Skills

Five steps. Same order every time — Bearmuda Triangle first, tents last.

1. 1

   Pack line

   • ·Stack all packs together in the designated area
   • ·Crew Leader counts packs and confirms everyone arrived
2. 2

   Identify the Bearmuda Triangle

   • ·Find the fire ring, bear cable, and sump — these three form the triangle
   • ·All smellable items stay inside this zone for the entire stay
   • ·Tents go at least 50 feet outside it
3. 3

   Hang bear bags — first priority

   • ·Sort gear into three piles near the fire ring: food · crew gear (dining fly, stoves, pots, ropes) · personal smellables (toiletries, medications, chapstick, sunscreen)
   • ·Hang bear bags before setting up tents or cooking — this is the first priority, not the last
4. 4

   Set up the dining fly

   • ·Inside the Bearmuda Triangle, near the fire ring
   • ·Check the four W's: Wind (corner facing into wind), Water (avoid drainage lines), Wildlife (avoid game trails and ant hills), Widow Makers (no dead trees overhead)
5. 5

   Set up tents

   • ·At least 50 feet from the Bearmuda Triangle
   • ·Cluster tents 5–7 feet apart — no isolated tents
   • ·Packs are smellable — keep them in the Bearmuda Triangle or leaned against a tree in the fire ring area

Anything with a scent goes up. Every crew member loads their personal smellables into a ditty bag before leaving camp.

Philmont campsites use a cable system. Two crew members run the hang — everyone else pulls.

1. 1

   Sort smellables into bags

   • ·Main bags: everything not needed tonight — food, toiletries, trash, empty bags
   • ·Oops bag: tonight's needs only — see the oops bag list; keep it light enough for two people to raise and lower
   • ·Each crew member loads personal smellables into their ditty bag
2. 2

   Move to the bear cable

   • ·Bring all bear bags, both ropes, and the carabiner
   • ·Find two trees that do not support the cable for tie-off
   • ·Stand on the tie-off side — clear the area below the cable before throwing
3. 3

   Throw the first rope over

   • ·Loosely coil one rope starting from the center knot
   • ·Throw the coiled end over the cable — rope weight is enough, do not add rocks or carabiners
4. 4

   Attach bags with a lark's head

   • ·Find the center knot; create a loop on one side; reach through, grab the hanging strands, pull your fist out
   • ·Twist the top of the bag through the loop; tighten the knot close to the bag
   • ·Balance weight on both sides before clipping
5. 5

   Set up the oops line

   • ·Clip the load-bearing carabiner to the loop
   • ·Thread the second rope halfway through the carabiner from the center knot
   • ·This line raises and lowers independently — no need to drop all bags to access the oops bag
6. 6

   Raise and tie off

   • ·Multiple crew members on both loose ends raise the bags together
   • ·Wrap the rope around the tie-off tree three times, placing sticks between rope and bark to protect the tree
   • ·Coil the remaining rope and slide it under the line — do not tie a knot
7. 7

   Verify before sleep

   • ·Bags at least 10 feet off the ground and 6 feet from the nearest tree
   • ·Every crew member checks packs and pockets for smellables

Seven rules. All of them apply every time stoves are on.

Philmont's cook method is a 7-step system. Follow it in order, every meal.

1. 1

   Boil

   Fill HE pot. Ignite Fire Maple. Bring to a full rolling boil.

2. 2

   Sterilize

   Submerge all personal bowls and utensils in boiling water. Hold several seconds. This is the official Philmont method — do not skip.

3. 3

   Rehydrate & serve

   Transfer boiled water to the issued 8-qt pot. Add food. Cover. Rehydrate 10–15 min. Serve into sterilized bowls.

4. 4

   Eat clean

   Eat everything. Lick the bowl clean. Every bit of food left behind becomes a smellable.

5. 5

   Wash & rinse

   Water + 1 drop Camp Suds in the issued pot. Scrub with the scrubby. Rinse pots and personal bowls.

6. 6

   Sump & dispose

   Pour all grey water through the strainer into a sump hole. Strained food particles into the yum yum bag — out at the next staffed camp. Never pour grey water on the ground or near a water source.

7. 7

   Bear bag

   All food bags, wrappers, smellables into the bear bags. Hang before crew sleeps. No exceptions.

What the crew is bringing and why.

Every water source at Philmont must be treated before drinking — springs, streams, and wells included.

Four rules. Simple and non-negotiable.

Orient the map before every segment. Triangulate to find your position. Read contour lines to know what's coming.

1. 1

   Set declination compensation

   • ·Turn the compass dial to align 352° with the base plate arrow
   • ·Philmont's declination is 8° east — leave this setting for the entire trek
2. 2

   Align compass to map

   • ·Place the compass on the map with the base plate aligned to the lines of longitude
3. 3

   Rotate until red in the shed

   • ·Turn the map (with compass on it) until the red magnetic needle points to the N on the dial
   • ·The map now matches your actual surroundings — use it to decide which trail to take

1. 1

   Orient the map

   • ·Red in the shed before anything else — triangulation only works on an oriented map
2. 2

   Shoot a bearing to a landmark

   • ·Point the compass at a distinct, identifiable feature you can also find on the map — a peak, a mesa
   • ·Turn the dial until the red needle aligns with the shed
   • ·Read the bearing off the dial (example: Baldy Mountain at 200°)
3. 3

   Draw the line on the map

   • ·Place a corner of the compass on the landmark's location on the map
   • ·Rotate the compass until the magnetic needle aligns with the shed
   • ·Draw a line from the landmark along the compass edge — you're somewhere on this line
4. 4

   Shoot two more bearings

   • ·Repeat with two more identifiable landmarks
   • ·Where two lines intersect is your approximate position
   • ·A third bearing creates a triangle — the smaller the triangle, the better your fix

1. 1

   Orient the map before leaving camp, at every junction, and any time you're unsure — never navigate from an unoriented map

2. 2

   Identify junctions on the map before you reach them — the Navigator reads ahead, not in the moment

3. 3

   Stop when confused. Never guess a junction — a wrong turn costs the crew an hour.

4. 4

   Before moving out, ask 'Is anybody not ready?' — a single 'no' gets missed in a chorus of 'yes'

5. 5

   Keep spacing to 8–10 feet — together enough to stay as a unit, spread enough to catch a wrong turn at a junction

6. 6

   Map lives in a hip belt pocket or top lid — not buried in the pack