Hiking as a Crew

Hiking as a Crew: Goal

• Our backpacking goal is for the crew to be able to hike together enjoyably and to control its pace

  • Hiking together means hiking as a group, often within conversation range

  • Avoid splinter groups hiking ahead or falling behind

  • The crew should definitely stay within sight of one another

• Different crews will often find different strategies work best for it, and even that different strategies work better in different situations. 

• Each crew as it comes together will have to do some work to figure out the best way to accomplish this goal.

Hiking as a Crew: Strategies for Pace Setting

• Hiking together means setting a pace that the whole crew can maintain. 

• Strategies:

  • If you have one hiker who generally needs a slower pace, you can try having them up front as your pacesetter.

  • You may have a scout in your crew who develops an ability to set (and even change) a pace that the whole crew can maintain.

  • If you have a scout or scouts who are struggling to maintain a pace, you can experiment with where they are in the order

  • If you have a scout or scouts who keep accelerating the pace, you can try putting them in the back

    • Another good strategy to ‘modulate’ your fast chargers is to have them talk or sing - tell a story, lead a conversation, sing a song, etc. - to put some of their extra wind to another use

  • If the crew struggles to find a pace everyone can maintain:

    • Review what everyone is carrying. You may want to shift weight (gear, food, water, etc.) to some of your speedier scouts and lighten the load of scouts who might need some help to keep up with a desired crew pace

    • Check in on any slower scouts footwear and backpack fit. Are there adjustments that can be made so they can be more comfortable and set a faster pace. In particular, check hip belts, shoulder straps, and load lifters. If they have a lot of gear outside their pack, maybe pulling them backwards, consider repacking it to rebalance their load

  • Unless the crew needs to hustle, perhaps to reach camp before bad weather or sunset, it's good to set a pace that can support at least some of the crew having a conversation. It’s certainly more enjoyable!

• Some crews may hold a pace heading into an uphill or steep downhill. Most effective crews will ‘downshift’ their pace as they start an uphill section - keeping exertion consistent and therefore letting the pace drop a little.

  • An advanced technique for backpacking as a crew up sustained uphills or other difficult terrain is called Caterpillar. We probably won’t need this technique, but it involves having the first hiker stop and step off the trail, letting the rest of the crew pass by. Once that hiker is at the back, they call out to the new first hiker, who then stops and steps off the trail and lets the crew pass by until they are at the end when they call out to the new first hiker to stop… etc. This gives each hiker some time to stand and rest while keeping overall crew momentum moving forward. The crew leader controls when the crew starts and stops a Caterpillar.

• As important as it is to stay together, you also want to maintain some distance between hikers for safety, especially if using trekking poles. A full body length between hikers is a good minimum.

Hiking as a Crew: Breaks 

• Philmont recommends as a best practice taking two kinds of breaks

  • Short packs-on breaks lasting no more than five minutes - Tie a shoelace, remove a layer, quick pee, water/snack break, etc.

  • Longer packs-off breaks lasting 20 or more minutes - Meals, longer rests, treating a hotspot,  removing long underwear ( 🙁 ), pooping, etc.

  • The reason they give for this is 5-15 minute breaks can give you a sluggish feeling in your legs when the lactate levels in your legs are highest 

  • An 8 minute break is not the end of the world, but we’re going to try to adhere to the Philmont Guidelines

• When the crew stops, the crew leader will let the crew know what kind of break it is and how long the break will be

• Someone on the crew will be in charge of monitoring the time

• If you need a break, call for it

  • Folks who can reach their water bottle while hiking or who use a hydration bladder don’t need to call a stop to take a drink

  • Unless the crew is five minutes away from the parking lot and the end of the trail, always call a break if you feel a hotspot so it can be treated. You and the whole crew will be happier to prevent a blister.

Hiking as a Crew: Break Management & Prevention

• A high-functioning crew will, once it starts hiking, keep hiking at a steady clip for solid blocks of time (20-40) minutes. 

  • It’s a great feeling as an individual hiker and as a crew to reach a hiking rhythm or ‘flow’ that can be sustained for 20+ minutes

  • It can take some practice to reach this level.

