Date: Sunday 6th February 2022

Start: 9.30am

Finish: 2.30pm

Location: Paps

General Directions: N22 Killarney Rd. Right turn you’ll need is signed as Clydagh valley

Google Map Directions: https://tinyurl.com/yarvw2kz

Food before hike: Hike is not difficult, but a good breakfast is essential to fuel their walk before the 1st food break.

For the health and safety of all our scouts if we deem any inappropriately dressed for hike they will not be permitted to attend the event.

Spare clothes and footwear should be kept in the car that will be collecting them.

** To facilitate our scouts sitting their JC, hikes previously planned for June have been pushed out.

Firm hike dates will be updated following discussion with the scouts.

To ensure your Beaver and Cub Scout gets the maximum enjoyment out of their hikes and camping trips it’s very important that they have the right kit with them. Thankfully here in Ireland we don’t usually get huge weather extremes, but we do get a lot of rain. A good rain coat will help keep the rain out and boots will help prevent a twisted ankle.

Below is a basic list of items they should have. If you have any questions please speak with the leaders.

Clothing + Footwear

• Hiking Boots with ankle support + spare laces <Click for boot info>
• Light weight waterproof raincoat with hood
• Waterproof pull-ups
• Warm Hat and gloves
• Light fleece jacket.
• Hiking pants
• Warm hiking socks – woollen are best.
• Sun hat
• For Winter Hiking
• Thermal skins
• Buff / neck warmer
• Scarves or cotton trackies should not be worn as they soak up the rain, scarves can get misplaced.

Kit

• Rucksack that has waist band – Can be used for all hiking and camping, does not need to be filled!
• Large bin bag for lining the rucksack.
• 1ltr Water bottle – When hiking it is very important your scout keeps well hydrated.
• Head torch + spare batteries – When walking important to have both hands free.
• Best place to carry spare batteries is in a spare torch!
• Whistle – 6 Blows for help needed – 3 to respond
• Sleeping bag – 3 season. <Click for bag info>
• Ground matt – Foil backed has best combo of insulation and light weight.
• Travel pillow – Do not bring regular pillows, they are bulky and just get dirty.
• Pillow alternative, empty pillow case stuffed with clean clothes or towel at night.
• Wash gear.
• Small pocket notebook and pencil
• Bivvy bag
• Metal flask – Hot drinks are always welcome on a cold day.
• Cup / bowl / plate / knife / fork / spoon / t-towel / j-cloth
• Pen knives and fire starters – Only permitted with a leaders permission.

First Aid

• Face masks x 2
• Small bottle of hand sanitiser
• Personal 1^st aid kit – Can be a small zippo bag with waterproof plasters.
• Insect repellent
• Sun lotion

Optional Items

• Compass – Long bodied is best for map reading, route planning and navigation.
• Walking poles
• Gaitors

NB: All kit should be labeled or etched with the scouts name.

Hi all,
You can download a consent form that needs to be filled out for every youth member and handed back to their Leader immediately to allow for activities in 2021/22.

ConsentForm2021/2022

You can also download the Managing Medications form which is now referenced in the consent form if needed.

Managing Medications Form

You can fill them in and print it off yourself and bring it down to the next activity.

To ensure your scout gets the maximum enjoyment out of their hikes and camping trips it’s very important that they have the right kit with them. Thankfully here in Ireland we don’t usually get huge weather extremes, but we do get a lot of rain. A good rain coat will help keep the rain out and boots will help prevent a twisted ankle.

Below is a basic list of items they should have. If you have any questions please speak with the leaders.

Clothing + Footwear

• Hiking Boots with ankle support + spare laces <Click for boot info>
• Light weight waterproof raincoat with hood
• Waterproof pull-ups – ideally with zips and Velcro fasteners along the legs.
• Warm Hat and gloves
• Light fleece jacket.
• Buff / neck warmer
• Hiking pants
• Warm hiking socks – woollen are best.
• Sun hat
• Gaiters
• For Winter Hiking
• Thermal skins
• Ice grips for boots
• 2nd warm hat
• 2nd pair of gloves
• Do not bring scarves or cotton trackies as they just soak up the rain.

