Re: [Philmont]: equipment needs (suggestions??)

My first trip to Philmont was in 2003 at age 56. Here are some
thoughts/opinions:

I currently live in northern Georgia near Atlanta, about 1000 feet above sea
level. We have the southern Appalachians with several 3000 - 4000 ft peaks
within a couple of hours' drive. We cannot duplicate the elevations at Philmont
(base camp 6,500 feet). Our trails are "softer" (less rocky and not as hard
packed) than Philmont trails. Our crew was well prepared for Philmont because
we hiked and worked together as a crew, we had done several practice hikes,
and we took our jobs seriously in camp and on the trail. We had shed extra
pounds (I dieted and exercised and lost nearly 30) and were in shape when we got
to New Mexico. A few of the crew participate in high school sports; but not
all. A couple of the crew had ADD or ADHD, so we had to accommodate their
needs. We had an odd number (11), so one youth crew member took his own, one-man
tent. That also meant we carried food for 12 (Philmont food comes in 2-person
kits per meal). We did not mandate attendance at our prep hikes and not
every crew member made every hike. Our crew was made up of scouts from our troop
and venture crew. The two advisors were the troop scoutmaster and an
assistant scoutmaster (me).

I've been active in the outdoors most of my life, so I tried to make do with
well-tried equipment I already had when I prepared for Philmont. I did buy
some new equipment (see below), but not much. I strongly recommend coolmax or
similar wicking shirts for hiking and sleeping. I saw adults hiking in
bib-front denim overalls, but cannot imagine doing so myself. Plan your wardrobe
accordingly. Philmont's dry climate will keep your clothes dry unless you're in
a rain storm. You will sweat a lot, but it dries fast. Plan your clothes
with layering in mind. Your rain suit should double as your outer layer for
wind, rain and/or cold. Whether you have long sleeved or sleeveless fleece is
your decision. I do well in the cold; others don't. My fleece is sleeveless.
Your crew must educate itself on such matters before it gets to Philmont.
Remember, not everyone reacts to cold the same. Clothing needs will vary.
Hypothermia isn't a fun thing.

For packing and waterproofing, our crew used the very large Zip-Loc bags
(10-gallon) inside our packs to provide an extra layer of waterproof protection.
[Recommended/discussed on this list last year, these large bags are available
at some auto parts stores, Walmart, etc but probably not in your local grocery
store]. One bag per crew member. They helped keep personal gear dry and also
separate from crew gear and food in packs. They're very durable and they can
keep pack fabric from becoming a smellable in the event you have a leak or a
food pack breaks open, depending on how you pack your load. You don't want to
be hefting all your packs up on the bear cable every night, believe me!

Of the 11 packs, there were 3 external frame Kelty packs. The rest were
internal frame.

I used my old (mid-1960s) model Kelty external frame pack with updated (late
1990s) shoulder harness and belt. I took spare parts, but did not need them.
I supplemented the relatively small (by today's standards and Philmont
expectations) 1960s pack volume (single compartment with about 2700 cubic inches)
with a day pack, which I rigged to attach to the top of the packframe with a
couple of bungee cords. It wasn't pretty, but I didn't have to look at it. The
day pack held my two water bottles, our crew first aid kit, and my rain suit
for easy access. Total pack volume was acceptable for my share of crew gear,
food, etc. For those of you who have never been to Philmont, the food issues
are bulky. If you have a crew of 12, for example, you'll have to figure out
where to pack away 5 days' of meals -- that's 5 x 3 x 12 = 180 meals -- before
you hit the trail. That's in addition to your personal gear and crew gear
(stoves, fuel, tents, pots, etc). I was the heaviest person on our crew at 180
pounds, and my pack weighed 55 pounds (including water) on departure from base
camp; 35 pounds on return from the trek. [Note, first aid kits don't get
lighter very fast, one bandaid at a time.]. And, yes, we did have our ranger carry
some of the food as we left base camp ... it's fair, he/she will be eating
some of it, and he/she is part of the crew for a couple of days.

Trekking poles are a useful accessory for advisors, and many of our crew used
them, too. If you plan to use trekking poles, practice hike with them before
you go to Philmont. I used a pair of bamboo cross country ski poles left
over from my college skiing (New England) in the '60s. They were light weight,
strong enough for my purposes, and worked fine on the trail. I wrapped 2,
3-foot sections of duct tape around each pole as a way to carry the tape on the
trail and to strengthen the poles. Equipment phreaks, take note.

As for sleeping clothes, just leave 'em inside your sleeping bag without a
plastic bag. I used boxer-type nylon swim trunks for sleeping (and also hiking)
plus a long sleeved cool-max type shirt to sleep in. Unless you have a
really huge sleeping bag, finding your clothes each evening, even in the dark, is
not a big deal. Doing laundry isn't convenient or, in my opinion, necessary
for your sleeping clothes. Water is precious enough; do your laundry at a camp
with facilities, e.g., Beaubein. I'd plan to leave sleeping clothes in the
sleeping bag for the entire trek. Throw in a fleece or other lightweight
pullover cap if your head gets cold. I'm bald; it does. Put other clothing into
the stuff sack each night for a pillow, if you use one. Your needs will be
slightly different if you're camping/hiking at low elevations at Philmont (below,
say, 9000 feet) or at higher elevations (8000-12000 feet).

Have 2 sets of clothes for hiking. I hike in a boxer type, nylon bathing
suit. They have adequate pockets. Swim shorts as hiking shorts are not for
everyone, but they do have mesh liners, they're light weight, and they dry
quickly. If they work for you, great! You can make a real fashion statement with
hiking shorts carrying a BSA Lifeguard patch in the Sangre de Christos of New
Mexico. For long pants, I recommend you look for nylon zip-off type; these
double as a second pair of hiking sorts AND long pants. I found mine (ex-Officio
brand) on sale at REI in the off season for about 1/3 the normal retail price.

If you have the budget, you might look at a 3/4 length Thermarest or similar
inflatable sleeping pad. I splurged on this item, but found one on sale on
Campmor.com. In its carry bag, my 3/4 length Thermarest and repair kit fits
inside the stuff sack with my sleeping bag. It's lightweight, compact,
comfortable and durable.

Boots. If the scouts are still growing, put off the final purchase until
Spring. Adults, get yours sized right (leave ample space in the toe. Your feet
will get bigger as they muscle up during your practice hikes). Get feet and
boots broken in before you arrive at Philmont. Our crew was well conditioned,
but still our biggest first aid concerns were feet and nosebleeds (due to dry
air). In hindsight, we should have had twice as many 2 x 2 gauze pads and tape
to hold 'em on. Boot material varied in our crew from synthetics, to
leather, to GoreTex. Key is to protect the foot and ankle.

Rain Suit. My rain suit is a polypropylene Frogg Togg (choice of tan, blue
or green) -- web site http://www.froggtoggs.com/. Works great, it's
lightweight, it breathes, it's a wonderful wind breaker .. and it's relatively cheap
compared to GoreTex at less than $100. You'll recognize other Frogg Togg clad
hikers on the trail at Philmont and be able to comment on their spiffy attire.

Have fun.

Charlie Pineo
Crew Advisor
Philmont 2003, 721-B2, Trek 4
Woodstock, Georgia

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Received on Mon Nov 17 10:21:15 2003