Overview

Get ready for your expedition! This guide includes:

• Your essential kit list.
• A food planning guide and required return form.
• A gear guide to help you shop.

Pack your own bag! Being able to quickly find your gear is vital for a successful and safe expedition. Imagine if it is ⛈️

Kit List

For organized packing, the kit list is separated into walking, overnight, and travel sections. You can pack these together in a single rucksack, or separately, ensuring overnight items are stored in tents and travel kit is readily accessible within the minibus.

Walking kit List

This kit list outlines essential items for mountain activities, designed for day use rather than a full multi-day expedition. While some items, like a personal first aid kit and whistle, are for best practice and developing good mountain etiquette, others are crucial for a comfortable and safe day. Saturdays will be physically demanding, so minimizing kit weight is essential.

A proper hiking rucksack with chest and hip straps is required, not a school backpack. We have spares available; please inform us if needed. All items within the rucksack should be protected from water using survival bags, plastic bags, or dry bags.

Kit provided by the Scout

Clothing

• 👣Well-fitting walking boots
• 🧦 Two pairs of quality hiking socks (check for wear; avoid old or worn-out socks to prevent blisters. Anything older than 24 months is too old)
• 🧥 Fully waterproof jacket
• 👖 Waterproof over-trousers
• 🌡️ Two warm fleece or similar mid-layers
• 👕 One or two long-sleeved tops (no cotton).
• 👖 One or two pairs of hiking trousers (avoid cotton, jeans, or tracksuits)
• 🩲 Two sets of underwear (avoid cotton)
• 🧢 Warm hat
• 🧤 Warm, insulated gloves (avoid thin cotton gloves)

Personal Kit

• 🎒 A rucksack
• whistle (your rucksack may already have one attached or integrated into the chest strap)
• 🔦 A head torch (with spare batteries)
• 💧 One or two water bottles (two-litre capacity in total)
• ☕ A flask for a hot drink (can replace liquid capacity above, shouldn’t be extra)
• ⌚ A watch

Very basic personal first aid kit

Personal first aid kit

This will probably not be used, as we have an extensive group first aid kit, but it should always be carried in the mountains as best practice.

• Some blister plasters (the brand Compeed is the best by far and is available at any supermarket. Any others are not worth buying)
• A few antiseptic wipes
• A small roll of fabric/medical/gaffer tape
• A few plasters
• A low-adhesive/adherent dressing

Optional Kit

• A neck scarf/ buff
• A small pocketknife
• A pair of Sunglasses

Overnight Kit

This is to ensure we are comfortable overnight. We are staying in a valley within the Lakes, so it will likely drop very cold overnight and, depending on conditions, could be very wet and windy.

Clothing

• Spare jumper (in case your walking ones get soaked)
• Two T-shirts (one for the trip home)
• A pair of trousers
• A couple of pairs of normal socks
• PJs

Kit

• Sleeping bag
• Roll mat
• Pillow
• Some cutlery
• A mug
• A game (card game, etc.)
• Two bin bags to put dirty and wet kit in

Wash Kit

• Some soap
• A small toothbrush
• A little toothpaste
• A towel
• Any personal items

Optional Kit

• Crocs or shoes for around the campsite (if you don’t want to wear your boots)

How to pack your bag
1 – Not used for day hikes
2 – Drinks & Lunch
3 – Spare layers to keep warm
4 – Headtouch, First Aid, Hat & Gloves, whistle, etc

How to pick your kit to walk with

Whether you’re planning an overnight expedition or a day hike, minimizing pack weight is key to a comfortable experience. The following information, while geared toward full overnight kits, provides practical guidance for any hike. Use the provided flowchart to streamline your kit selection. To ensure a comfortable carry, follow the packing principles outlined in the diagram below.

Travel Kit

Here are a few things you may want for the trip up.,

• Water bottle
• Anything, except electronics, that will stop you from saying, “Are we there yet?”

Food plan

Kit Guide

Alex or Phil can provide help or information regarding buying any new kit. Just come and speak to us on Monday nights or give us a call.

Scout Discounts

• • Go Outdoors: 10% off (show your neckerchief at the store or use the code SCT10 online. If that code does not work, contact us for the latest one, as they change often)

• Blacks and Millets: 15% off (Online Code 15SCT If that code does not work, contact us for the latest one, as they change often)

General Info

In general, we recommend you buy gear that is on the cheaper side because the Scouts are unlikely to benefit from the advantages of the more expensive gear, which are normally technical features or long-term durability. That said, the gear should still function (e.g., a waterproof should still be 100% waterproof).

Specific Info

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is the premier organisation for youth expeditions and provide extensive advice on gear for similar expeditions. Below is their guide to the kit which is very comprehensive.

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