Finding suitable kit for an expedition can be confusing. Your first point of call is the “what to bring” sheet located on your school’s / organisation’s page on our website. You can also find lots of information on suitable kit on the DofE website at https://www.dofe.org/shop/dofe-expedition-kit-list/ where you can also find a kit guide which gives more information about the type of kit needed. Also remember the DofE partner Go Outdoors has lots of info on their website https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/dofe and staff in store who can advise you plus DofE participants get a 10% discount. It is also worth speaking to your DofE manager in your school / organisation too.

If you are finding it hard to find or fund kit for your young person, please speak to the DofE manager in your school / organisation in the first instance. They may be able to source some kit from previous participants that you can borrow or know of any funding that may be available. You can also try some of the hire companies online who offer a hire and delivery service or there are charities out there who have kit to donate to those who cannot afford to buy new.

A Trangia is the stove the young people will carry and use to cook their breakfast and evening meals. It is light weight and compact and designed for expeditions – in fact they are synonymous with DofE! A picture and further information can be found here but they will not need to bring any pans for cooking, just utensils to eat with and something to put the cooked food on/in like a bowl or plate.

No, for Bronze and Silver expeditions we don’t use trackers. We have a high number of our qualified, experienced and competent staff on each expedition and regular checkpoints, around every 2-3 km. This means we can gauge where groups are along their route. We regularly meet up with them at checkpoints and keep a close check on their progress. Groups are trained in what to do if they are lost and our staff have considerable experience in the areas we operate and can locate any groups who go off track quickly. For Gold expeditions we do use trackers as the locations are more remote with poor signal and less accessible, however we still meet up with the teams at regular checkpoints and at their campsites. They also have a more in-depth training session on what to do when they are lost or in an emergency and they receive training on how to use the trackers. 

No, mobile phones are not allowed on DofE expeditions. They can be easily lost, broken or damaged and quickly run out of battery. There is often limited or no signal in the expedition areas we use, and a mobile phone is not needed as the young people will be trained in the navigation skills they need to succeed. Each team will be issued with an emergency phone – for use in an emergency only and trained on what to do and how to use it. If you need to contact your young person during the expedition, then our Duty Officer will be available on 01245 830300. If you feel there is an exceptional circumstance that means your young person needs to have their mobile phone with them, please speak to the DofE Manager in your school / organisation who will pass this information onto us. 

Young people get into teams in advance of their expedition programme starting. Ideally, they then remain in the same teams for the duration of their programme, so throughout training, practice and qualifying expeditions. A large part of the expeditions section is about working as a team and learning to cooperate and share responsibilities, even outside usual friendship groups. Team Building is part of the training, and it is a shame to develop those skills in one group and then to have to start again in another different group on the next expedition. We do appreciate though, sometimes there are valid reasons for young people to need to change groups and if this is the case then please speak to the DofE Manager in your school / organisation. 

We have to follow the expedition requirements set by the DofE Award which give the required number of hours, days and nights spent on expedition and also require a certain amount of training and practicing of expedition skills. Our programmes are designed to meet these requirements but only if participants attend the whole programme.  

The expedition section is challenging. Young people are required to carry all their equipment and walk for considerable distances, often up and down hills, along their route. They will also need to camp overnight, pitching and sleeping in a tent and cooking their own food. This requires a level of fitness and a fair bit of determination to carry on even when things get tough. If a young person has an injury or is unwell and it will impact on their ability to do the above it is probably best that they do not attend. If in doubt please discuss this with your school’s / organisation’s DofE Manager.

Groups will be trained in what to do if a member of their team is unwell or injured. Staff are also trained in first aid and emergency procedures, and we will arrange medical treatment if necessary. If this means they cannot continue with the expedition they will be collected by the school / organisation staff and they will contact parents to let them know what has happened and if their young person needs to be collected. 

This depends on the level and expedition area but as a rule, most expeditions start at 9am on the first day and finish at 4pm (assuming groups are making good progress) on the final day. Details for your expedition will be in the letter sent out in advance of each expedition and are also available on your school / organisations page on our website.

The first point of call is the “what to eat” sheet located on your schools / organisations page on our website. This along with the letter about the expedition will explain what meals they need to bring. Food needs to be lightweight, tasty, not need to be stored in a fridge and something that can be cooked on the stove. You can also find lots of information and suggestions on suitable food on the DofE website at https://www.dofe.org/shop/expedition-kit/expedition-food/  Part of the expedition planning will involve groups creating a menu plan and these will also be saved on the web page for your school / organisation under their group number. 

We suggest that young people carry at least 2 litres of water – this could be split over two water bottles. We will have water available for them to top up their water bottles along the route at some of the checkpoints but not all (not all are accessible by vehicle, and it is a challenge to carry many litres of water over any distance). At campsites there will be a tap (except for wild camps at Gold) where they can fill up their water bottles and get water for cooking. Gold students will be trained in how to collect and purify water for use at their wild camps during their training. 

One of the requirements of the expedition section for the Qualifying expedition is that groups are self-sufficient and independent. This means that on the training and practice expedition/s we are building up to this. We always walk with the groups when teaching navigation on the training, we may choose to take a back seat to allow them to practice the skills we are teaching but we are close by or with the teams. As they develop, we withdraw from the teams to allow them to take ownership of their navigation and decision making. We do not usually walk with them on practice expeditions although if further training is necessary, we may choose to do so. We always meet teams at checkpoints regularly when we are not walking with them and keep a close check on their progress. 

Campsites vary depending on expeditions and their location, but on the whole Bronze and Silver campsites will have toilets and a drinking water tap as a minimum. Some may have showers and a washing up area. At Gold level there is an element of wild camping and young people are trained in how to purify water and where to collect it from and also in hygiene and sanitary procedures. 

In most cases the expedition will still be able to take place as students will be trained for and equipped for poor weather. It’s a good opportunity to test those waterproofs out! It is important to check the weather forecast before the expedition and for them to remember to bring those waterproofs and that sun hat and sun cream. In exceptional circumstances if extreme weather conditions are forecast, we may need to adapt the timings or postpone an expedition. If this is the case, we will be in contact with the school / organisation well in advance of the expedition.