How you pack will greatly influence your comfort and safety. The total weight of your kit should be between 15% and 25% of your body weight. Much less and you either have some amazing expedition kit, or forgot something. Much more, and you will really struggle to carry it for [read on...]
Packing
Items that won’t be on your packing list, but you may want to bring, include:
- A kite
- A power kite
- Nerf Missile
- Volley ball
- Pack of cards
- Beach bucket and spade
- Beach cricket set
- A water pistol
- A good book to read
After all, what is the point of not enjoying camp while you are there?
Jul 242010
This list is to provide a guide to the personal kit required for a weeklong static camp during the summer months with a 2-day hike or offsite, plus water activities. Note: Explorers are responsible for their own belongings. Any loss or damage is their own responsibility and not that of the Leadership Team. No insurance is carried for personal items or personal kit.
We encourage Explorers to pack and maintain their own equipment, as this is the only way that they will be able to find it in the dark, or in a hurry. Because of the risk of loss; please do not tie loose items to the outside of the rucksack – put them in a separate top opening sports bag.
We can obtain some limited stocks of second hand or lease kit (tents, rucksacks, boots, camp mats, sleeping bags). Please ask. The Scout Association runs good shops and is online. Discounts can be available (please ask). You can also buy kit through our “EasyFundraising Links” and help us meet our fund raising targets.
| Sleeping | |
| Tent + Groundsheet | We can bring enough tents for all – however: a good tent is one of those things that you will never grow out of. They represent a substantial investment, but can receive an awful lot of use and over the four-year career of an Explorer Scout as well as having family and social value. Knowing how to pitch and store your own tent can save vital time on expeditions. The weather at summer camp is notoriously variable, with cold nights, hot days, and the risk of summer storms. A lightweight (sub. 3.1kg) two or three person tent is a pleasure to use. Good brands include Vaude, North Face, MSR, Terra Nova, Wild Country, Mountain Hardware, Vango, Coleman and Blacks. Don’t bring ‘music festival tents’ as they simply aren’t up to the job.
You can, of course, share the purchase of them with a friend to spread the cost |
| Sleeping Mat (Roll Mat, Self Inflating, etc) | Lack of sleep can seriously spoil your enjoyment of summer camp. A good light weight sleeping mat is an essential part of equipment. Air mattresses are fine for static camps (though heavy), but we recommend something weighing under 700g like a ‘Therm-a-rest’ , or cheaper and lighter Karri-mats (I’m still using the one I bought in 1976, so they really are a life time investment. Use two if you want real luxury) |
| Sleeping Bag (3 or 4 Seasons) | REQUIRED. A good sleeping bag lasts 10 or more years, and most Explorers should buy one in an adult size. They are not usually found second-hand, and can prove expensive. We recommend that you look for something under 2 kg in weight, and preferably down filled. Given that we can put all year, a 3-4 season bag is a good idea. Look for ratings around -10 to +10. Rather than buy an expensive (and possibly too hot) 4 season bag, we recommend buying a silk or cotton sleeping bag liner to extend the usage. Brands like Vango, Coleman, Technicals, North Face, Marmot, Mountain Equipment and Vaude are all reliable. |
| Pillow | Most of us learn to roll pillow up using a T-shirt and a towel. However a small inflatable pillow is a small luxury for a comfortable night. |
| PJ’s with bed socks and hat | Soft flexible nightwear, that will last a week, is pretty much a camping essential after a hard, and possibly dirty, day at camp. Soft warm socks, and a soft warm hat, really can transform the camping experience as the evening temperatures drop. They also provide essential modesty for late night dashes to the loo across the open site. |
| Clothing | |
| Explorer UNIFORM | REQUIRED. Please travel to camp in uniform, expect to wear uniform to a Scouting service on Sunday, and expect to wear your neckerchief, or scarf, whenever you are offsite or mixing with other Units. |
| Walking Boots + Suitable socks (2 pairs at a time, thinner ones inside) Foot powder |
REQUIRED. We cannot stress too much how important good boots are to camping and walking. Trainers simply do not provide enough protection from heavy objects, axes, tent pegs, or rocky ground. Unfortunately young Explorers’ feet grow very fast, and they may only get one or two seasons of use from a pair of boots. We therefore encourage you to swap boots with younger Explorers when you buy new ones! We recommend buying a modest pair of boots at first, but to choose them carefully, spending at least 10 minutes in the store wearing them while walking up and down the stairs, and to take advice from a serious outdoor shop. Once your feet stop growing, then it is the time to invest in some serious boots. (I’ve had the same pair since 1998, twice repaired).
