Info on what the expedition will be like

and how to support your child before the

Expedition

1 What happens on Practice expeditions

2 What happens on the Qualifying expedition 3 How young people cope on expedition 4 What they need to wear- sample 5 Expedition food- They plan there food

6 Food ideas 7 What their food should look like 8 What their equipment should look like

9 Food they are NOT allowed to take 10 Kit List 11 Expedition rules 12 Expedition Rules

13 Navigation/ Bearing method

1

Before the expedition

Before the expedition Mud and Maps would see the young people for 6 hours of training at their school or centre. The young people would have been given a training pack and we work through this covering all the theory based learning such as what to wear, what to take, what to eat, Country side code, H&S on expedition, equipment, First aid, route planning and getting in expedition teams. This prepares the young people for the practical learning on their first expedition. This training is carried out without the parents as the young people must be able to do all these tasks on their own.

What is the Expedition like?

DofE Expedition can be very challenging for the young people. They are outside for the whole 28 hours of the expedition in any weather sun, rain, cold or hot. The young people walk around 12k (8miles) a day with everything they need for the weekend on their back. This is normally around 2 stone or a quarter of their body weight, They walk through farmers fields, local country side and footpaths, however these routes are rarely maintained and commonly used by dog walkers etc. They can be overgrown and very muddy.

Practice Expedition

The morning of day one is all about learning outside practical skills. In expedition teams, the young people will have a leader for the day who will support them on how to put up tents, check their bags and kit, Rucksack packing, trangia training (Cooking)

and triple check they have everything they will need for the expedition. In the afternoon the groups will go out and learn with a leader how to read a map, navigation skills, act out scenarios of what could go wrong and have a go at leading themselves back to camp. This prepares them for day 2 when they are on their own.

At 5pm on Day one the official Practice expedition starts. To meet the DofE guidelines the young people must be self sufficient within their group and the leaders role changes from training, showing and supporting to a backwards role of remote supervision.

What is this? This means that the leaders are there to just support the health and safety side of the expedition, such as topping up water, carrying out first aid and meeting the young people at checkpoints. We will be in the back ground watching but leaving the young people alone as they are meant to feel like they are doing the expedition by themselves with no outside support. The staff will be at the campsites camping next to the young people.

Day Two of the Practice expedition will start with the young people cooking a hot breakfast or lunch. The group will then pack away camp and start their route they planned on their own in their expedition team. Staff will follow the young people around their route and meet them at checkpoints, topping up water etc. The young

people will walk around 8 miles per day.

.

2

What is the Expedition like?

A Qualifying expedition involves a group of young people working together to

make their way along a pre-planned route navigating with a map. They will have

everything they need packed in a rucksack that weighs a quarter of their body

weight, around 1.5 to 2.5 stone. The young people will walk a planned route for

on average 6 hours a day and over the weekend the young people will be

walking around 12 kilometres a day (around 8 miles). The young people must be

self-sufficient to meet the DofE standards and will be remotely supervised by

staff along their route. The young people must be able to complete the route with

no outside assistance. Staff will be there to monitor the safety of the expedition

and to top up water on route.

The young people will arrive at the campsite at the end of their days journeying

and put up a tent. After carrying out the camp craft, the group will cook their

evening meals on a cooker known as a trangia. After evening dinner they are

free to relax, take a shower and mix with their friends.

The next day they will repeat the same thing with a cooked breakfast, packing

up camp and then making their way along their pre-planned route back to the

finish point.

What will the assessor be looking for?

The Assessor will be checking that the students meet the 20 conditions of

the DofE standards. They will be checking for team work, communication

and good project skills. They will be looking at the navigation and how the

students deal with the situation if they get misplaced. They will check that the

young people are properly equipped and how they look after their

belongings/kit. They will check that the young people are self-sufficient and

unaccompanied on route and the expedition is carried out with their own

physical effort. They will check the teams are between 4 to 7 young people

and that everyone has a good role within the team either on route or at the

campsite. They will looking to see what meals they have packed and

checking they have 1 hot meal a day.

Please Note: No mobile phone are allowed on expedition. They are allowed

to bring them for Photos only.