Kit

• Rucksack 65ltrs that has waist band – Can be used for all hiking and camping, does not need to be filled!
• Large bin bag for lining the rucksack.
• 2ltr Water bottle – When hiking it is very important your scout keeps well hydrated.
• Head torch + spare batteries – Scouts need both hands free on night hikes and for putting up tents in the dark.
• Best place to carry spare batteries is in a spare torch!
• Whistle – 6 Blows for help needed – 3 to respond
• Compass – Long bodied is best for map reading, route planning and navigation.
• Sleeping bag – 3 season. <Click for bag info>
• Ground matt – Foil backed has best combo of insulation and light weight.
• Travel pillow – Do not bring regular pillows.
• Pillow alternative, empty pillow case. Can be stuffed with clean clothes or towel at night.
• Wash gear.
• Small pocket notebook and pencil
• Bivvy bag
• Metal flask – Hot drinks are always welcome on a cold day.
• Cup / bowl / plate / knife / fork / spoon / t-towel / j-cloth
• Walking poles
• Pen knives and fire starters – Only permitted when an equipment safety course/test is undertaken.

First Aid

• Face masks x 2
• Small bottle of hand sanitiser
• Personal 1^st aid kit – Can be a small zippo bag with waterproof plasters.
• Insect repellent
• Sun lotion

NB: All kit should be labeled or etched with the scouts name.

A good sleeping bag is an essential piece of scouting kit. In Ireland we’re lucky not to have huge weather extremes, but one of the biggest issues that we see scouts of all ages experiencing is being cold at night when camping. Having a good sleeping bag is as important as having a good rain coat and hiking boots.

What type of bag to get?

Sleeping bags come in two shapes

1. Mummy bags
2. Standard or Rectangular

1. Mummy bags

• Are quick to heat up.
• Retain their heat well.
• When compressed take up less space than an equivalent rated standard bag.
• Can be a little restrictive for movement.

2. Standard or Rectangular

• Quite slow to heat up.
• Don’t generally retain heat well.
• When compressed are much bigger than an equivalent rated mummy bag.
• Much roomier than mummy equivelant.

Rating of bag

Bags are rated using the term “Season”, which in effect corresponds with Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. We don’t have major extremes of temperatures and while scouts do camp out in cold weather it’s never at excessive sub-zero levels, so we’d recommend the bag you get is a “3 season”.

A “3 season” will keep a scout warm in the Irish conditions we camp in and if it gets warm they can easily open the bag to cool down.

Bag prices can vary widely, so we’d suggest you shop around to match your budget.

Sleeping bag care.

A good sleeping bag when looked after properly will give your scout many years of warmth and comfort.

They come with a compression bag, helps squeeze it as small as possible which is handy when packing a rucksack. When not in use bags should be kept in a pillow case and not in their compression bag. This keeps the fibres loose and helps maintain the bags heat retaining properties and will increase its life span.

After using the bag.

After returning from a trip the bag should be opened, unzipped, shook out and hung on a line or over a door for a day or two and then stored in a pillow case.

If the bag is dirty

It’s very important that you follow the cleaning instructions on the label. Most are machine washable, but be sure to check what soap can be used. When washing include a tennis ball or two in the drum, this will help loosen out any compacted fibres.

Hang your wet bag on a clothes line or across a door in a well aired room until totally dry. Then shake before storing in a pillow case.

NB: All kit should be labeled or etched with the scouts name.

Scouts of all ages hike across all types of terrain and at times can be many hours from the nearest road access point, so the foot and ankle supports that well-fitting boots offer are invaluable at preventing needless injuries such as twisted ankles and blisters.

Type of boot?

Leather or Gortex?

Gortex can be lighter, which can be better for the younger hiker. Leather on the other hand can probably handle more extreme use.

