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Philmont
Scout Ranch
Philmont Scout Ranch biggest tip - drink water like
a thirsty elephant in a mud hole. More problems arise
here due to people not drinking water than any other.
In fact, despite the constant push of Philmont rangers,
I would say that nearly every crew has one or more
who is dehydrated at some point on the trek.
The dehydration arises for two reasons. The humidity
at Philmont Scout Ranch in this part of New Mexico
is very low. You'll lose water rapidly even if you're
doing nothing more than sitting on your hind end.
Throw a pack on and dehydration is even more likely.
The other problem is that this is not the same as
sitting in front of a TV and slowly going brain dead.
Once someone actually feels thirsty, their body is
already dehydrated. In hot weather here, it's necessary
to drink a liter of water each
hour. It sounds like a lot, but it really is necessary.
Philmont
Scout Ranch Backpacking
In
my experience watching backpackers, the first sign
of dehydration is fatigue. Backpackers get tired and
lethargic more than would be usual. They complain.
They want to stop. They're hot. They're often in a
bad mood, they are either quiet or whining.
In worse cases, which I've seen, they actually lose
their mental faculties. They become disoriented and
can't make decisions well, or sometimes can't make
decisions at all. The mental symptoms are somewhat
similar to the early stages of hypothermia.
Drinking a lot of water will make life a lot easier
for you and the crew at Philmont Scout Ranch. If there
seems to be some problem with fatigue or moral - drinking
water is the first thing to do. You'll need lots of
water, and a good way to purify it.
Backpacking
list
the backpacking list
Giardia
Club
4220 Brookside Dr
Rapid City, SD 57702
605-718-4567
Email
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