Two pairs of socks – a thinner wicking pair on the inside, heavier woollen socks on the outside – is the key to a blister free life. Talc or foot powder is a sensible thing to have when the weather is warm. Boot wax (if leather boots) or clean/proof treatment (if fabric) and spare laces are very highly recommended - |
| Trainers (2 pairs, one for wet use) |
The daywear of choice for most Scouts, we suggest bringing two pairs one that can get wet when in canoes or on rafts, as it is important to wear foot protection when in lakes or rivers. |
| Sandals | Feet can get wet, and sweaty, and resting in sandals is a great way of reviving them, and preventing foot disease. |
| Activity Trousers | REQUIRED. Explorer activity trousers, or any of the many combat style trousers that copy the classic designs of Rohan are perfect for camping, in that they dry quickly, can be hand washed, and are highly robust. Remember to bring a belt… |
| Shorts | REQUIRED. Multipurpose shorts, that can double as water activity wear are pretty well “must have” items for summer camp. |
| Swim Wear | Robust and modest is the order of the day here. It needs to be comfortable to be active in after getting wet (think: building rafts, running to the tuck shop) rather than designed to win fashion parades. Explorers may need instructions in washing and care of swimwear before they come to camp. Silt can get everywhere. |
| Outer Clothing | Thin cotton or linen shirts for day wear, long sleeves please. Sunburn and rope burn are both pretty likely! ‘Expedition’ shirts in wicking fabric now come with built in mosquito repellent and sun factor 30 if you are feeling keen. We recommend taking two lightweight fleeces, and one heavier warm item to wear in the evenings (Woollens are fine, 300 rating fleeces better) |
| Daily Change of Underwear | Granny was right. Always dressed in layers. We are huge fans of modern technical wicking fabrics in underwear, and inner layers to go underneath fleeces. Merino wool icebreakers have to be tried to be believed… Modern under layers are light, dry quickly, can be hand washed, and do not build up body odour. They can be worn in the water, and provide some screening from the sun. T-Shirts have their uses, but cotton is a damp, heavy, difficult to clean fabric at camp. It should go without saying that you either need to bring sufficient changes of underwear, or be prepared to wash the ones you have by hand. It is quite possible to get through more than one pair of socks or pants / knickers per day at camp so an extra spare pair is a good idea. |
| Waterproof Jacket and Trousers | REQUIRED. It is difficult to buy good waterproof jackets and trousers for Explorers as they tend to grow out of them rather quickly. We recommend sale-shopping for a jacket and trousers one size (at least) too big and, wherever possible, to buy a vented and breathable jacket made in a modern waterproof fabric (such as triple point, Gore-Tex, or e-Vent). Basic Pertex waterproof trousers are usually adequate. |
| Hat and Gloves | It may seem odd to recommend bringing a hat and gloves to camp for the summer, but there are reasons for this. Evenings can be cold, and wet windy weather can make hands very cold indeed. A water-shedding baseball cap, ranger hat, or beanie, plus some thin windproof gloves might make all the difference should the weather change. If not, a baseball cap or something with a brim can help prevent sunburn. |
| Eating | |
| Tea Towels | REQUIRED. Please bring two, and do not expect them to return home alive. |
| Matches or lighter | Stoves and fires always need to be lit. Carrying a way to make fire in a waterproof container (film canister, zip-lock bag, etc) is a good way of ensuring you get fed, watered and warmed up. |
| Mug | REQUIRED. Your mug soon becomes your very best friend. Buy a nice light one that holds at least 400ml. For the really keen, marking 50ml steps inside the mug can really help with camp cooking! |
| Water bottle | REQUIRED. Water bottles are essential for hiking, and useful at night. One that is translucent and marked in millilitres is a good investment. A 1 L size is most useful. |
| Lunch box | Something to stop food being crushed on hikes. Many of us just grab an old 1L ice cream tub for this purpose. |
| Knife, Fork, Spoon | REQUIRED. (for hike) Lightweight packing camp cutlery can be very, very useful. Increasingly people find they can save cost and weight by simply buying a ‘spork’. |
| Bowl & Plate | REQUIRED. (for hike) Lightness and robustness are the keys to camp crockery. And deeper bowls are more useful than shallow ones. |
| Hygiene | |
| Toiletries and personal hygiene items | REQUIRED. Everyone has their own preferences for hygiene items, but we insist that people do not bring aerosols. Experienced campers will usually find room to slip off the toilet roll into a waterproof zip lock bag just in case. Gel hand wash tends to cause less mess than soap, and can be had in environmentally friendly formulas. |
| Towel(s) | REQUIRED. It is usually a good idea to bring two full size towels, one for showering and one for cleaning up after falling in the lake, swimming pool, or canal! Choose towels for their lightness and expendability. |
| Equipment | |
