DofE FAQ's
Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expedition FAQ’s

Here is a selection of some of the questions we most often hear with regard to our DofE Expeditions. They should help you to answer most queries relating to DofE expeditions from parents/carers and candidates.  If you don't see the answers you need here, please do not hesitate to contact us. For a downloadable version in "pdf" format that can be distributed to parents/carers and candidates, click here.

What are the 20 Conditions?

The 20 Conditions embody the philosophy of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and it is expected that a candidate will comply with these conditions in order to successfully achieve the Award, with certain specific exceptions. You can find the 20 conditions on the DofE website. 

What equipment is needed for expeditions?

Candidates will need to bring their personal kit, cooking gas and food. We have produced a handy guide to personal expedition kit which can be found here. We will provide tents, cooking stoves, maps and compasses – all group kit.

What happens if a candidate doesn't have the right kit?

It is very important that all candidates are properly equipped for their expedition for safety reasons. If they are inadequately equipped they will not be able to participate in the expedition, and our instructors reserve the right to prohibit anyone from taking part for this reason. 

What will happen if team kit gets damaged?

It depends on the circumstances. If it’s unavoidable accidental damage, for example a tent pole gets broken while putting a tent up in a storm, no charge will be made. However if an item of equipment is lost or damaged through negligence, we reserve the right to invoice the cost, either to the school or directly to the individual(s) responsible.

What food should be taken on an expedition?

Again, we have provided a handy guide to expedition food and menu planning. Expedition food will also be covered in the training expedition.

How fit do candidates need to be?

DofE expeditions are a physical activity, and like all physical activities the fitter a candidate is, the more they will enjoy them! However, they don’t need to be as fit as an Olympic athlete. In the run-up to an expedition, it would be beneficial to do as much walking as they can – they could  try walking to school instead of taking the bus, or volunteer to give the dog an extra long walk a few days a week!

How far will candidates have to walk?

On walking expeditions, the requirements are different for each level: six hours of physical activity is required for the Bronze award, seven for Silver and eight for Gold. This equates to roughly 14km, 17km and 20km respectively, depending on the nature of the terrain.

A candidate has completed their DofE training and/or practice expeditions, but wasn’t able to take part in the qualifying expedition. Can they do just their qualifying expedition with Premier Expeditions?

Yes they can, for the Silver and Gold Awards. Click here for more details. Please note that we’ll need to see evidence that they have completed training and practice expeditions before they take part in an open qualifying expedition.

Do candidates have to do the practice expedition for their Bronze Award?

In 2018 the 20 conditions for the Bronze Award were changed, and it is now not a stipulation that a practice expedition be undertaken in order to achieve the Award. However at Premier Expeditions we firmly believe that to get the most from the Award, and to be best prepared for that all-important qualifying expedition, a practice expedition should be completed. Therefore all Premier Expeditions Bronze Award expedition programmes include a full two-day practice expedition.

Can mobile phones be taken on expeditions?

While we think mobile phones are a fantastic invention, we limit their use on our expeditions for a number of reasons. We believe that getting out and engaging with the outdoors (and with team-mates) without the distraction of the internet is of huge benefit to young people, and an important part of the expedition experience. Our other concern is a matter of safety: experience has shown that walking while using a mobile phone is a recipe for accidents. Participants are asked to carry their phones switched off in a taped bag for the duration of the expedition (including in camp), and may only access phones in case of an emergency.

How can candidates' parents contact them while they're on expedition if they don’t have a mobile phone?

In short, they won’t need to. They will have peace of mind that their children are in the hands of our qualified instructors. If there are any serious issues we will contact them. Minor issues will be dealt with either by our staff or by pastoral staff from their school.

What’s the emergency number for?

We issue an emergency contact number to parents in expedition joining instructions and again when they drop their children off at the start of the expedition. Parents can call this number in case of family emergency, or in a situation where they may need to make different arrangements to collect their children.

Candidates will be given the same number when they are out on expedition. While we do not anticipate that they will need to use it (they will be under direct, close or remote supervision by our instructors at all times, after all), they can use it to contact our instructors in case of accident or illness.

A candidate has a medical condition. Will this stop them taking part in an expedition?

If they are taking part in an expedition through their school, they should advise the member of staff responsible for DofE of any medical condition and medication required. For open expeditions, they should let us know. If they have a condition that they feel may be a hindrance to their completing an expedition, it may be possible to apply for a variation to the 20 conditions. 

How do candidates get to the start point for their expedition?

Unless otherwise arranged by their school (for example by school minibus), we ask parents to drop off and collect participants.

Who is in charge during the expedition?

On school expeditions, our instructors have responsibility for the groups from the point that participants are dropped off by parents or (in camp) wake up in the morning until the end of the evening meal. At that point our instructors will stand down and school pastoral staff will be responsible for the groups. On open expeditions our instructors are responsible for the groups at all times. 

What time should candidates be dropped off and picked up for expeditions?

Drop off/pick up times and locations are given in the joining instructions for the expedition. It is very important that all participants arrive at the appointed time, as we usually have more than one team leaving a start point and a team setting off late may have a knock-on effect on other teams. We also need to allow time for kit issue and expedition briefings.

Please note that pick up times are approximate. They are based on an estimate of the time a group will take to complete the day’s walk, but this is an exact science, and we ask for parents’ patience if a group is running late. We also ask for participants not to leave the drop off point until all kit has been checked in, a debrief has been completed and the instructor/assessor has indicated that they may leave.

Something’s come up and a candidate won’t be able to come on their qualifying expedition – can you change the date?

Unfortunately not. Due to the number of staff and other participants involved and other events on our calendar, we cannot change the dates for any of our expeditions. However candidates have until their 25th birthday to achieve any level of the Award, and could opt to take part in one of our qualifying expeditions.

If a candidate decides to drop out of DofE partway through the programme, or is unable to continue due to unforeseen circumstances, will they get a refund?

No, payments are not refundable. We recommend that they take out insurance to cover this eventuality.

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