ashenPhilmont Scout Ranch is a large, rugged, mountainous ranch located in the Sangre de Cristo
Mountains of the Rocky Mountains of northern New Mexico. The ranch covers 140,177 acres and
includes numerous backcountry campsites and trails for an outdoor adventure experience. It is
operated by the Boy Scouts of America as one of their National High Adventure Bases. Philmont
offers a variety of programs such as treks (multi-day camping trips), training courses, conferences
and service projects. Its mission is to provide quality youth leadership development through
challenging outdoor adventures that build character, citizenship and physical fitness. In today’s post, we will introduce the ultimate Philmont packing list that we deem appropriate.
A Brief History On Philmont
The ranch was established in 1938 after oil baron Waite Phillips donated it to the
BSA as his personal gift. Since then, thousands of scouts and venturers from around the world have
attended Philmont’s high-adventure programs. As mentioned, Philmont offers several different types of programs for youth participants including backpacking treks, horseback riding tours, conservation projects,
wilderness survival courses and more.
Participants can choose their own adventure or join one of Philmont’s pre-planned expeditions that range from eight days to three weeks long. In addition to its high-adventure program offerings, Philmont also serves as a natural laboratory where researchers can study plants and animals native to northern New Mexico while volunteers work on conservation projects such as trail maintenance and habitat restoration throughout the year.
Additionally each summer hundreds of staff members are hired to provide support services for all activities at
Philmont including food service operations; health care; transportation logistics; educational
programming; retail sales; religious ministry services; visitor information assistance; trail
construction & maintenance support ; communications systems management and more. All of these within the 35 staffed camps and 55 trail camps.
Philmont Packing List
This is a pretty comprehensive list that we put together based on recommendations and much research across the web. It should pretty much cover everything you would possibly want while adventuring through the rugged terrains. Let’s start off with the gear first.
Travel Gear
- A backpack which must be with padded straps with a capacity ranging between 65l and 80l. Some of the Osprey or The North Face backpacks definitely qualify. Need to contain a rainproof cover of course. Philmont backpack rental available on premises.
- Daypack, preferably with a capacity of 20-25l. Better if contains a hydration bladder
- Sleeping bag with packing compression sack and maximum weight of 5 lbs and with a rating of 20 degrees
- Lightweight sleeping pad. Inflatable or closed cell
- Ground cloth or tarp
- Trekking poles
Travel Wear
- Rain gear (jacket and pants)
- Hiking boots/shoes which are well used and comfortable
- Hat with brim for sun protection
- Lightweight long-sleeved shirt
- Long pants for sun protection
- Hiking shorts
- Sneakers for camp wear
- Hiking socks, at least 3 pairs
- Couple of pairs of casual socks
- Gloves or mittens
- Sleeping clothes, shirt & gym shorts acceptable
- “Boxer brief” style 3 pairs of underwear
- Couple of T-shirts
Crockery & Additional Accessories
- Eating utensils: fork, spoon, knife & other essentials in a “mess kit” type container
- Matches in waterproof container
- Plastic garbage bags
- Water bottles, 1 quart size minimum per person. Freeze at night to keep cool during the day
- High energy snacks such as nuts, raisins, candy bars, etc.
- Compass/Map of Philmont area (available from Philmont Scout Ranch)
- First aid kit including moleskin for blisters
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Toilet articles in a plastic bag: toilet paper, biodegradable soap and towel
This is basically the essential Philmont packing list. Of course make sure that all the gear and clothing are as lightweight as possible and the footwear comes with ankle support, especially the hiking boots. It is crucial that the travel clothing is breathable and prevents condensation. The first aid kit should contain a lip balm, toothpaste, sunscreen and your meds.
A Few Other Things to Know About Philmont
Crew camping is the best experience here and it enables you to go as lightweight as possible. You won’t be able to go ultralight though. Authorities want you to cook it all in one big pot. After a couple of days when the ranger leaves you can cook however you want, but they’ll make you carry a big pot regardless of what you want to do. The easiest places to eliminate weight are your shelter and sleep system. They also provide a few other additional equipment and gear such as Nylon cords, duct tape, carabiner, sewing kit etc. There are other free of charge accessories provided to a crew such as hot pot tongs, trash bags, nylon ropes, collapsible poles etc.
They are more than fine with a fully enclosed tent. Besides that, sharing as much gear across the whole crew as possible is the best way to reduce pack weight. They won’t allow freezer bag cooking, hammocks, one person tents for scouts, tarps without any enclosure. Despite the rules and whatever else is in place, it does not change the fact that it is a beautiful country and an unforgettable experience for the scouts.
