Duke of Edinburgh Award – clothing and equipment

To make life easier for participants and parents alike we have brought a range of highly suitable, tried and tested clothing and equipment together.

To ask advice or to order clothing or equipment please phone:

0161 620 3900

We offer 10% discount to all participants...

Waterproof and breathable jackets and overtrousers
These are a most important purchase as the comfort, safety and well being of the participant may well be dependant on these garments. These outer layer shell garments need to be both strong and lightweight. Our suggested range below offer superb value for money and enough performance for coping with both Expedition and school use.

North Face Resolve Jacket (Available in Mens and Ladies models)

Berghaus RG1 Jacket (Mens)

Berghaus Calisto Jacket (Ladies)

Berghaus Deluge Overtrousers

Wynnster Braemar Overtrousers

Rucksacks
A correctly fitting rucksack is crucial when carrying equipment and provisions for the Expedition. A rucksack that is badly fitted or two large for the participant could potentially ruin the enjoyment of what should be a character enhancing experience.

We stock great D of E rucksacks such as the Vango Sherpa 60+10 which matches and possibly exceeds the criteria for an expedition rucksack. For smaller participants or slightly built girls then consider a 50 litre rucksack with a shorter back length.

All our staff are experienced in making sure the right rucksack is chosen and that it is correctly adjusted if there is an adjustable back system. Don't take a chance - come and have your rucksack fitted here at the shop.

Sleeping bags
A good sleeping bag is your refuge in bad conditions and will keep you safe and comfortable through the night. The choice of bag is important and you should consider the time of year you will be using the bag and the temperatures you might encounter.

Some people sleep very cold at night so buying a high spec sleeping bag will be necessary as a cheap but warm bag will be very heavy and not practical to carry very far when backpacking.

The lightest bags of all for the warmth they provide are goose down bags but we don't consider them suitable for D of E use due to the high cost and low resilience to being treated badly or getting wet. Our stocked models represent great value and are all synthetic bags which carry on insulating even if they get wet. They will also survive being knocked about and can be easily washed using Techwash type products.

The Vango Summit 1000 and Summit 3000 sleeping bags are ideal for D of E – consider the warmer but heavier Summit 3000 if expedition work is early or late in the year.

If in doubt about whether a sleeping bag will keep a participant warm then just ask us – we have a lot of bivvying and camping experience both in the UK and abroad.

Footwear
Good footwear is a must for the Expeditions. But that isn't the full story because no matter how good the footwear is, it's no good if it's the wrong size or shape for your feet. We will advise you if another model or size is more suitable and we pride ourselves on our knowledge of bootfitting and expertise in assessing a customers needs.

Grisport are our recommended boot brand for kitting out participants on a budget. They offer great value and yet have very good performance for their price, including a waterproof membrane able to cope with most wet weather conditions. For participants at Silver and Gold levels, the Grisport Storm should cope with more arduous Expeditions over higher ground but we also have a vast range of other boots from manufacturers such as Scarpa, Brasher, Zamberlan, Meindl and AKU amongst others – just call in the shop to check them out.

The above is just a small selection of the wide range of clothing and equipment in the shop suitable for Bronze Award participants but those taking part in Silver and Gold may wish to upgrade to more technical and light weight kit. Simon, Marcus and Phil are all active in a wide variety of outdoor sports and are happy to provide any advice needed with selecting the correct gear for the job.