Collected Philmont Stuff

This is an attempt to share some of the tools, knowledge, and information that I have learned over the years about Philmont.  I am making no claims as anything presented here being the right or correct way to do things in preparing for or in participating at Philmont.  This is just what has worked for Troop 445 in the past few years.  Take the information.  If it works for you, great - pass it on.  If it doesn't, great.  My only wish is that at Philmont you will "Enjoy the day!" because days at Philmont are very few and very far between.

Shane Hoffman
Advisor Crew 445
Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 445
Arlington, TX

This page has been viewed times since December 12, 2005.
This page was last updated on March 10, 2007 .
Free counter provided by andale.com.

Applications, Forms, Spreadsheets, and other items Troop 445 uses for Philmont - left click to open or right click to "save as"

	Philmont Participant Application & Agreement - 2008 version Used to provide complete contact information for each participant and as a statement of agreement that the participant will meet the requirements set out in order to attend the Philmont expedition.
	Philmont Participant Application Information - 2008 version This is the information sheet given to prospective participants laying out expedition dates, costs, expectations (shakedowns, etc.), and clearly lists Philmont's weight chart and policy.
	Philmont Contingent Budget Workbook - 2005 version This is the workbook we used to keep track of all monetary aspects of the trip.  An "informational" worksheet is included in the file.
	Philmont Crew Building Worksheet - 2008 version If you are only taking one crew you do not need this worksheet.  This is the worksheet each YOUTH participant fills out in the September BEFORE Philmont.  This worksheet allows the advisors to build crews out of large numbers of participants based on each participant's desires.  We ask for type of trek, top 6 program choices, 3 other participants wanted in crew, willingness to participate in a coed crew, and if a parent is going on the trip.
	Philmont Crew Building Matrix  This is the matrix used to enter the detailed information from each participant's PHILMONT CREW BUILDING WORKSHEET (see above).  Once all information has been entered into this matrix, the data can be sorted easily by any of the categories.  This tool helps greatly in building multiple crews from a large number of participants.
	Philmont Crew Itinerary Selection Matrix - 2005 itinerary information Once crews are built, this matrix can be used to suggest itineraries to each crew based on the desires of the group.  This matrix lists major features for each trek (type, # trail camps, # dry camps, programs, ending camps, and peaks climbed).  We highlight across and down the matrix to show the crew's desired programs/activities.  (Note:  This matrix, along with the PREVIOUS YEAR'S TREKS are given to each crew in February of the Philmont year.  The crew will look at the matrix and then choose their top 5 itinerary choices out of the TREKS.)
	Philmont Crew Itinerary Selection Worksheet This worksheet is used to document each crew's top 5 itinerary choices (these choices are made in February of the Philmont year BEFORE the Philmont year's TREKS arrive - see above).  This worksheet must be filled out completely and accurately for each crew.  Once the Philmont year's TREKS arrive compare each crew's top 5 choices against the current TREKS and look for any major changes to their top 5 list.  Usually some itineraries will change from a trail camp to a staff camp (each near the other) or vice versa.  Major changes (re-routing or wholesale changes) will require another crew meeting to choose a new top 5 list (do this QUICKLY - itinerary choices are given on a first-come-first-served basis by mailing the postcard in the front of the TREKS).  If no major changes have been made, over-night or priority mail the itinerary choice postcard back to Philmont ASAP.
	Philmont Crew Roster for Administration Check In This is a simple Excel worksheet that you can use to computerize the Crew Roster form that Philmont requires at Administration check-in.  If you use this for check-in, make 4 copies for each crew.  The ladies at check-in really like typed (computerized) paperwork over handwritten.
	Philmont Talent Release for Administration Check In Same as the Crew Roster above.
	Philmont Personal Gear List - 2008 version A .PDF file of the personal gear list we use for all high adventure backpacking activities.  The list is followed by gear comments. Web page here.
	Philmont Crew Gear List - 2008 version A .PDF of the crew gear list we used for our 2005 Philmont treks.  We bring almost all of our own crew gear.  The only items we checked out at base camp were the sump frisbee & spatula, 2 bear ropes (long story), and the MicroPur tablets.  A complete breakdown, including gear sources can be found here.  Web page here
	Philmont Duty Roster This worksheet is fairly self explanatory.  A web page explaining our duty roster can be found here.

