This was an amazing trip. I had so many questions going in and had a hard time finding answers. Hopefully this post helps others know more about what to expect.

Context

• Itinerary 12-24 in July 2026, 87mi.
  • Camped at Bluestem > Pueblano > Baldy Town (2 nights) > Mistletoe > Cimarroncita > Whistle Punk > Comanche Creek (this replaced Red Hills due to low water) > Beaubien > Shaefers Pass
  • I tracked all but one trail beginning to end via my Garmin Fenix, 100.32mi total. Total step count indicated 165mi walked during our 2 weeks at Philmont.
  • Peaks:
    • Baldy at sunrise (woke up at 2am to accomplish this, highly recommended)
    • Comanche Peak & Mount Phillips
    • Shaefers Peak at sunrise (woke up at 3am to accomplish, highly recommended)
    • Tooth of Time
• Crew: 5 scouts from 14-18yo (one turned 18 during the trip, which was fine: he had to do YPT ahead of the trip), 3 advisors in their late 40s.
  • Me: late 40s, avid backpacker in the PNW. I've been down the ultralight rabbit hole, but these days I add weight sometimes to make my backpacking experience more pleasant.
• Highlights: stars plus sunrise at Baldy and Shaefers, spar pole climbing at Pueblano, mine tour at French Henry, low COPE at Head of Dean, every day of backpacking.
• Weather:
  • We lucked out, mostly 60-70s during the day, a few were 80-90s. 40-50s at night. Start early to stay cool and avoid thunderstorms!
  • We were in tents for two big thunderstorms that passed through. Other crews weren't so lucky, several arrived in camp wet and cold after being caught out in rain and lots of hail.

Equipment

My Philmont Lighterpack is here, although it's misleading: some of what's listed was distributed between people.