It really comes down to your personal preference which type you go for, but the fit is key to comfortable hiking.

What size boot to get?

You should go up a half-size from your usual shoe size, this allows for wearing warm hiking socks. That said, they shouldn’t be too loose anywhere in the boot except for the toes. If the foot is sliding around in the boot even with laces done up that’s not a good fit and it’s a recipe for blisters and sore feet.

Never wear brand new boots on a hike, besure to break them in for a few days before hand.

Wearing boots

One of the most common issues scouts have with hiking boots is that their laces are not done up securely. It causes rubbing that creates painful blisters on the heels, it also allows for water to get in further adding to the potential blister issue and of course it means cold feet even on a warm day.

Looking after your boots

You should clean your boots immediately after you’re back home from your hike, it’s a good habit to get into. You’ll be happy you did the next time you head out and your boots are ready for action.

Cleaning Boots

Remove the laces and just rinse the outside of the boots with a damp cloth and warm water. To remove mud and dirt use a stiff brush. Do not use any detergents as they may damage the fabric or boot leather.

How to dry your boots?

Keep them away from any direct heat sources e.g. radiators or sunshine as these will damage the boot uppers. Stuff them with old newspaper and leave them in a well ventilated place and replace the paper until it eventually comes out dry.

Care after cleaning

When dry, treat your boots with a water proofing agent. Best to speak with the shop you bought them from or drop into one of the many outdoor shops in town for advice.

Proofers are usually just sprayed or rubbed on and then gently rubbed in and left to dry. They’re not expensive and are well worth investing in, they’ll help lengthen the life span of your boot uppers and will help keep your feet warm and dry when out hiking.

What socks to wear?

The best socks to use are woolen or you could opt for any number of the special hiking socks that are available in outdoor shops.

Extra laces

You should invest in spare laces when getting a pair of boots.

NB: All kit should be labeled or etched with the scouts name.

Dear Scouts & Parents,

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New year as best you could given the circumstances. 

Since our last update before Christmas a lot has changed and the situation with Covid19 continues to develop and unfortunately escalate around the world. 

Following todays announcement by Scouting Ireland all Douglas & St. FinBarres Scout Group indoor meetings and outdoor activities are suspended until further notice and our return to regular Scouting is going to take longer than expected. 

The leadership team are however looking into the possibility of running virtual meetings or virtual activities where possible.

The constant negative news articles and the waiting to hear the daily numbers are putting a huge amount of pressure on everyone but there is light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccines beginning to roll out and we will look back on this eventually and know we came together by staying apart.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate in contacting myself by email at vickieswanton@douglasscouts.ie

Yours In Scouting,

Vickie Swanton
Group Leader – Douglas & St. FinBarres Scout Group

As we watch the flames of 2020 fade away we wish all our members, scouters, family and friends a very Happy New Year and welcome 2021 with a renewed spirit.

Scouting certainly didn’t go the way we expected in 2020, some sections did manage a few local activities and even a few online meetings.

Thank you to our members for continuing to show us your support. Thank you to all our Scouters for doing what you could in running activities and online meetings.

Roll on 2021 where we’re sure we’ll meet around a campfire once more!

2020 has been a very challenging year for everyone and for Scouting it has been no different.

We hope to return to Scouting of some form shortly and continue on in January for all our sections. This of course can change and will depend on Government, HSE and Scouting Ireland guidelines.

The Group Secretary sent out an email to all our parents on Monday last to ask for confirmation if your child will be returning to Scouting with us so we can plan for the coming months.

We would appreciate it if you could let us know by replying to dsfgroupsecretary@douglasscouts.ie as soon as possible and if you could please mention your childs name and the section they are in when replying we would appreciate it.

If your child does not currently wish to return but changes their mind in the future we will of course welcome them back.

If you have any questions please feel free to email dsfgroupsecretary@douglasscouts.ie or contact the Group Leader, Vickie Swanton at vickieswanton@douglasscouts.ie