Other Philmont Tips

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Cooking and Cleanup

At Philmont, the 2 pot method of cooking is gaining in popularity. In short, this method generally has you boiling a large pot of water for the main course. Dessert is most often a non-cook dessert. After the meal is eaten, you heat up another pot of water for clean up and all crew and personal eating gear is cleaned up with that soapy water. Our troop still does it the old way. We boil 2 pots of water keeping our soup separate from the main course. We think that having a soup appetizer is nicer than mixing everything together! We have used this method successfully with no problems. The trade-off is that you use a little more fuel and water, but not much! In our opinion, Philmont's method doesn't offer much advantages other than expediency. Our troop uses its own cooking gear and we bring a ladle. (See the article on Philmont equipment.) We will describe this method first then give you the 2 pot method below, you can decide for yourselves which way is better!

Our Method

[ Note: Since posting this information, Philmont has eliminated soup from their menus. We will be updating this article to take this into account. Irregardless, we absolutely still recommend the sterilization of personal eating gear at the start of every cooked meal.]

Cooking and cleanup on most of our scout trips is pretty much standard fare. Hot water and soap for washing and hot water for rinse. When backpacking, this method can work but requires large amounts of water and fuel to heat it. Although it may take some folks a little getting used to, here is the best method I've ever learned form our ranger at Philmont. This method keeps the soup separate from the main course, so you are using 2 stoves. One for the sterilization and soup and one for the main course.

Everyone starts with their personal gear reasonably clean. No food debris on cups bowls or spoons.
The cook prepares the water needed for the meal plus just a little for the extra boiling time needed.
When the water reaches a good boil, eating utensils are added a few at a time and left in the water for about 2 to 3 minutes. This kills any bacteria that may be on the utensils. Each is removed in turn to cool until all personal gear and crew cook gear are sterilized.
Make the soup in the water that the utensils were dipped in. At the same time, start making the main course in the other pot. (see our notes in the 2-pot method below for dipping the utensils)
Cook and eat the meal as usual.
If dessert is a cook dessert, heat up a little more water than needed for cleanup. If not then just heat up enough water for cleanup.
For cleanup, each person scrapes, licks or rinses their gear until the surface is clean and possible. The gear is then stored for the next use. When it is mealtime, repeat the process, trust me, this process works very well.

One exception may be the cook pots used. Because they contained lots of food, they may require some limited cleaning to remove stuck food. A little soap and cold water does the trick. It will be sterilized during the next cooking process.

Very few items that must be cooked require anything but hot water. This makes cooking a matter of reading how much water must be added. Rarely is simmering required. Most is heat and eat.

All breakfasts require only hot water for hot chocolate if you so choose. Lunch required no hot water. Dinner requires approximately 1qt of hot water per person for cooking and cleanup.

The 2-pot method

OK, this is the version that Philmont is using now. Over the years the Philmont trail meals have improved. Each breakfast and lunch is designed such that you need not use stoves. For dinner, Philmont teaches the "Two Pot System". Here is how it works.

First, the appropriate amount of water is boiled in one covered eight-quart pot. Stay a bit under the directed amount of water. If the resulting meal is to dry you can always add water. If the meal turns out like soup, there is little you can do to improve it.

Then, the supper/dinner packages containing all the elements of the evening meal, (main course and side dish), are emptied together and in total into the boiling water. That is, everything but desert and mashed potatoes go into the boiling pot. Stir for the required length of time. Let sit for a few minutes and your meal is ready. Your crew eats the meal, totally eating everything. Remember what doesn't get eaten has to be carried in the "Yum Yum" bag!

Meanwhile the pot lid, which is also the frying pan, can be used to prepare the desert. You won't fry anything in the frying pan unless you intend to, and actually do catch a fish worth frying!

When the meal, beverage, and desert are totally consumed, clean up begins. The cook pot, which was used to prepare the meal, is filled with warm soapy water. This pot is used for washing all crew and crew member utensils. The unused clean eight-quart pot becomes the container for boiling water for the final sterilization of each crew member's cup, bowl, and spoon. Yes, everything must be sterilized in boiling water for 30 seconds. Here we have another reason why some careless crews are forced to leave the trail: Illness caused by unclean food and utensils.

By the way, a plastic cup, bowl, and sturdy spoon in a clean, clear Zip Lock bag is all each crew member needs. No mess kits please. If each crew member drills a small hole in the lip of the bowl and the end of the spoon handle, a shower curtain hook can be used to capture the cup, bowl and spoon. Tie a 1/8 inch by three-foot long nylon line to the shower hook and you have the perfect set up for dunking your utensils in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Be careful with your dunking. You don’t want to splash anyone with the hot boiling water. Nice and easy does it!

