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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

D of E clothes question

33 replies

BerriesandLeaves · 16/04/2018 12:17

Dd is going on a 3 night D of E expedition in a couple of weeks and I'm sorting out clothes for her. On the website they recommend a short sleeved t shirt in a wicking fabric with a fleece and waterproof on top as layers. Would it be better for warmth at night and sunburn avoidance to get long sleeved? On the other hand short sleeved would be cooler while walking as it's set to get warm where we are down south

OP posts:
JessyJames · 16/04/2018 12:28

My DS has just returned from 3 days of D of E.
He took a couple of long sleeved tops, a couple of short sleeved tops a hoodie and 2 fleeces.
He said there were too many clothes.
It was a practice hike. For the real one in June he'll take fewer colander more food!

bakingdemon · 16/04/2018 12:39

Agree with poster above who said take both. Don't let her take jeans. If it rains they get really wet and take a long time to dry. They're also not flexible enough for scrambling over fences and up hills.

JessyJames · 16/04/2018 16:22

Clothes not colander!
Baby wipes, anti bacterial gel and bin liners for wet/dirty clothes were useful.

Original poster
BerriesandLeaves · 16/04/2018 17:36

Thanks Jessy and Baking. I suppose if they take both they can be worn together at night for an extra layer.
Jessy, if your ds was doing the practise one again would he still take 2 x long and 2 x short sleeved "wicking" tops but take only 1 or 2 fleeces?
Are the wipes for washing with?
Baking. Dd has got some non cotton thickish running leggings which are quick dry so i thought those.

OP posts:
JessyJames · 16/04/2018 18:09

He took one thin wicking fleece that he didn't wear.
I think they're only needed in really cold conditions. He mainly wore a t shirt and a hoodie. He had waterproofs for the rain.
I think he slept in the thick fleece.
The wipes were for washing and to use as loo roll (it rained a lot, think loo roll would've been mush!)

MeanTangerine · 16/04/2018 18:14

D of E helper here.

Every now and then we get a kid who didn't bring something crucial, like a water bottle or a sleeping bag. 99% of the time, the error is that they brought way too much stuff. Every item they take is an item they have to carry, and they will be exhausted even with a light bag.

She should really be sorting her own bag though.

foundoutyet · 16/04/2018 22:43

(ds going on this week and hasn't sorted out his clothes, or anything else....)

steppemum · 16/04/2018 22:51

ds did his bronze last year and is off on his silver in a couple of weeks.

After the practice, he refused to take any extras on his actual hike.
so, he had one outfit, long sleeved (but it was colder than now) fleece on top, waterproof.

He took no changes of clothes or night clothes. We had a long debate about it, I insisted he take one change of clothes and he said no!

He slept and walked in his clothes!

The only spares he would take were socks, so that he always had dry feet.

I think the recomendation is to take one change, so one spare T and one spare trousers, in case you get soaked. I did drum into ds that if he wasn't taking spares he MUST put on his waterproof trousers if it is wet. He has a pair that unzip so you don't have to take your boots off to put them on, worth getting if the forecast is for rain.

CaptainCarp · 16/04/2018 23:09

I would look at getting a sleeping bag liner if possible to get extra warmth at night.
Then either 2 short sleeved tshirts, 1 long sleeve, a fleece & waterproofs.

Make sure she has plenty of suncream a cap/hat & sunglasses. Also enough water bottles to hold at least 1 litre of water especially if it's meant to be hot.

DofE is great fun, so hope your DD enjoys it :)

Original poster
BerriesandLeaves · 17/04/2018 00:02

Thanks guys. This is so, so helpful for a non camping family! I will go through it properly tomorrow.
I was dropping off to sleep earlier. Dh had a nightmare then dropped straight back to sleep while I'm now wide awake. Typical!

OP posts:
BackforGood · 17/04/2018 00:19

The kit list recommended by DofE tends to have FAR too much stuff on it.
Realistically, when are they going to change into all these clothes?
With good waterproofs, the clothes shouldn't get wet, and, it really doesn't matter if they wear something that is dirty whilst walking on the last day, etc.
Remember, everything they take, they have to carry.
If she is going at the May Bank Holiday, it's not going to be that cold, even if it is a miserable one. Layers of thin clothes are better than one chunky jumper / fleece / hoody.