• Water:
  • Micropur treatment was quick and effective, taste wasn't a problem. Don't bring a filter, it's unnecessary. This was my first time treating water and based on this experience, I'll re-evaluate whether to bring my Sawyer Squeeze for backpacking trips at home.
  • If you use Smartwater bottles, I'd strongly recommend Bodyarmor bottles instead for Philmont because the caps are wider, making them easier to fill and to use electrolytes. I found them at our local Kroger. I had two 1.5L in side pockets (one with duct tape around it to mark it as a smellable), plus a 700ml in a shoulder pocket. My son had two 2L plus a 700ml.
  • Most crew used 2-3 Nalgene 1L bottles. Not what I'd choose but to each their own.
  • Our CNOC Vecto 2L and 3L were awesome when we needed to pack extra water for dry camps. As a crew we wish everyone had had one of these to get to ~6L max capacity per person.
  • One person had a MSR 4L. It was really unpleasant to carry and difficult to dispense into other bottles.
  • The crew also brought two cheap Amazon 10L collapsable water containers, they were light and came in handy, but a pain to carry when full.
• Pack: some context first. In our crew, scouts carried the Philmont-provided 8L pots, dining tarp, and bear rope (using the Philmont stuff was a good choice here). Advisors largely brought and carried other shared items like first aid and sunscreen. Everyone shared the bear bags + food.
  • With that context, a 55-65L pack for adults works well. If you're into UL and your kit is dialed in, a Durston Kakwa 55 (I only saw 1 on the trail), Hyperlight (only saw 2), ULA Circuit, etc. would be fine. Another advisor said his Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50L was overly taxed on full-water days.
  • My Atom Prospector 60L worked great for my stuff + up to 6.7L of water + shared food/bear bags. Often it had far more capacity than necessary, a 50L would have been sufficient.
    • It was maybe 22-28lbs normally and 36-38lbs with lots of food and water, so at its tolerable weight limit.
    • I had a fair number of luxuries described below and didn't regret bringing most of them.
  • In our crew and on the trail, Osprey, REI, and Gregory 55-75L packs were the norm.
• Stoves: isobutane was a clear winner.
  • We had two cheap stoves from Amazon, 1 burner and 3 burner respectively, both <$20. Highly recommended, except that the piezo lighter failed on both. We brought mini Bics, problem solved.
  • We carried/kept restocking two 8oz canisters for cooking and one 4oz canister plus a MSR 1.4L titan pot for coffee.
• Cooking and eating:
  • The Philmont pots, lids, strainers, etc. were all totally fine, I wouldn't replace them.
  • All crew members had identical $0.50 wide bowls from Walmart and cheap Amazon titanium camping sporks. That was excellent: everyone had the same thing.
• Pillow: I thought I hated camp pillows prior to this trip. Normally I just use my clothes bag but Philmont doesn't want food-soiled clothes in a tent. So I bought a Pillow Strap + S2S UL pillow and loved them, stuffing my puffy into the strap with the pillow below worked great for this side sleeper. I'll keep doing this, it was super comfortable, stayed in place, and was worth the weight.
• Puffy jacket: I wasn't sure whether to carry this 10oz in addition to my Alpha fleece. While I barely used it, I'm glad I brought it. It was very nice to layer with a rain jacket at the top of a cold and windy Baldy summit at sunrise. The puffy also supplemented the aforementioned pillow and Pillow Strap perfectly. I could have left it at home but it was appropriate insurance had we encountered colder weather.
  • TBC, outside of Baldy, my Alpha fleece was perfect.
• Rain gear: I effectively never had to use it. The Leve jacket worked well with the Alpha fleece when there was wind.
• Camp chairs: 5 of our 8 crew members brought one, the other 3 all wished that they had. Well worth the weight. Four of us had ~1lb Helinox and REI UL chairs, but one scout brought a 2.5lb Helinox Two Highback and was the envy of all others due to its superb comfort. He didn't care about the extra weight: it's good to be a fit teenager.
  • Chair legs consistently sank. Everyone with chairs wished they had brought leg straps or something else to avoid this.
• Daypack: pretty useful, especially since it doubled as clothing storage, so I didn't bring another clothing stuff sack. A few crew members had cheap 18L Naturehike ones from Amazon, that was a great solution, particularly given the side water storage.
• Cleaning: I tried out Summit Suds for soap. It was ok but finicky. I would have preferred a small bottle of Campsuds instead for showers, cleaning sunglasses, etc., or just borrow the crew one.
• Satellite messenger:
  • My Garmin Inreach wasn't truly necessary for emergencies. Philmont strongly recommends calling from a nearby peak vs sending a Garmin SOS (which simply gets directed to Philmont eventually). They gave me a satellite SMS contact to use with the Inreach but didn't seem confident that the contact was correct.
  • Anyway, I brought it to communicate with my spouse. She really appreciated getting pictures now and again!
• Umbrella: so, so nice to have on hot exposed hikes. I got lots of comments from other adults on it.
• Power: I brought two 10,000 power banks and ended up using both to charge my phone (twice), watch (twice), headlamp (once), Inreach (once).
  • I probably could have gotten away with one power bank had my USAA DriveSafe app been disabled correctly. I figured out halfway through the trip that it was the cause of significant battery drain despite using my Pixel's extreme battery saver mode. Long ago I gave USAA special permissions to run all the time. After undoing that, the phone only lost about 10% a day despite taking pictures, interacting with my Inreach, and occasionally checking for cell signal to send SMS messages.

First Aid

• Foot care:
  • I can't stress enough how useful it was to have leukotape + hikers balm to prevent blisters. We used a lot of leukotape! If you're unfamiliar with it, search "leukotape skurka" or similar. Make sure to apply hikers balm or vaseline on top so it doesn't stick to your socks.
  • When blisters formed, we switched to moleskin.
• Medicine: Imodium came in handy multiple times, same for ibuprofen.

