Get Expedition Ready with these Top Packing Tips for DofE Challengers

Our number one packing tip for any budding adventurer is to make sure you are properly equipped with both the necessary experience and gear that’s up to the job. It’s no overstatement that the right equipment can make or break an experience and when you’re far from home or out in the wild, you need to be able to trust in your own knowledge and the kit you carry with you in order to stay comfortable and more importantly, safe.

For the last 10 years, we’ve been proud to work with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as a recommended kit partner. To celebrate a decade of working together with them, we asked experienced DofE assessor, Dave Sommerville, to share some of his own packing tips for anyone embarking on a DofE expedition.

1. Stick to the kit list
   Participants should stick as closely as possible to the recommended kit list. This has been developed to make sure they are properly equipped without having to carry too much. It also recommends smart alternatives to bulky or heavy everyday items such as the DofE Award-recommended Lifeventure Recycled SoftFibre Towel or light Ellipse Cookware.


2. Pack your own bag
   Making sure you pack your rucksack yourself without help from a parent means you’ll know exactly what’s in it and where it is inside the pack. It also means there is less chance of kit you don’t need being packed inside.


3. Be ready to ‘rough-it’
   Don’t bother packing unnecessary luxuries like pyjamas. They’ll add excess weight and bulk and it’s just as easy to sleep in your clothes!


4. Don’t forget a camera
   Your DofE Expedition is a memorable experience so make sure you can capture it for the future. Cameras and other electronics can be kept safe in the DofE Award recommended Lifeventure Ultralight Dry Bags.


5. Pack in reverse
   Pack whatever you’ll need first into your backpack last. This means it will be easily accessible when it’s time to stop for a break or to set up camp.

Find out more about the products mentioned above or to explore our full range of products endorsed by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Dave Sommerville is DofE Manager at Pembrokeshire Country Council. He has worked to deliver and assess the awards there since 1996.