more than stopping to
take an occasional leak on the trail.
A quick note on latrine use for both sexes. Urine is basically a sterile
product and does not contain the pathogens found in feces. However, it does
contain salts that do attract animals. If you are on the trail and need to
urinate, the best way is to pee on a rock off the trail. In the old days, we
used to tell a camper to just "find a tree". However, urinating on a tree puts
salt on the bark that will attract animals that will ultimately eat the bark
and destroy the tree. So find a nice rock that won't splash back! If a
crewmember needs to defecate on the trail, he or she needs to take the shovel,
toilet paper and a small stick, and find a spot at least 200 feet from a water
source or the trail. Use the shovel and remove the top cap of soil that contains
the microorganisms that will ultimately reduce the feces. Dig the hole
approximately 6 inches deep. After defecating and cleaning with the paper, add dirt
to the hole and mix it in with the feces using the stick. The crew shovel
should never come in contact with feces! To the uninitiated, this might sound
like a disgusting task, but adding the soil will immediately eliminate any
odors. Mixing the soil, feces and paper together into a "poop soup" will
facilitate the decomposition of the feces and the paper. Once you have used up all of
the soil, replace the top cap and insert the stick so that someone else will
not dig in the same area. NEVER urinate in Philmont's backcountry latrines.
The salt in the urine will act as a preservative, increasing the decomposition
time for the feces and the acids will kill the bacteria decomposing the
feces. Also, any urine that gets on the latrine's wood will attract animals. In
many latrines, you can actually see where porcupines and other animals have
chewed the seat area.
As we discussed in the Personal Hygiene section of this guide, it is
extremely important to wash off the salt and grime that accumulates each day to
prevent "hiker's rash". Cathie and Mimi recommend that female crewmembers bring
bras to Philmont that can be washed and dried each day. There are an
increasing variety of sport bras available, with the largest selection manufactured
by Champion, in styles to match individual builds. Champion outlet stores
provide a full range of options at significantly reduced prices. Check the fabric
content in each style. Look for Lycra for support and CoolMax for
breathability, rather than cotton, as both dry quickly. Cathie and Mimi suggest
bringing two bras; one as a "hiking" bra and the other as an "in-camp" bra. The
hiking bra should be rinsed out each day. Although it may wet first thing in the
morning, it will not matter because it will either dry quickly or just get
wetter when you begin sweating.
When choosing long pants, female crewmembers may want to consider warm-up
style pants with elastic waists and ankle zippers, which allow the
flexibility to dress without removing shorts and boots, in areas where privacy is
hindered.
If you have questions about woman-specific Philmont issues not mentioned
in the Guide and want to get feedback based on other female trek advisors,
please feel free to drop a line to Mimi Hatch, mhatch@misti.com or Mary Lane,
scoutinfun@yahoo.com.
Cooper Wright
Associate Advisor, Crew 1519
Co-author of the Philmont Advisor's Guide
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Received on Wed Apr 13 22:21:03 2005
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