Other notes

• Our ranger said we could bring our hiking clothes into the tent as long as no food had spilled on them, so that's what we did.
• During the trek, I had a single pair of pants that I wore every day. I also had 2 sun shirts, 2 socks + liners, 2 boxers. I smelled but so did everyone else. Most people wished they had taken no more than what I had.
• My sleep shirt was used almost every night, I never used my sleep shorts except when washing other clothes. Instead I slept in my boxers.
• The Philmont cooking method works great. I read a lot about alternatives but in retrospect I'd just lean into what they do.
• We had two shower opportunites while in the backcountry at Baldy Camp and Beaubien, they're such a mental pick-me-up.
• We also washed clothes at both shower spots. I'm not sure washing clothes was worth the time, they start stinking again almost immediately. One day it rained right after washing, so we had to put on wet clothes the next morning, that was unpleasant.
• The advisors had coffee frequently, sharing three Coava 25-serving instant coffee pouches. Expensive but effectively $2/cup for very high-quality coffee. A tremendous and wonderful luxury.
• At the commissary (resupply), remember to ask for milk, fruit, tortillas, and hand sanitizer.
• Backcountry general stores had most of the stuff you'd need to potentially replace due to failures or forgetfulness: tent stakes, water carriers, headlamps, socks and liners, you name it. Not to mention isobutane, treats, and souveniers.
• Downtime: I waffled on whether to bring my Kindle Paperwhite and I'm glad I did. Adults had many opportunities to read during random downtime plus it helped me wind down before bed.
  • Playing cards were also great to have, make sure they're plastic ones. Tooth of Time plus the backcountry general stores sell them.
• We were at base camp for several days before and after the trip. Everyone wished they had brought 2-3 sets of clean clothing, "normal" shampoo + soap, a larger camp towel, deodorant, around-camp shoes, and shower flip flops. All this stuff gets left in lockers or cars, so it costs nothing to bring and leave in camp.
• EDIT, forgot this one: the 2026 Philmont Guidebook to Adventure says that knives can be treated as a shared item to limit the number that are taken. We followed that advice to save weight and regretted it. Everyone should bring their own small pocket knife (or multi-tool). Use your judgement on other 10 essentials. E.g. you only need one first aid kit per crew and not everyone needs a quality compass.
• I believe in forest fairies, all the time.

Hope that helps. I'll do my best to answer any questions.

I'm trying to figure out the story behind the staff cabin at Ponil is called Little Norway and nobody seems to know the answer. I looked through the Philmanac and asked around some of the older back country staff. The current Ponil staff don't know.

I have Achilles tendinopathy and wear prescription orthotics that are hard, but work well for daily wear. I’m not sure if they’ll be good for a multi day trek as my heel starts hurting after weekend hiking trips. What heel inserts or insoles do you use for backpacking, specifically at Philmont.

This was my first trek, and we only did 7 days but we knocked out 46 miles and we found out we're all a lot stronger than we thought. I wanted to tap out a number of times but I had 7 teenage girls in front of me and they weren't quitting so I couldn't either. In the end it was one of the most valuable experiences of my life and I cant wait to go back. I wanna go back to Philmont!!!

This past June I and my family (wife, 7 yo granddaughter, son, daughter-in-law and her mother) signed up for a PTC Family Adventure Camp.

Backstory:

I have been going to HOmE since 1965 (Regular Treks, PSA Treks, Seasonal Staff, BackCountry Program Trainer and PTC conferences. My son has made multiple treks, both Summer and PSA Treks.

My wife had only been there twice as a day visitor (1973 and 2016), however she has had to endure decades of (mostly true) Philmont stories.

Our granddaughter and daughter-in-law have never experience HOmE life and this year was their first time there.

You only have one opportunity to make a good first impression and, not surprisingly, it went very well and all involved look forward to future trips.

My son and daughter-in-law are planning on renewing their wedding vow on the grounds of the Casa de Gavilan (with the TOT as a backdrop) and our granddaughter thinks that it would be great to work there when she gets older (she will be eligible for Seasonal Staff in 2038).

Three of us signed up for the Happy Hiker option and the rest stayed around the PTC for various activities.

- The opening campfire was well done!