JessyJames · 17/04/2018 10:09

We had a trip to Decathlon before the hike. Very reasonable for waterproofs etc.

steppemum · 17/04/2018 10:42

They have to carry
sleeping bag
sleeping mat
food for 2/3 days
camping stove, 1 litre water bottle
tent (well part of their tent)
first aid kit
waterproofs,
fleece (if it is warm and they have taken it off)

It is HEAVY. So one good set of clothes to wear:

T shirt - long or short sleeved
trousers - not jeans those addidas tracksuits (polyester ones which were not cool when I was a kid, but are now!)
fleece
waterproof jacket
waterproof trousers
2 pairs socks (thin and thick) or thick walking socks. (worth getting modern walking socks as sweaty feet are not comfortable when wet, modern socks wick the wet away)

in the rucksack
clean underpants if they insist (I think girls will, and boys don't bother!)
spare socks
If you MUST a spare T shirt.

after the practice, ds went through with a fine toothed comb and got rid of every single ounce of extra weight

steppemum · 17/04/2018 10:46

most hoodies are made of cotton. Cotton sweatshirt type hoodies and tracksuits are no good, they are heavy and cold when wet.

Also the hood can get in the way of the rucksack.

fleece is much better

Original poster
BerriesandLeaves · 17/04/2018 13:48

Thanks that's brilliant. Agree Decathlon is good. We got the waterproof coat and trousers from there. Not got anything cotton as I'd read the guidance on the D of E site. Will definitely encourage dd to pack the bare minimum

OP posts:
foundoutyet · 18/04/2018 08:32

ds finally packed last night for his gold. Left this morning.
5 days; packed couple of spare socks and pants, 2 extra tshirts, shorts.

Original poster
BerriesandLeaves · 18/04/2018 09:54

Hope he enjoys it

OP posts:
TheHumanMothboy · 18/04/2018 10:02

Bah- children are spoiled these days! I did my bronze with a canvas framed rucksack!
Leather walking boots, canvas Vango tent (tbf, shared between 3), trangia (steel, not aluminium!), no fleece, all clothing was cotton, and goodness knows how heavy my waterproof was! Torches were the C-size battery type too, no dinky little LED petzls or the like Envy

steppemum · 18/04/2018 10:35

@foundoutyet

can I hijack the thread and ask, what does he take for food?

ds is doing his silver. For his bronze he took porridge pots and cereal bars for breakfast, and those instant meals for walkers for dinner, but for lunch he took rolls, and he took naan bread to add to dinner. On silver I don't think the rolls or naan bread will keep to the third day, especially as it is going to be warm.

Any suggestions?
And snacks that won't melt?

Original poster
BerriesandLeaves · 18/04/2018 10:59

How long is Silver? Dd's Bronze practice is 3 nights, but the assessed expedition is only one night.

OP posts:
foundoutyet · 18/04/2018 11:00

Hi Steppemum,

Ths time he has bought the instant meal for breakfast, lunch and evening....expensive but he asked for it as he had 5 days to cover. Last year he didn't use any of those but had eg pasta for lunch and rice for dinner. Lots of cereal bars, nuts, chocolate. Not sure what else he used last year as he sorted it out himself mostly.

foundoutyet · 18/04/2018 11:15

I think silver was 2 nights. But then I don't think the bronze training one was that long as yours either, dd going later this month and that one is only 1 night. Ds gold is 4 nights.

foundoutyet · 18/04/2018 11:19

Oh, and I got ds a packet of mini pepperamis. I bought it really as I saw someone eating one and fancied one myself but then ds wanted them as they don't need a fridge (for what is's worth to use for when he sweats a lot in this warm weather, to replenish his salts....)

foundoutyet · 18/04/2018 11:25

Humamothboy, yes, I agree, but that is with everything nowadays. But when I tell dc about how I did things, I do think I sound like my mum.
Story she used to tell about not being able to use a tent or proper sleeping bag so her dad used some branches of a tree to cover my mum and stop her from getting wet.(This is from 1940s in a different, sparsely populated, northern country)

Totallytopsecret · 18/04/2018 11:33

4 days for a bronze practice?! That's way longer than it needs to be!

The requirements are here: www.dofe.org/doing-your-dofe/activities-sections/expedition/expedition-requirements/

We tell our lot that wraps are good for later in the expedition as they are already squashed! The more cooked meals you plan the more fuel you have to carry, so if you're going for a cooked breakfast something that you can just use hot water for is probably better than something that needs a pan (which will then need cleaning too!)

We had a group who tried to do their gold expedition with tins of beans as well as a bacon butty stop at 11 every day, (they had also brought camp chairs and an umbrella) they didn't manage their expedition -even after we thinned out their kit for them it was still too heavy for them. They called mountain rescue because they had blisters on their shoulders from their heavy bags.

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