[philmont] Pack Weight (was Dining Fly)

Mike

Great advice.  You are absolutely right about the fascination with gear.  Sometimes it can overwhelm more important issues such as getting in shape and team building.  I have included a section on pack weight from the Philmont Advisor's Guide, a collection of tips and advice from experienced advisors and Philmont rangers.  Should you like what you read and want to read more, please contact me about getting your copy.

Finally, try to get your total pack weight as light as possible.  Heavy packs just sap energy and strength, make you more prone to injury, and reduce your potential for having a good time on the trail.  Both Bob Klein and Troy Hayes are real sticklers when it comes to reducing total pack weight.  Bob even gives his crew a list of equipment with the maximum acceptable weight for each item of personal gear.  He even brings a postal scale to gear shakedowns and weighs each item to make sure that it meets his criteria!  If an item is too heavy, it is rejected!  You may think that this might be extreme, but Bob’s crews typically leave Base Camp with water and food with packs that weigh less than 35 pounds, compared to most crews with pack in the 40 to 50 pound range.

Some advisors are still in the car camping mode when they arrive at Philmont, bringing along that extra something “just in case.”  This is a huge mistake and the extra pounds will soon begin to affect their performance on the trail.  The idea is to leave Base Camp, with the lightest possible pack, with the right amount of personal and crew gear for your trek and no more.  Start eliminating ounces from your very first shakedown.  A requirement for Backpacking Merit Badge is to discuss ten ways to reduce your pack’s weight.  Some ideas from Troy Hayes and Stephen Braunlich include:

·        small rather than large (as in flashlight, knives, etc.)

·        think at the “crew” level rather than the “individual” level.  It isn’t necessary that everyone carry essential items as long as they are available to the crew.

·        right size (e.g., a 4 ounce bottle of sun screen instead of a 6 or 8, a small tube of toothpaste)

·        just-as-good-but-lighter (coated nylon rain gear instead of PVC, grocery store water bottles instead of canteens)

·        double duty items (bandanna can serve as a towel, handkerchief, and neckband/headband; synthetic long underwear top can keep you warm in the campsite and serve as sleep shirt)

·        avoid gadgets (such as Leatherman, hydration systems, heavy camp stools).  However, a couple of multi-tools that have scissors for cutting moleskin and can double for a set of hot pot tongs are worth carrying.

·        sharing (one set of toothpaste or Camp Suds bottle per tent, crew sunscreen and bug repellent)

·        smart purchasing (mummy bag versus a rectangular bag)

·        clothing system based on layers

·        take only what you need (a cup and spoon for eating gear instead of a cup, bowl, spoon and fork)

·        eliminate dead weight (walkman radios, footballs – yes Troy Hayes has seen one!)

·        only have two knives and two compasses per crew (one for use and one for redundancy)

Don’t succumb to the “Weight of Fear.”  Fear of being cold – by carrying more warm clothing instead of a system built on layers.  Fear of being injured – by carrying a large sophisticated first aid kit instead of considering other equipment that could be utilized if needed.  Fear of being uncomfortable – by carrying camp chairs and thick sleeping pads.  The more you carry, the more you will enjoy camping.  The less you carry, the more you will enjoy hiking.

There are a growing number of ultra-light backpackers who would have a field day with the gear that we take to Philmont.  We would have to give up our full-length Therm-A-Rest pads, our in-camp clothes and our camp shoes!  These minimalists, however, have the experience, confidence, and physical conditioning to compensate for any mistakes they might make in packing that we as advisors cannot.  We encourage you to work with your crews to reduce the weight that each member will carry and believe that the equipment lists in Appendices D and E have been tested over time and represent what you will need on the trail at Philmont.

However, for those of you who might be tempted to try the ultra-light method of backpacking (on your own first and not at Philmont), an excellent resource is Beyond Backpacking, Ray Jardine’s Guide to Lightweight Hiking, AdventureLore Press, (800) 247-6553.  While we don’t agree with everything Ray Jardine has to offer, he does present a different way to approach gearing up.  However, many of Philmont’s established backcountry protocols rule out most of Jardine’s suggestions such as tarp tents, hammocks, etc.

Cooper Wright
Co-editor of the Philmont Advisor's Guide
Received on Tue Apr 15 08:03:31 2008