3

What Parents will expect from their child on this expedition

Most young people have a brilliant time on expedition and go

through this experience in a very positive manor with no issues

whilst on expedition. However this is not the case for everyone. It is

very common for some young people to go through certain phases

on an expedition, some young people will express that they are tired,

some young people will then be very upset as they are pushing

themselves mentally to continue. Some young people might reach a

point where they want to give up.

If a team or individual is not happy on expedition the staff will work

with them to support them through. If a young person does not want

to continue after day one, we always suggest to them to sleep on it

and see how they feel in the morning. If a young person really does

not want to continue at any point, the staff will pull them off the

expedition and phone home for them to be collected.

Expedition cost will not be refunded.

Expedition How we have prepared the young people?

On the practice expedition the staff highlighted any improvements

the teams or individuals needed to change to meet the standards on

the qualifying expedition. Bag packing, meals choices, clothing and

equipment would have be discussed in the team and how they can

make better choices if needed. Everything was taken out the

rucksacks and inspected to promote a conversation about what they

need to take. Navigation and distance was also shaped so the young

people have a good navigation base but know what to do if they get

lost. Camp craft in the evening was set out so the young people

know what to do and what is expected.

The young people have learnt all the skills they need to successfully

complete this expedition, they just need to follow what they have

learnt and the feedback given to them from the staff.

What to Wear

Young people have been

told what to wear on

Expedition so ask them.

Mega No’s on expo are

below!

Top of Body:

1 No big jacket

2 No thick Hoodies

3 No woolly

jumpers

4

5 Legs:

1 No Jeans

2 No chinos

3

Feet:

1 No wellies

2 No sandals

3 No converse

Menu Planning- Young people have planned their

menus

Please buy the meal plans they picked,

ask to see it. Day 1:

Cold Lunch-

Hot Dinner-

Snacks-

Drinks-

Day 2:

Hot Breakfast-

Cold Lunch-

Snacks-

Drinks-

Emergency Rations: 1 hot meal, drink and snack- Labelled

8

Breakfast x 1

Preferably hot and must include a hot drink

Porridge, Ready break, muesli, cereal

Crisp breads with jam, marmalade, honey

Fruit, or cereal bars

Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, Herbal Tea

Lunch x 2- NOT HOT

High in energy

Crisp breads, French toast, pitta bread, Wraps .Bagels,

Jam, Marmite, Peanut butter, Chocolate spread

Hard Fruit like apples or peas

Cereal Bars, Hi energy bars

Nuts and raisins

Chocolate

Evening meal x 1

Must be hot and should include three courses

Instant soup/ mug shot/ hot drink

Ready made meal- not fresh food

Instant potatoes, Rice, pasta, couscous, noodles

Instant custard, semolina, dried fruit, angel delight, instant whip, biscuits,cake

Tea, coffee, hot chocolate Oxo cubes etc

Supper / Snacks Any suitable bedtime snack and hot drink

Sweets/ boiled sweets and savouries ( peperamis)

Emergency Rations x 1 Should be high in energy an be available to eat straight away

Kendal mint cake

Mixed nuts and raisins

Barely sugars

Dextrosol tablets

Cereal bars and fruit bars

Biscuits or Chocolate (not in hot weather)

Jelly blocks

Hot Drinks sachets

Must have 1 hot meal, Snack and Drink

What their food should look like

Hot Breakfast Breakfast should be hot, Tip- you

can heat up crepes and have

with Hot chocolate. You can have

what you want for breakfast as

long as you are cooking. Even

pasta, rice or noodles. You can

cook your lunch at breakfast and

put it in a container.

Cold Lunch

Lunch anything cold. Bread

items are good but think

about what you put in them!

Go for Jam, Marmite, peanut

butter or chocolate spread.

No Fridge items.

Hot Dinner Dinner favourites are noodles,

rice, pasta or couscous. You

can bring sauce but no glass

jars are allowed. Only sachets.

A hot drink is nice and some

pudding like cake or sweets.

Snacks

Snacks such as dried fruit,

nuts, seeds, Hard fruit,

cereal bars, flapjack, and

sweets are good. Avoid

Crisps as they make you

thirsty and chocolate tends

to melt if its warm.

What their equipment should look like

Cutlery

Mug with plate or

bowl- Plastic or

metal only

Small Towel

Matches

Tip- Use an old

hotel bottle for

washing up liquid

2 x Water bottles- must

carry 2lts on expo

Small first aid Kit

2 season Mummy

Sleeping bag

Roll Matt

Wash Kit- all minis or use hotel

samples

Small

Torch

5

Never take fresh meat, dairy, fish or

eggs.

