10. Forget about a positive attitude, equipment lists, fitness, and
shakedowns. Sissy stuff. Philmont should be an unstructured, spontaneous,
if-it-feels-good-do-it experience, not a lot of mental and physical
preparation. Show up, fly out there, rent some stuff, stuff it in a pack
and start hiking. The Scout Motto should be changed from Be Prepared to
Improvise. Philmont would be a lot more fun.
9. Don't wear Class "A" uniforms when traveling. Go incognito, dude. You
don't want people to know you're a Philmont bound Scout, and, out of
uniform, you can get away with just about anything, if you know what I mean.
8. Base Camp is the best, most exciting part of Philmont. After a day or
two in Base Camp, you'll like it so much; you'll be dreading hiking into the
backcountry the next morning.
7. Altitude, schmaltitude. Acute Mountain Sickness is nonexistent. And
disregard all that baloney about dehydration and drinking lots of water.
The staff has to cover its butt in case of a big liability suit. Purifying
water is useless. The creeks up there are as clean as they were in 1850.
The staff paid a bunch of quack researchers to make up that garbage about
bacteria, viruses and giradia.
6. Disrespect your Ranger. Don't listen to him (or her). Rangers are only
a few years older than you and don't know squat about backpacking at
Philmont. Besides, you'll be cool if you act as if you know more than your
Ranger does. To be really cool, disrespect your Advisors too.
5. It seldom rains or gets cold at Philmont. You'll be there in July, dude.
It's the staff's fear of a lawsuit again. Stuff your sweater or jacket and
rain suit in the crew locker after the dumb Ranger checks out your pack.
4. Disregard hot spots on your feet. Stopping to put on moleskin is really
un-cool. Keep hiking and gut it out. Besides, open, bleeding blisters
aren't too bad anyway
3. "Did we pass your next campsite? Yeah, we just passed it. It's around
the next switchback and across that creek, only about 5 minutes from here."
2. Don't worry about double-bagging your sleeping bag. It's a waste of
time. The mountain air dries stuff out in no time, and, as I told you
before, it's July, dude. Summertime.
1. Never, ever hang a bear bag. Philmont's bear-bagging policy takes all
the adventure out of camping. With food on the ground and drink mix
sprinkled around the tents at night you've got a better chance of viewing a
real live bear. Be sure to put lots of drink mix down. A bear has a lousy
sense of smell.