This summer, WWESU and TESU are headed off to Kandersteg International Scout Centre in Switzerland.

As the crow flies, it is 500 miles from Scout Park to KISC, and by road, it’s roughly 700 miles. In other words, it’s a long way. So if you forget your spare fleece, or those all-important extra fluffy walking socks, or – perhaps most importantly – your passport, you can’t exactly pop back home to get them.

And, of course, you have to actually have all the right kit in the first place as well. So for this reason, last night we held a kit check for everyone going to summer camp. Every Explorer was given a time slot, and had to turn up with all their kit, as if leaving for Kandersteg that evening. Yep, passports, EHICs, and all.

The Patrol Leaders arrived first, and once their kit had been checked by the leaders, they helped go through the kit belonging to the other Explorers. After an eventful 90 minutes, in which everyone’s belongings were thoroughly unpacked and distributed across tables in the hall, every Explorer had had their kit checked, and made a note of anything they were missing.

At 9:00pm, hordes of parents arrived for a summer camp meeting. Marlon went over a few key points about kit, before we were told about the itinery for the trip, and all the exciting activities we would be doing – hiking, naturally, but also a visit to Brigerbad Thermal Spa, white water rafting, and a celebration of the 109th anniversary of Scouting, which coincides with Swiss National Day.

After that, it was time to go home, planning trips to Cotswold Outdoor and looking forward to our time in Switzerland.