OFFICIAL PHILMONT SHAKEDOWN GUIDE, PART 1

Revised April 9

th

, 2019

Refer to the Philmont website http://philmontscoutranch.org/ShakeDownGuideP1 and http://philmontscoutranch.org/ShakeDownGuideP2 for

updates to this guide and the most up-to-date information regarding your trek preparation.

This guide is intended to be an all-encompassing tool for crews to utilize in order to prepare for an upcoming Philmont trek.

It is highly recommended that crews participate in at least two shakedown hikes prior to their trek. To help facilitate this, we

have split this guide into two separate documents to allow the crew to focus on different topics on each hike.

respected by everyone and should be selected prior to the first shakedown hike. Successful Crew Leaders exhibit

the following traits: positive attitude, attentiveness to all crew members’ needs, and the ability to identify and

resolve conflicts before they develop into larger issues.

• Chaplain’s Aide – Responsible for leading the crew in following the 12

th

point of the Scout Law. They help the

facilitating Roses, Thorns, and Buds each night. The Chaplain’s Aide should be selected by the crew prior to the

first shakedown hike. On the shakedown hikes, it is a great time to start Roses, Thorns, and Buds with the crew.

During Roses, Thorns, and Buds each crew member will say their rose (something they liked about the day),

thorn (something they disliked about the day), and bud (what they are looking forward to tomorrow or in the

The seven principles of Leave No Trace are:

Advisor. Advisors’ main role is to coach, mentor, and support the Crew Leader, Chaplain’s Aide, and Wilderness

Pledge Guia. By doing this, the youth leaders will gain leadership experience throughout the trek and will be able

First aid treatment; Administration of required medications; Proper water purification;

Any time a stove is in use; Guidance and support of the crew through emergency situations.

Advisors also help foster positive crew dynamics, help settle disputes between members of the crew,

assist with administering proper discipline if required, and ensure that the crew operates following all

youth protection guidelines.

GEAR SELECTION

Your Ranger will cover a gear shakedown with you in Base Camp before you depart for the backcountry. The purpose of

internal frame backpack, place the heavy gear along the spine and close to the

hiker’s back to keep the center of gravity forward and low. Lighter gear should be

packed at the top of the backpack and on the outer edges of the main

compartment. Sleeping bags usually fit at the bottom of the pack. Avoid having

loose/dangling gear, as it is more likely to get caught in vegetation and requires

you to exert more energy to offset its swaying motion. Backpacks are available for

rent from Outfitting Services in Base Camp for $30 (this includes a pack cover as

well). This is a great option for youth who you know will outgrow a pack in a year

or two.

• Stream Crossing Shoes – Due to recent changes in annual weather patterns, streams at Philmont are running at

their highest levels in 15 years. It is impossible to keep your feet dry in many stream crossings. It is highly

recommended to bring camp shoes that can double as stream crossing shoes to prevent having to use hiking

boots to cross knee-deep water. Old tennis shoes work great for camp/stream crossing shoes because they are

lightweight, closed toed, can pack up small, and don’t cost anything since you already have them and can easily

recycle them at the end of the trek. After crossing a stream, tie the stream crossing shoes to the outside of your

pack to let them dry off. They will be dry by the time you get to camp and it will be nice to let your feet flex and

air out while wearing these shoes.

and waterproof. Ground cloths (not provided) are required for use with the MSR Thunder Ridge tents and the

dimensions of the tent are 88” x 54”. Lightweight materials such as Tyvek work great as ground cloths and are

affordable if purchased in bulk for the crew.

• Sleeping Bags – Philmont recommends a 20

o

F temperature rating on sleeping bags. Synthetic bags are easier to

care for than down bags, but a synthetic bag will not compress as small and will weigh more than a down

equivalent. If a down bag is used at Philmont, it is recommended that the person using it is very experienced in

its care since down loses all insulation value when wet. Sleeping pads are also highly encouraged for added

warmth.