•Only packet meat or 1 tin per person is

allowed.

•There is no fridge so these food will

go off and can give your child food

poisoning.

•They don’t want diarrhoea or sickness

with limited toilets. These foods will be

taken away from them.

•They can survive two days without

fridge food. We advise to take nuts and

seeds for protein and dried fruit, fresh

hard fruit and veg for their 5 a day.

Bad food choices - when we ask the

young people why they brought it, say

their mum made them bring it.

No Glass jars and only 1 tin per person

is allowed.

4

Supplied by you

Remember to line your bag-

The rucksacks are only showerproof!

Keep items dry in plastic bags!

Boots & spare laces or sports trainers

Camera/ phone (for project- photos)

Cutlery, plate and cup- Only plastic allowed

Emergency rations- (labelled)- hot Drink, meal and Snack

First aid kit/ Sun cream/ Personal medicine

Food- labelled in bags-(No fresh meat)

Gloves- if cold

Hat (for sun and cold)

Wash kit( Small)

Plastic bags for rubbish/keeping things dry

Matches (waterproof) not a lighter

Money (several 20p coins for phone)

Pencil & paper (for assessment)

Lip Balm

Sleeping Matt

Sleeping Bag

Thermals- if cold

Jumper or fleece

Trousers- (no jeans)

Underwear

T-shirt

Socks/ plus extra pair

Torch/Spare bulb & batteries

Small Towel- tea towel sized

Water container- Min 2 litres

Water proof top (lightweight)

Waterproof trousers

Washing up Liquid/Cloth

Optional

Needle/thread

Pocket knife- check school allows

Tin opener- Only 1 tin per person

Flip-flops

Supplied by us

Compass

Fuel bottles/ Gas

Maps

Rucksack

Tent

Trangia- cooker with pots

Rucksack reminders!...

NO Fresh Food as it will go off. There is no

fridge! Fresh meat, dairy or fish will be taken off

you to prevent food poising. Only Packet or

tinned meat- 1 tin per person.

THINK Weight! Lighter bags easier expedition!

•Eliminate unnecessary items. Pack Mini items

•Line rucksack with black bag or put items in carrier

bags.

•Light items at the bottom, heavy items at the top; soft

things to your back, Uncomfortable things to the outside

•Items not being used should be carried Inside the

rucksack ( except sleeping matt)

•Items required on route should be accessible

•The weight of the rucksack including fuel and water

should be approximately ¼ of your body weight.

DOUBLE CHECK YOU HAVE NOT LEFT ANY IMPORTANT

ITEMS BEHIND

Staff

each other

Listen to instructions

Learn from your mistakes– they

are a healthy part of learning!

Ask if you don’t understand

Only the groups designated

contact phone must be seen

Breaking these rules will

result in a YELLOW CARD

if no improvement is seen.

Actions that will result in a direct RED CARD:

Playing with fire

Fighting/ physical assault

Verbal aggression towards staff

Damage to equipment (either deliberate or through

dangerous behaviour)

Found in another tent after lights

out

RED CARD= sent home immediately

x2 YELLOWs= RED CARD

19

How to Complete your expedition section

successfully!

1) Carry out your expedition training before

you go on your practice expedition, Read

this booklet again before the Practice

expedition.

2) Go on your practice and Qualifying

expedition with the right equipment (including

footwear), Be prepared, plan and willing to

learn. Listen to the staff.

3) Look after the equipment. Make sure to

bring back your equipment clean and you

don’t lose any items! If you don’t, you haven’t

meet the conditions of DofE.

4) Group or individual presentation must be

given to a DofE Leader on date and time

allocated on the timetable.

Pick up/ late

Expedition drop off time – if young people arrive more than

15 minutes late, they may not be able to take part in

expedition. The cost of the expedition will not be refunded.

Expedition pick up time is 3pm –

• If parents/carer is more than 15 minutes late, they will be

charged at a rate of £20 per 30 minutes to cover the cost of

staff staying to ensure safety & care to young people.

• If parents /carer are 1 hour late, LBR Youth Service will be

contacted. Charge will need to be paid when returning the

equipment or before young people can be booked on next

expedition.