Food, Water, and Meals at Philmont

Meals prior to going on the trail

Day 1 breakfast - our flight is very early in the morning; bring your own snack/breakfast or purchase something in the airport with your own money
Day 1 lunch - buy something at the airport if you wish; we get a prepaid box lunch at about 3PM at Pikes Peak Cog Railway (sandwich, bag of chips, bottled drink like Poweraid)
Day 1 dinner - prepaid Country Buffet in Colorado Springs; all you can eat pig-out, go nuts!!!

Day 2 breakfast - prepaid cafeteria breakfast at Holy Cross Abbey; eggs, cereal, toast, PB&J, juice, etc.
Day 2 lunch - prepaid Country Buffet in Pueblo, CO; all you can eat pig-out, go nuts!!!
Day 2 dinner - prepaid cafeteria at Otero Community College, La Junta CO; spaghetti, salad, brownies

Day 2 breakfast - prepaid cafeteria at Otero Community College, La Junta CO; eggs, cereal, juice, milk
Day 3 lunch - prepaid cafeteria at Philmont base camp; hot dogs? Mac and Cheese? salad, juice, PB&J
Day 3 dinner  - prepaid cafeteria at Philmont base camp; hot dogs? Mac and Cheese? salad, juice, PB&J

Day 4 breakfast - prepaid cafeteria at Philmont base camp; eggs, hash browns, cereal, PB&J, juice
Day 4 lunch - prepaid cafeteria at Philmont base camp; hot dogs? Mac and Cheese? salad, juice, PB&J
Day 4 dinner - trail food at first camp

Drawing our initial rations at the main service counter at Philmont HQ

Food and Water during the hike

The trail food at Philmont is quite varied, generally high-carb, and not necessarily freeze-dried. Breakfasts consist of dried fruit, granola bars or Power Bars, individual serving cereal boxes, Quaker oatmeal packets; bag of granola shared by 2 people,  peanut butter and jelly tubes, and meat sticks such as "Slim Jim." Lunches consist of crackers, cheese in a squeeze tube, peanut butter and jelly tubes, canned meat, tuna pouches (rarely), dried fruit, or pudding cups. Dinner consists of powdered or freeze-dried entrees such as Santa Fe rice and chicken or beef stew; there may be some freeze-dried vegetables, powdered mashed potatoes, canned meat, and pudding cups.

Most of the food is brand-name, such as Starkist Tuna pouches, Oberto meat sticks, General Mills cereal bars, Gatorade drink mix, Armor or Hormel canned chicken or ham, etc.

Water sources vary considerably. In a staffed camp with activities, there is always potable (drinkable) water, although it may be chlorinated and a bit unpleasant. A number of camps at Philmont tend to have sulferous water which is safe to drink but tastes terrible; Gatorade helps to hide the smell. On the trail or at unstaffed camps, water may come from a stream or a solar-operated pump, and it needs to be boiled or treated prior to drinking. The new Micropur water-purification tablets supplied by Philmont are amazing for their ability to clean water without imparting an unpleasant taste (note that the old liquid iodine Polar-Pur is no longer used).

The Philmont Mess Hall (cafeteria) at base camp

Meals after you return from the trail

Day 13 lunch - prepaid cafeteria at Philmont base camp; hot dogs? Mac and Cheese? salad, juice, PB&J
Day 13 dinner - prepaid cafeteria at Philmont base camp; hot dogs? Mac and Cheese? salad, juice, PB&J

Day 14 breakfast - our flight is very early in the morning; bring your own snack/breakfast
Day 14 lunch - buy something at the airport
Day 14 dinner - buy something at the airport

An inventory of the 2003 trail meals, which remains largely current

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