• Pots – Philmont requires all crews to have at least two pots. Both pots must be at least eight-quarts in size. The

preferred by most crews because they are more efficient at higher elevations and colder temperatures and the

fuel bottles are refillable, making them more environmentally friendly than canister stoves. Canister stoves such

as the MSR WhisperLite Universal and Optimus Vega are acceptable stoves for a Philmont trek due to their

design of separating the canister from the stove, making it much more stable and safer than a typical canister

stove that screws on directly above the fuel canister. Although they should not be used for cooking meals,

canister stoves such as the MSR PocketRocket, Optimus Crux, and Jetboils work great for small items like boiling

water for coffee. (It is important to never use a windscreen with one of these stoves due to the fact that the

heat source and fuel are both in the same enclosed space, making it highly combustible.) Backcountry

commissary camps can refill white gas and have canister fuel available for purchase. It is recommended that a

crew has approximately 6 oz. of white gas carrying capacity per person. Open flame stoves without a shutoff

bags or other bags used as a barrier between the cooking pot and the food are not allowed at Philmont due to

the amount of extra trash created, which in turn requires extra use of gasoline for backcountry trash pickups.

The purpose of the patrol cooking method is to give Scouts the opportunity to lead the cooking and cleaning

processes during a meal in the backcountry by practicing servant leadership. By utilizing the crew duty roster, a

Scout will be the assistant cook/dishwasher one night then the lead cook/dishwasher the following night.

• Bear Ropes & Bear Bags – Philmont requires crews to use two nylon bear ropes measuring 100’ in length and ¼”

in diameter to hang all smellables (A smellable is anything that might attract a bear. For a more detailed list, see

the “Setting Up Camp” section). Bear ropes and bear bags are available for crews to check out from Outfitting

• Water/Fire – Responsible for finding the closest water source, purifying, and bringing water back to camp. At

some camps it will be a spring, well, or stream, all of which need to be purified. At other camps the water will

already be purified and accessible from spigots. Water crew members should ask the rest of the crew to give

them any of their empty bottles or bladders that need to be refilled. The crew members in charge of water

retrieval can usually enlist the help of the advisors to help carry the water back to camp. Additionally, the crew

members responsible for water retrieval will also be responsible for the building, lighting, supervision, and

extinguishing of a campfire if there is no fire ban and your crew chooses to build one. Details for how to build a

fire at Philmont can be found in the “Setting Up Camp” section of this guide.

• Navigator – Sets pace and hikes at the front of the crew, carrying a map and compass. At any trail junctions,

orients the map and confers with the rest of the crew on which way to go.

changes depending on where you are on the globe; here is a map showing the degrees of declination for the

lower 48 states:

The declination at Philmont is right around 10

o

east which means we set our compass at 350

o

. Once the dial is

set to 350

o

, align a straight edge of the compass with a grid line on the map so that the compass, not the

compass needle, is aligned with north on the map’s compass rose (Figure 1). Then rotate the map (with the

compass lying on it) so that the compass needle is pointing toward the N on your compass dial (Figure 2; known

as “red in the shed”). Now the map is oriented, and you can accurately decide which trail to take to your

destination.

never split up. Before a crew begins hiking, the navigator should ask the question: “Is anybody not ready?” The

reason we phrase the question this way rather than, “Is everybody ready?” is because with the latter question

all you would hear would be 11 voices saying “yes” and the one “no” would be drowned out.

• Hiking Etiquette – You will come across many crews over the course of your trek; knowing how to properly

interact with them will help make your trek much more enjoyable. Additionally, proper hiking etiquette within

your crew will help mitigate unnecessary tension and stress between crew members.

• Setting Up Camp – When you arrive at your day’s destination, you will need to start setting up camp before

anything else. The general rule of thumb is to take care of crew gear before personal gear. The order of campsite

setup is as follows:

Examples of topics used in crew member contracts are: exercise at least three times a week for no less than an hour

each session, pay deposits on time, participate in two shakedown hikes, etc. It is found that crews who sign one of these

contracts are usually more prepared and have a more successful trek because of it.

• Pull the second bear rope halfway over the branch.

normal bear lines.

• Tie oops bags near the center loop of the third bear rope.

In Part 2 of the guide, we will cover more detailed Leave No Trace examples, Philmont-specific first aid, weather, hygiene, the stages

of group dynamics, additional conditioning tips, and a general outline for the order of events of the arrival day at Philmont.

Refer to the Philmont website http://philmontscoutranch.org/ShakeDownGuideP1 and http://philmontscoutranch.org/ShakeDownGuideP2 for

updates to this guide and the most up-to-date information regarding your trek preparation.