Every year, Bedford Scouts run an event at which adults can try activities and join in the fun. Not only is a great way to find out what activities to run for our sections, it is a great social event for local leaders. This year it is over the weekend [read on...]

If you are volunteering to help with another Scouting Section for any reason (for instance, Duke of Edinburgh Service), you need to be a Young Leader. This is not just a piece of paper – it will give you vital leadership and safety skills through training courses. Their are several [read on...]

This Summer we had plenty of opportunities to cook on real fires and to sit around and sing along near a camp fire in the evenings. For many of us, this highlighted the need to get hold of some basic skills in terms of firelighting and fire care. It is [read on...]

PERSONAL KIT LIST – Winter Camp This list is to provide a guide to the personal kit required for a Winter Camp. You can download it as a PDF from our Checklists Page as well Winter Camping is not a simple undertaking in the UK – so do take advice [read on...]

[NEW DATES] NSRA Shooting Course to be held at Bromham on 9th and 10th October. This is a non-residential course. This is really for adults who want to be range officers, but, having read the course details, there is no reason why a competent Explorer would not benefit greatly from [read on...]

Over many years I have been collecting information on woods, both practical and ‘folk wisdom’, and compiling it into one long A to Z list as a reference for camping. I’ve published it here, in the hope that some of it rubs off on Explorers, if only to save me [read on...]

Item Code FS[draft] Jun/09 Edition no 0 Introduction Proper and efficient waste disposal at camp is critical for hygiene, legal compliance, pleasant enjoyment of camp and the opportunity to camp again on the same site. Camping has changed a lot, and modern camping involves greater reliance on packed items, advanced [read on...]

Waste and Hygiene At Camp How to stay clean, healthy and odour free Clean water is valuable and hard to get at camp. Key risks are: Thirst Lack of Hygiene Disease Pollution of ground or water Accidents with sharps or poisons Legal risks Waste at camp presents real risks to [read on...]

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 [read on...]

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...]