resqman Posted October 27, 2016 Share Posted October 27, 2016 so two good patrols then.... one scouts and one old goats I'd be interested in details about how they are sharing the load and keeping weight down..... ie. is each carrying their own hammock, splitting tent components, etc.... how many stoves, water filters, etc.... split among the group.... I'll have to look at the philmont diet you mention... I'm not familiar.... Is it all freeze dried stuff? Keep in mind that Philmont does not allow hammock camping. What and how you sleep on troop outings is different. Basic hammock with rain fly, ropes, etc. is about 3 lbs. Decent backpacking tent is about 3 lbs. Tent & fly can be shared by two and split between two packs. Hammocks are individual gear so 3 lbs per person vs. 1.5 lbs per. Water filter, food, cooking gear and dining fly can be shared. Split up common gear along with food among crew members. Number of stoves and type gonna vary depending on how and what you plan on cooking. I carried a Jetboil because all my food was dehydrated and all I needed was boiling water. If you plan on cooking, you will need something different. Lots of existing topics regarding how to backpack, what gear to take, what to share, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blw2 Posted October 28, 2016 Author Share Posted October 28, 2016 yes, I understand the idea of splitting loads, and such....... what I was trying to steer towards is was more about having a discussion of what @pety091 's real world scout patrol is doing a backpacking trip and how they are going about it..... things they were smart about, things they learned from, what equipment works, and what doesn't, what they brought along, what they lived without....any interesting or fun stories about how these young scouts came to the revelation..... such as.... did they bring along the dining fly as @@resqman mentioned? How did that go? was there any scout that had some piece of equipment the others are now wanting.... and so on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stosh Posted October 28, 2016 Share Posted October 28, 2016 We took a dining fly when we were at Philmont. It came in really, really handy when a hail storm hit us second day out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ankylus Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 Blw2, I am right there with you. Trying to weasel a way to Philmont with my son this summer. But I got a dayhike on the AT last summer and caught the fever. Trying to make it work...doing it from Texas is a bit more involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petey091 Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 So this last weekend my troop did twenty six miles on the AT from the Pine Knob shelter in Maryland to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia as a Philmont Shakedown. Five scouts with five adults went on the trip. My dry pack weight was at fifteen pounds. When I added four liters of water, crew gear and food it kicked my weight up to 36 pounds. We used Philmonts meal recipes and purchased the same food they use. The caloric intake was about 3000 calories a day. We had plenty food but I could see that at Philmont and being at altitude you could still feel hungry. Dividing up crew gear wasn't problem, we just made ten piles of gear and tried to make sure the weight was about the same. The hard part was getting the boys to think about multitasking in the morning and evening at camp. They had a duty roster so that helped. I am going to make a small cheat sheet for the crew leader next time so he will have a list of priorities to work from when we pull into camp.The AT in Maryland is all walking on rocks. The boys did well and seemed to enjoy the trip but we were all happy to cross the bridge over to Harper's Ferry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseballfan Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 My Eagle Scout, ASM, MBC, son is through hiking southbound starting in the middle of June. I'm dropping him off and have committed to at least trying to summit Katahdin to see him off with pics. Wish him luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdidochas Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 I'm a section day hiker. I hiked about two miles of the AT around Newfound Gap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdidochas Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Not a thru or even a section hiker, but I have done three 50 milers on the AT. As well as a lot of weekends there. Mostly in the Va, Md, Pa area. Stories? You want bears, mud, lightining, sitting with some very good friends watching the harvest moon inch over the eastern ridge flooding the valley at your feet with silver? The above makes you a section hiker...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Flagg Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Did sections as a Scout way back when. Did 700 miles of it, mostly PA, VA, NC using this natty thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankpalazzi Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 (edited) Section here. Piece of PA 3 years ago, and all of Shenandoah National Park (Skyline Drive) over the last 2. I try to cover 10-12 miles a day over 10 days every summer. Just started the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the journey continues South this July. Edited February 7, 2017 by frankpalazzi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blw2 Posted February 8, 2017 Author Share Posted February 8, 2017 Hey, I'm glad this thread popped back up.... I'm still thinking on this, and searching for ideas and options.... Lately, I have been reading about the Benton Mackaye Trail, which I had not heard of till only recently.... Anyway, i have been meaning to pull out the books and check.... what are teh mileage requirements for scouts. I know there's things like the 50 mile patch.... & I know son had to do a 5 mile hike for his scout badge but what sort of length requirements for distance are there? was thinking that IF i end up doing something with scouts, I'd hate for the group to plan around a 23 mile hike when they need 25 for something.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Flagg Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Hey, I'm glad this thread popped back up.... I'm still thinking on this, and searching for ideas and options.... Lately, I have been reading about the Benton Mackaye Trail, which I had not heard of till only recently.... Anyway, i have been meaning to pull out the books and check.... what are teh mileage requirements for scouts. I know there's things like the 50 mile patch.... & I know son had to do a 5 mile hike for his scout badge but what sort of length requirements for distance are there? was thinking that IF i end up doing something with scouts, I'd hate for the group to plan around a 23 mile hike when they need 25 for something.... There's the Hiking MB and 50 Miler. The requirements are pretty straight forward. For TFC you need a five mile hike while using map and compass. Not AT, but there are Historic Trails which have their own requirements. Don't think they are BSA required but there are awards you can get. BSA does recognize if you hike a few of these trails as long as they meet the BSA historic trails requirements. So you can get the third party historical trail award BUT you may not qualify for the BSA Historic Trail award unless you meet both groups' requirements. The link to the Carolina Trader site is one of the better ones with lists of such trails. Others may have a better site. Happy trails! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RememberSchiff Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Blw2, you may find Buffalo and Budget's AT story interesting. http://www.salisburypost.com/2017/02/26/buffalo-budgets-big-adventure-tough-year-hikers-salisbury-men-conquer-appalachian-trail/ It’s difficult to decide what was the most impressive part of Buffalo and Budget’s conquering of the Appalachian Trail in 2016. The men are older than most people who take on the 2,189.5-mile AT, which extends through 14 states from Georgia to Maine, or in the Salisbury hikers’ case, from Maine to Georgia. Schiemann (aka Buffalo) is 59 and a retired pensioner with General Electric; Kolkebeck (Budget), 63, was the longtime manager of Salisbury’s Baja Products plant, which had closed prior to their trek. Going into their adventure, both men were veteran hikers, owing to their many years of service as Scout leaders. With his Troop 442 Scouts, Kolkebeck has hiked five times in Philmont, the high adventure ranch in the Rockies of New Mexico. Schiemann has gone with the Scouts to Philmont three times. They also are well familiar with trails through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia and have taken countless trips to the nearby Uwharries. But nothing quite prepares you for the rigors and relentlessness of a through hike on the Appalachian Trail. ... more in above link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sentinel947 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 I'm doing the Smokies section of the AT in June! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blw2 Posted February 28, 2017 Author Share Posted February 28, 2017 yes to all posts.... helpful, interesting, and cool! like to read about older guys doing it.... currently watching a vlog series on youtube by a girl that through hiked last year. She seems to be going through at least mostly sober....and she's being a purist about hiking every inch.... but over all It really strikes me that the AT scene really is more of a "beatnik" social fest. Fun and making friends and all... I love the idea of that a little bit, but mostly I'm craving the nature and mountains. Kinda want to get away from crowds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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