Philmont Trek Personal Gear Considerations Here is a brief list of recommended personal gear. This list was taken from the Philmont guide and edited based on feedback from recent Philmont trekkers. As with anything gear related there is a lot of room for personal preference so please don't take these recommendations as mandatory but instead view them as a guide from those who have gone before us. I've talked to many hikers returning from Philmont and the number one item of priority is to pack light, and get in shape before the trek. We'll be working on getting in shape soon but if we follow this gear list we can all have a pack that is light, comfortable and efficient. Our goal for our personal pack weight is 35lbs or less including food, water and crew gear. Our food averages 2lbs per day per person - we should only have to carry 4 days or less at a time (8lbs) Water weighs approx. 2lbs per liter - we will be carrying 4 liters per day per person (8lbs) Crew gear / first aid should be approx. 1lbs per person - (1lbs) Tents will be shared with each person carrying approx. 3lbs (3lbs) With 20lbs of crew gear/food/water we are left with approx. 15lbs for personal gear. Looking at the list below we should be able to maintain our goal without much difficulty. Just pay close attention to the weight vs value ratio when deciding what gear to bring. Ideally every item should serve more than one purpose, striving to eliminate single purpose items. UPPER BODY LAYERS: A key to success is to layer your clothing, combining different garments to achieve protection from the elements and optimum insulation. Synthetic or merino wool layers are recommended as they insulate when wet. Avoid cotton, as it does not insulate when wet. Equipment QTY Comments Base layer (light weight) synthetic 1 Lightweight long sleeve top/moisture wicking Mid layer (i.e. fleece) 1 Wool - optional Top layer (synthetic jacket) 1 Lightweight windproof / possible to use rain jacket if using quality mid layer Rain jacket 1 Lightweight breathable waterproof jacket w/hood, i.e coated nylon (no poly, no ponchos) (Frogg toggs are ok) Shirt 2 Moisture wicking / troop shirt or Philmont crew shirt / no cotton or nylon Shirt 1 Lightweight long sleeve moisture wicking / sun protection / e.g. nylon hiking or fishing shirt with roll up sleeves / NO COTTON
LOWER BODY LAYERS: You will need 1-2 synthetic insulating layers. All must fit comfortably so they can be worn in combination. Base layer (mid wgt) synthetic Rain pants 1 Lightweight long underwear/ moisture wicking Lightweight rain pants / coated nylon or frogg toggs / no poly Hiking pants 1 * Lightweight pants or pair of legs to zip off convertible shorts Hiking shorts 2 Lightweight hiking shorts (nylon) / consider convertible zip off pants instead of separate pants above Underwear 2-3 Lightweight wicking (e.g. exofficio, buck naked, or dry fit) NO COTTON HEAD, NECK & HANDS: Wool of Fleece hat 1 Warm hat for cold temps / also sleeping Glove liners / mittens 1 Optional / consider lightweight liners if must have Cap or wide brim hat 1 Sun protection / lightweight SLEEPING GEAR: Normal temperatures range from mid 30s at night to mid 80s in the day Sleeping bag 1 Minimum 30 degree (20 degree for cold sleepers) synthetic (better performance when wet) / less than 3lbs/ in a stuff sack lined with a plastic bag Stuff sack 1 Lightweight waterproof or 2 heavy duty 4-6 mil plastic bags Sleeping pad Sleep clothes 1 Recommend closed cell foam / rough terrain for an air mattress 1 set Lightweight sleeping clothes only to be worn inside of tent immdiatly before bed and removed immediately up wake / cannot have food smells
PACKS & BAGS: Backpack must fit, recommend finding an experienced backpacker to assist in the fitment process. We also taught this in a BSA meeting recently. Consider Outdoors Inc. or REI to try on and fit a variety of packs. Backpack 1 Quality brand internal frame (not frameless) / volume 60-70 liters/ weight 3lbs or less (less is better but don't sacrifice fit for lightweight) / e.g. REI Flash, Osprey Exos, Gossamer Gear VC 60, Gregory z65, Kelty, for quality brands Daypack 1* Optional if wanting to bring a daypack consider a backpack that has a removal day back built in as a better option or a small lightweight ditty bag for essentials on a day trip. Lashing straps 1 pr * Optional - may need the to lash gear to the outside of the pack / 36 each should be more than enough/ consider Paracord or other lightweight rope as an alternative Gallon zip lock bags 6-12 Pack clothes and other items to keep dry Pack cover 1 Waterproof pack cover that fits your pack / alternative use a trash compactor bag inside