1. Practice!

Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, whether its your Bronze, Silver, or Gold, are not easy. They are designed to challenge you, that’s part of what makes the award so impressive! Whilst the expeditions should be challenging, when they are difficult it takes away some of the excitement. It’s important to prepare your body for your expedition – this doesn’t mean go crazy in the gym and become fitness obsessed, but start going on regular walks in the weeks leading up to your expedition. It might also be a good idea to take a rucksack with you to get used to walking with some extra weight on your back!

  1. Be well-rounded.

Everyone has things they’re good at, or naturally excel at, and these strengths can be put to great use in your expedition team – maybe you’re an expert at putting up tents, love navigation and map reading, or are a great cook. Whilst these are all valuable skills that can be divided up between your team, make sure you’re not relying on one person to do all the tasks involved with one role. Be sure to be able to take on any role you may need to on your expedition, and if you’re a bit rusty or unsure, ask your team mates to teach or help you!

  1. 再保险search your kit!

Whilst a super cheap tent, or a bargain pair of boots can seem like a great way to keep costs down when shopping for your expedition, more often than not they’ll end up causing you more hassle than they’re worth. Some Duke of Edinburgh essential kit, such as boots and a tent, are not cheap. However, it’s best to view them as an investment – a good pair of boots could see you through all 3 awards, and it’s far better to spend a bit more than you were expecting than to have to stop your expedition because your boots are broken and you can’t walk in them. Shop around, try and find a deal on a decent pair of boots, and be thankful later! Remember in many places, including Attwoolls Outdoors you get discount as a Duke of Edinburgh Award participate.

  1. 支持和沟通是关键。

您的探险与团队合作有关。您不能自己做，而您的团队成员就是保持士气并帮助您度过难关的人。非常重要的是，互相支持并进行交流。Check in on your team mates, make sure that they know they can talk to you when they’re struggling, try and have a laugh and a sing-song as you walk, and make sure that you walk at the pace of your slowest member. Whilst these seem like straight forward, simple, friendly actions, they really can make or break an expedition. People form friendships for life with their teammates thanks to their unique experience together!

  1. Protect your feet!

当您踏上爱丁堡公爵探险队时，您的脚是您最有价值的财产。他们最终会受到伤害，但他们会让您度过难关。如果您知道自己容易出现水泡，或者没有花很多时间穿着步行靴，那么一个好主意是在您开始走路之前将水泡石膏放在脚上 - 没有什么比让水泡穿越一半更糟糕了。但是，如果您选择不执行此操作，请确保您的背包中总是有一包水泡膏药。他们将是您最好的朋友！另一个必不可少的是过度包装袜子。If your feet get wet whilst walking, you’ll want to change them, if you get muddy or extra cold, a new pair of socks is a great idea, and for those evenings and cold nights at camp, thick socks will help keep you warm.

  1. 休息并放松！

远征具有挑战性，疲惫。定期休息很重要，当您在晚上扎营时，请让自己放松。安排定期休息，并让您的团队知道您是否需要休息或坐下一分钟。当您到达露营时，请尽快换衣服，在帐篷里舒适，然后再享受一个晚上。让您的身体康复和放松，睡个好觉。在接下来的几天和探险之后，您将感谢它。

  1. 了解您的背包。

Your rucksack is an essential piece of expedition equipment. It’s also heavy! Learn how to pack your rucksack efficiently and effectively, learn where all the little nooks and crannies and hidden zips and pockets are, so when you’re on your expedition its easy to access what you need, and its straightforward to repack in the morning. Get to know the straps and sizing, and play about with the settings to make sure it fits you properly and comfortably. Perhaps the best tip, is to use your hip straps. Using them and tightening them takes the weight off of your shoulders and back and lets your hips and legs take the brunt of the weight. Trust us, you’ll be thankful you used them afterwards!

  1. Break in your boots!

您的靴子有能力进行或打破您的探险。尽管我们前面提到的是获得高质量的靴子的重要性，但要确保您将它们闯入并且它们很舒服同样重要。做一些练习，在他们的房子里穿上它们，找出哪些袜子最舒适。您会很感激您将它们弄坏了，当您是唯一一个没有水泡的人时，它们会感到舒适！

  1. 食物是燃料。

探险对您的身体有挑战。您的锻炼将比平常更多，因此您绝对应该比平常饮食更多。Wayfarer餐食非常适合晚餐和布丁，但是在早餐和午餐时，您可以预先准备粥，奶油蛋卷和热巧克力小袋，以及午餐，三明治，谷物酒吧，水果和其他小吃。一个好主意是分别用标有Ziploc袋的标签袋中组织所有餐点，以便您知道何时是什么食物，并且可以将当天的午餐放在袋子的顶部。饭菜并不是唯一重要的食物，零食同样重要，并确保您有很多。最好花太多，带一些带回家，而不是不足够，饿着疲倦的探险。

  1. Treat yourself and have fun!

最后，您的探险中最重要的部分是您有乐趣和回忆。乘摄像头记录乐趣，尝试保持精神振奋，戴上纸牌在晚上玩游戏，与您的朋友一起唱歌以度过时间，并享受自己。虽然您需要享受探险，但您还需要享受食物以确保吃饭 - 在需要糖急忙的情况下，请在外套口袋里放一袋糖果，然后用热巧克力小袋吃甜食睡觉前，然后在您喜欢的谷物酒吧上储存。