Expedition Kit
Please look at these before coming on your expedition with us.
The aim of this page is to help prepare you before attending a Sam Sykes Ltd expedition. We provide tents, stoves, pans, gas, maps and compasses as standard. If required we also loan out rucksacks and roll mats. Please see the kit list lower down for full details.
Clothing
What kit to bring.
A short video giving that gives Duke of Edinburgh Award participants a break down of the 'Personal Kit' that they need to bring with them on a Sam Sykes Ltd expedition.
While the video mentions waterproof gloves if you don’t have these as long as your gloves are warm they will be fine.
What not to bring!
We have seen many strange things on expeditions over the years. Do not bring jeans, they will not keep you warm and when wet will rub.
Try to avoid cotton hoodies and joggers, they are heavy to carry and if they get wet you will get very cold.
Make up is not required, it is extra weight to carry.
When you pack think about if you really need it as you will have to carry it.
Kit List
Please remember that DofE participants get a 10% or more discount with your Dofe Card at Go Outdoors, Blacks, Millets, Ultimate Outdoors and Tiso.
You can also get a 10% discount at Craghoppers using the code samsykes10
Please check the weather forecasts before your expedition.
Parents please remember that young people will be carrying everything, make sure they pack all they need, but they won’t need lots of extra “just in case” clothes, beach towels, hair straighteners or make-up.
There are no quantities on this list. Please take into consideration the number of days the expedition is for, ie a 2 day Bronze expedition will require 2 t-shirts, one being worn for the start and a spare in the rucksack. A 5 day Gold will require more t-shirts potentially.
You also need to bring sufficient food for the duration. Tips on this can be found on in the menu planning section. ( Add Link)
We can’t be responsible for personal kit, so we recommend that you do not bring expensive earbuds, mobile phones, speakers and other electronics. Penknives are also not required on expeditions.
Importance of layers
We encourage you to wear clothing made from man-made fibres on your expedition such as base layers and fleeces. Your big cotton leavers hoody may be warm around the house, but is very cold if it gets wet or sweaty. This short video highlights the importance of layers and not wearing cotton.
Footwear
Making sure you have well fitting supportive hiking boots will make a world of difference to your expedition. If you get blisters and have sore feet due to poorly fitting boots you will suffer.
Look for boots that come above your ankle, and when you walk around in them your feet don’t slide around.
Make sure you wear hiking socks as these will move sweat away from your feet and provide extra cushioning.
Make sure you break your boots in before your expedition, wear them indoors for short times, and build this up over a couple of weeks.
Cleaning and waterproofing your boots.
Looking after your boots will help them last longer and help keep them waterproof. This will hopefully help you avoid blisters on your expedition.
You must not wash your boots in a sink while on your expedition. If you wash them in a sink at home make sure you clean it afterwards.
How to clean and waterproof fabric boots. By Nikwax.
Kit
Waterproof coats and trousers need to be brought on every expedition. Look for waterproofs that are durable and lightweight. The coat you normally wear to school will not be suitable typically. See below to learn how to reproof your waterproofs.
We can loan you a rucksack for your expedition. If you want to buy your own make sure it fits well and is large enough to fit all your kit. Look for padded waistbands, adjustable backs and padded shoulders. It will need to be 65-75L in capacity.
You will need to bring your own sleeping bag. We can loan you a thin foam roll mat, but you may want to bring your own. When choosing a sleeping bag look for one that will be warm, it needs a comfort rating of around 0° C. Roll mats need to be lightweight.
Packing your Kit
There are a few points to bear in mind when packing your rucksack. Everything apart from your foam roll mat needs to go on the inside.
Dry bags or plastic bags separating things will make it easier to sort things. Your sleeping bag needs to stay dry so pop that in a bag.
Consider the weight of your bag. Generally you are looking to keep it as light as possible, and ideally no more than a quarter of your body weight.
Reproofing your waterproofs.
The video shows why you shouldn't use standard washing detergent to clean your waterproofs and how to clean and waterproof your jacket with Nikwax in your wash.
Waterproof coats and trousers don’t stay waterproof forever, as your coat ages or if it gets very muddy you will need to reproof it to make sure it stays waterproof.
Ordinary washing powder should not be used to wash waterproof coats as they will damage their ability to repell water.
This video by Nikwax shows you how to wash your coat to maintain it’s waterproof ability.