Duke of Edinburgh kit

[montenuit]

Sorry i have looked but couldn't find the info - feel free to direct me to a thread with all this on

DD1 is off on her Bronze DofE practice expedition soon.
We are not campers and although have a kit list from school, i would appreciate some recommendations re rucksack to buy (minimum 60L) sleeping mat etc.. I don't mind investing a bit as she is the first of 3 so it should all get some good use.

Plus suggestions re food for them to bring and any other wise advice from those who have been through this multiple times.

TIA

The DofE website has recommendations for rucksacks etc. I went to Millets and took their advice on everything - you get a discount in certain shops if you are doing a DofE expedition. If you're on a budget, it's worth looking on ebay as lots of people buy the kit then sell it on.

www.dofe.org/shopping/dofe-expedition-kit-list/

This is the list from the DofE website. As a parent of two that have completed DofE and a teacher one supports students in DofE I would add the following:

Take enough but not too many clothes - they need full waterproofs but not lots of tops for example. They need to avoid carrying extra weight so everything should be used. Something warm for night - can wear socks from the day and top, maybe thermals too - depends on the time of year.

Food: depends on what the school says where iWork groups plan food together and have a budget that they spend together. Usual food is dried pasta in the evening, wraps or bagels during the day - a "robust" type of bread! Peanut butter or other types of spreads. Dried fruit, sachets of hot chocolate. Haribo type sweets. Porridge. Key is high energy food that can withstand being in a rucksack for a period of time.

Food - part of DofE is the group planning their own meals. Typically it's noodles, robust veggies that can cope with being in a rucksack for hours and a packet of stir fry sauce, ready made porridge and a sandwich. Plus snacks, muesli bars, nuts etc.

Mine had the Berghaus trailhead rucksack, but any would do tbh. Make sure there's a separate section at the bottom though for muddy clothes.

Blacks and other outdoor stores have d of e suggestions, get a warmer sleeping bag than you think you need (-5 is a good option) it gets cold in a tent even in summer. A blacks own brand 60l backpack is fine, get an inflatable roll mat. For food don't bother with camping food, super noodles etc are fine - most schools have the cooking stuff to borrow, just add water porridge pots are good too, Aldi hike bars are tasty

thanks all much appreciated

Tip from my DD when she did hers - homemade flapjack crammed with cherries & sultanas and lots of syrup & honey, individually wrapped. It’s a perfect high-energy snack (counts as the emergency food ration they are required to carry too). Made some for her first expedition for the whole group and yes, I ended up doing a batch for every subsequent one! Scotch pancakes made with oat flour is another one for breakfasts.
For the kit, you get a D of E member card which should get you discount at Go Outdoors (on top of their own member discount) and they have a list of approved kit.

flapjack great suggestion! Thanks.

hmm haven't seen a DofE member card, will ask

I hear haribo is essential food 😃🤦‍♀️

Porridge and bagels also a winner. Hardy filling food.

Boots- make sure she wears them in (and then when she thinks she has does it some more) before she goes. Top tip for almost worn in boots is to walk them through a series of puddles as it really helps to get them wet while you’re wearing them.

I'm a DofE expedition assessor. Focus on a good sleeping bag and good waterproofs. Always take hat and gloves.
Don't overpack - things like tupperware, pyjamas, large towels aren't necessary and seem to be the things that well-meaning parents often put in. Avoid tinned food or glass jars.
Agree that hte Berghaus Trailhead is a good rucksack - I used one last year to test it out. Also heard good things about the Vango Contour. Rucksacks aren't waterproof though so everything inside needs to be inside rubble sacks or other waterproof bags.
Get your child to do their own packing - they will have been trained. I'm much more sympathetic to a participant who has made mistakes but packed themselves rather than leaving it to mum or dad.
Check whether your school has equipment to borrow - some do.

Don’t assume one rucksack will fit all your children, I have had to buy one which fits a smaller frame.
I have been to other places but have found Go Outdoors give good advice, a dof e discount and reasonable prices with only a little bit of upselling.
A 3 season rucksac seems best, my dd was the only one not freezing on bronze and they were all cold on silver.

good waterproofs

ok i am being a helicopter parent i know - but the expedition is early May... would you go for a warm waterproof jacket or layers - thermals, top, fleece, lightweight waterproof?

the kit list also recommends gaiters, really?

her boots are good and worn in (scotland trip last year)

capercaillie thanks - what's a rubble sack? no tupperware!
i always make her pack - otherwise i get constant whatsapps "have i got xxxx? where is xxx?"

what about water? do they get an opportunity to refill bottles?

Freedobby could you send me the oat flour scotch pancake recipe? wouldn't they need to go in tupperware to keep them in one piece

Rubble sack - stronger bin liner. Bin liners tear too easily.

