Re: [Philmont]: Caterpillaring

As I know it, sprinting and drifting is when the crew walks for a predetermined time (I think we did 15 min.) and then takes a rest break (say 5 min). This is what we did on my first trek. It works just fine, but having heard everyone extoll the virtues of catapilaring, I decided that might be a more efficient way to cover ground. Thanks for your reply Dave!

> Pete Johnson:
> I'm unfamiliar with the "sprint and drift technique", and so cannot say what
> the difference is - could you explain it?
> Or how's this: I'll explain caterpillar, and you explain sprint and drift,
> and then eveyone will know the difference.
> We may discover that they are the same thing, by two differernt names....
>
> To caterpillar: the lead person, after having had the lead for a while,
> stops, takes a step off of the trail, and lets everyone else pass by. They
> then fall in at the end of the line. The new lead person does the same:
> after having the lead for a while, they stop, let everyone pass, and drop
> back to the end. There is always someone stopped waiting for the rest of
> the crew to pass, and the lead person continually changes.
> One key to good caterpillaring is deciding how long each person is to have
> the lead. We tried time, and distance, but found that those were too hard to
> measure, and we finally decided the best way to measure how long you have
> the lead was by counting steps. We let the Crew leader decide how many
> steps you would go as lead before stopping: 100 was good for flat stretches,
> uphill would become as few as 50, 75 was our norm. Another key to
> caterpillaring is to teach everyone that the lead *must* stop when their
> time as lead is up - its not a matter of how tired you are, but how tired
> your crewmate is - s/he doesn't get their break until after you have taken
> yours. And another: when you are stopped, be sure to count bodies going by
> before falling in to be sure you really are at the end - the tail end
> charlie may be a way farther back.
>
> Advantages to caterpillaring: It keeps the crew together. Everyone
> periodically gets a short break. Everyone gets a turn at being lead, thus
> not having to see the back of someone else's backpack and also, being able
> to go as fast as they want (for 75 steps) - this can be important - the
> speedy ones do get a chance to go fast. It keeps the crew together.
> Everyone (esp Crew Leader and Advisors) get two times to see everyone else
> and how they're doing (one time is when you are stopped and everyone else
> hikes past, the other time is when someone else is stopped and you hike past
> them). And, did I mention? - it keeps the crew together.
>
> Dave Martin
> '63,'91,'00,'04
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <ps-johnson@comcast.net>
> To: "Multiple recipients of list philmont" <c>
> Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2005 2:25 AM
> Subject: [Philmont]: Catapillaring
>
>
> >I have heard about this technique (catapillaring), but am completely
> >unfamiliar with it. How
> > does it differ from the sprint and drift technique?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Pete
> >
> > Trek 21 '99
> > ???? ?? '05
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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Received on Mon May 2 17:28:19 2005