Duke of Edinburgh's Award Downloads Free Resources

This download is the 27 page DofE Expedition Course Notes document that we provide to participants that we train. These Course Notes are used to complement the lessons that we deliver for The Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition section.

They cover, navigation, kit list, packing a rucksack, hazards and route planning, emergency procedures, compass work (including magnetic variation / declination), first aid, relocation when lost, menu planning theory and some ideas, tent use and care, safe trangia use, the weather, the country code, interpreting contours, ideas for aims of the expeditions and some guidance on how to ensure success on your expedition (the new, more positive, name for the 'how to fail your DofE expedition' page).

Last updated March 2013

These are the lesson plans for the classroom based instruction that we provide when doing short regular lessons at local schools. When on intensive weekend training we still use them as a guide but cover more areas out walking.

This document contains 12 classroom based session plans covering

1. Maps
2. Navigation
3. Equipment and Rucksack Packing
4. Hazards
5. Menu Planning
6. Stove safety and use
7. Practice Route Planning
8. First Aid
9. Emergency Procedures
10. Practice Expedition Debrief
11. The country code and ensuring success on your expedition
12. The aim of the expedition.

Last updated April 2012

Copies of cards designed to provoke discussion within a group as to the correct / prudent order of doing things when faced with an emergency (the example given is a sprained / broken ankle). We use these cards when teaching emergency procedures to Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) participants. Each card contains an activity (apply first aid or move the casualty into a tent for example), the participants have to place the cards into a sensible order that they would carry out the activity.

It works very well, most groups end up with a line of main activities and columns coming off the row indicating things they would do at the same time. Student and instructor briefing cards are on the last page. I am beginning to think that there are a few too many cards so you may wish to consider taking some out of the set. If you find these useful and would like copies printed onto card then let us know and we'll run some off for you.

These cards have been developed to help teach the menu planning segment of the DofE Expedition syllabus. There are over 50 cards with different common food types taken on expeditions. Students can use the cards to compare the benefits of different foods and lay them out to make a menu for the day.

The cards are individually numbered so if you print off more than one set you can split them up again if mixed up. The numbers are also colour coded between 'Breakfast Only',  'Breakfast / Lunch / Snack' and 'Evening Meal' so  you can concentrate on one meal if you wish. There are blank cards at the end if you wish to add your own.

We will be actively developing these further over the coming year, probably adding a few more less suitable items and more of the good ones. If you have any requests or suggestions of foods that we could add then just let us know and we'll stick them on.

Version 2.0 - March 2013

We always tell our participants that if they are calling for assistance and end up leaving an answer phone message that they also send a text with the same information afterwards. The reasons for this are:

1) We may pass through an area of phone signal or get a fleeting, weak signal meaning that we will see we have a message but be unable to listen to it. If it comes in as a text we can read the message even if we don't have signal when we come to read it.

2) A text message will transmit exactly how you send it. An answer phone message may be distorted due to poor signal or high wind at the callers location. The caller cannot tell what the recipient will hear.

This is an MP3 of an answer phone message left by a team requesting urgent medical attention and demonstrates the problems leaving messages on an answer phone. As it happened one of our members of staff was about 20 meters away behind a wall as this call was being made (though he couldn't see or hear what was going on) and was on the scene about 2 minutes later to cries of 'You're like ninjas you lot' .

When training groups in emergency procedures we play this clip to them to illustrate the point.

These are small cards to give to participants to leave at pre-arranged points to let you know that they have gone through. The idea being that if you find a card and then subsequently loose a group you can be pretty sure they are further along their route than the location you found the card.

At Lupine Adventure Co-op we very rarely use these cards. We only hand them out on specific days when we have identified a point that we want to check them through but are not sure if we will make in time.

We feel that while they are a useful tool they should be used with caution to prevent creeping towards a 'lazy', roadside style of supervision. Additionally it must be remembered that if you don't see a card you have to be prepared for the fact that it may have been lost, forgotten or removed.

If you don't have these cards to hand you can always ask them to leave an apple core or something similar on a gate post for you to collect later.

This is a zip file containing various Pictures and PDF's that we use as part of the lessons. There are also some photos of whiteboards results of the lessons. they are designed to go with the lesson plans above. A lot of the pictures are poor quality with or exhibit terrible handwriting. We will be replacing them over time with better samples but what is there is better than nothing for now.

An Editable Excel File to help you plan your route. This spreadsheet will estimate the time it will take you to walk each of the legs which make up your route. You can easily edit the speed you walk at and the time allowed for going up hill.

This excel file has protected cells that the user cannot edit without keying in a password to prevent accidental deletion of  formulas. If you would like to know the password so you can edit it further then please ask.

This is version 3.1 updated in May 2012 after help from Thomas Gaffney who has made it easier to add more rows and made the formula for the time allowed for height gained much more elegant.

A woman called Shelagh sent us this powerpoint presentation that she put together for her bronze candidates. Shelagh as said that she's happy for us to put it up on the website so others can pinch it for their courses so I've obliged.

Version 2. November 2011

Kirsty from Ayrshire sent us in this power point presentation to assist with first aid training too. So now we have two you can choose from.

A guy called Mike Walters sent this to us. It is a powerpoint based Quiz on First Aid that he put together for his scout group.

It consists of 20 questions, and a few slides at the end to summarise some basics.  

Mike warns that while it has not been  “formally vetted” a doctor parent was very impressed and took a copy for her to use elsewhere !!

Mike has submitted it in the hope it proves useful to others: obviously their logo’s can be easily removed or adjusted (“master slide” view).

Thanks very much Mike

Shelagh has also kindly given us her weather presentation for Bronze participants. 10 Slides.

Another powerpoint presentation for the lessons on the weather.

We encourage all participants to also complete an informed consent form. If you are over 18 then this is mandatory.

Every person under 18 years old needs to have a parental consent form filled in before going on any of our activities.