D of E Pre-Expedition Briefing
February 2026
1. Dates and Locations
Expedition Dates 2026
Supervision
Bronze (Hertfordshire)
Training & Qualifying Fully supervised by Sam Sykes instructors and SEC staff
Silver (South Downs/ Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park
Practice expedition:
SEC staff
Qualifying expedition: SEC Staff (remote supervision/ trackers) and staff at campsite
Gold (Peak District/ Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park )
Practice expedition:
SEC staff
Qualifying expedition: SEC Staff (remote supervision/ trackers) but no staff at campsite
Supervision/ staff
Bronze Training & Qualifying Fully supervised by Sam Sykes instructors and SEC staff as pastoral support
Silver and Gold Expedition Supervisor
Nick Lee (Mountain Leader Qualified, REC First Aid, D of E Assessor , 20+ years organising expeditions)
Alan Martin (D of E Assessor, First Aid, 20+ years organising expeditions for D of E)
Gavin Matthews (D of E Assessor, First
2. Personal Kit
Personal kit overview
Non-Negotiables
• Walking boots
• Rucksack
• Sleeping bag
• Waterproofs
Other
kit
• Clothing (layering)
• Sleeping mat
• Personal first aid kit
• Cooking and eating
Boots and Socks
• Full ankle boot required (no walking shoes)
• Leather or Fabric (waterproof)
• £50 - £200
• Fabric must have waterproof membrane
• Hi-Tec, Peter Storm and North Ridge, Salomon, Berghaus, Scarpa
• Socks – wool blend (not sports socks or cotton)
Boots Examples
Rucksack/ Backpack
• 60-70 litres max!
• £55 - £180!
• Vango, OEX, Berghaus, Osprey
• Two compartments with separate, lower access (ideally)
• Top and/ or side pockets
Rucksack Examples
Sleeping Bag/ Mats
• Recommend 3 season (size to rating ratio)
• ‘Mummy shaped’ - packable
• £40 - £100
• OEX, Vango, Berghaus
• Self inflating sleeping mat £15 upwards…
Sleeping Bag Examples
Waterproof Jacket and Trousers
• Not water resistant, not ski jacket
• Ideally with a waterproof membrane (e.g. Dri-Tex, eVent, Gore-Tex, Storm Shield)
• Shell – not padded/ insulated (Ski)
• Taped seams
• Jacket £50 upwards…
• Trousers £25 upwards…
• Rab, Peter Storm, Regatta, Berghaus, Craghoppers
Waterproof examples
Technical clothing
• ‘Layering system’ - base layer, mid layer, outer layer (shell)
• Wicking base layer (e.g. merino wool, polyester, polycotton)
• Fleece layer (polyester)
• Avoid cotton hoodies, tracksuit bottoms, or jeans as they all retain moisture.
• £5-10 upwards…
• Decathlon and Mountain Warehouse have reasonably priced fleeces/ base layers/ trousers
Technical clothing (Decathlon)
Suggested suppliers
• Decathlon (Stevenage)
• Go Outdoors (Harlow)
• Mountain Warehouse (Hatfield, Bishops Stortford, Loughton)
• Cotswold Outdoor (St Albans, Liverpool St)
• Blacks, Millets, TISO (online only)
• Amazon and Sports Direct
• Partnered ‘Adventure Kit Hire’
• 7-day rental = £50 • 10% discount with the code “STEDMUNDS10”
• Online form with dates • Not College arrangement
https://www.adventurekithire.co.uk/collections/d-of-e-hire
D of E Bundle Hire (new for 2026)
Select 7 days
Either 14th/ 15th April in case of delaysBronze
Girls or Boys – they are different
3. Group Kit
Group kit
ALL group kit is supplied by either Sam Sykes (Bronze) or The College (Silver and Gold).
This includes;
• Tents (3 person)
• Stoves (OEX Gas stoves) and gas canisters (silver/ gold only)
• Group first aid kit
• Emergency shelter
• Maps, map cases and compasses
4. Cooking and Eating (expedition food)
Food, Drink and Cooking
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks
• Compact, easy to carry – little washing up
• Freeze dried or boil in the bag preferable
• High in slow-release energy (calories) including carbohydrates, protein, fats and sugars
• Dried, cured, smoked, vegetarian last well.
• Avoid tinned items that require refrigeration.
• Lunches – pitta breads, wraps with a
Boil in the Bag!
£4-5 each
Go Outdoors currently has a multibuy offer on the above
Freeze Dried (add water)
£5-6 each
Being creative in the supermarket!
Nutrition
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner (2 course dinner) + snacks
• Looking for 2000 – 2500 calories per day
• Example: Breakfast: porridge and hot chocolate (400 calories)
Lunch: Pitta breads and a tuna pouch (300-400 calories)
Dinner: Wayfayrer meal, pudding, hot drink (700 calories)
Snacks: throughout the day (300-400 calories)
• Snacks to include chocolate, sweets, cereal bars (no nuts),
• Dried fruit (dates/ apricots/ mango/ banana)
Cooking
BRONZE
Participants use the Trangia gas burner stove.
Multiple ways of cooking
SILVER/ GOLD
Participants use the OEX Tacana stove –more compact but more powerful More suited to BIB or freeze dried
Hydration
• Always remain hydrated (1% dehydration 10% drop in performance)
• 3-4 litres/ day (water, hot drinks etc.)
• Need to carry 2 litres (i.e.2 x 1 litre water bottler).
• Needs to be reinforced with screw top lid (no cycling bottles/ water bought from a shop)
5. Training
Getting ready for Expedition
• BRONZE (approx. 10-12km/ day) – 20/24km in total
• SILVER and GOLD (approximately 15km/ day)
• SILVER 45km in total…GOLD 60km in total!
• 10-20kg in rucksack - no more than 25% bodyweight
• Ideal training to include.
• Cardiovascular (e.g. running, walking, cycling)
• Core exercises (crunches, sit ups, leg raises)
• Stretching
• Low impact strength training for legs/ back (e.g. bodyweight squats)
Being cost-effective
https://www.stedmundscollege.org/senior/beyond-the-classroom/theduke-of-edinburghs-award/
