DofE Expedition Advice
We spoke with Cadet UO Harnaam Singh who recently completed his Gold DofE where he revealed the activities, tasks and challenges he undertook for each of the five sections of the DofE Gold Award.
Expedition Advice
- Don’t pack too much food – opt for freeze dried meals and calorie-dense snacks like nuts, flapjacks and protein bars for energy.
- 口粮包叉子是探险的理想选择，因为它们结实、轻便，而且足够长，可以伸进餐袋的角落，而不必让双手沾满食物。.
- 与瓶装水相比，水囊携带更舒适，使用更方便。.
- Don’t assume you need walking poles – I prefer to walk without them. Try them for yourself in a practice expedition and if they don’t work for you don’t use them.
- Practise walking with your packed bag before the expedition to help you find the most comfortable position and weight distribution.
- 在你的背包上夹一条小毛巾，这样你就可以偶尔冲洗和擦拭一下脸了。这样做会让你感觉非常舒服！
- 穿短裤（或膝盖处拉链的长裤），下面穿打底紧身裤，比穿长裤更轻便舒适。.
- Dry wet socks by carrying them on the outside of your bag. If you can’t do that, put them in the bottom of your sleeping bag overnight – as the bag warms up, the socks will dry.
- Always pack too many pairs of socks and plenty of foot powder because happy feet are key to a happy spirit on expeditions.
Completing the Five DofE Sections
志愿服务
参与者必须在 12 个月内每周至少拿出一小时来帮助他人，例如教授、指导或支持自己所在的陆军士官生分队，或在自己选择的当地社区活动、俱乐部或团体中提供帮助。.
Harnaam says: ‘I’d instructed at my detachment for years, so, for this part of the award, I looked back on past instructional courses and further developed my techniques to better support the junior cadets. At one stage, I was teaching six lessons per week and assisting in areas like drill, fieldcraft, first aid and navigation.’
Discover more ideas on where to volunteer 和 why it is beneficial to volunteer and give back.
物理
Participants must dedicate at least an hour a week over six to 12 months to take part in a sport or activity of their choice that will improve their physical health, such as running, swimming, netball, football, climbing or canoeing. ‘I opted to focus on one of my favourite sports, cricket, which I played at school and at my local club. I was playing seniors cricket, so I got to play all over the county with people who were older than me, some of whom have played for over 20 years, so it was a fantastic experience.’
Keeping yourself motivated can be difficult but read our article on how to motivate yourself to exercise to complete this section.
技能
Participants develop skills in a chosen pursuit over the course of six to 12 months. These can include hobbies such as crafts, cooking, playing a musical instrument, or activities in the Army Cadets, such as ceremonial drill, learning first aid, or developing fieldcraft and leadership skills.
‘I developed my cyber knowledge for the Skills section of my award and then completed the CyberFirst Advanced course for the Residential section. Cybersecurity is fascinating and it was great to spend a few days with a brilliant group of people.’
远征
Participants undertake a self-sufficient expedition as part of a team, over four days and three nights. This might be on one of the many expeditions available within the Army Cadets.
‘My qualifying expedition was in Ballykinler in Northern Ireland. A low point was crossing a bog at the foot of Slieve Donard mountain – we had to take a cautious approach for about two hours – which tested our spirit and teamwork. High points were the vast mountainous landscapes, glorious sunshine and pure mountain streams.’
住宅区
Participants take part in a residential activity of their choice that focuses on building relationships and achieving a group aim over five consecutive days. This could be on a course at Cadet Centre for Adventurous Training (CCAT) or other specialist camps.
‘为期五天的 CyberFirst 高级课程计入了我的技能和住宿部分。我知道高级课程会比'捍卫者'课程更难，但我完全不在状态--我更喜欢在外面做野外作业！我向他人寻求帮助，他们鼓励我继续学习。我很高兴自己突破了极限，坚持了下来。’
了解更多 DofE gold award and what is involved to gain this prestigious award. Did you know as an Army Cadet you can complete the 爱丁堡公爵奖 with lots of our activities and opportunities crossing over with what you need to do to achieve the award.