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All D of E providers have access to kit to be loaned out. This is often decent kit and replaced often. Try out that first, for maybe the Bronze level. Then if you/your kid likes it then they can buy some better kit that will last them longer.
All I'd buy in the first instance is a sleeping bag liner and decent socks.
Aracer, I did mine by volunteering thought the council. They have lots of courses going on. Its nice to do.
With loading the pack, isn't it heavy things at the top not the bottom? I think the army approach is the other way because the bergens sit higher above your webbing and they're much bigger packs, and it's usually the reserve ammo that's heaviest and stability when moving rapidly matters more than comfort.
One weird thing about sleeping bags - you can need quite a bit more warmth than you'd think if you 'sleep cold'. When riding a bike I'll still be in my summer clothes in the winter when my mates are all wrapped up but camping in the UK in the in the spring/summer I'm much happier in a 4 season bag than my old 2-3 season one!
Depends on how hardcore the organiser is. We got away with 30ltr sacks for our bronze and silver. But teacher in charge changed as we were doing fell bagging in a heatwave with 65ltr sacks and 4ltrs of water for gold.
I think a 50-55ltr sack with careful packing would see you right for all three levels; just stay away from the Trangias!
his is often decent kit and replaced often. Try out that first, for maybe the Bronze level.
Yep, we had some old but good terranova tents and vango sacks which saved a few pennies.
Incidentally how do you get into being a DofE assessor? It's something I'd been thinking about.
I'd guess you'd need something like Summer Mountain Leader Award as a start.
chiefgrooveguru - Member
With loading the pack, isn't it heavy things at the top not the bottom? I think the army approach is the other way because the bergens sit higher above your webbing and they're much bigger packs, and it's usually the reserve ammo that's heaviest and stability when moving rapidly matters more than comfort.
possibly, though i remember being massivley overloaded (high on back) with HE trying to run out the back of a chinook and i couldn't get up of the deck without the aid of two other blokes pulling me up..
But as others have said, and i don't know if it is different to between "cadets" and scout stuff, but we had to use the issue stuff (bergens, trangiers, sleeping bags etc), you could bring other stuff but they dodn't want to overload you.
On the cooking point, I must say having been in various environments, i went from using Hexy, to using gas, to using jet boil, back to using hexy, it's so much more versatile and as long as you have some grass, or old tea bags they wash up quick and easy. They aslo provid hours of entertainment as you through on powdered milk and sugar and watch them fireworks..
Get yourself in to Cotswold Outdoor with your DofE kit list and ask them. You'll get a DofE discount and some great advice and answer all of your questions above. They even price match if the discount isn't the cheapest.
Vango kit is reasonable for the money, but not the lightest. Unless you've got very deep pockets you're not gonna ket super light quality kit.
No one has mentioned boots yet either. Your money should go on comfortable boots and a comfortable pack first.
[quote=Sui ]On the cooking point, I must say having been in various environments, i went from using Hexy, to using gas, to using jet boil, back to using hexy, it's so much more versatile and as long as you have some grass, or old tea bags they wash up quick and easy. They aslo provid hours of entertainment as you through on powdered milk and sugar and watch them fireworks..
My superlight cooking kit uses hex - though I made myself a stove out of tin cans which vastly improves the airflow so it burns blue rather than yellow, hence burns hotter and more efficiently so boils water faster and uses less fuel. As a bonus it creates a lot less soot.