▪ Pour the rinse water out of the wash pot through the food strainer and into the sump.
Clean away any food particles from the food strainer and sump screen by using the scraper.
Place the food particles and used scrubby pad in the “yum-yum” bag and treat as trash by
hanging them up in the “oops” bag at night.
▪ Place the food strainer and scraper into the unused yum-yum bag and hang them up in the
“oops” bag at night.
o Hang “Oops” Bag
▪ Let crew members brush their teeth, remove contacts, take medication, etc.
▪ Have every crew member double check their pockets, pack, and the campsite in general for any
smellables. The Wilderness Pledge Guia should reinforce bear procedures every night on trail.
▪ Pack up all trash, food, ditty bags, first aid kit, and smellable water bottles into the oops bag.
Ideally, smellable water bottles should be empty so that the “oops” bag is not as heavy to lift.
▪ In order to save space, you should clip your smellable bottles onto the “oops” rope, outside of
the bags.
▪ Tie the “oops” bag to the “oops” line, raise the bag, and tie-off to two unused trees using sticks
around the trunk.
o Campfire
▪ Make sure campfires are allowed where you are camping. Due to Philmont’s arid landscape and
high winds, a fire ban is common during the summer months.
▪ Sticks should be no longer than your forearm and no wider around than your wrist.
▪ Keep the fire small, no higher than 18”.
▪ Keep a pot of water nearby and never leave the campfire unattended.
▪ Burn all wood to ash and pour water over the fire and stir with a stick when the fire is out to
ensure the fire is “out cold”. You should feel comfortable putting your hand in the ash since it is
cold.
o Breaking Camp
▪ The Crew Leader should be responsible for waking the crew. A normal time to wake up is
anywhere between 5:30 and 6:00am. People should pack up their personal gear first (sleeping
bags, tents, etc.) then get the bear bags down and finish packing their packs.
▪ Lead by the Wilderness Pledge Guia, make sure to “fluff your duff” by returning the appearance
of your tent site to what it was before your tent was placed. To rejuvenate the grass, pine
needles, etc. that was under your tent, use your hands or feet to gently rearrange the material
into a position that is more natural than the imprinted rectangle left by your tent.
▪ Form a line with your crew to police the area, picking up all trash and making sure no gear is left
behind.
▪ Pack out cold ashes from campfire ring by using an empty meal bag. Ashes should be dispersed
30 minutes outside of camp and 100 ft. off the trail.
▪ Some crews prefer to eat breakfast while hiking or 30 minutes down the trail as an extra
incentive to get out of camp early.
CONDUCTING A SHAKEDOWN HIKE
As mentioned earlier, crews are highly recommended to participate in at least two shakedown hikes before their
Philmont trek. These shakedowns will vary from crew to crew depending on where you are from but three-day/two-
night trips covering between 15-25 miles over as much elevation change as possible is recommended for a crew. On
these shakedown hikes, it is possible for Scouts to receive credit towards a few merit badges with a little extra
preparation. The Camping, Cooking, Hiking, and Backpacking merit badges all have requirements that can be completed
through these shakedown hikes while preparing for a Philmont trek. The requirements that can be earned from the
Camping merit badge are: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9b; from Cooking: 5, 6, and 7; from Hiking: 2, 3, 4, and count towards the
hikes for 5, 6, and 7; and from Backpacking: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.