Basic Skills Material Leaders Week 5

Notes

Here are some notes on the two sessions you will run.  Please use your experience to flesh them out.  The key is to leave the Explorers keen to learn more.  They will have access to materials online.

The preparation set for the Explorers for this week included the Hampshire Weather slides, and a summary is discussed in the main presentation.

SESSION 1 – Emergency Procedures

The aim is to help the Explorers to think through possible actions and make sensible decisions.  You should take the chance to reinforce points mentioned in the main presentation and to expand on anything relevant.

Suggested approach

1. Show Scenario 1.  Let them think for a moment.
2. Show the 6 slides (each with 4 options), allowing time to think and note numbers.
3. Show the list (after beige ‘End of Options’ slide) and discuss.  Involve everyone eg by  “How many noted that one?” – they can use Zoom reactions.
4. Use any method that suits you to note answers – eg Display options in OneNote or Word and copy selected option, reorder etc.
5. Look at ‘Suggested Answer’ slide and discuss.
6. Look at Scout Emergency Card and discuss.
7. If there is time, you can use Scenario 5 and/or Scenario 2.

SESSION 2

Weather – a few minutes only

Show first slide and ask them to focus on the highlighted sections. 

Ask what risks these suggest.  How could they mitigate the risk?  Show the second slide and discuss.

Note that there is no real mitigation for slipping on icy ground apart from walking slowly and carefully, though poles help.  Point out that the weight of a rucksack makes a fall more serious.

How to walk on an expedition

Show the loch slide with the seven topics.  They are displayed as a list in the following slide in case you find that useful.  I suggest you can do without the slides for the following discussion. Go through the topics rapidly, imparting as much wisdom as you can in a lively manner.  The summary answers are on the second loch slide, so make sure there is time to finish on that for a minute or so.  Please emphasise the “Enjoy yourselves” heading, as a lot of what we have been discussing is doom and gloom!

Here are some headlines for each topic, and some detail on water.  Try to cover all the topics, but don’t worry about the detail.  I shall make this list available to the Explorers on the website.

Walk

Boots, socks, blisters

Speed – pace of slowest …

Keep to times on route card

Hills – shorten pace, walk at an angle across slope (traversing)

Contouring – but follow agreed route

Rocky ground, muddy ground, boggy ground

Rucksack: adjusting; loading; lifting; walking

Remember road safety including forestry vehicles: no earphones

Pay attention to what you are doing and what is around you: traffic? bikes? animals? holes in ground?

Dress

For rain

For heat

For sun – sunblock (only what you need!)

For midges etc – net, repellent; keep tent door shut!

Eat

Lots of high energy, lightweight food:

Meals – breakfast & evening

Snacks – as you go, including lunch

Drink

Drink plenty.

Carry 2 litres per day.

To be safe, water must either be boiled for at least one minute or treated with water purifying tablets (Chlorine Dioxide is the most effective).  It should be taken from a free flowing stream/small river preferably not a pond or loch. Check upstream for 100/150m to make sure there is nothing in the water that could be harmful – dead animals, rubbish, chemicals etc. If in doubt, always treat with tablets rather than boil. 

Navigate

Use route card, map, compass and watch at all stages.

Don’t assume somebody else knows!

Keep your Assessor happy

Keep to your route.

Keep to time.

Shut gates if you open them.

Don’t block a gate, stile or path – be polite to other people.

No litter!

Phones only for emergency, or as a camera.  Don’t use social media!

Work on your project.

Enjoy yourselves

Chat to each other

Make decisions as a group

Don’t listen to music etc as you go!

Support each other – help to put rucksack on; get someone’s water bottle etc from pack …

Take photos and notes of what you see. 

Prep for Week 6

Route

Plot on eDofE – use video and .gpx file on website.

Codes

Read Codes.

Weather

Look at MWIS for Southern Uplands for a week.