Uniform while camping

[kraut-60]

You are right about the neckers Dug,the issue one is all but worthless for most uses. The PLC in our troop has proposed getting full square 32" neckers made for the troop.

 

I have found the old OD MIL.type triangular bandage hard to beat as an all round good emergency sling or ankle wrap, and it makes a dandy "drive-on" rag too as well as being able to roll and wear as a traditional necker(while not being so small as to appear ridiculous).

 

As a Philmont vet Dug, what would your opinion be on taking a long sleeve uniform shirt along on the trail? I'm considering this for the trek I'll be on later this summer.

 

[kraut-60]

Oops, sorry Dug, I meant to pose the question to Vigil Hiker. Did think it would be great to take a uniformed troop to Gettysburg though, just wish the PLc would want to do it.

[DugNevius]

well, Kraut, i have been to Philmont twice, so i hope you dont mind if I answer your question. You COULD bring the long sleeve shirt but i wouldnt see the purpose. The only time you need a long sleeve shirt is early in the morning or at night time. Since its best to get up early before sunrise to beat the heat (we got up at 5:15 every day to get on th etrail by 6)and so the long sleeve shirt is going to be used to stay warm. A Uniform shirt only keeps you so warm, and it will probably get colder then the temperature in which the shirt can keep yu comfortable.

 

So what we did was we had a real light long sleeve shirt (Under Armour, Duofold or the like) for sleeping in, and everyone had our troop fleeces (which im actually wearing right this second) that worked great at keeping us warm and quick to throw on and off again when we are ready to hike at 6 am in our T-shirts and shorts.

[EagleInKY]

In most situations, we travel to and from camp in full field uniform. The exceptions would be when we are going directly to do something where the uniform isn't appropriate. For example, when we go "cave camping", we don't wear the uniform because we go directly to the cave. At summer camp, we have the guys report in swimming trunks and troop t-shirt. That's so we can expedite the swimmer's test if the guys don't have to go back to camp to change into trunks.

[Vigil-Hiker]

kraut-60,

 

We also tended to get up early at Philmont, especially for Bear Canyon, it was sweltering at 9:00 am in mid-June when I went in '84. We had to go throught there to go to (I think) Vista Grande. We only wore short-sleeve shirts. We took the Jac-Shirts or zip sweatshirts for the cool morn/eve. I was one of the few wearing long pants, but I had stitches pulled out of my 1 day before hitting the trail - so tried to keep it clean to finish healing.

 

Most days on the trail we wore scouting T-shirts. Less worry on snagging a nice uniform shirt on something. Wore uniform to backcountry cantina. We had 3 birthdays celebrated there. Our ranger snuck in a cake for it. If go up Baldy, bring rain gear it will rain there every late afternoon. We had a thunderstorm rolling in during our descent back to the treeline.

 

Enjoy the experience. Take lots of film or batteries and digital media. I am eager to go back when my son is old enough in a few years.(This message has been edited by Vigil-Hiker)

[Kaji]

Vigil: I remember doing the same thing when my troop went to Gettysburg a long time ago. The SPL actually tried to goad us into running Pickett's charge right at the end of the battlefield portion of it, but we were all so tired by then that he was lucky we didn't end up crawling it...hehehe...

[Vigil-Hiker]

Gettysburg was great fun as a youth. One year ~90% decided they wanted to go at same time. We split up by Patrols and Leadership Corps split among the patrols for guidance. We then, started at different areas, so as to not swamp an area or the museum with 30 Scouts. As it was, my patrol was on the fleet-footed side and caught up to another that was moving from Devil's Den to Little Round Top. We "charged" up Little Round Top to take the summit from them. We have a fun day. It does get a bit muddy if you go on a rainy weekend, but it is less crowded then. It can get a bit interesting crossing the open fields when it changes into a thunderstorm and starts lightning(atleast it only last an hour).

 

If my troop did Pickett's charge together carring our lunches, water, cameras, first kits, it probably would have sounded like a Confedate Patrol crossing the fields.