Re: [Philmont]: Pack Weight

I agree wholeheartedly with Coop's comments. Even with a larger pack, I
still shaved down weight from what I brought in 2002. Left my rain pants
at home, bought a lighter and better rain jacket, left the third pair of
socks and third pair of underwear at home. These were all as a result of
my lessons-learned in 2002. I also decided to leave my paperback book at
home (the jury is still out on that one in light of all the quality time
spent in my tent hiding from the rain and hail in 2004). Plus, my empty
new pack and empty old pack are close to the same base weight (with twice
the comfort)! I guess all the technology that has gone into outdoor gear
over the past 30 years HAS amounted to weight savings! Bottom line, I bet
my base pack weight (without water, food and crew gear), even with a new,
bigger pack, was several pounds lighter in 2004 than in 2002. Like Coop
says, experience can pay dividends.

Coop hits another thread as well. A VERY slow advisor can adversely impact
the trek dramatically, we all understand that. But, I find it preferred
that the slowest person of your crew be an advisor OVER a youth. In 2002,
our slowest person was a youth and by the end of the trek, he was pretty
frazzled as always being in the lead, always getting his pack on first,
always being called to start us off after a break, etc., and caught his
share of "good-natured" (usually) ribbing about his physical conditioning
from the other youth trek'rs. In 2004, our slowest was an advisor and she
drew much more encouragement and understanding from the hiking fiends in
our crew. While she wasn't slow to the point of being a burden, it was her
pace that the crew adopted, instead of trying to "quicken" the pace like
they did with the youth "slowest hiker" in 2002. Made for a less stressful
trek (IMHO).... YIS. Mike ('76, '02 & '04).

                                                                                                           
                      CoopWright@aol.co
                      m To: Multiple recipients of list philmont
                      Sent by: <philmont@troop47.com>
                      owner-philmont@tr cc:
                      oop47.com Subject: Re: [Philmont]: Pack Weight
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                           
                      09/29/2004 08:28
                      AM
                      Please respond to
                      philmont
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                           

I understand where Mike and Steve are coming from with heavier packs. Both
of these guys were veterans of previous treks and knew what they were
getting into when they chose to carry the extra weight. The real problem
is that many first time advisors carry way too much weight because that is
what they have always done in the past. Unfortunately, the walk usually
was from the car to the campsite and relatively flat. I saw far too many
advisors on trail whose performance was impacted by the weight in their
packs. And if there performance was diminished, it had an effect on the
entire crew.

I am a believer in going light, carrying only what I really need, notice I
did not say what I really want. I have seen Dr. Bob's crews in the
backcountry and they don't have problems because they have been trained
well and are traveling light.

Cooper Wright
Co-author of the Philmont Advisor's Guide
Associate Advisor, Crew 1519

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Subscribe/Unsubscribe at http://usscouts.org/lists/
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Wed Sep 29 11:15:39 2004