Some Philmont Terminology and Publications:

	Crew - The crew is the group of youth and adult advisors that spend the 12 days of the Philmont trek as a unit.
	Crew Leader - The YOUTH leader of the trail crew.
	Contingent - A group of crews from the same Troop, Crew, or Council that share the same expedition number.
	Expedition Number - A number designation assigned to each Philmont reservation.  For 2005, Troop 445 was assigned the expedition number 720A.  "720" stood for July 20 - our arrival date (day 1) at Philmont.  "A" meant we were the first reservation given on July 20.  We took 4 crews to Philmont as our contingent, so each crew had it's own sub-expedition number (720A-1, 720A-2, 720A-3, and 720A-4).
	Itinerary - The itinerary is the set of camps you will hike to during your Philmont trek.  Philmont offers 36* different itineraries, ranging in difficulty level from rugged to super strenuous (*the number of itineraries offered from year to year may change).
	Staff Camp - Back-country camps with Philmont staff.  Staff may either dress in period dress or in the usual staff uniform depending on the program offered there.
	Trail Camp - Back-country camps with no staff.
	Dry Camp - Back-country trail camp with no water supply at camp or within easy walking distance.
	Program - Program refers to the set of activities offered at a back-country staffed camp.  A wide range of programs are available in the back-country, and each crew should spend time in selecting the programs they want to experience, then choose an itinerary that will meet their wishes.
	TREKS - Philmont's yearly publication that lists, in detail, the itineraries offered for that season.  The up-to-date TREKS itinerary guides are mailed to crew advisors in early March of their trek year.

Keys to Philmont Success:

There are 3 principles that must be learned, understood, and taught in order to have an excellent Philmont experience.  They are:  1) Physical conditioning and preparation 2) Gearing up PROPERLY, and 3) Crew training, practice, and teamwork.

Keys to Crew Success:

	A strong Crew Leader
	Understanding each other's strengths and weaknesses
	A crew that makes a good team
	Advisors that stay out of the way
	Understanding what is expected and what is to come
	Teaching, preparation, and practice
	Day to day discipline

Keys to Individual Youth Participant Success:

	The DESIRE to go to Philmont
	A personal understanding of the day to day demands and expectations at Philmont
	Personal backpacking discipline
	Dedication to physical and mental preparation before the trek

Keys to Individual Adult Advisor Success:

	PHYSICAL PREPARATION - if you are not willing to get into the proper shape for this type of experience, do the crew a favor and stay home
	Take care of the "little things" - trip related logistics and requirements
	Take care of the "big things" - build the best crews possible, then train those crews to be self-sufficient

The Philmont Trek Coordinator (Contingent Coordinator):

	This should be a person dedicated to the idea of making the Philmont experience as ideal as possible for all participants involved.  It would be helpful, though not necessary, if the coordinator has attended a Philmont trek previously.
	This position will require a huge amount of TIME.  Responsibility begins with making the Philmont reservation request and ends with the successful return home and any post-Philmont activities 22 to 24 months later.
	The trek coordinator should handle all monetary aspects of the trip.  All individual Philmont payments should be made to the coordinator.  The coordinator should make all payments ON TIME to Philmont.  Any contingency fund collection should also be handled by the coordinator.
	Communication skills are imperative.  The coordinator needs to be able to communicate to the entire group as quickly as possible when the need arises.
	We (Troop/Crew 445) assign one individual as the trek coordinator.  All needed reservations, purchases, and planning run through this individual (he/she can delegate responsibilities as long as he/she makes sure the job gets done).
	We (Troop/Crew 445) set up a new checking account exclusively for the Philmont trek monies.  All incoming and outgoing money is handled by this account.  When the trek nears, we acquire 4 debit cards to be used on the trip for fuel purchases and other purchases as need arises (the receipts for all debit card purchases are turned in to the coordinator to keep a running balance on the account).

Individual participant costs associated with participating in a Philmont trek:

A trip to Philmont is not cheap.  Philmont seems to take a marketplace approach to pricing their treks - charging what the market will bear.  The Philmont expedition fee goes up every year.  Here are the costs associated with participating in a Philmont trek:

	The Philmont expedition fee - This fee covers the 13 days spent at Philmont Scout Ranch.  It includes all activities and meals from lunch on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 13 (unless you require a special diet - in that case, your fee does not cover ANY meals, you must bring your own).  It also covers one crew 8" x 10" photo and the coveted Philmont arrowhead patch for those that complete their trek.
	Any payments to a contingency or travel fund - See below for details on our contingency fund
	Any personal equipment purchases
	Any shakedown expenses
	Contingent or crew T-shirts, hats, patches, etc. - For 2005, we designed and produced a T-shirt and a special edition council strip patch for the entire 4 crew contingent.  In addition, Crew 4 also chose to purchase custom tie-dyed  bucket hats embroidered with the crew slogan to wear as a crew.
	Tooth of Time Traders - The trading post at Philmont base camp is extensive.  We encourage each of our participants to purchase the Philmont leather belt and a Philmont belt buckle.  See www.toothoftimetraders.com for an idea of the items available to purchase at Philmont.
	Other spending money - For meals on the way to and from Philmont, money for back-country use, etc.

