9:44 p.m. on March 31, 2008 (EDT)
Be sure you start hiking the day you will top the Tooth so that you arrive on the top just before dawn (look up the sunrise time for the exact location and date). Watching the sky brighten and the landscape light up from across the plains is an awesome sight (and have at least one good camera in the group with lots of film/memory chip to capture it).
5mm actually is accessory cord, not "climbing rope" - the smallest diameter rope meeting any of the CE/UIAA standards is about 8mm. No 5mm passes even twin/double/half rope standards, much less single. For the expedition use, you would be better off with 50 feet of 3mm accessory cord.
And again, your adult advisors should have the Philmont-supplied list and should be working closely with all members of the expedition to be sure that when the ranger who will be working with your crew does the gear check, you will all have everything required and will have very little that s/he makes you remove. They are pretty ruthless about the gear check (for good reason - it's for your and all your crew's safety). My son was a ranger there, and he has some amusing stories about things people tried to take along.
A couple specific comments - Philmont has tents available. I would suggest your crew use those, rather than take your own. They are 2-person, and hence lighter per person than your Tadpole.
You will have a couple nights with frost, so your 40 deg bag is marginal. A 15 or 20 deg bag is more suitable. I have experienced sleet and snow there in July and August. Much of the trip (especially the itineraries that include Baldy) will be above 7000 ft elevation. Evenings are pretty cool, even in Base, so that T-shirt should be synthetic (Coolmax or something like it - the Trading Post has Philmont-logo T's for a reasonable price that are synthetic). I'm not sure what you mean by a "wind shirt" (means different things from different manufacturers), but the fleece jacket (200 or equivalent) is definitely needed for the evenings.
You don't mention hiking footwear (flipflops obviously don't qualify). More problems at Philmont involve improper footgear and improper foot care than any other problem source. Depending on your ankle strength, you might want a good pair of hiking boots, or you might be able to get away with trail-running shoes (not regular running shoes or tennis shoes). Some sections of trail are pretty good (you will be doing at least one trail-building or other service project - required to earn the expedition completion patch). But some sections are pretty rough, and some are very dusty and sandy (good boots, especially with shorty gaiters, will keep the dust out). You will definitely need more than the 2 pairs of heavy and 1 wicking socks. While you can do some washing (Campsuds or other biodegradable is required - no regular detergents allowed), your wool socks will take a while to dry (minimum of a day hung on the back of your pack). So you really ought to have 3-4 pairs each of the heavy wool and wicking liner socks. And you should be sure your footgear is up to the 12 days of hiking on rough trails (this includes proper breaking in, of course). I would suggest you get at least a couple of 10-mile days in (since you are doing a Baldy itinerary), and at least one 20 mile weekend overnight, to check out your footgear.
You seem to be planning on individual cooking. Food at Philmont is issued as group food. Individually, you only need cup, bowl, fork, spoon (some people get away with sporks, many regret taking sporks). Your crew should have 2 or 3 stoves, but not all individual stoves (the Simmerlite is an excellent choice, since white gas is available at each of your backcountry re-supply points). Your crew can use Philmont-supplied cook kits (more suitable for group cooking, anyway). Many of the meals require boiling up 8 quarts of water at a time.
You mention your MSR filter. Be aware that the geology in the Sangres is volcanic, with much of the rock being tuff and lots of deposits of volcanic ash. The streams have a lot of suspended very fine ash, which clogs filters very rapidly. Without pre-filters and frequent cleaning (in the field), ALL filters will clog at Philmont. So be prepared to do several cleanings, and carry several sets of spare filter elements. You don't need to filter the water you boil for cooking, of course, but you will want to either filter or chemically treat your on-trail drinking water. Remember that iodine-based treatments require 30 min at room temperature and chlorine-based treatments (like your micropur tablets) more on the 4-hour time scale, plus, since the stream water at Philmont is very cold, you will have to double or triple those times.
Oh, and since many youth are tempted to take IPods and video games - don't, and no one in your crew should either. There is more than enough to keep you busy, with the amount of hiking, setting up camp, preparing meals, participating in the staffed camp activities, and so on, and you will want plenty of sleep at those altitudes. Besides, they weigh a lot, and there is no place to re-charge the batteries ("throw-away" batteries, are heavy to have enough, besides which you are required to carry out all you take in).
You are required to wear full Scout uniform (adults, too) in Base Camp, though you will leave the uniform in lockers (limited amount of storage for your crew) while in the backcountry. You should be wearing the uniform on your way to and from Philmont as well. This does NOT mean a special T-shirt, either. It means THE Scout uniform - shirt, pants, scout socks, neckerchief.
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