• It is much harder to cover a distance backpacking as a crew taking breaks every 5, 10 or 15 minutes. You don’t get into a rhythm or ‘flow’ with your stride stopping and starting so often.

• Each crew member should do what they can to reduce the need to extra breaks. Some strategies include:

  • Poop in camp, either at the end of the day or in the morning before getting on trail. Everyone poops, and if you have to poop during the day you should call for a break to do so. But poop breaks are long breaks, and if folks can take care of business in camp it frees up time for hiking.

  • “Be Bold - Hike Cold!” Before you start hiking, strip down layers to the level you want to be at after you are warmed up. You may be cold at first, but once the crew gets hiking and you warm up, you’ll be comfortable and won’t need to call for a break to remove layers

    • Consider not wearing long underwear/longjohns under pants while hiking. Your legs will warm up while hiking, and if you need to remove long underwear it takes a long time.

  • Check that your shoelaces are securely tied before hitting the trail

  • Pee before you hit the trail

Hiking as a Crew Member: Making the Best Use of Breaks

• As soon as a break is called, if you are not the person who called for it, go through a checklist of your own situation and needs

  • Do I need water?

  • Do I need to pee?

  • If I have to poop, is it urgent or can I wait until either a long break (if a short break) or reaching a meal strop or the campsite?

  • Are my shoelaces tied?

  • How is my body doing? Do I need to examine a hot spot, adjust my pack fit, etc.

  • Do I need to remove (or add) a layer to control my temperature?

  • Do I need to remove/add a rain/wind layer?

  • Do I need a snack?

• Don’t wait until the middle or end of the break to discover you need to do something that will extend the break, such as go pee

Crew Leadership Roles

• There are three core crew leadership role

  • Crew Leader - Runs the crew. Sets goals, organizes the crew, delegates tasks and makes decisions to ensure the crew’s success and enjoyment on trail.

    • At Philmont, the scout Crew Leader checks the crew into and out of camp and communicates program decisions - not an adult advisor.

  • Wilderness Guia - Makes sure the crew understands the principles of Leave No Trace and how to hike in the backcountry with minimal impact, and helps them live those principles.

  • Chaplain’s Aide - Keeps tabs on the moral of the crew and crew members. Leads a daily debrief (e.g. Roses, Buds and Thorns). Depending on the crew, may lead any religious observances, such as saying grace before meals.

Crew Jobs

• Aside from the three crew leadership positions, there are jobs in the crew that may be held by one person or rotate:

  • Navigator - Keeper of the map and compass. Responsible for knowing the route and ensuring the crew stays on the correct trail. Communicates upcoming milestones on the trail, especially turns/forks. Depending on the crew’s pace setting strategy, it may make sense to have the navigator hiking in the first or second position.

    • When the crew reaches a turn or branch in the trail, wait for the whole crew to gather (including adults) to ensure the correct path is taken.

  • Timekeeper - Has a watch and can keep track of time, especially on breaks when the Crew Leader gives targets (e.g. “We’re hitting the trail at 6:45, everyone!”). Can track time for food rehydration at dinner.

  • Cook - Responsible for preparing dinner. For freezer bag cooking, this amounts to boiling water and measuring it out.

  • KP - Responsible for cleaning the cockpot and sanitizing dishes. KP works differently on trail than when car camping. We’ll talk about that in great detail in the future.

  • Water - Fetches water for dinner. Can help fill water bottles. Treats or filters water if needed.

  • Bear Bags - Usually a team of 2+ scouts responsible for setting up the bear bag lines, hanging the bear bags, and retrieving them in the morning

  • Fire - If the crew is going to have a fire, a scout responsible for getting the fire started, tending the fire, and ensure it is completely and safely put out.

    • Gethering/processing firewood can be a job or it can be a whole crew responsibility

  • Rooster - Responsible for getting the crew up in the morning.

Foot Care

• Make sure you are wearing appropriate footwear - boots/trail shoes and socks

• Make sure your footwear fits

  • Room for your toes - Toes not hitting the front of the shoe when walking

  • Heel held in place, not lifting out when stepping

  • Good fit overall - no pressure or rubbing on your foot

  • Not too tight - Room to move, and for your feet to expand

• Learn your feet over time as you become a better backpacker

  • Do you like liner socks?

