>>1213027Some Highlights:
Sperging out on so much UL stuff with absolutely no idea what they're buying that their weight is still in traditional backpacking ranges.
Really bad raingear is a reoccurring one (New Mexico is a desert right? Never rains right?)
Every crew member with trekking poles
Dads buying gimmicky or Walmart tier tents & stuff.
Ungodly amounts of knives and paracord.
Off brand packs that are basically nylon cubes with shoulder straps (usually are camo)
Planning on using keychain compasses for navigation.
Jeans
Cotton everything.
2+ flashlights/ person
Jetboils for every crew member.
Bottled O2 for Baldy
Generally we assume that crews bring the best gear they can afford, but sometimes buy lots of pointless stuff. Most of the horror stories are crew behavior after hitting the trail.
A highlight from this past summer - a former staff member basically mutinied day one and led his crew + ranger an a merry stroll in the Chase area. Possibly the shortest time between a crew leaving Base and a SAR being sent to find where they ended up, or at least during my tenure.
If anyone here is working there this summer encourage Gene to write a book with all his stories.
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And on a different note - trail runners v boots, if he's inexperienced enough to be asking for boot advice it may be best to wear boots. I've helped enough people crutch out of the backcountry to know that the trails aren't always as forgiving as people make it sound. Also I'd say the majority of the dept, even leadership, uses boots.
