Crew 626-A-02 is safe and sound back at home. I thought I'd share some of my thoughts about things I learned while there that may help you.
RANGERS – it is a total crap shoot whether you get one that will work with you or not. We were lucky to get a Ranger who let us use our gear the way we wanted to use it. Be sure to be very kind and humble to your ranger when you first meet. Let them do their thing.
TIP #1 – if you are using a cooking method other than the "Philmont Method", i.e. freezer bags or turkey bags, it seems the magic words to use are, "We brought our own pots." There is no need to be specific about your cooking method until after you've been through the equipment check-out process.
TIP #2 – if tip number one doesn't work, tell your Ranger you'd like to go talk to Christine (the head ranger) about it. NOBODY on staff at Philmont EVER wants to be brought to their superior. I saw attitudes change significantly when this was mentioned.
COOKING METHODS: The freezer-bag method of cooking worked stupendously for us and I would never willingly do it any other way. We took two MSR Reactor Stoves which worked perfectly every time. There is no need to take a larger pot, the smaller 1.5L pots pack better, are easier to pour from, and are no hassle to boil multiple loads of water. Make sure your crew has at least one cup with measuring lines to make getting the right amount of water easy. Our crew had both GSI Stacking cups and the Sea-to-Summit X Mug. I highly suggest taking a Sharpie and marking the 3/4, 1, and 1-1/2 cup lines on the cup so they are easy to see. Most meals required about 1 cup of water per person, although one meal required two cups per person. If you are going to a dry camp, eat your dinner at lunch time so that you won't need to carry water for the evening meal… just eat the dry lunch pack.
TIP – do not take an electric ignition lighter. Mine failed at altitude. A lighter with a wheel that sparks will still ignite a stove whether the lighter makes a flame or not.
SLEEPING BAG – I took two bags with me to test in base camp… a 20 degree Western Mountaineering Alpinlite, and a 30 degree Stoic Somnus. I ended up carrying the Stoic bag because it is unseasonably warm at Philmont right now and the lowest overnight temperature we encountered was 50 degrees. I slept in only my underwear. No sleep clothes and no long underwear. Our Ranger didn't really check for specific sleep clothes, only that we had two shirts, and two shorts/pants.
CLOTHING – I took a long-sleeve fishing shirt and switchback pants which I wore almost all the time. I carried the lightest T-Shirt and shorts that I had to wear when I washed my primary clothes. The only time I had the pants zipped on my switchbacks was during the conservation project. I took two sock liners and 3 pairs of ankle wool socks (DaFeet Woolie Boolie). I don't know that the liners were necessary. My shoes were Salomon XA 3D trail runners which did a great job. I wore Dirty Girl Gaiters, but I doubt they were necessary. You are either walking on dirt that is powder consistency or rocks at least the size of your fist… not really any small pebbles to get in your shoes.
Clothes Washing – Camp Suds and a 1 Gallon Zip Lock bag make a great washing machine. For hard to clean dirty areas, put the soap on the dirty area and rub the material together between your fists. This works better than the washing boards. This reminds me… no need to take any soap or hand sanitizer of your own; the base commissary and trail commissaries will provide all you need.
Sun Protection – I ended up not ever using sun screen. My cap with a drape worked fine.
FOOD PACKING – My backpack was a ULA Circuit… more than adequate for Philmont, but packing the Philmont food took some finesse. What I finally ended up doing was taking all the food out of the plastic bags they come in and dumping it all in a 20L Sea-to-Summit sil-nylon bag. I could then stuff this bag in my pack and let the food move around to where it rode correctly in the pack. The downside to this method is the food isn't as organized and it takes a couple of minutes to dig out the correct food at each meal. Either write down what is in each pack or just look at one of the kids' packs at meal time to see what to get.
BEAR BAGGING – ONLY run up the food in the first bear bags. Keep all other smellables down until time to run up the oops bag. This includes toothpaste, medications, sun screen, camp suds, wipes, etc. Just keep it all in the fire ring. It is incredibly inconvenient to have to bring down the bear bags to get this stuff. The oops bag goes up at 6PM, so plan accordingly (be sure and go number two by then so you can use the soap and hand sanitizer). My advice is just use the Philmont ropes and don't try and use Amsteel Blue.
HYGIENE – I carried two Clorox Handi-Wipes. One I could get wet and use to wipe all the dirt off and the other I could use to dry off with. Same thing in the two cold showers I got to take… used one handi-wipe as a wash cloth and the other as a towel. These weigh almost nothing and take up almost no space. I also carried a package of Coleman Bio-Wipes. I would use one of these each time I went number two. Before wiping my backside I would wipe my face, my hands, my underarms, my nether regions, and then my backside. The ability to do this was worth the 8 oz. penalty of carrying the wipes.
WATER – Our crew usually started each hike with 3L of water. On Tooth Ridge we ended up drinking 4-5 Liters per person. Each person in the crew had a 1L Gatorade bottle and then two 2L Platypus bladders so that every person had the capacity to carry 5 liters of water. We used the Philmont supplied purification tabs when needed… no other mechanical or chemical purification was needed.
TIP – If you are using a 2L bladder with a drinking tube, it may carry better in your pack if you only put in 1L of water and then squeeze the air out of the bladder. This makes it carry flatter against your back.
When dealing with Philmont staff, be nice. Rarely will they do exactly what you want the first time you ask, so be firm and persistent. Remember that you're dealing with college kids and their primary concern is that NO ATTENTION be brought to them by their superiors.
Keep an eye out for "Philmont Jesus" He's a Rayado Ranger named Ben who looks just like Jesus and he has a great sense of humor about it. If you go to Apache Springs, be sure and introduce yourself to Victoria. She was hands down the nicest, most helpful staffer I encountered the whole time. And if you're incredibly lucky, you'll get Teak Lastein as your Ranger. Also, if you see Rangers walking up to the porch, you better get to the swap box before they do… it's like watching Pirahna feed on a slab of beef.