  • Do you like using bodyglide or other anti-chafing measure

  • Is there preventive taping that can help your feet

  • Is there a lacing pattern that especially suits your feet

• Recognize hotspots - feeling of localized heat or pressure on your foot. Indication a blister is forming. Call for a break and let’s take a look!

  • Can treat a hotspot with:

    • Taping, especially Leukotape (which is magic)

    • Bandaid

    • Moleskin

    • Bodyglide or other anti-chafing application

    • Foot powder

    • Adjust shoe fit or lace configuration

  • We have treatment options after a blister forms on your foot (such as taping a ‘donut’ of moleskin around the blister), but it’s always better to prevent rather than treat after the fact

Bear Bags

• We use the Philmont method of the “Bear-muda Triangle” which keeps your sleep area, your cook area, and your stored food area apart from one another

  • The rainfly, set up to create a sheltered area, is not part of the Bear-muda Triangle

• Food and other “smellables” attract animals. 

• We will set up a line high between two trees, and run another line over it that we will use to raise and lower our stored food and smellables in bear bags. Bear bags are attached to the line with the Lark’s Head knot, which we will teach the crew.

• Ideally the hung bags are higher than a bear could reach or a man could jump

• One of the first tasks to do upon reaching camp - before we set up our individual tents and start dinner - is to take out the food we’ll be eating that night at the cook area, and hang all other food in bear bags

• At Philmont you hang a separate line from the main line for an “Oops” bag. These are small smellables, like toiletries and the water bottle you use for drink mix, that you need to hang after dinner before going to bed. 

  • We may or may not have an Oops bag on our Michaux trip depending on how many bear ropes we bring.

Hygiene & Pooping

• You can get away with a lot on a one night backpacking trip. That said, as we learn to be better backpackers, we want to learn how to keep ourselves clean on the trail and to develop good hygiene habits

• Having a small towel or washcloth enables you to spot clean or ‘sponge bath’ key areas, especially face, neck, pits, feet and groin.

  • Some of our experienced backpackers will bring ‘wipes’ to be used for a ‘wipe bath’ before bed. The used wipes are trash and must be hiked out. Using wipes is personal preference (but really feels great after a long day on trail, especially on future multi-day hikes.)

• One of the biggest risks for illness on the trail is gastrointestinal distress caused by handling food with unclean hands (especially hands that are unclean after going to the bathroom.)

• Always wash and sanitize hands before handling, preparing or eating food.

• Always, always, always (!!!) wash and sanitize hands after pooping

Backpacking Peeing

• Pee at least 100 feet away from trails and campsites

• Pee at least 200 feet away from water sources

• Clean and sanitize your hands after peeing

Backcountry Pooping

• You can get away with a lot on a one night backpacking trip. As we learn to be better backpacker, though, it’s essential to get comfortable pooping in the woods. 

  • Not pooping can lead to serious health complications, even resulting in a need to be taken off trail

• Poop in the backcountry 200+ feet away from trails, campsites and water sources

• The “poop kit” is a trowel, toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Take that with you when you are ready to poop.

• Dig a “cat hole” 6-8 inches deep and a hands width wide (about the size of a Nalgene water bottle.) Keep the soil nearby to refill the hole.

  • A few of our experienced backpackers will dig their hole when they get to camp in the daylight, and then go back to use it at night before bed or in the morning before hitting the trail. Doing this is personal preference. (Obviously,  if you come across someone else’s already dug cathole, don’t use it.)

• Poop into the hole. We will discuss common strategies for your ‘stance.’

• Wipe, using 3-4 squares of toilet paper, and either put the paper in the hole or pack it out as trash

• If you miss, use a stick to move things into the hole

• Fill the hole and gently tamp it down (being careful not to get poop on your shoe)

• Some folks leave a stick upright in the filled hole to indicate ‘buried treasure’

• IMPORTANT: The trowel is only for moving dirt. Do not ever use the trowel to move poop.

• Clean the trowel and sanitize your hands

• Be sure to return the poop kit to who or where it belongs