Each participant on the Migrant Trail is required to be on a team. Participants choose their teams based on their interest, skills, or energy. The following is a note from the Logistics Team, giving a basic understanding of team functions, responsibilities, and needs.
Note from the Logistics Team
Greetings, Migrant Trail participant! As the Logistics Team, we would like to provide a quick orientation to details of everyday life on the Walk.
We ask that each participant be mindful of the amount of gear they bring. One backpack (without frames, please), one sleeping bag, and one tent (if you choose) is the gear allotted per participant. We are a large group and efficiency is vital to a successful Walk. We expect all participants to help in this area. Tent space is conserved and shared—if you bring a four-person tent, we expect this to mean that you are willing to share three spaces with the group. All gear is stored in the trailer pulled by support vehicles and participants carry that which they need while walking (water bottle, sunscreen, hat, medication, and any other items you may need access to during the day), since your other gear will be packed up and unavailable until we reach the next campsite.
We travel with support vehicles that “leapfrog” the group, usually hopping ahead at 1.5 mile increments. Water is provided every 1.5 miles, and a full stop every 3 miles. The support vehicles, which include two 15-passenger vans, also serve as “sag wagons” for folks that need to take a break or are not feeling well. There is no reason for any participant to push themselves harder than their body is able—support vehicles are available for this important purpose. We walk a comfortable pace, usually covering between two to three miles per hour.
Participants assist in driving the support vehicles, and are responsible for safely setting up and staffing the stops. This requires staying behind the walk for one or more segments to pack up the gear and to ride ahead to set up the next stop. A few highway stops must be set up close to fast-moving traffic – so all participants must assist the support team in keeping everyone safe, by following the paths laid out for the walkers at all stops, and staying off the road (and away from the cacti).
The Logistics Team is responsible for the loading and unloading of all gear, assembling shade, and organizing trips for needed supplies. Logistics works directly with all other teams, particularly Safety, to coordinate needs of the Walk and the safety of participants.
The Migrant Trail 