Expedition food

the_cat

This is what my DS took
small pack up balanced on top of rucksack for saturday lunchtime

b'fast + lunch for sunday + snacks - cereal bars/flapjacks, pack pitta breads cos they don't squash like bread or rolls with either mini pot jam/marmite etc or tube of primula to spread on them, raisins or other dry fruit, chocolate, hula hoops (again less squashable than crisps) and some mints/sweets

dinner - sachet of supernoodles made up plain with sachet of dolmio stir in bolognese sauce - instant spag bol for dinner! For longer trips found MrS did some sachet heat and serve meals for a lamb or beef casserole etc which ring the changes and cheaper than the 'hiking shop' versions

Not the healthiest diet long term but pretty good for a couple of days! Main problem we found was things got squished really easily and became inedible. Deffo worth assuming that this will happen and choose accordingly

fred7777

As an ex-scout leader my first thought was why are you running about doing all this when it's their expedition? If any of them had said "you need to get" to a parent within my earshot they would have been told in no uncertain terms that they needed to get their kit!!

Anyway

The D of E website has a kit list on it here: http://www.dofe.org/media/viewfile.aspx?filetype=4&filepath=Expeditions%20-%20pdfs%20only/Expedition_Kit%20List_2011.pdf

It also has a link to their preferred kit supplier Cotswold camping who have a page which lists options for all the kit from the DofE kit list (but don't spend a fortune as they don't need all the specialist kit and Millets can provide what they don't already have cheaper)

There is quite a good explanation of the food options here:
http://www.ditchampark.com/files/dofe_files/expedition_food_ideas2.pdf

Good luck, don't worry too much about likes and dislikes with food, our scouts used to get 1 food choice per meal, eat or don't, we had some extremely picky eaters but in over 16 years not one of them held out for long, all of them cracked by the second evening and ate whatever was in front of them:rotfl:

bananadog

ok..the kids got in from school and I said "It's your camp so your coming into town and sorting it out!" lol
Anyway we managed to get waterproofs, ground mats, whistles, water bottles, etc...
Food wise got some pasta (in the squishy packs) and sauces (also squishy packs) that can be chucked in a pan of boiling water to heat, crackers and primula tube, dried fruit bags, sweets, noodles, cereal and fruit bars...to be honest loads more stuff than we needed so it will carry over to the next main camp in 2 weeks time
I now feel less panicked about the whole thing as the stuff is here but I have told the kids that they MUST get it sorted as soon as they find out next time as it is their responsibility to know what they need not mine!
I also told them that all of you on here had to help sort it out so they said to say "thank you!" to all of you also.
Ahhh the fun of having kids eh?!!

Thanks again everyone x

AlwaysAllie

I'm glad you got it sorted out but am tempted to wonder at the organisers and their lack of information and short notice!!

AA

bananadog

AlwaysAllie wrote: »

I'm glad you got it sorted out but am tempted to wonder at the organisers and their lack of information and short notice!!

AA

When they joined it was dead organised but it seems to be very last minute now so I'm going to have a word with them about being able to give a little more notice....then again on the way into town after being told "we MUST have green ration packs" my eldest then said "oh yeah they did say pasta and stuff is good too" :mad:
I think half of this is my 2 being slightly 'fairy headed'...you know the type, everything is magically sorted overnight and there is nothing to worry about! :rotfl:

Rebob

AlwaysAllie wrote: »

I'm glad you got it sorted out but am tempted to wonder at the organisers and their lack of information and short notice!!

AA

DS's camp was the same. We brought it up with the scout leaders and the reply was that the kids were in charge of sorting it themselves and they were doing checkpoints to ensure saftey on the hike but them forgetting things or getting them wrong was part of the exercise.:o

snoopy58

Loads of great advice on here, with fab ideas for food from Pink-winged and the_cat. Been there with the worry about the first expedition as my daughter did D of E from bronze through to gold, loved it all, and is now a leader at the local open award unit and doing her BEL. As Mum's we can't help worrying (it's part of the job description), but your boys will be fine, have a high old time and come back with lots of stories.
Don't forget the GORP (good old raisins and peanuts - a mix of dried fruits, M & M's, nuts) in a zip lock bag are really good for energy boosts.
Oh, and the unit running the exped may well have equipment they could hire out for very little money.

EstherH

Hi, I haven't read all the thread yet but would second the pasta, the carbs are really good for energy. My son did all three and the gold is five days and he was so faddy about what he would eat. With hind site I would say to you, calm down and try not to worry. Your sons will survive. Mine did and I worried myself sick about him walking miles with nothing to keep him going. He had a 90 litre rucksack that I couldn't even lift off the ground. Plenty of cereal bars, muffins, hot cross buns, anything that is carbohydrate. Don't worry about nutrients though some protein is good. As you say a few days isn't going to harm them. Also, if it is a case of eating or starving they will eat something they think they don't like and very often find that it is alright. Your running around all over brings back lots of memories and yes it does cost a fortune, but it is good for them.

nearlyrich

AlwaysAllie wrote: »

I'm glad you got it sorted out but am tempted to wonder at the organisers and their lack of information and short notice!!

AA

Sometimes the organisers give the kids the info and it doesn't get home, if it's air cadets they expect the kids to have some lifeskills ( not saying OP's boys are not skilled by the way)

At 13 they should be able to work out what they need but too many kids are totally mollycoddled today ( Again not a pop at OP)


Bananadog don't flap if they are missing something the others will share, let them take responsibilty for sorting out their own kit it will do them good....;)

bananadog

lol nearlyrich, i do actually agree with what you said about kids being mollycoddled though!
Mine have been camping before with cadets but main meals and things were sorted out by the leaders and they all helped cook...this time I just panicked as they are getting ready for minimal supervision (which i have no problem about) but my younger son couldnt go to cadets on Tuesday so when my eldest came back saying "we need ration packs" and didn't give me any other alternatives I thought "omg, younger sons gonna stave!" as he wont eat a lot of things.
My kids are really good getting on with stuff out the house, school, cadets etc...but the minute they get back in it's like they go back to 5 years old and their brains go blank and it's hard to get any info out of them!
It's frustrating but I think this time they have realised that it has caused a lot of hassle just because they have acted 'vague' so hopefully it won't be like this again! lol
Thanks everyone xxx