Contingency Fund (Travel Fund, Just In Case Fund, etc.)

This is the fund collected equally from all trek participants to cover all expenses involved in the trek that are not included in the Philmont expedition fee.  Some groups will present one total sum due that includes both the Philmont fee and the contingency fee.  Others separate these fees.

Troop/Crew 445's contingency fund covers the costs for:

	Any crew gear purchases to be used specifically for Philmont
	Transportation to and from Philmont
	Reservations, tickets, hotel rooms, etc. for any pre- or post-Philmont activities that we plan to do on the way to or from Philmont.
	1 contingent T-shirt
	1 contingent group photo at Philmont
	1 patch protector for the Philmont arrowhead patch
	1 Philmont bolo tie - tie color different for each crew
	A post-trek Simple Simon's pizza feast at the Philmont Welcome Center
	An estimated amount from each participant to cover any unforeseen emergency situations

Any pre- or post-Philmont activities need to be planned and communicated to all participants as soon as possible after receiving confirmation of your Philmont reservation.

Upon returning home, any money left in the contingency fund should be refunded equally between all participants.

For 2005, we (Troop/Crew 445) collected $250.00 from each participant for our contingency fund.  We split that amount into two payments of $125.00 each.  The first payment was due in January, 2005, so we would have a balance in the fund to begin paying for reservations, tickets, and needed crew gear purchases.  The second $125.00 payment was due in May, 2005.  Upon completion of the trek, we had a balance left in the contingency fund that provided a refund of $40.00 per participant, making our total contingency cost per participant $210.00.

Making your Philmont reservation:

Timeline:  22 months pre-trek to 20 months pre-trek

	Philmont grants reservations for the traditional 12 day hiking trek by internet lottery.  Each unit interested in requesting a reservation has one entry in the lottery.  Each unit can request to bring more than one trail crew in their one reservation (Troop 445 took 3 crews in 2002 and 4 crews in 2005).  Units are assigned a week-long window of time to enter their request.  The units assigned week is based on which BSA region they fall in.  Once all regions have been covered the reservation window closes.  Sometime shortly after, a computer somewhere picks units "at random" to fill the available reservation slots for the season two years later (lottery in 2006 is for the 2008 Philmont season).
	Units can request specific dates to begin their treks, but this could greatly decrease the amount of open reservation slots the crew may be eligible for.
	Request trek reservation information from Philmont.  You call them at 1-505-376-2281, or you can e-mail them at camping@philmontscoutranch.org.
	Take an informal poll of the Troop/Crew to get an idea of how many youth (who will meet Philmont's age requirements for participation - see below) and how many adults would want to participate in a Philmont trek.
	Request an appropriate number of crews for your unit when making the reservation request (see below for detailed information on the Philmont crew).

Philmont's Age Requirements/Restrictions:

In order to participate in a Philmont trek, youth participants MUST either:  1) be 14 years old by January 1 of the year of the Philmont trek, or 2) be 13 years old AND have completed the 8th grade before participating in the Philmont trek.

Crew members aged from 18 years old to 20 years old (not yet 21) can be considered either as youth members or adult advisors for a crew.  This is a gray area caused by the fact that the Boy Scout program limits its youth members to young men not yet 18 years old while the Venture program limits its youth members to persons not yet 21 years old.  Therefore, a crew of eleven 20 year olds can participate in a Philmont trek as long as the twelfth crew member is an adult advisor over 21 years of age (10 of the under-21 crew members listed as youth participants and one of the under-21 crew members listed as the 2nd adult advisor).

