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Dromedaries

Navigating Dry Camps at Philmont Scout Ranch

During your trek at Philmont Scout Ranch, it’s likely you’ll spend at least one night at a dry camp. A dry camp is a campsite without a nearby water source, requiring your crew to carry all the water needed for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. While some camps are consistently dry, most are determined on a case-by-case basis based on your itinerary. Your crew leader and lead adviser will be thoroughly briefed on this during Trip Planning in Logistics, so it’s essential to pay attention and plan accordingly.

Adjusting Your Meal Plan: Dinner for Lunch, Lunch for Dinner

One of the key adaptations for staying at a dry camp is to switch the order of your meals. Philmont dinners require the most water for preparation and cleanup, making them impractical for a water-scarce environment. To conserve your water supply:

  1. Eat dinner at lunch: Have your water-intensive dinner meal earlier in the day while you’re still at or near a water source.
  2. Save lunch for dinner: Eat the lighter, less water-demanding lunch meal in the evening when you’ve arrived at the dry camp.

This simple adjustment ensures you’ll have enough water for essential uses while reducing the strain on your supplies at the dry camp.

Preparing at Your Last Water Source

Your final water stop before reaching a dry camp is one of the most important moments of the day. It’s crucial to manage this step efficiently to ensure your crew is ready for the night ahead.

  1. Hydrate Fully
    Before leaving the water source, every crew member should drink as much water as they can comfortably hold. This practice, often called “tanking up,” helps to reduce the amount of water you’ll need to consume from your carried supply later in the day.
  2. Fill Every Container
    All water bottles, hydration bladders, and dromedary bags should be filled to their maximum capacity. For a crew heading into a dry camp, every drop matters.
  3. Carry Extra Water
    To ensure there’s enough water for everyone, assign water dromedaries to crew members, particularly those on water duty. These collapsible containers can hold several liters of water and are essential for transporting additional supplies. Ideally, your crew should have the capacity to carry 2 to 4 extra liters of water per person, depending on the distance and terrain you’ll cover before reaching another water source. For an average-sized crew, this translates to a total capacity of 2.5 to 5 gallons of water.
  4. Distribute the Load
    Carrying water is a team effort. While those on water duty take the lead, other crew members can volunteer to help carry dromedaries or redistribute water weight. Sharing the burden ensures no one person is overexerted and that the crew moves efficiently.

The Importance of Planning Ahead

Successfully managing a dry camp experience requires communication, preparation, and teamwork. By eating meals strategically, staying hydrated, and carrying adequate water supplies, your crew can handle a night at a dry camp with ease. These practices not only ensure everyone’s health and safety but also enhance your group’s ability to adapt and work together in challenging backcountry conditions.

Remember, at Philmont, every challenge is an opportunity to grow as a team—and staying at a dry camp is no exception.

Gear Category: CrewRecommended Quantity: 5

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