| A full-size rucksack | REQUIRED. A full-size rucksack in the range of 55 L for women and 65 L for men is essential for expedition camping. Modern technology has made the much lighter, tougher, waterproof, and more comfortable than even five years ago. Buying new makes a great deal of sense, unless you have a friend you can borrow one from. It is essential to take professional advice and have them fitted after wearing them fully loaded in the store. Explain that they will get 10yrs of use up to Gold DoE when buying them. Reliable brands include Go-Lite, Osprey, North Face, Vaude, Karrimor, Berghaus and Technicals. |
| Walking Poles | Very much a matter of choice, but make walking with a pack much easier and can be pressed into all sorts of useful services (such as making windbreaks with jackets, drying clothes, holding tents open and pressing through nettles). Recommended if you have them. |
| Sports Bag | Explorers usually find it better to have a top opening sports bag to hold spare shoes, boots, and towels rather than leaving them lying around in plastic carrier bags or binbags. They are also easier to store in or near tents. We recommend them, not least because we have several times thrown out or burned bin bags and carrier bags not realising that their contents were not rubbish. |
| Day Bag | REQUIRED. A small, 25-35 L day bag is a must have for off-site activities and minibus trips. Many people find their school rucksack can be pressed into service for summer camp. Always make sure it has two straps, and a waist belt, as an asymmetric rucksack can cause serious back and shoulder injury if warn very long period of time. |
| Personal First Aid Kit | REQUIRED. You may not hike or participate in adventurous activities without one. This is very much your own first aid kit, and will contain medicines, tablets, creams, personal dressings, and the like. It is essential that this first aid kit contain complete contact details, and a record of any medical conditions pertinent to the person carrying it. We strongly discourage explorers from sharing any medicines, even mild painkillers, because of the risk of an adverse reaction.
The two most common injuries account minor insect stings, and small burns. Bringing treatment to those it is generally considered wise. Insect repellent (water proof) and Sunscreen are also ‘vital’. BEWARE that insect repellent can instantly dissolve nylon, polyester, tent fabric, rucksacks, spectacle frames and waterproof coats, so seal it in a paper bag inside a strong polythene bag! We urge Explorers to bring sunscreen – they can be spending up to 14 hours a day in the open air, and sunburn is both really likely and seriously disabling at camp. |
| Mobile Phone | Mobile phones can be controversial in Scouting: on one hand they are menacing distraction when safety critical all-time critical information is being handed out, and on the other hand they can be a lifesaver when groups become separated. On balance we recommend that Explorers carry them, but that they do not use them to listen to music, and keep them switched off as much as possible. Be aware that we absolutely do not provide recharging facilities for mobile phones. |
| Camera | We all like to see good pictures from camp. We are happy for people to bring small cameras, bearing in mind they will carry them on hikes, and they conditions at camp can be hostile to electronics and optical equipment. A soft cloth bag, inside a plastic bag, is the minimum protective equipment for a digital camera. |
| Whistle | REQUIRED. Small, shrill and kept on a lanyard. Please learn the UK emergency signal sounds before you come to camp. |
| Penknife | REQUIRED. Of legal size (under 3”), very sharp, and of good steel. Spring, butterfly and lock knives are illegal, as are blades over 3” (rules are complex, so look them up). We recommend the original Swiss Army knife. |
| Watch / Alarm clock | REQUIRED. A good watch – robust, and preferably analogue. Analogue watches can be used for navigation and competitions as well as telling the time quickly. Most phones have alarm functions, and we all know how hard Explorers find it to get up in the morning, so something loud is recommended. |
| Money | There is generally a small tuckshop and one or two opportunities to get into a town that summer camp so small amounts of spending money are important to Explorers. We suggest that a brightly coloured wallet containing contact details and the name of the Explorer unit is used as this is much more likely to be found and returned from the undergrowth at camp. |
| Torch + Spare Batteries | Modern lightweight LED torches, especially head torches, have revolutionised night times at camp. There is no need to bring a searchlight, and generally we encourage people to exercise their night vision. Having said this, a head torch for finding one’s way around a tent at night is a very good idea. |
| Plastic Bag (for laundry) | We endeavour to provide a clothes line to dry clothes upon, but we do suggest that worn or soiled clothing is kept separate from clean. |
| Coat Hanger | To hang uniform on (we have a large tent for kit and uniforms). Also useful to dry things on. |
| Pencil & Notebook | There are lots of things to keep track of account, and on expeditions, and a small pencil and notebook in a waterproof zip lock bag can make all the difference. |
| Paperback book | Recommended. Useful to soak up time on the road, or rainy days in tent, or just quietly sunbathing on site. Can also become a firelighter or toilet paper in extremis. |
