Keeping your camp admin tight

The camping element to the DofE journey attracts a great deal of discussion, often some nerves, and always involves significant planning. It can mean the difference between 'surviving or thriving' when it comes to your camping experience. Keeping your camp admin tight and having plan A and B in your back pocket places you in a strong position to be able to react quickly when circumstances change. 

Pre-emptive thoughts and planning are never wasted and researching in the lead up to your DofE expedition is a great way to enhance your experience. Check out this blog to get some tips on how to approach your camp admin ahead of your expedition. 

• Build routine into your camp experience

This means having a place for everything, every time. When the rain is coming down or you are looking for something when darkness has fallen, locating items can be a little tricky. Therefore it helps immensely if you have a go-to place within your tent and rucksack for each piece of kit. For example: toothbrush and paste in the tent pocket near the entrance, your boil in the bag dinner and stove at the tail end of your sleeping mat. Building routine into your camp experience means you have a natural order of activity when its time to set up camp, make dinner and hit the hay and it becomes second nature. 

• Dry bags, dry bags, dry bags

Placing everything in dry bags adds that next level of protection from the well-known temperamental British weather and compresses items so that you can fit everything into that huge rucksack of yours. Bonus points if you have colour coded dry bags - whether that is red for first aid and blue for items to warm you up or simply remembering you always put your spare socks in the orange bag. It also helps when you are unpacking or packing up your camp if you can easily grab dry bags rather than an array of loose items. Efficiency breeds enjoyment!

• Lets work efficiently

It is very tempting when arriving into camp after a long day in the hill with a heavy bag to simply shrug your bag off, grab a snack and put your feet up. THIS is the crucial time to get yourself sorted, working efficiently to get tents up and kit inside the tent in the light and hopefully in the dry. The longer impact of getting your kit wet outbalances the comfort of a restful half hour when first rolling into camp. Sitting down with a cuppa and snack when your tent is up, kit sorted and fresh socks on is a lot more satisfying. Promise! 

• Team work makes the dream work 

A significant element of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award sees you working well as a team to achieve a shared goal. Rally your DofE teammates to work together whether that be putting up each other's tents or dedicating tasks to certain individuals so that you can work alongside each other. Seeing other people in action is also a useful opportunity to pick up ideas and new habits. 

• Keeping things dry

A key part of camp life in the UK is protecting yourself against the elements: more often that not, attempting to dry your kit out. You might like to bring a single sheet of newspaper to stuff in your boots over night, or a small bag of talc to dry off your feet. Having these provisions at the ready can be all the difference with comfort levels, and help reduce your chances of getting cold and struggling to warm up. As always its a balance between being ruthless in what kit you pack and bringing things that will make you more comfortable. 

• Making sure your essentials are nearby at night time

We've all been there: needing a toilet in the night and fighting the urge to stay wrapped up in your warm sleeping bag. If your head torch, water and other useful items are right next to you it makes leaving your cocoon of warmth that little easier and saves stumbling around trying to find things. Other handy items to put nearby may include painkillers, hat and buff. 

• Every item has its use... or multi-use!

Camp admin involves thinking through all of the kit you are bringing along and ensuring that every item has a use - bonus points if it has multiple uses. For example, if you have a Nalgene as your water bottle this can also double up as a hot water bottle if its a cold night. Every item should have a reason to be present as this contributes to less clutter within the tent, less weight on the back and less time wasted. 

Ready to go?

With these simple actions you can streamline your camping experience from putting up the tent and having your items in order to giving yourself more time to rest as you can work more efficiently. 

What are your non-negotiables when it comes to keeping your camp in ship shape order?