Explorer Badge Weekend

Something new for 2025!  The Explorer Badges are challenging and we are taking on the challenge of delivering the Survival Skills Badge over a weekend of fun and exciting activities for all the Explorers in the County! 

Some of the activities we will be looking at to earn the badge:

• Demonstrate different techniques to light a fire.
• Show how to build several different types of fire.
• Learn the techniques involved in catching your food, such as fishing or snares. This includes ensuring we are aware of the law and the issues about inhumanity to animals outside of a real survival situation.
• Learn to identify and source local, edible plants and fruit and the risks involved in eating those incorrectly identified.
• Prepare meat such as rabbit or fish to cook over an open fire and eat.
• Make an item of equipment that will be of use to you on a survival exercise.
• Demonstrate methods of filtering and purifying water.
• Demonstrate methods of finding direction by day or night without a compass.

The Explorers will:

• Cook all meals over an open fire
• Construct a shelter of natural or salvaged materials and sleep in it
• Cook without utensils or aluminium foil

Bookings

Explorer Units can sign up as a unit via their Explorer Leader. 

Please sign up your estimated numbers via the online form here: https://forms.office.com/e/kxeskCNU9p

If you use the Parent Portal function of OSM, we will then share the OSM Event with your Section, to replace the need for paper health forms for the weekend. 

If you do not use the Parent Portal function of OSM, please indicate this on the online booking form and we will send you the paper forms to be completed instead. 

Leaders

We need Leaders to attend with their Explorers in the correct ratios.

The cost for Leaders attending is £10.00 per person, to cover food costs for the weekend. 

Leaders will be used to deliver the Programme over the weekend, as directed by the Events Team.

NAN Forms

Everyone will be camping on the permit of the Leader in Charge, so one central NAN Form will be submitted. A copy of this will be sent to the DLVs of each Troop attending. 

A list of Leaders' names and membership numbers are required from each Unit, to complete this NAN Form. 

What to bring

The kit list will be available to download after booking. 

Explorer Units will need to provide the items on the Unit Kit List, which will be sent out after booking.

Photographs, Videos and Audio

Throughout the weekend, Leaders will be capturing the great fun that the Explorers are having via photos, videos and audio recordings.

Parents/Carers should ensure they sign or do not sign the box on the Young Person Health Form accordingly and Unit Leaders should ensure the Events Team are made aware of any young people who cannot have their photos, videos or audio shared publicly.