Philmont Crew 1 Thoughts and Plans

Crew 1 - Philmont Prep – with only 1 month to go …

Make a personal commitment to physical training (at least 3 times/week for 30 minutes minimum).
Review pack contents to lighten load – should be done with group before next outing.
Do a group review of Philmont route – so we each know what needs to be accomplished each day of our trek – and know what rewards (activities) await at the end of that day. We should each have an understanding of # miles to be hiked that day – as well as elevation gains and losses – & terrain. Based on our estimated hiking speed, we should know what time we need to break camp to make it through the next segment – including planning for unforeseen events like weather.
Practice setting up tents in rain (under rain fly).
Practice caterpillar-style hiking on next outing (should increase “hiking efficiency”).
Make a personal commitment to achieving goals and helping fellow crew members stay on task to insure success – during next outing (Father’s Day weekend) and at Philmont.
Prepare (and share) a duty roster for last training hike – and for Philmont trek. Discuss with crew best way to handle duties so “in camp activity time” can be maximized (we don’t want to miss out on the fun after we’ve finished hiking for the day!). Make sure everyone “buys into” their assigned duties.

I am struggling not with the weight of my pack, but the available space. Unfortunately, I am very short from hips to shoulders and had to "push the envelope" to get up from a women's extra small to a small pack and it just doesn't have all the cubic inches of the men's packs. This is causing me to re-think every item because so far I've been a "slacker" in terms of carrying crew gear - just such limited space. It's amazing how a change of packaging can provide you with the same amount of product in a more efficient manner. Also, different fabrics are less bulky with the same amount of warmth. And the thicker mil. plastic bags don't let air back in the way the cheaper ones do, so you can really vacuum seal things. It all helps on space.
I talked to Sonia last night about the "caterpillar". I absolutely swear by it. When your group is spread out over a trail, one person can get a good 3 to 5 minute rest, drink water, munch a snack, catch their breath, and the rest of the group is still moving. Our crew did it up all 3 peaks this weekend and mentally, it's what kept me going, because I knew the break was coming soon. That and small, constant, never say quit steps. Amazing how far you can go if you just keep moving.
Hang in there. I think the mental shift is coming. It's a great hike and I know you all can do it.