the pack letting the outside get wet Small stuff sack 2-3 Lightweight (e.g. silnylon) stuff sacks Ditty bags 2-3 * Optional consider using stuff sacks from above FOOTWEAR: There are several schools of thought regarding footwear and seems to be mix of preferences among returning Philmont trekkers. Some like a mid-size hiking shoe and others like a light weight trail runner shoe. Based on my research my suggestion is that if you think you have weak ankles and would benefit from slightly more ankle support then a mid-size hiking shoe would be your choice. However if you don't experience any ankle discomfort and feel that added support and weight would be unnecessary a good light weight trail runner shoe might work for you. In both cases the shoes need to have ample support in the foot bed (no zero drops or barefoot, if you need these consult your adult advisor). Whatever you decide to wear there are some features that you'll want to verify: 1. The shoes need to breath and dry quickly. The likelihood that your fee will stay dry is pretty slim even with water resistant boots. Best solution in high altitude warm weather it to let the feet get wet an dry them as quickly as possible. Waterproof shoes hold in water as well as keeping it out and thus lead to blistered feet. 2. The shoes should be lightweight - the military found while studying troop pack weights that every 1 lb added to your feet was the equivalent to adding an additional 5lbs to your back pack.
3. And the most important - whatever shoes you wear, they MUST fit properly. Poor fitting shoes will ruin your trip and the trip of your crewmates. Recommend visiting a reputable shoe store (e.g. fleet feet, REI, Outdoors, etc) for a professional fitting. Try them on with the socks you will be hiking in preferably later in the day after your foot has swollen from daily activity. Shoes/Boots 1 Must be well broken in for 2-3 months /20-30 miles Socks 2-3 Synthetic or wool (wool preferred, e.g smartwool, or darn tough) Sock liners 2-3 Optional - personal preference / synthetic Camp shoes 1 Optional but nice to have / consider lightweight pool sliders, flops, crocs, etc. / packable and light MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS: Bowl 1 Deep bowl / lightweight/ can use cool whip, margarine, or equivalent / dedicated camping bowl is fine but needs to be lightweight and round and smooth inside to facilitate scooping out any remaining food before cleanup. Mug/cup 1 Lightweight cup or mug with measuring marks Spoon/Spork 1 Lexan or lightweight spork Hydration 1-4 Will need to carry 3 liters of water and 1 liter of Gatorade per day. Suggested configurations could be to carry a 3L bladder and a 1L bottle, or 2-2L bottles or bladders, or 4-1L bottles. Consider lightweight bottles e.g platypus collapsible, used orange juice or Gatorade bottles. Nalgene bottles are popular but they are heavy for their size. Knife 1 Small lightweight pocket knife (to open plastic bags) / less than 2oz Lighter 1 Waterproof matches or a small lighter to light stove Flashlight 1 Headlamp with fresh batteries Philmont map 1 Will be given out in March with our itinerary Compass 1 Know how to use it, we will have to navigate our trek often using triangulation Bandana 1-2 Bandana or "Buff" used for various utility uses i.e. pot holder, sun protection, bathing. Money $50-100 ATM in base camp, gift shop, outdoors center, souvenirs Lip balm 1 SPF 25 or greater / Air is dry at high altitude Toothbrush 1 Mini trial size
Toothpaste 1 Mini trial size Camp towel 1* Optional - consider using bandana Sunglasses 1 Bright sun at 9000 ft Watch 1* Optional - water resistant Camera 1 Optional Small lightweight camera preferably one that uses alkaline batteries or disposable Whistle 1 Safety Postcards 1+ Pre stamped - can mail these from the back country Foot powder 1 Small size foot powder or foot balm to rejuvenate dry cracked or wet feet. Notepad and pen 1 Small 3/5 notebook with pencil (can be sharpened), or pen This is a list of most, if not all of the personal gear each hiker will need. I would highly recommend that you DO NOT bring any item that you absolutely don t need. Strive to have every item in your bag have multiple uses. There are several other items not on this list that will be included in our crew gear (gear that we share) which will be distributed before leaving on our treks. I'll be putting out an informational list of the recommended crew gear in the next few days. (We're hoping to accumulate everything we need from within the troop in order to minimize having to purchase new gear.) As always don t hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Dan Taylor Troop 450