The Philmont Crew:

	Philmont crew size - minimum 7 participants, maximum 12 participants
	Each Philmont crew must have at least 2 adult advisors, one of which must be over 21 years of age.
	Each Philmont crew must have a majority of youth, with the maximum number of adults in any crew capped at 4.
	The Crew Leader is the youth leader of the crew.  This is the crew member that your Philmont ranger and other staff will interact with.
	The Lead Advisor is the adult advisor that represents the crew in interactions with your Philmont ranger or other staff when necessary.
	Philmont is the ultimate "boy led" (or "youth led" for coed crews) activity in Scouting.  Advisors are just that - they advise the crew when needed.  Philmont staff will seldom interact directly with the adult advisors when the youth crew members are present.  That being said, we (Troop/Crew 445) encourage parents to join their children in their crew if at all possible as long as they understand and can work under their limited advisory role only.

Reservation Confirmation, Planning, and the Philmont Expedition Fee Payment Schedule:

Timeline:  18 months pre-trek to 8 months pre-trek

	"CONGRATULATIONS!  Your unit has been awarded a reservation for a Philmont trek... "  This is the e-mail that everyone waits for.  This e-mail usually arrives in mid-December after the reservation process has ended.  You must act quickly at this point, because Philmont expects a $50.00 deposit PER INDIVIDUAL within about a month of your reservation confirmation.
	Develop your Troop's/Crew's requirements to participate in the Philmont trek.  Include these requirements IN DETAIL on your individual participant reservation form (see the forms at the top of this page).  In the past Troop 445 has required all Scouts MUST: be of at least First Class rank, have First Aid merit badge, attend a specific number of shakedown activities, and sign a financial agreement to meet all payment deadlines in order to participate in the Philmont trek.
	Once your reservations have been confirmed, set a date to begin taking individual participant reservations for the trek and communicate this date to your group as soon as possible.  Take no reservations before that date.  Troop/Crew 445 has always set the rule as first come (with completed individual reservation form and deposit) is first on the list.  Once all slots are filled, a waiting list is started - also first come, first served.
	When possible, have a meeting with all of the adult advisors who have committed to go to Philmont.  Begin deciding on details of your shakedown program and of your Philmont trek.  Will your group go to New Mexico early?  What will you do?  How will you get there?  The number of questions to answer is long.  When answers to these questions are set, the details and projected budget needs to be communicated to the group.
	Philmont breaks the Philmont expedition fee into three payments: Deposit - $50.00 due by February 1 the year before your trek (about a month after receiving reservation confirmation) "First Payment" - One-half of remaining balance of Philmont expedition fee due by October 1 the year before your trek "Final Payment" - Remaining balance of Philmont expedition fee due by March 1 of year of trek Exact due dates may change from year to year - this is the payment schedule we were assigned in both 2002 and 2005
	We (Troop/Crew 445) set our payment deadlines 15 days before Philmont's payment deadlines so we would not be scrambling for missing payments with no time to send the payment in.

Crew Building:

Timeline:  8 months pre-trek to Day 1 of at Philmont

Contingents made up of only a single crew do not have to worry about building multiple crews that can work at teams, but they must worry about building that single crew into a group that works well together.  

Contingents that will consist of more than one crew have the added responsibility of selecting members for each crew.  There will be individuals who want to crew with one another, and individuals who don't work well with others in the group.  Much planning and thought must be put into building crews from large groups that have the best opportunity for Philmont success.

We (Troop/Crew 445) have developed our crew building method based on certain criteria.  We do our best to place the youth participants in crews that will work well together.  Sometimes all individual wishes cannot be served.  The worksheet we have each youth participant fill out to aid in building crews can be found here.  Our criteria are (in no particular order):

	Type of trek the individual would like to participate in
	Top 5 program choices the individual would like to participate in
	List of 3 other youth the individual would like to be in his/her crew
	Parent participating in the Philmont trek
	Willingness to participate in a coed crew (if applicable)

After we have gathered this information from each youth participant, we spend some time collating and sifting the data, then we hold an advisors' meeting to finalize the crew rosters.  Along with the gathered data, we discuss our experience as leaders with these youth, and project as best we can how well individuals are able to work well together.  For the most part, our crews have always fallen neatly into place, with only 1 or 2 Scouts not being placed in a crew that meets ALL of their wishes.  We announce our Philmont crews in December (7 months pre-trek).

Putting crews together is not the end of the task, it is only the beginning.  The most important task adult advisors have now comes into play - teaching Philmont techniques and teamwork to the crew.  The goal is to build crews that can plan and carry out all required tasks without adult intervention.  That is where the shakedown process comes in.