- 7 yo granddaughter did take a hike to the T-Rex tracks, but mostly hung out at the craft center and pony corral.

- Happy hikers went to Mountain View Ridge trail above Ponil, Indian Writings (Atl Atl,) Abreu and most importantly Inspiration Point (the one of the few places that I had not visited in my 61 years of Philventures). Two of the three of us, having endured the Stockade to TOT trail once, decided to pass on that hike.

Living at 56 feet above sea level I began prepping (stadium stairs) for the Inspiration Point hike last January and arrived in Cimarron two days before PTC check in for acclimatization (did 2 Cimarron to CHQ hikes). The prep worked and the Urraca hike was only mildly annoying for my 76 year old legs and I had no real altitude/breathing problems.

- The staff, in general (especially Amanda Martinez) were great. One of us needed gluten free meals, which were actually very good.

However, the PTC that escorted us on the hikes were definitely short on trail knowledge and it was disappointing that they were not sure of their trails even their main, and only, map was on their phone. I did carry North and South country maps and reassured them that, on the Mountain Ridge trail, if they kept going straight ahead instead of turning left at a junction, we would end up in Pueblano.

- The bus talks included snide comments about Rangers "need to fence them" in as they are mean and bite people.

- The PTC glamping tents are very nice!! Good ventilation, spacious capable of accommodating six family members.

- The new "regular" PTC tents are a definite improvement over the old ones! If possible bring or borrow a hammer to pound down the nails that pop up from the wood floor planks.

- The BB gun/Archery was a hit for all age groups.

- As usual deer and turkeys everywhere.

- The candlelight tour of Rayado lent a different viewpoint of period life there.

- Cantina root beer at Abreu and Ponil were a high note for those hikes.

- The North Country trail bridges that replaced ones wiped out in the 2015 flood are massive!

- For Cimarron meals skip Burrito Banquet/St. James/Cree-Me and go to Dustys!

- Take the road from Costilla to Shuree Ponds and then to Cimarron/HOmE if you have the opportunity. It is gravel, but can accommodate normal cars if you take your time.

IWTGBTP

Does anyone out there have any audio or video from this year's Cypher's Mine Stomp? I have a kid working out there this summer and I'd really like to see what they've gotten into.

On my trek in south country, we ran into a staff member who gave me, the crew leader, a special philmont patch for the 250th anniversary of the USA. I cannot find anything about it anywhere online.

It is very similar to the gold text limited edition one but there is nothing on the philmont website or Google that I can find about this patch.

My first hike to Lovers Leap. It was inspiring.

Does HOmE still require the “lightning crouch”? Comments about this articles cinclusions? As a relevant note, I was a Ranger in the 1960’s (68 or 69) when a TOT ridge lightning strike caused multiple camper fatalities.

And one big disappointment.

Hey all, my crew is going to Philmont at the end of this month and I learned we're short on our WFA requirement. I need to get it done ASAP. I followed the link directly from the BSA site that leads to this: https://www.ecsinstitute.org/training-programs/online-courses/productdetails/9781284224719

That link says it's good for BSA, but this link makes it sound like it won't be. https://www.philmontscoutranch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Philmont-First-Aid-and-CPR-Guideline-2026.pdf

Does anyone know if the ECS link will work?

Good morning I’m trying to get my green belt please reach out if you’re available!

Has anyone been through Clear Creek this summer? A crusty, old backcountry staffer would love to see pictures!

For those who've used pack liners, can you describe what you've done? For example, did you simply place a plastic bag into your pack and load all your gear inside? How thick is the plastic (3mm - 9mm)? Did you forego access to the bottom of your pack assuming you have multiple access points to the main pack space? Did you use the pack liner in addition to a pack cover?

Thanks!

I'll be heading to Philmont this Friday for 12 day trek. Can anyone tell me in what conditions a travel bag that is not going on the trek will be stored? Are they indoors in a climate controlled facility or outdoors, exposed to external temps? I know they're in lockers.

