[philmont] odd number of participants

John,

While you may be correct about the insect screen being a barrier, you are mistaken in the overall theme of (the first part of) your post. It is the shape, closed end "tent" vs. open end "tarp," and association with food that Philmont considers important.

As I stated in my post, I asked Philmont last year. Got a nice response from Mr. Mark Anderson. I don't think he'd mind if I posted a portion here:

  Because we know, with the 20,000 participants, that crews will be camping at most campsites each night, a bear that experiences a smell or morsel left at the dining fly during food preparation the day before or for that matter several days before, will return and has now become accustom to the dining fly (open ended structure) to prowl and continue a search for a meal.

  
I, for one, accept Mark Anderson's explanation of Philmont's rationale for no sleeping under tarps.

Regards,

/Neal
   
  *************************************************************************
   
  Neal,
   
  OK, I understand the point you are tryint to make, but you have lumped many variables under one umbrella, the term "tarp".
   
  I responded to the term "tarps" and not specifically "Philmont dining tarps" which in fact DO have food smells associated with them IF they are used for dining which most are not.
   
  simple fact is that an enclosure no matter how flimsey it is (screening) is still an enclosure and for the most part mlimits intrusion regardless of what the enclosure or non enclosure is used for.
   
  One must be very careful when generalizing and then supporting the generalization with specific details such as a Philmont rule.
   
  Philmont made the "rule" that one must sleep in a "Tent" to eliminate sleeping in a "bivy sack" because they had several unpleasant experiences with people doing just such a thing.
   
  The key element there was whether the bear could step over the "tent" or "bivy" and not what the enclosure was named. A bear doesn't care what it's called.
   
  But humans tend to label things with names thus Philmont outlawed "bivy sacks" rather than outlaw "sleeping enclosures" under a certain sixe.
   
  thus lumping all "tarps" into the category with the "Philmont dining fly" as a "tarp" is just such an example.
   
  I accept your desire at reasonage and understand your point.
   
  Mine is simply that bears can't read or reason as to verbage and names of things.
   
  But then I ask, what does this have to do with my post and the subject of your response, "odd number of participants"?
   
  John LeBlanc
  

       
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Received on Sat May 19 15:39:01 2007