Duke of Edinburgh Expedition

I am going on my Gold DofE practice expedition later this month and I was just wondering if anyone had any useful tips, e.g. food, travelling light, not getting lost :wink:

etc.

I'm basically looking to piggyback on the experience of others and not make mistakes I will regret xD

Reply 1

username2698513

Constantly check the map - you should be able to know where you are at any point of time. That way, even if you get lost, you can easily return to your route.
Take only the essentials. Seriously. If you think you may not use something, don't take it. Try to double up on clothes. Instead of taking separate sleeping wear, take something you can wear while walking the next day. Also arrange with your group to make sure no one has taken two of something. Another group that I went on a expedition with once had six packs of matches, despite only needing one, as no one had thought to ask.
As for food, try to stay simple. A lot of the time, making something more interesting means you have to carry a lot more. Also, if taking lunch in the form of a sandwich, put it in a baguette or roll, instead of actual bread, so it doesn't get too much out of shape.

Hope these tips help!

Reply 2

geolowiser

Hi!

Great that you're doing DofE, it's an awesome thing to do.

Good tips for cutting down on weight are: replacing washing liquids (such as shampoo, toothpaste, washing up liquid etc) with powder, freeze dried food (on the more expensive side of things but are brilliant for dinners and breakfasts when you don't need food on the go).

An excellent resource is the Royal Geographical Society's Expedition Database, they have the records of so many expeditions and that includes diets.