Itinerary Selection:

Timeline 6 months pre-trek to 3 months pre-trek

	Philmont assigns itinerary choices based on a first come first served basis BY MAIL ONLY.  Crews cannot call in or e-mail their itinerary choices.
	The up-to-date TREKS itinerary guide (received in early March of trek year) has a removable postcard located inside the front cover for sending Philmont the crew's top 5 itinerary choices.   This postcard MUST be utilized to mail in the crew's top 5 choices.
	Philmont will only allow two crews to begin each itinerary each day.  Therefore, if your request for a specific itinerary is the third request received for that itinerary on your expedition date, you will be assigned one of your other 4 itinerary choices.
	In January of your trek year, request Philmont to send you one of the previous year's TREKS itinerary guide for each crew you are taking to Philmont.  Use that TREKS itinerary guide to educate the crews on the available itineraries and program choices. Generally, a few itineraries are given minor changes from year to year.  Most of these minor changes involve relocating a destination from a staffed camp to a trail camp in the same area (or vice versa). There may be one or two (or more) itineraries that undergo wholesale changes from one year to the next (usually these are itineraries that get very few crew requests). Specific changes to itineraries are not communicated until the up-to-date TREKS itinerary guides are mailed out.
	We (Troop/Crew 445) have each crew select their top 5 itinerary choices based on the TREKS itinerary guide from the previous year.  When the up-to-date TREKS arrive, we compare the top 5 choices from the old book to the same itinerary numbers in the new book.  If there are either no or only minor changes to the top 5 choices we overnight mail the TREKS postcard back to Philmont either the same day they arrive or the next day.  If there are major changes, we hold a quick crew meeting (the evening the TREKS arrive) and overnight mail the TREKS postcard the next day.
	A confirmation e-mail is sent by Philmont logistics when your crew's itinerary has been assigned.  This is usually done very quickly.
	Please keep in mind that events at Philmont might dictate a change in your itinerary before you arrive.  Troop 445 arrived at Philmont during the forest fire of 2002, and two of the three crews were re-routed due to the fire.

Shakedowns:

Timeline:  Shakedown planning - 12 months pre-trek to 8 months pre-trek
Timeline:  Shakedown activities - 6 months pre-trek to 4 weeks pre-trek

	The purpose of shakedown campouts is two-fold:  1) To build a team out of each crew that will work together to get required tasks done efficiently; and, 2) To scare the adult advisors into taking seriously the need for strenuous physical conditioning and training before attempting the Philmont trek (walking a couple of miles a week will not cut it).
	Set and communicate the contingent's expectations for individual participation in shakedown activities in advance.
	We (Troop/Crew 445) plan 5 shakedown activities if assigned a June trek or 6 shakedown activities if assigned a July trek.  Our requirement is that each individual participant must attend at least 4 of these shakedowns (two of which are labeled "mandatory") in order to participate in the Philmont trek.  This requirement is laid out and defined on our individual participant reservation form and is communicated at the time of signing up so no problems from this requirement arise later.
	Set specific tasks or skills to be covered and learned at each shakedown, then plan shakedown locations that will complement the tasks or skills to be covered while allowing for backpacking at least 6 miles each day.  We try to cover 12 to 15 miles on each shakedown if at all possible.  Some of the skills we cover include: Camp set up "Philmont style" - bear-muda triangle, smellables and bear bagging - our goal is 25 minutes Camp tear down - our goal is 45 minutes Cooking, KP, and sumping Map and compass (GPSr and UTM is using a GPSr at Philmont) Crew and individual hiking techniques Water purification
	If possible, purchase some of Philmont's trail meals to use on your shakedowns.  This will allow the crew to perfect their cooking technique before arriving at Philmont.

Gearing Up:

Timeline:  8 months pre-trek to 4 months pre-trek

We have put a lot of time into looking at ways others have reduced the total load a crew has to carry, and have developed our method based on some of these methods and some of our own methods.  Our idea is to totally do away with duplication of gear carried, and to use gear for multiple uses when possible.  Much of the "personal and miscellaneous" gear listed in the Philmont Guidebook to Adventure's personal equipment list has been stricken from our personal equipment list (duplication of gear).  This gear has been re-classified as "crew gear."  Our personal gear list and crew gear list can be found at the top of the page.  A list of the personal gear I carried in 2005, and changes planned for 2008, can be found here.

Physical Preparation:

Timeline:  at least 6 months pre-trek to Philmont Day 1

Please become familiar with Philmont's weight limit chart AS SOON AS you receive your units Philmont reservation.  One, two, four, or even six months is not enough time for over-weight advisors to make weight and get in good enough physical condition for Philmont.