| Pack of cards | Useful to soak up time on the road, or rainy days in tent, or just evenings around the fire. Also useful for wide-games. |
| Glo-sticks | Oddly useful at camp – either to find your tent in the dark, get rescued from a hill at night, or simply to brighten up the site. Also useful for wide-games and the general mayhem of Explorer camp evenings. Recommended. |
| Survival Bag | REQUIRED. Bright orange, literally life saving, and an obligatory item for all expeditions. |
| Map & Compass | We can provide maps and compasses at camp, but having a SILVA type compass of your own can be extremely helpful. If you have a map of the summer camp area then by all means bring it. |
| Not recommended / Banned | |
| Jeans | Provided that summer camp stays dry, warm, and with mild breezes, and provided that you don’t have to walk more than a couple of miles, then denim jeans are fine. Sadly that is rarely the case, and jeans become damp, heavy, chafing, and uncomfortable. |
| Nylon shell suits | These go up in flames far too easily, and definitely not recommended! |
| Expensive Items / New Clothes | Should be self-explanatory, given the risk of damage, loss, and general camp filth. |
| Radios / Speakers / Amplifiers | We would like to ban these, but instead appeal to the common sense of Explorers to moderate their use to inactive times before others are asleep. Use that prevents essential activities will result in a ban for all. |
| Glass Bottles | Banned – Will be confiscated and returned to parents at the end of camp |
| Aerosols | Banned – as the propellants are toxic, explosive, and can instantly destroy the modern fabric of tents and waterproof clothing. Will be confiscated and returned to parents at the end of camp. Use inside a tent, or which causes an accident will result in dismissal from camp. |
| Any items banned by National or Scout law | Banned – Will be confiscated and returned to parents at the end of camp. Use will result in dismissal from camp, and may result in legal action. |
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It is easy to injure a back or arm with incorrect rucksack technique, so practise doing this, with a friend to take the weight and check balance and straps until you are confident.
Backpack fitting is generally required for packs of 50+ litres and for those performing long distance load carrying. (Like DoE expeditions)
The strongest muscles in your body are in your legs, so you want to carry the weight of your rucksack through your legs AND NOT your shoulders…
Look at the skeleton pictured and note that if your rucksack’s waist band is too high the weight will load onto your spine (i.e. the band in red).
The correct position will transfer the weight straight onto your pelvis and thus down through to your legs (the green band). This may be easier for girls, who have hips, than boys, who have less to rest the belt on.
The aim is to have the weight distributed 70-80% on the hips, 20-30% on the shoulders. The pack should be comfortable, stable and be sat close against the back.
- It should not lean to one side, nor sway back.
- It should not push your head forwards, nor restrict your arms from moving.
Routine to learn for wearing a rucksack
- Load and close the pack.
- Do up all zips then compress the rucksack and side straps.
- Loosen all the shoulder, hip, chest and load straps before picking the pack up.
- Bend both knees and pick up the pack in front of you, using both hands and a straight back.
- Stand up, and balance it on one knee
- Slide one arm through and then swing it round to slip the second arm in.
- Stand up straight
- Latch the hip belt FIRST
- Check the back length. If the back length is set too long it will leave a gap behind the shoulder. If it is too short it will be putting too much weight on the shoulders and leaving the waist belt too high up the body. (You will have to take the pack off to adjust the back length – each manufacturer has a unique method so read the instructions!)
- Tighten the hip belt on the hips. Tight, but comfortable. The majority of the weight should be on your hips, but it should still be comfortable. It should not chaff or slide around if you swing your hips or shoulders.
- Then take the shoulder straps and tighten them a little at a time, evenly, until there is a little weight on the shoulders and the rucksack does not move about if you swing your shoulders. Then tighten them a little more. A friend should be able to pull them apart, but with difficulty, if they test them.
- Adjust any load adjustment straps on the hip belt.
- Fix the chest strap with a small amount of tension last.
- Walk and turn, jump on the spot, making sure the load is secure.
There are normally load straps above the shoulders that pull the top of the sack in towards the frame. They should be half-way on flat terrain, tight to the frame when walking uphill and looser if descending on gentle slopes. You soon get used to adjusting them as you walk. (Mountaineers have specific techniques for rucksack use, which may differ).
Packing for Lightweight Expeditions
PERSONAL KIT LIST – DoE Bronze and Lightweight Expeditions This list is to provide a guide to the personal kit required for a 2-day hike or offsite camp at DoE Bronze Level. It is a subset of the kit required for Summer Camp. You won’t need to take everything, unless [read on...]
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