Aimless, great addition. To add, I might need to specify the "rain everyday" I said originally. Having lived in the PNW and Rocky Mountains, there is a big difference. At Philmont, it rains everyday, but not all day. Generally there is an afternoon shower. It does not rain like in the PNW. A poncho is enough for standing around or hiking. As long as the tent is waterproof, then that is sufficient.

The reason I picked Philmont is because it is high on scouts go to list, and many scouts start backpacking because their troop gets a slot to go. So, for a lot of scouts, it is their introduction to BPing and they buy equipment specific for it. It also is a good example of covering many environments. It is mostly high alpine (like the Sierras or Rockies). It is dry and warm during the day (except when it rains) and drops around 30 at night in the summer.