A Philmont trek is physically and mentally challenging.  Participants (both youth and adult) that do not take the time to become physically strong before the trek should not be allowed to participate in the Philmont experience.  These individuals become a burden and a danger to the rest of the crew that did take the time to get ready for the challenge.

The rule of thumb for physical preparation is as for everything else you do:  You will get out of the activity what you put into the activity.

Personal Experience - I am 6 feet tall and hike at 220 pounds.  I have the benefit of five trek's experience (2 as a Scout and 3 as an advisor).  As a Scout, weightlifting and conditioning for football were what I used to get in shape for Philmont and was sufficient for the task.  For my first two treks as an adult, I walked 5 miles with a full pack 5 days a week beginning four months pre-trek and did fairly well on the trail.  For 2005, I tried a different approach.  I used a stair-master EVERY day beginning six months pre-trek, starting at 20 minutes (~75 flights of stairs) a day and worked my way up to 50 minutes (220 flights of stairs) a day, along with high weight leg presses and calf curls, and medium weight squats.  I only wore my pack on shakedown campouts.  This intense preparation left me in the best physical condition I have ever been in for backpacking, and Philmont was truly easy.  This type of preparation is not for everyone.  You must find a type of cardiovascular exercise that will provide superior conditioning and you need to strengthen you legs in some fashion.

Our Philmont Duty Roster:

We have developed our duty roster in such a way that each crew member has a "morning" and "evening" task.  Some of these tasks were borrowed from other units because they are great, fun ideas.  We generally do not include the adult advisors on the duty roster (except for the dweebe and KP).  The main reason we do not include the adults is that with no adults on the roster, it is up to the Crew Leader to make sure each task is done properly and on time with no adult looking over his/her shoulder.  Links for our duty roster can be found at the top of this page.

We complete and computerize our duty rosters before arriving at Philmont, then provide each crew member and adult advisor with their own copy kept secure in a zip-lock bag.

Morning tasks:

	Navigator - This task actually begins the evening before the assignment.  The navigator needs to take posession of a set of the crew's Philmont sectional maps and take a detailed look at the next day's hike.  The best time to do this is before the crew's evening gathering for Thorns, Buds, & Roses (TBR).  The navigator should tell the crew about the upcoming hike at TBR, then with input from the crew, direct the crew down the trail the following day.
	Weatherman - This task is an "all day" assignment.  No real weather knowledge is required for this task.  The crew member assigned to be the weatherman must give his/her weather forecast before beginning the morning's hike, then must be available and ready to give up-to-the-minute weather updates as requested by the crew.  Have fun with this task!
	Dweebe - This task is an "all day" assignment.  This task is FOR FUN ONLY and we always make sure every member of the crew is okay with being the dweebe before we include this on our duty roster.  As all who have participated in long term hiking and camping know, things go wrong on a daily basis.  It is the dweebe's responsibility to step up and take the blame for anything and everything that goes wrong.  The best dweebes grab the blame before it can be laid upon them.  We do include adult advisors in the dweebe task assignments.
	Trash Man - This task is an "all day" assignment.  This person is responsible for carrying all of the "CLEAN" trash generated by the crew that day.  "Clean" trash is defined as trash that is no overly "dirty" - any wet food item packaging is dry and debris free.  Trash should be compacted as small as possible.  Any trash generated that day is the responsibility of that day's trash man until it can be dropped off either at a staff camp or a commissary.  Always take advantage of the opportunity to drop off trash, but keep in mind that some of the primitive staff camps (Crooked Creek for example) do not accept crew trash.
	AM Bear Bag - Three or four crew members are assigned to this task every morning.  This task is completed before camp is broken down.  It is the responsiblity of these crew members to get up immediately upon awakening and retrieve the bear bags and bear ropes.  The bear bags are to be GENTLY emptied under the crew fly then folded neatly for packing.  The bear ropes should be NEATLY coiled for packing.  When the bear bags and rope are prepared, these crew members can grab their own personal smellables and begin breaking their camp.  It is the responsibility of the Crew Leader to count food bags each morning and tell the crew how many bags each crew member needs to carry.

