D of E tomorrow... best way to pack the rucksack?

[2boysandagirltoo]

Help!!!!

Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh expedition tomorrow, and we have been given an excessive for 1 night list of what's required.

Is there a strategic way to pack? I'm already flummoxed by 'lining the rucksack with a bin liner' when the ruck sack is lined....

I was thinking, sleeping bag at bottom, clothes on top, then food, waterproofs and lunchbox, with first aid kit in the from pocket (for my son to get to when he hurts himself 5 minutes in)

Any hints/tips/prayers greatly appreciated

This is just weird , you've created a dynamic where he knows you will do it hence him being out so late

You may as well do the D of E for him!

@Simonjt it was light hearted Eesh

@neonjumper does your crystal ball tell you what time he's coming home?? Nope

To the people who have really good advice thank you

I'm off to feed my family and try to enjoy my evening

I know you don't want to hear the comments saying tell him to do it himself, but he needs to.

He will be the one having to find things in it, he will be the one unpacking, he will be the one who needs to repack it all in the morning. The teachers won't be helping them as they should have learned before they went so he needs to learn at home not when tired and grumpy out in the pouring rain (ds's poured the whole time and they were soaked!).

ds's school also did a couple of ruck sack packing trials at school before they went so he should know what he is doing!

He can leave the sleeping bag behind for all I care lol

Where? in the countryside? he needs to bring it back!

I'm
Making assumptions based on your responses .

Just let him pack his own bag and just chill!

It's one night and they are v supervised ( ours instructors watched us my secret binoculars so we were always safe but felt we were in our own )

He needs to organise himself better
Not surprisingly he knew you would baby him so went out

Have all the things in the hooted and he can pack when he comes in

Does he know how to cook his food and put up a tent?

Such a baby that his mum packs his bags but he stays out late at night with no knowledge of when he will be back ??

I'd check out an online video for help with packing the rucksack. You will def. need a liner and ideally you should be able to stand the rucksack upright without it falling over once it's fully packed. If the school is as strict as my DD's scoutmaster they will have to unpack it anyway for kit inspection and repack on the spot. I know he's not keen on the trip but I do hope he enjoys himself when he's there. Good luck to him.

It does all sound a bit worrying. No practice sessions, no map reading lessons. Has he done his volunteering section of the DofE? Or are they winging the whole thing?

Be prepared for him to be very tired on his return. Dd was tired from not only all the walking but the fecking about in each others tents half the night 🙄.

I know what time he'll be home, but thanks for your concern

You really are not helping him by doing everything for him.

He needs to pack himself.

It's part of the experience and the learning.

My 10 year old packed herself to go on her week long scout camp this week.

Thank you

Pretty much winging it

Volunteering part was in a care home so all
Good there

get him to pack it into labelled plastic bags by use layered by when you'll need them
Boots/extra trainers at bottom
t shirts/trousers etc t shirts in another.
underwear /socks in one
then sleeping bag
pjs, towel, washstuff etc in another for night,
eating utensils food etc at top
waterproofs a top Torch in a pocket, sleep mat on outside

Like others have said you should not be as involved in this as you are. You have made it about you rather than your son. Saying that it's stressing you out that his bag's not packed is taking away from him the responsibility to do it. You'd be doing him a great favour by standing back and letting him lead on it. Support by all means but you have totally taken it over. Do you do this in all aspects of his life because he's your 'baby'? Empower him to take responsibility (by stepping back) and you may both be pleasantly surprised. .

This. The whole point of D of E is for kids to get skills and independence.

I hope he has a great time OP! I loved doing DofE and it was completely unexpected as I've never been a hardcore or sporty type, younger self was a bit of a princess tbh. Fond memories of getting lost in the New Forest with my friends and stuffing our faces with tesco value packs of jelly cubes 'for energy'

I'm sure he'll manage however and whenever the damn rucksack is packed😆

PJ's, wash stuff and towels ?? - sounds much more cordial than ds's DofE. No PJs and they took a mini pack of wet wipes.

They wore their clothes to bed. It poured all day and night, the school tents leaked. I expected them to come back tired, but he came back looking like a smurf with his skin dyed bright blue from his new long sleeved tshirt 😂

I must be a real meanie, my Beaver packed his own bag!

I'd like to apologise to all the Beavers and their mums whose reputations I have besmirched 😁

Support him. Yes. Pack for him is just doing stuff for him that he's perfectly capable of but is choosing not to prioritise.

It's not as if he's ben away all weekend in scout camp or something and has literally no time to do this... He just can't be fucked and is round his mates.

He'll be the type if man to grow up expecting his wife to do all the fucking housework and take in the mental load, because his mother taught him a woman's work is to do this shit for him.

This

I'm an explorer scout leader. I've seen 8 horrifically badly organised rucksacks this weekend, and 8 teenagers who now know better next time.

@00100001

Another one assuming he'll have a wife.....