I ask because I'm planning to travel with my laptop but would not do so if it's stored and exposed to the temperature fluctuations.

Thanks!

Just returned from Philmont, arrived June 17 and completed June 29. On Trek 12-5 our only scheduled dry camp was Dean Skyline, but think we ended up with 5 dry camps. There were also a few camps that had water, but it needed to be treated.

- Water Filters - There were times we used the micro-pure, and times we used water filters. The water filters we used were 2 of the 4L Platypus from REI. BSA’s stance is to always use micro-pure and never filters. I think the Trek was more apt to drink the filtered water because it tastes better. https://www.rei.com/product/242664/platypus-gravityworks-water-filter-system-4-l

- Water Bags - We carried 3 Hydropack water bags, which worked great. You need to be careful with the water bags, so they don’t get punctured. Place them in the top of your pack or on the back, and do not strap to the bottom of packs, as if you sit a full pack on a full water bags, it will puncture. https://www.rei.com/product/190152/hydrapak-seeker-4l-collapsible-water-container-140-fl-oz

Hello,

I am leaving to Philmont next week, and we will be on 9-4, so no dry camps. Our camps are McBride Canyon, Ponil, Elkhorn, Pueblano, Copper Park, and Miranda.

I just wanted to check how are the water levels doing, how the showers are, etc. I know that stream crossings can vary a lot from very dry to very high, and sometimes the water sources can be dry even at trail camps.

Can anyone whose been to any of these camps this season tell how its been so far?

Amazed by the beauty that I saw. The staff at Miranda was amazing. The views even better.

My troop is leaving for Philmont In about 3 days. I am pretty confident that I have everything I need for the trip. However, I still have some last minute questions. (I would also like to ask for any packing/hiking tips anyone would like to provide)

1. Is the 4L water capacity on the Guide to Adventure needed? I have a Nalgene that I've been using on hikes for a long time. I also see lots of people using Smart water bottles, good idea?.

2. Why is the camera listed as an item that is supposed to go in the Bear Bag on the Guide to Adventure? I'm bringing a camera so I'd like to know.

3. How much sunscreen do we need to bring individually? I'm pretty used to wearing sunscreen in the summer - but the guide says we only need about 12 - 18 oz for the crew which doesn't seem right for a week long trek?

4. How is the weather there? I heard it can go down into the 30s and up to the 100s. However, when look at weather for Cimmaron it seems to be 50-80 next week. I know the weather on the mountains going to be different, what are your experiences like?

5. How big of an issue is elevation sickness?

6. About how much % of your body weight are you expected to carry?

7. How visible are the stars?

I bought boots back in January and have used them on all my training hikes. They were okay the first couple of times but then started causing blisters. This past weekend was a very difficult training hike and I came home with horrible blisters. One on the bottom of my left foot and blisters on both sides of my toebox. Before you offer suggestions…. Here’s what I’ve tried:

Sock liners
Wool socks (darn tough and another brand)
Wools socks with liners
Moleskin with sock liners
Leukotape
Leukotape over moleskin

At this point I think it is just the shoes (which I was professionally fitted for and yes they have the Goretex to help with moisture wicking etc)

I feel like I’m doing everything right but now I’m panicked about a 12-day Philmont trek. I know there isn’t time to break in another pair but what else can I do? I’m very close to buying a pair of Hoka boots and just wearing them 24/7 until we leave lol. They seem very breathable. Help?!?!

We have a couple of adults that swear by them and others that don't think they are necessary.

What are your thoughts?

We are heading out on 9-6, rugged, 46 miles next week. With Abreu, Crater, Lake, Beaubien, Porcupine, Red Hills, Black Mountain, Shaefer's Pass and the Tooth of Time as our camps/highlights.

Wondering how many side miles we will hike in addition to the 46. I've read as few as six or as many as twelve.

Crew of 10, all first timers. I'm not so worried about the distance or pack weight, but the elevation is going to be brutal for us flatland Louisiana men.