Evening tasks:

	Fireman - One or two crew members are assigned to this task (depending on number of crew members).  The fireman is responsible for assembling, fueling, and lighting the backpacking stove(s) at the cook's request.  When the cooks are done with the stoves, the fireman is responsible for disassembling and storing the stove.  The stove should be stored overnight in the immediate area near the sump.
	Waterman - Two crew members should be assigned to this task.  The watermen are responsible for filling and treating (if necessary) the crew gear water containers immediately after getting camp set up.  The watermen are also responsible for bringing the cooks water as requested.
	Cook - Two crew members should be assigned to this task.  The cooks are responsible for sterilizing crew members eating gear in boiling water before "cooking" begins.  The cooks are responsible for preparing dinner and for keeping the cooking area clean during preparation, serving, and eating dinner.  The cooks can ask anyone to leave the immediate cooking area if horseplay or dirt kicking occurs.  All trash generated should be kept clean and compacted for the trash man to take care of.
	KP - Two crew members should be assigned to this task.  KP is responsible for the proper cleaning and overnight storing of all crew and personal cooking and eating gear, and for proper disposal of wash water in the sump.  Any solid wastes must be kept as clean as possible and the "yum yum bag" should be prepared for the trash man to take care of.

Philmont Day 1 - The "BASE CAMP MARATHON" - What to expect and hints on getting through Day 1 with your sanity intact.

Day 1 at Philmont can be as rough or as smooth as you choose to make it.  There are a lot of little jobs that have to get done on day 1 (or before your bus on day 2).  Planning ahead and knowing what to expect will help greatly in this process.

Before you arrive at Philmont:

Crew Leader Kits:  Before arriving at Philmont build each Crew Leader a base camp kit.  It should include a full Philmont wall map and a full set of required sectional Philmont maps for logistics, a one-gallon size ZipLock bag for the Crew Leader to keep his Crew Leader's Copy ("Life") in, copies of the completed crew duty roster for each member of the crew complete with its own quart sized ZipLock bag, and bear bags for food pickup (if you use your own bear bags).

Lead Advisor Kit:  Before arriving at Philmont build each crew's lead advisor a base camp kit containing each crew member's physical exam forms and front/back copies of the crew member's health insurance card.  Make sure all crew members have an up-to-date tetanus booster before leaving home or Philmont will provide one at a very high price.

Contingent Coordinator Kit:  This kit is strictly for administration check-in.  If you are in a group with more than one crew, you are considered a contingent.  It is much easier for ONE PERSON to handle all of the administration procedures for the entire contingent than for two, three, or four advisors each trying to do the same thing at different times.  Before arriving at Philmont build the contingent coordinator kit.  For each crew you represent, the kit should contain the crew roster, the crew talent release, and CPR/First Aid certification cards for each person certified.  This kit should also contain the approved National Tour Permit.  On some occasions, the staff will ask for proof of Youth Protection Training (YPT) so have cards or copies ready.

At administration check-in, you will be responsible for making any payments due to Philmont at that time.  Credit cards ARE NOT accepted for administration check-in, so be prepared with either a checkbook or cash.  At this time you can pay for participants added to your group after final payments were sent, and can also purchase extra crew or contingent photos.  In 2005, the cost for additional photos was $5.00 per print.  At this time, you can also purchase any needed additional meals from the mess hall.

Once you have arrived at Philmont and your Crew Leader(s) have checked into the Welcome Center, you will be assigned a Ranger who will be your guide through the Day 1 Marathon and will accompany your crew on days 2 and 3 in the back country.  The ranger will take you through the day 1 tasks as he sees fit - there is no particular order for completing all of the tasks.  I will make recommendations as I get to each task below.

Logistics Services:  Other than medical rechecks, this task usually requires more time than any other on the list.  I recommend that you have your crew leader ask your ranger if the crew can go IMMEDIATELY to logistics.  The Crew Leader and an advisor are the crew members that work with logistics services.  Logistics services assigns your crew a bus time on day 2 (you always want an early bus if at all possible - you didn't pay that large sum of money to sit around base camp...).  Logistics also goes over your crew's chosen itinerary in fine detail, showing each camp and water source along your routes, where programs are, and where your camps are.  They cover information including conservation project opportunities, shower opportunities, reservations for certain programs (horse rides, burros), and the cover bear safety a bit there.  Logistics also keeps the WATER BOARD up to date.  The water board is a list of every water source known on Philmont and its status.  Your Crew Leader should have a full Philmont wall map and a complete set of required Philmont sectional maps to use at logistics.  Logistics also provides your Crew Leader with his/her "Crew Leader's Copy" which must be kept with the Crew Leader at all times.  It is required to check out crew gear, pick up food anywhere at Philmont, and to check into and out of staff camps along your itinerary.  Give the Crew Leader a one-gallon ZipLock bag to store the Crew Leader's Copy in for safe keeping.  It is important that later on day 1 when time permits the crew leader and lead advisor copy or photograph (DIGITAL CAMERA ONLY PLEASE!) the ENTIRE water board.  Only copying the information pertaining to your itinerary will do you no good if you get really good and lost in the backcountry.

