What’s in my day sack?
When you leave in the morning it’s likely you’ll spend all day away from your unit. You will walk across hundreds of kilometres of rough or uneven terrain in sweltering heat and you’ll struggle, no matter how fit or prepared you are. But there are a few things you can do to make your day out a bit easier, the easiest of all is included in the scout mantra. Be prepared.
Having an adequate day sack won’t protect your from illness or irritation but it can make a major difference in your mood and making cleanliness achievable.
Here is my go to list of things to pack:
-Suncream
The sun is intense, and like the majority of participants, you’ll spend most of your day out side queuing in line or on activities… you only have to burn once to regret it and be in pain for the next week. Be sure to put on suncream regularly to avoid burning.
-Deodorant
The extreme heat and humidity can be intense on camp, it’s important to have deodorant handy to freshen up during the day.
-Sun hat
Shade is just as important as suncream but isn’t always achievable. Most contingents have officially hats so be sure to pack it. It will protect you but you may also find yourself trading it when your out.
-At least 2 litres of water in multiple refillable bottles
The flag system to alert us of how much water we are drinking is important. It’s easy to get dehydrated. Refilling bottles when ever you can is important. Plan ahead and make sure you’ve got enough water to get you through your activity.
-Phone
Every activity will be a blast and you’ll want to get photos of it. Phones are a great camping tool with torches, cameras and communication all in one pocket device so make sure yours is always with you.
I also recommend a waterproof case or a body harness to video your time through adventurous activities like the canopy tours, kayaking or down the big zip. These videos are always amazing to post on social media or show your family when you get back home.
-Portable charger & charging cables
Your phone will run out of juice quick, especially if you are using it for maps and social networking, be sure to have a fully charged battery pack to top up your phone throughout the day.
-badges to trade
You’ll find, even when your just walking around the camp, that plenty of people will approach you wanting to trade neckers and badges. It’s quite likely this will be the only time you’ll ever meet this person so having a small collection or a spare necker in your bag is always handy.
-Money
You never know what your day will throw at you, you may be walking from activities and fancy some refreshing lemonade or pass a food house where you just can’t say no or even stop by the trading posts to and spy some official merch. Always make sure you have your money close to hand.
-Raincoat
You never know if you’ll be caught off guard, and when it rains in West Virginia… it rains hard. Make sure you’ve got one packed just in case.
A Jamboree will be one of the hardest, most intense 3 weeks of anyone’s lives. The heat, the hard work and the lack of sleep all contribute to bad health, bad moods and overall a bad experience.
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