Finally, the sterilized cup, bowl, spoon, and shower hook assembly will be hung in a tree, near the sump, to air dry for about 10 minutes. Then put the utensil assembly in your clean plastic Zip Lock Bag which is reserved for them. Finally hang the assembly with the smellables in your bear bag. The crew pots and utensils are washed in the soapy water and rinsed in the boiling water. Set them out to dry by the sump. The remaining water is deposited in the sump.

This whole process can be choreographed such that many of the above processes are going on simultaneously. See earlier tips on crew organization and operations. The whole works; meal preparation, a leisurely fun meal, and clean up, should easily be completed in 45 minutes or less. Since Philmont is always finding better ways to protect your crew from the bears, ask your Ranger for the latest on clean up and storage of all crew utensils.

Advantages(?)

Fast, clean, efficient, and well prepared meals with very little solid waste to carry out in your Yum Yum bag. Liquid waste will be deposited in the sump found at your campsite.
Reduction of fuel consumption. Crew only requires two pots of boiling water per day. Topping up to 66oz of fuel at refueling opportunities will be more than enough. That is two 22oz fuel bottles and two Peak 1 stoves filled with 11oz of fuel each.
Never a need to carry hot stoves since the stoves will cool overnight.
Cold stoves can be fueled in the AM, reducing hazard of fueling just before lighting. Remember, stoves are always placed on the ground when cooking or refueling. Never place the stoves on anything above the ground level.
Crew only needs to carry two eight-quart pots, one lid (fry pan with handle), one big cooking spoon, one pair of hot tongs, and one spatula.

Packing for Travel to Philmont

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I wanted to write more details on how to pack and get ready for our travel to Philmont. By necessity, this really breaks down into two parts. Packing your hiking gear is one part and your carry on is the other part. This article will focus on the carry on gear. I'll do the hiking gear next.

By necessity, each person has limited carry on gear. Council provides a small nylon shoulder bag that everything must fit into. It is approximately 10" in diameter and approximately 18" long.

The first rule of packing this bag should be that it will contain everything you need for the trip to Philmont so that you don't have to dig into your pack for anything. This way, chances of anything getting lost or misplaced are small. Items with a * go into your pack later for the hike. A few items go with your pack for later use.

Here is my suggested list:

Reading material (take a book for the plane and the bus).
Toiletries (soap, shampoo, tooth brush, tooth paste, comb). This should not be your trail items but a separate kit.
Hat *
Light jacket or windbreaker.
Small bottle of water (the throw away type you can refill as needed).
Camera & film *
Log book or note pad with pen or pencil *
Spending money *

Place these items in the plastic bag and slip them into your sleeping bag:

Stuff sack for later use:
Something to sleep in.
Small (notice the word small?) towel.
Change of underwear & socks.
Bathing suit
Small plastic bag
Flashlight * Note: Remove the batteries or slip a small piece of paper between the batteries so it can't get turned on accidentally and create heat in a closed environment.

Plan on wearing a full Class-A uniform and your hiking boots on the plane. This way, they won't be forgotten. It is the one item that can be difficult to replace. Everything should fit into the carry on bag. Other than your sleeping bag or sleeping pad, there is no reason to get into your pack for anything.

Hiking a Good Hike

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Getting the most out of each day of hiking with a crew adds to everyone's pleasure. I wanted to pass along some trail wisdom devoted to getting the crew to work as a team.

