[Philmont] The skinny on backpacks

Steve tells a story of a very common problem that all advisors need to
recognize. Many teenagers are too skinny for an adult men's backpack
hip belt. Before your Scouts buy a new backpack, make sure they go to
a full service outfitter that can properly fit them. Some internet
sites look like great equipment deals, but if the pack does not fit, it
is a waste of money. Parents frequently are not aware of the problem.
They want their kids to have good gear and go looking for the great
internet deal.

Check your Scouts' hip belts. If they are cinched all the way up, they
will likely have a problem. It can be a hard sell to a teenager, but a
women's pack can solve the skinny Scout problem. I have a skinny 6'-3"
20-year old son who has been a ranger at Philmont who still uses a
women's pack.

Dan Preston

>   I had one Scout in 05 that his pack fit him at base camp, and on
> each day after that and when we picked up food after that he was in
> the back with me.  He has lost enough weight that his hip belt was as
> tight as it would go and it still was loose.  We were making saddle
> blankets to go around him to take up the girth he had lost. 
>   
> Steve Mac Intyre
Received on Fri Aug 17 17:19:40 2007