Coloured Team Rucksack Covers.

The problem waiting to be solved.

You sit, you wait. Over the horizon you see silhouettes of people. Could this be the Duke of Edinburgh's Award group you have been waiting for? 

• Is it them though?
• Do they have rucksacks on?
• Is it the right amount of people?

You're waiting for a team of 5 but this looks like a larger team. They are just a little too far away to be sure that its one of your teams. Having sat for hours, you grab the binoculars and peer hopefully at the horizon. Their darken bodies are camouflaged against the shadows of the mountain side so you still can't be 100% sure.

After watching the group of walkers appear and then disappear again behind smaller hills and knolls, they are finally close enough to be able to see them clearly. Again, your spirits sink and the anxiety returns. It wasn't them.

For all DofE supervisors and assessors its a common problem.

We want to give our groups the independence and responsibility to complete their expedition with out interference. Ideally, only interacting with them when absolutely essential but still maintain a high level of supervision, safety and security.

It's our duty to keep DofE teams safe and to supervise them correctly.

Endurance Team Coloured Rucksack Covers

A simple solution to a common problem. 

Simply by having colour coded rucksack covers for each team member, we can now identify teams easily from a distance both on the mountain and in more populated areas. In addition the covers improve the waterproofing of the rucksack which can help maintain the dryness of the participants kit. Everyone wins!

How the 'Endurance Team Colour Rucksack covers' have helped us:

Efficiency

With each team using a different colour, our supervisors are now able to easily identify their teams from a distance. This has reduced the amount of time they have to wait for a team to peer over the horizon and reduced the uncertainty of whether its their team or not.

Through binoculars it can be easy to identify teams high on a hill side kilometres away, whilst the supervisor may be on the opposite side of the valley. Even in built up areas or in woods where visibility is more difficult, the bright colours of the rain covers really stands out.

Safety and Peace of mind

Supervisors are able to identify teams more often and plot their progress with ease. It allows the supervisor to leave the team alone and not interfere with their expedition unless absolutely necessary.

In addition, we have found an increased level of safety when teams are walking near to or alongside a road. The bright colours stand out to alert drivers

Team Identity

The feedback we have received from our teams and groups is that they love the identity the colour gives them. Every one looking the same gives the increased feeling they are sharing in a team experience. Along with other products from the Endurance range from Access Expeditions, expedition organisers can completely colour code the teams with stove bags and identlty lables on tents.

The way in which we use this features is to have all of our paper work and all equipment allocated to that team marked and tagged with the same colour.  Simplicity and efficiency at its best.

Final note:

We really like this product and are impressed by how a simple solution has helped to fix a common problem. Our business is about keeping young people safe and running efficient and successful Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expedition. With just a little investment, this product is helping us to achieve these goals.

To kit a whole team of 7 participants with this product is only £59! That is cheap when it helps so much.