To start it off, good waterproofs are essential. With the weather always unpredictable on any exped waterproofs have to be high an your list. From experience I can say nothings worse than standing around soaking wet and freezing cold. These can really put a down on what otherwise is a fun, enjoyable weekend.
Top of the range clothing can set you back hundreds of pounds and unless your serious about your gear isn't appropriate for everyone. A few things to look out for is preferably get a breathable jacket. A breathable jackets going to repel water but also let moisture out. If you're willing to pay North Face and Berghaus are just a few brands that will be sure to keep you dry. Always remember you can get a 10% discount in a lot of shops when you tell them the product is for Dofe. If you feel you don't want to commit to buying a jacket/trousers you can also rent it out for little cost in many places and simply return after.
Let this be a warning to make sure you dress appropriately, don't ruin your weekend on something preventable.
If you do buy a jacket its worthwhile purchasing some nikwax spray. This will help keep the waterproofing fabric in tact and lengthen the life of your jacket.
The next "must have"thing to get is a first aid pack. Whenever I go out my first aid pack is at the top of my bag and is something that my team will know. All members of the team should be carrying a first aid pack and in the unlikely chance of a serious injury happening everyone should kno where theres and each others are. You aren't going to have to spend much more than £10 on an adequate pack but I can honestly say there hasn't been an expedition where I haven't ended up using for little niggles, cuts and blisters.
Below- Lifesystems trek £12.45
The final piece of kit I'll recommend is an unusual one but something often looked down upon: socks!
Socks really do make a difference and will affect how you perform on your expeditions some people will wear thick sports socks such as football socks and although these are ok, walking socks are essential. Specifically designed socks should help relive some of the pressure added after walking for hours and hopefully prevent dreaded blisters!
Now although walking socks are good their are other precautions needed to properly protect your feet. Wearing a thin socks underneath your thick walking socks is going to relive a lot of the friction that would of previously been your skin. Having enough socks is something key that I learnt the hard way on my silver exped. Underestimating the weather and amount of socks needed I ended up walking in wet socks for the final day. Not a pleasant experience.
To conclude protecting your feet is the right type of boot. Their are many kinds going from thick, leather, military boots, giving you great durability and weatherproofing however comprising in weight. Alternately light weight boots not made from leather but these wont be as durable or weatherproof. Personally I'd go for leather boots that'll last you for years, but it really is down to preference so try a few on and remember to wear them in!
On Thursday 5th July, 23 students set out on their assessed Silver Award Duke of Edinburgh expedition, along with Miss Fenner, Mr Smith and Mrs Colwill, in the New Forest. After setting up camp in the sunshine at Ferny Crofts campsite, and it staying dry all night, participants woke to rain, which, unknown to them at the time, wouldn't stop until Sunday morning. After breakfast and packing up their tents, Miss Fenner took everyone to the beach, from where participants would set off on their journey. Teams ‘Jonny’s Dons’, ‘Jimmy’s Group’ and ‘The Kerplunkers’ arrived back at camp as expected that evening, but after a while, Mr Smith went to look for ‘The Avengers’, who had taken a wrong path, and had ended up miles from the campsite! ‘The Avengers’ were previously known as ‘The Lost Boys’ on their Bronze expeditions, and everyone was quick to point out that perhaps they shouldn't have changed their name!
On Friday night, 39 Bronze participants arrived with Mrs Minikin, Miss Folkard, Mrs Berisford, Miss Beck and Mr Harvey, and were greeted by the continuing pouring rain that the Silver participants had been subject to all day. After a very wet night, all participants and staff found themselves very lucky to have the luxury of hot showers on Saturday morning – not found on our usual campsites in The Chiltern Hills! The rain on Saturday was torrential, and many areas of the New Forest were flooded, meaning that participants had to change their routes to ensure that they followed a safe route. All staff were worrying all day about how wet the participants were getting, and spoke to the assessors about cutting their journeys short. One of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme rules is that Bronze students must complete 6 hours of journeying per day – so after 6 hours, any Bronze students who hadn’t already made it back to camp were collected in the minibus and brought back to the campsite. Silver students were collected after 7 hours, if they hadn’t already made it back to camp.
The people at Wilverley campsite, where everyone stayed on Saturday night, allowed everyone to have the use of their Scout Hut to dry out their clothes and sleep in, which was really great, as everyone’s clothes and tents were soaking from the rain. Therefore, everyone woke up on Sunday morning in high spirits, and then the sunshine came out! After a much easier day on Sunday, participants got back in the coach to Chalfont St Peter, where their parents were eagerly awaiting their return.
Mr Smith and Mrs Colwill would like to thank the staff who volunteered to help on such a wet weekend: Miss Fenner, Mrs Minikin, Miss Folkard, Mrs Berisford, Miss Beck and Mr Harvey. Poor Miss Fenner sprained her ankle in the mud on Saturday, so we’d like to send our best wishes to her, and hope she gets well soon! They would also like to thank the assessors from the New Forest Assessors Network, and Paul Barraclough, our Silver Assessor, who really helped us out all weekend, and offered support and advice to both participants and staff!