Waking the crew early insures a cooler start for the day ahead. An experienced crew can be up and on the trail in a little over an hour. Being on the trail by daylight insures plenty of time for all of those activities that make the Philmont experience special.
Everyone should have a job and do it without being asked. Lending a hand to your buddy always helps to keep things moving. Take time to doctor your feet if needed.
The first person up and out of their tent should start the hot water needed for breakfast. Leaving the stove out where they are easily found helps. Other items that must be done include tear down of tents & dining fly, retrieval of the bear bags, topping off of water bottles, breakfast and splitting up the load between the crew members (tents/food/tarp/cooking gear). Before having breakfast, the crew should say grace. Learn the Philmont grace, you will be hearing it a lot.
Before putting on the packs, the crew needs to go through a brief series of stretches and exercises to loosen those muscles before hitting the trail. The ranger assigned to our crew will help demonstrate. This will help prevent leg cramps and will get everyone's blood circulating.
Leave the campsite as good or better than you found it. Practice no trace camping.
Almost all hiking at Philmont needs to be done single file. There are only a few places where hiking side by side can be done. The best way to hike a crew is to stay spread out. If you are any closer than two body lengths on level ground from the guy in from of you, you are too close. Going up hill or down hill, double that distance. If you trip and fall, the next person may be injured by your fall so put space between yourselves. Also, hiking too close causes you to focus on the shoes of the guy ahead of you. Spread out and you find yourself looking around at the beauty of Philmont.
Setting the pace for a crew always seems to be a challenge. There is always the urge for someone to sprint ahead. Keep your place in the line. The best way to prevent fatigue for everyone is to have one of the slowest crew members be the point man. This way, the crew matches their pace making the hike more comfortable for everyone. A few shakedown hikes will help determine who this person(s) will be. The person on point needs to be looking over their shoulder occasionally to see how the rest of the crew is doing.
When going uphill on steep grades, the crew chief may call for a caterpillar if need be. The caterpillar technique allows part of the crew to rest but the crew as a whole never stops moving. To caterpillar, the whole crew stops momentarily, with about 10 feet of space between them. The last person then starts moving. When that person gets 10 feet away, the next person starts moving. When someone gets to the front of the line, they stop 10 feet ahead of the person who was first, then wait until the rest of the crew has advanced before they move again. This can continue until some level ground is reached.
An adult should always bring up the tail of the crew. Their function should be keeping track of the head count throughout the day. This person should have a whistle to signal the crew of the need to stop when there is a need.
Compass bearings should always be checked and verified at each trail intersection during the days hike.
Breaks for water should be frequent. Adjust the timing of the breaks based on the terrain. The rangers will constantly hammer into everyone that everyone should pay close attention to their urine. It should be clear and copious! If it is not, you are not drinking enough water.
Not every stop should involve removing of packs. Philmont crews usually follow the 2, 10 and 20 minute break intervals. Generally, anyone can call a 2-minute standing break for things like catching their breath, or tightening up a bootstrap. A standing break as needed helps everyone catch their breath without cooling off too much. Removing packs can cause unwanted delays as everyone gets settled in again. However, a "packs off" break as needed, is always welcome. Everyone should remove their boots to allow their feet to cool and apply some foot powder when time allows. This is especially true at lunch. It is also a good time to doctor that hot spot on your feet that may be bothering you. A light stretch before putting on packs will help get back into the swing of things. Breaks should be timed by someone in the crew and that person should call out when the end of the break is getting close.
Anyone who feels a hot spot developing on their foot, they should call a 5 minute break, stop the crew and take proper care of it. Everyone must support this or the whole crew will suffer when that crew member can't walk well or has to split up his load because they can't take the weight. EVERYONE MUST TAKE CARE OF THEIR FEET!
Sooner or later, crews will meet on the trail. The trail leader or person at the rear should signal for our crew to stand to one side so they can pass.
Beauty is all around you. Take the time to admire the land around you. Take home pictures and memories. Leave only footprints behind you.
If you see trash on the trail, pick it up and pack it out.
Always be aware of the weather. At Philmont, it can change very quickly. Try not to get caught on mountaintops during the afternoon thunderstorms. Lightning is a major concern and your Ranger will provide the crew instructions on lightning safety.
When crossing deeper streams on narrow logs or on rocks, unfasten your pack sternum and waist belt. This way you can free yourself if you slip and fall in. The first person across should make enough space for everyone, then wait until the last person has crossed. The last person should then call out: "All Across!" Then the crew continues on their way.
When your camping destination is reached, everyone should know their job. Usually the first order of business, before anything else, should be sitting up the crew dining fly. This requires everyone's help and goes quickly if done right. Then come the tents, locating water, locating the bear bag lines, preparing dinner and personal cleanup.
Before dinner the crew should gather for grace and a few words from the Crew Chaplain (text will be provided for each day on the trail).
After dinner and the gear are cleaned up, the bear bags need to be hung. All "smellables" should go in the bag (food, cook gear, toothpaste, soap,
clothes with food spilled on them, etc.). This is usually done just before dark so all personal cleanup should be complete first.
The last order of business before calling it a day may involve the whole crew in a session of "Thorns and Roses". This is a time for reflection of the day’s events. It's a time to compliment someone for a small act of kindness, apologize to someone or share your agony with the crew about that hill you climbed or anything else on you mind of a positive nature. This is designed to leave everyone in a positive state of mind before retiring for the night.

Lastly, when you go out to Philmont you are going to see crews of all levels of capability. Some will have marginal equipment, some will be out of shape or not having good maps, and you'll wonder why they haven't all died out on the trail somewhere! Be prepared! Don't let your crew be one of these!