<p>Ds goes later this month, and I’m just wondering whether anyone has words of wisdom. Something he should have taken he didn’t? Something he hauled around and never needed?</p>
<p>Make sure he’s got good socks and good hiking boots. Spend some money at a camping store and get him some smartwool socks. He’ll be a different young man when he gets home.</p>
<p>Good socks and boots, sunblock, a lightweight hat with a brim, basically anything that will protect you from the sun but still be cool. Pack light–but then your S probably already knows how to do that. Have fun! It’s a fantastic experience. Our S went after 9th grade and has great memories.</p>
<p>If members of the troop have done this before, they should have a well thought out list of what to bring and not to bring. Don’t add anything to the list; the Philmont rep who meets with them before they set out will be making sure the extra stuff is purged.</p>
<p>My son and H did Philmont a few years ago. It was a great experience, but the group missed out on some of the planned end-of-the-day activities because the elected group leader failed to make sure the group got up and going early enough in the mornings to make destination on time. Hopefully everyone in your son’s group will understand the importance of moving out in a timely manner.</p>
<p>If he hasn’t done so already, your son should stuff his backpack full of heavy stuff and do some practice hiking. Good boots are important, but so is breaking them in. He probably already knows that, though.</p>
<p>Hope he has a great time.</p>
<p>PS My son got off the train at the end of the trip on crutches. Less than 1/4 mile before the end of the last hike on the last day, he tried to leap over a wide stream and got a serious ankle sprain. Suggest to your son that he wade, not leap. (They were lost, hence the unexpected stream.)</p>
<p>Which trek are they doing? My H and son did it in 2000. He reccs packing some power gel (the kind runners use). They were pretty hungry!! I think they have recalculated the amt of food to bring, as they were really hungry!! DH, who is thin to start with, lost 15 #s!</p>
<p>Please tell him to be aware of lightening. New Mexico has frequent lightening strikes in the afternoon thunderstorms.</p>
<p>Yeah, I think they did increase the food. When i was there ('02 for a trek and '04 for rayado) we couldn’t come close to eating all the food they gave us.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone, for the help. Fifteen pounds??? Wow, I need to go on this trek.</p>
<p>I was told that their food equals 4,000 calories per day, but I still think I’ll get him some Gu. I used to love the stuff on a long run, and it’s lightweight, easy to pack out.</p>
<p>Does anyone recommend actually carbo-loading on the front end? He’ll be nothing but bones if he loses 15 pounds!</p>
<p>We have hiking poles, but it seems he’s borrowing a couple of those super-lightweight metal ones from a dad.</p>
<p>midmo, there are some confirmed early-risers on this trek, so I’m thinking that the couple of late sleepers will be outnumbered.</p>
<p>He doesn’t have rain pants. Does anyone think that will be a problem? Obviously, he doesn’t. </p>
<p>sunnyholiday, I like him as he is, but I guess there’s always room for improvement. :)</p>
<p>Leave the bears alone, and watch out for the deer and the raccoons. The 'coons wil steal the bags where they store the smelly food at night, while deer will come up and eat your breakfast and shove you out of the way. Thing about a game preserve is that a 700-pound animal realizes you can’t stop it from doing what it wants.</p>
<p>Philmont 1974, myself.</p>
<p>I agree with everyone on the proper footwear. A family friend and his son went a few years back, and the dad came home with serious blisters.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, tell him also to layer his clothes. In the mountains its chilly AM but warms up fast, especially at the higher altitudes. So shorts under loose pants with two or three thin shirts, that kind of thing.</p>
<p>Agree with MBA Grad about need for layering for cold. There are some really nice light long-sleeved shirts that are very warm (think Under Armour). My son’s troop ran into a surprise snowstorm in June in the higher elevations–my son almost ended up with hypothermia due to not having some warm clothes.</p>
<p>Even with the snowstorm, they had a great time!</p>
<p>son used “sock liners” from maybe campmor (?) or REM - it was over 10 years ago -he liked them so much that he used them for football after that summer</p>
<p>Post-hike warning: When you come off the trail hungry for “real” food, don’t O.D. on the chili dogs from the restaurant in town. My son and his friends stuffed themselves. We picked him up in Albuquerque, and he started our family vacation as a very sick puppy, all the way to Flagstaff! Ah, those Philmont memories. Oh, and remember to have a hat or some boxers that you can sacrifice on the shooting range. Apparently bullet-riddled clothing is a favorite Philmont keepsake (maybe to alarm their mothers?). </p>
<p>This makes me want to revisit the wonderful slide show that one of the dads made.</p>
<p>DS and DH just got back! They have been several times and pack less each time. DH swears by Arborwear pants and Smartwool socks. And I know for a fact that they always carry duct tape. </p>
<p>At the end of the trek they should visit the camp store for great T-shirts, belt buckles and other bling.</p>
<p>Eggmom, I had never heard of Arborwear pants, so I looked them up. They look good. Does your H wear the “tech” pants (with the cargo pockets)? Do the sizes run pretty true?</p>
<p>To the OP: Philmont can get pretty chilly, so you might want to talk to your son about the rain pants. Check out Frog Togs, or their even lighter weight version…I’m blanking on the name, but they are on the website. Cold and wet don’t mix well, and he can use the jacket and pants for warmth on cold mornings if he wants, since they are breathable.</p>
<p>My son was lucky enough to go to Philmont twice. One thing their leader neglected to do was the paperwork for some special Philmont hiking badge. They did the requirements but the leader didn’t feel it was worth doing the paperwork. I was also unhappy about the lack of pictures. My son doesn’t like to take them but did take them for the second trip because on the first one, they only had one scout taking pictures as the designated photographer and he didn’t do a very good job.</p>
<p>Sunny, I’m not sure about the sizes, cuz DH is not around right now. I’m betting they are close because both he and S ordered online. They do wear the cargo-pocket style and fill up all those pockets with what-not. (check before washing!). The style is a little baggy (they are thin men), but they sometimes wear long underwear, so that is good.</p>
<p>They wear Frog Togs, too!</p>