[philmont] Gear Issues

Mike,
I always get a kick out of the guys who show up for the first practice hike
(in spite of repeat instructions) wearing jeans, sneakers or whatever
because "it's just a day hike". If they didn't realize the importance of
bringing their Philmont gear with them AND USING IT, they did by the end of
the day! :-)

The hip belt situation you reference is inexcusable. It should have been
discovered on the practice hikes and corrected.

There's a lesson in there for every future Philmont crew.

Pete Swiggum
Green Bay, WI
Philmont 2005
ICWTGBTP!!

----- Original Message -----
From: <Michael_J_Conkey@nbc.gov>
To: "philmont List Member" <philmont@troop47.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 8:09 AM
Subject: [philmont] Gear Issues

> <snip> He was too skinny for his hip belt and had to wear his fleece
> around his waste for the entire trip. Uncomfortable, but workable. <snip>

************
I snipped the above from a post.

Not to harass the advisors for this trek, but this is the kinds of thing
that MUST (IMHO) be worked out during the pre-trek training.

One of our biggest priorities with the pre-trek backpack trips is to see the
youth IN THEIR PHILMONT GEAR so we advisors can identify any discrepancies
like the above that need to be worked out ahead of time. Having a hip belt
that doesn't fit is akin to having brand new hiking boots that don't fit.
It can be a show-stopper on the trail.

Pre-trek trips aren't to get the youth into shape. Most always, they have
age on their side and can physically handle most things. We use the
pre-trek hikes and backpacks to learn the "Philmont Way", team-build and
bond as a group, and give the participants a chance to use their "Philmont
gear" ahead of time. This gives the participants time to make adjustments,
try out stuff, decide if you need to replace stuff, and help the advisors
head off gear troubles BEFORE hitting the ranch.

Now, advisors are a different story as it relates to pre-trek stuff.

We do use the pre-trek activities to help them realize the kind of shape
they need to be in for Philmont. By forcing them on the trail once a month
doing a hike or backpack, it helps prepare them, mentally and physically.
The fragile links on the trail are usually the advisors, IMHO.

Just my 2 cents, your mileage will vary.

Mike ('76, '02, '04 and '07).

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Received on Wed Aug 9 09:00:56 2006