Administration Check In:  The lead advisor for single crew contingents or the contingent coordinator for multi-crew contingents take care of administration check-in, all paperwork, and any payments that may still be due to Philmont.  Keep in mind you can purchase additional crew or contingent photos at this time ($5.00 for each additional print in 2005).  Administration check in usually happens at the same time as logistics as the locations are next to each other in the administration building.  At administration check in, the advisor will be given security envelopes for each crew member's small valuables and cash while on the trail.  These envelopes are kept locked and secure in administration.

Medical Rechecks:  The entire crew will undergo medical rechecks at Philmont.  A medical staffer will go over each crew member's physical with the member individually, verify all meds brought to Philmont, and will check participant's weight when necessary.  All adult advisors' blood pressure is also checked.

Trail Equipment & Trail Food Issue:  The crew will be taken to the Services Building to check out any needed crew equipment (tents, fly, bear bags & ropes, etc.) and for the first 3-5 days of trail food.  If you use your own bear bags be sure to bring them to the Services Building so you will be able to bag and store the trail food (we store our food in a vehicle or Troop trailer for the first night).  Using your own crew gear greatly reduces the time needed in both checking out and checking in Philmont's equipment.  While at the Services Building a crew advisor can go by the Philmont post office to see if any crew mail has already arrived.

Crew Photographs:  Decide before arriving at Philmont what your crew and contingent will wear for crew/contingent photos.  Some groups wear Class A uniforms and some groups wear custom designed Philmont t-shirts.  Keep in mind that the Philmont expedition fee only covers the purchase of an individual crew photo for each participant.  If your contingent wants to take a whole group picture, these pictures can be purchased for $5.00 each at administration check in or can be purchased after the trek for $6.00(?) each.  In 2005, we put off taking photos until the morning of day 2 before our departure time.  This seemed to work much better for us because it allowed all 4 crews to get to the photo area at the same time (very hard to coordinate on day 1).

Shakedown:  At some time on day 1, your ranger will take the crew with their packs to a designated area and will go over in detail everything needed and not needed on the Philmont trek.  The ranger can make suggestions, but CANNOT keep you from carrying any equipment you want to carry.

Other Day 1 tasks and activities:

	Laundry - Coin-op washers and dryers are available for crews needing to do laundry before or after their trek.
	News & Photo Service - If you have a crew reporter, the news and photo service has resources to help your reporter create an interesting article for hometown papers when the trek is over.
	Tour Villa Philmonte' - If time permits, schedule a tour of Waite Phillips' home at Philmont.  The tour takes about 1.5 hours total and can be scheduled at the Seton Library & Museum located across the highway from the Welcome Center.
	Tooth of Time Traders - Bring your money.  There is something there for everyone - even your dog.
	Advisors' Meeting/Crew Leaders' Meeting/Chaplain Aides' Meeting - Separate informational meetings take place after dinner and before evening chapel services.
	Evening Chapel - All crews are encouraged to attend.  If your crew doesn't attend, at least have enough respect to keep your crew quiet while others are in chapel (the number of irreverent, un-respecting Scouts and leaders are in base camp every evening amazes me).
	Opening Campfire - the story hasn't been changed in all of my years of attending, but it is a nice beginning to an exceptional trip.

Useful Philmont Links:

	National Tour Permit Online - this DOES NOT submit your tour permit, just provides a computerized form
	Seldon's List of Philmont Web Pages
	Dan Yoder's Philmont Website
	Philmont e-mail List - subscribe or unsubscribe here
	Tooth of Time Traders - Philmont's trading post is now on the web
	philmontforum.com
	The Philsearch project

Quotes:

	"The only things we keep permanently are those we give away." --Waite Philips
	"Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished without the will to start, the enthusiasm to continue and, regardless of temporary obstacles, the persistence to complete." --Waite Phillips
	"We should all realize that every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity an obligation, every position a duty, and that the most effective sermon is expressed in deeds instead of words." --Waite Phillips