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D of E Gold

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Comments

  • When I did my hike I borrowed lots of kit.
    Never did complete the gold - the REST of the award was too damn expensive, and didn't my parents make me know it.
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  • SugarSpun wrote: »
    He should be doing basic safety training before heading out on a long hike - first aid, basic survival, mountain/wilderness safety and learning how to put up a tent/work a camping stove etc.

    This all sounds a bit alarming, TBH. My D of E group was a lot of fun, but we did a lot of safety stuff before we went out off-path hiking and needed it when one girl stepped in a rabbit hole and broke her ankle. The stress sent her into an asthma attack and it was raining and we were miles from anywhere and it was before mobile phones.

    I imagine the leader's trying to get the trip in while the weather's still reasonable, but there'll be other opportunities later and he'll have the chance to buy his hiking gear in the sales and to save up for it. In any case, if he doesn't get to wear his boots in before he goes he'll be thoroughly miserable on the hike.

    He has till he's 25 to complete all the requirements - don't let him be forced into it before he's ready - and ready can mean "having all the stuff" as well as "doesn't want to share a tent with a bully" or "a bit nervous and unprepared".

    At Gold DofE you'd have expected them to have done Bronze and probably Silver and to have the equipment and training.... is he trying to jump in?
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,477 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I did a couple of tall ships weekends. Most memorably, becalmed the wrong side of a sandbar when trying to get back into port. Arrived home 3 am rather than 10 pm, and parents had changed the locks on the front door! :rotfl:
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  • SugarSpun
    SugarSpun Posts: 8,559 Forumite
    At Gold DofE you'd have expected them to have done Bronze and probably Silver and to have the equipment and training.... is he trying to jump in?

    I didn't - it wasn't offered at the school where I did my GCSEs and so I jumped at it when I moved to sixth form. Is it supposed to be a requirement to have Bronze or Silver?

    I had a backpack and hiking boots, bought waterproofs and a fleece and borrowed map cases etc from the school supplies.
    Organised Birthdays and Christmas: Spend So Far: £193.75; Saved from RRP £963.76
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  • No it's not a requirement to do previous levels but you have to do more to pass.
  • My DD has done her Bronze and silver awards, but found the summer expeditions much easier to cope with than the autumn ones. Firstly they were after exams, so less build up/catch up with work. Secondly the later nights made it more relaxing in the evening. A late September expedition and it will be dark by 7:30. You can't guarantee the weather at any time of year, but a dry night in September/October often brings a dew, so gear will be wet in the mornings. It might not seem much, but carrying a wet tent around all day...not much fun. Also, by next summer, he may have made new friendships within the D of E group.

    There may be a local D of E group that he could do his expedition with, alternatively. They sometimes have more kit available to borrow. DD's school can't run the Gold expedition yet, not enough qualifications I think, so they are hoping to hook up with another group after A levels, next year.

    DD got a lot of her kit from Decathlon. There are only a few stores in the UK, but if you can get to one they are good quality and fairly cheap.
  • patchwork_cat
    patchwork_cat Posts: 5,874 Forumite
    edited 11 September 2009 at 9:02AM
    No he didn't do bronze and silver. To do gold without you need to do 6 months extra on volunteering or physical/skills whichever is your 12 month one , so it takes a minimum of 18 months as a direct entrant.

    His high school had very peculiar selection criteria for bronze and silver - taking GCSE in PE! He wanted to take them, but I didn't push it with the school, wish I had though.

    Fay you mentioned that the rest of the programme was expensive - I can see that certain choices could be for eg skills if you decided to lear to drive and physical with perhaps a weekly fee to do Karate as in my son's case, but the rest?

    I don't want my son to feel that we can't afford it and I don't think the money would have been a factor had he been enthused or even happy and had we had a bit more notice (this is already a very expensive month).

    It is a personal bugbear when schools give short notice - eg when my DS was doing his GCSE DT food and would be told on a tuesday that he was cooking on a thursday I used to get cross, but for trips and things you usually get at least 2 or 3 months notice of this sort of monetary sum, not 2 or 3 weeks! or less!
  • moneypooh
    moneypooh Posts: 2,217 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Do you have a shop that can hire them? Local camping shops sometimes have hire depts.
    Our D of E district organisers also have a county store where you can hire equipment, everything from boots to tents, stoves etc...

    If he's not happy about the trip just postpone it and maybe link up with another group to do the expedition part. My DD is doing silver with Scouts and school, fitting in with whatever suits her.

    If you want to buy then Cotswold Company does a discount for D of E members ( it was Millets until this summer - but Scouts get a discount there)
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,477 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Only thing about hiring is that it may not be at all cost effective. When DS1 first went skiiing I was shocked at the hire price for a pair of salopettes for a week, and found a second hand pair with a ski jacket and goggles for about the same price. His second ski jacket came from Asda, IIRC, is still going strong and again was comparable to a week's hire!

    If you buy quality but value, you can always sell it on ebay if he loses interest too soon!
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