Re: [Philmont]: Shakedowns - Physical Conditioning?

>
> I don't want to "survive" Philmont, or "endure" it, never to return
> again - I want to enjoy it.
>
> - Dr. Bob

I absolutely agree. The point I have been trying to make, evidently
not very clearly, is that to enjoy Philmont or any other high adventure
backpacking trip you must train with boots on your feet and a loaded
pack on your back. Very few people arriving at Philmont will have
backpacked for 10 days at high altitude. To overcome the mental stress
of this situation, you cannot be obsessing about how your pack hurts
your shoulders, neck and back, and you cannot be wincing with every
step because your boots don't fit or your feet have blisters. Your
body needs to be broken-in to your backpack and boots, not vice versa.

For example, on a one week backpacking trip in North Carolina,
organized through Camp Daniel Boone, we crossed paths with a crew from
Florida that was having problems. One of their advisors had a heart
attack (an active duty marine) and their other advisor simply quit.
Their ranger asked if they could hike with our crew so that they did
not have to go back to base camp. Our guys were experienced hikers (we
had no ranger) and they said O.K. The next day the biggest scout in
the Florida group just couldn't carry his pack any further - their
ranger carried two packs to camp. This scout was 16 or 17 and played
high school football. He was in great physical shape but mentally was
unprepared for the rigors of a week on the trail with a 50 lb. pack. I
am sure experienced backpackers have had similar experiences.

My advice is simply to do as much training as possible with boots and
your backpack. As a backpacking trip, Philmont is really just a high
altitude walk in the woods. The trails are well graded, with very few
exceptions. It is not the physical stress of any single day at
Philmont that is the typical problem. Preparation is the key to
enjoying Philmont. Others have covered the importance of aerobic
exercise and teamwork preparation. Just do as much of it as you can
with your boots and pack.

Dan Preston
Louisville, KY

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Received on Thu Jan 19 00:27:12 2006