Always go layers.

I wouldn't go with gaiters - only recommend for Gold groups.

Water - they should get an opportunity to refill but sometimes that depends on the supervisors. DofE 'rules' are that they should have opportunity to refill, particularly if weather is hot. If you can use a stronger water bottle than the single-use ones - they also don't tend to last the expedition.

thanks

Always layers. Not a big coat. Baselayer, t shirt, lightweight fleece, waterproof shell. A buff is really useful, can be a scarf, head band, etc. Thin gloves if its looking like it'll be cold. Would actually go for thick, athletic leggins instead of walking trousers, with waterproof over trousers if needed. Much easier to get waterproofs on over leggins in a hurry!

Ignore gaiters!

Get to a millets or other decent outdoor store to try on rucksacks, the fit will vary wildly depending on your dd's frame. If she's very slight/skinny you may have to pad her out a bit - cheap, fat sanitary pads or maternity pads work wonders stuck on inside clothes to cushion sticky-out hip bones and collar bones! (I used to work at an all girls school with lots of tiny, bird like girls doing d of e, it's their trick, not mine!) Definitely agree it's worth getting a decent rucksack; I'm 36 and still have mine from bronze! It did me for d of e, gap year, uni and beyond, and it's still in good condition.

Oh and no matter how hot its going to be DO NOT ler her pack/wear vest tops! T shirts with proper sleeves or her skin will get shredded by the rucksack straps.

mine of information this thread! she's not that skinny and bigger than me so should be ok

A hand towel sized camping towel is useful (Decathlon do these cheaply) - or biggest would be a normal bath towel size, not bath sheet. But camping towels are much much smaller than regular ones.

Not too much, but enough to have a change in case of rain. Spare socks - 1 of which is only for sleeping . Keeping feet comfortable Andy dry is vital for such trips.

A tip I give my Cubs is to pack 1 outfit in 1 large ziploc bag (ikea do 3l size that works well) - easy to find a change and not disturb the entire bag, and also gives bags for wet things to go into (but still add a black sack for wet things).

Flapjacks are great snack food.
For meals, think 1 pot. Not necessarily “camping” food but the instant/microwave pasta and rice can be cooked by immersing in water or adding a small amount of boiling water to the bag, some sundries tomato pesto (portion pot) and sliced salami or chorizo makes enough of a sauce. Maybe grated cheese on top for extra calories.

No matter when in the year, bring a woolly hat for sleeping in - if very warm, can be taken off but that’s the bit outside the bag and the bit that loses most heat.

Get her to check with her school/ d of e centre about food. Rules are they have to cook so when I was an assesor my rules was at least two ingredients, not including boiling water! So a pasta& sauce packet on its own = not cooking but a packet plus some chopped up red peppers = cooking. Also I banned pot noodles, they're huge to carry and mostly useless as fuel. But there's quite a bit of variation between assesors, I've come across people allowing army-style boil in the bag ration packs

thanks will do. hopefully they'll actually have a meeting to sort all this out before they go!

Cotswold Outdoor are fantastic at helping with duke of ed kit.. They will fit the rucksacks for you and let her try a few. They should also recommend bags that are useful for Duke of ed without being outrageous in price also and you definitely get 15% discount for doe in there also.
Baby wipes are great to have in bag.. Ikea food bags the plastic ones come in great sizes and can be big enough to fit smallish things you want to ensure stay dry inside the rucksack - like spare socks etc.

Re gaiters - DD borrowed some from school for her silver DofE and then asked for some, and a pair of walking poles, before she did her gold. Well, that was Xmas sorted.Those are things which are a good idea in rough boggy terrain, less so if they're largely walking on decent footpaths.

Rucksacks - we got her a 65L rucksack, as she's only 5'2 now and wasn't fully grown when she did bronze she tried a lot in a couple of good outdoors shop where they helped with fitting - it's a brand we'd never heard of but it saw her through 6 expeditions and now is invaluable for train trips home from uni.

OP - there have been a couple of useful threads recently. I started one as my DD is also doing her Bronze in May and I am clueless
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3507779-Bronze-DofE-expedition-kit?msgid=84950986
and
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/teenagers/3530076-dofe-expedition-food?msgid=85503229

Montenuit we just use Delia recipe for scotch pancakes and substitute half the flour with oat flour. Made them small, wrapped 2 together with baking paper between them so they don't stick, in tin foil and then a sandwich bag - they slot perfectly in the small pockets of the rucksack. The oat flour makes them more dense so should hopefully stay in one piece.

Re gaiters, my DD wore them and was the only one in her group who did. All the others got them for the next expedition as they thought they were a great idea! Walking pole was her favourite accessory too