Monday
We drove down to Rempstone (an area near to Corfe castle in Dorset) after the Avon Jamboree. As we drove into the field the rain started to stop and we set up the two mess tents after picking a spot for them to go.
When the rest of the scouts arrived, we pitched first our patrol tents, and then went to put up our dinning shelters but found that we had forgotten to pack them. We then all had fish and chips before going on a wide game where we found another scout group 'ambushed' one of the scouts and asked them where they were from. We then went back to the campsite and went to bed.
Tuesday
We woke up and had a communal breakfast. Simon's dad then brought the dinning shelters down and we put them up near our patrol tents. We then set up our individual patrol areas, which involved, building gadgets, roping off the area, setting up a fire area and collecting wood.
After lunch, we went into corfe village and did a quiz (which my patrol (Merlin's) won.) We then cooked dinner and after a short a wide game, and planning the 'top gear challenge' for the next morning, and then went to bed.
Wednesday
We woke and had a cold breakfast before preparing for the 'top gear challenge'. For this we were given a photo (a statue of Baden Powell which is at Poole harbor.) We had to identify it - luckily someone in my patrol knew where it was straight away - and then plan a route to get there.
As soon as we had done this we set off. Our plan was to walk to approximately where our troop camp was last year and get the bus from there to Poole bus station. From there we would walk to the harbor and hopefully get there in time. We got there early and waited until the time, when us and Tom's patrol reached it at exactly the right time, meaning we had beaten Ashley's patrol (who initially had gone to the wrong place.)
We then went back camp and did some more work on our sites while we waited for the leaders to return.
That evening we had a Caribbean party and dinner cooked by the leader when we all dressed up in Hawaiian shirts, ate from a BBQ and played fair games like coconut shy. After that we went to bed.
Thursday
We were allowed a lye in after the party but after that, we had to make breakfast and plan our route for the expedition. I was put in charge of 'the lions' (20 miles) - there were also the tigers and wolves which both go slightly less far.
The hike took us around the heath and along studland beach (including the nudist part which is not mentioned on the OS maps! We met the other patrols at 'Jerry point' which was a spot where we could see Brownsea island and cooked our ration pack meals on trangia's
We then walked to 'burnbake' campsite which was where the lions were staying on our own for the night. We made a small fire and were able to have showers before going to bed.
Friday
The next morning, we got up and backed down our tents before having another shower (just because we could.) I then bought a pastry for breakfast. We then all walked back to our main campsite. We spent most of the day doing more work on our sites as well as archery and completing various badges (especially outdoor challenge/outdoor challenge plus) etc... That evening we cooked an assessed meal and did a wide game before the scouts pitched ponchos to sleep in as part of the badges. Me and Tom were allowed to sleep in Simon and James's hammocks.
Saturday
The next morning I woke up to a whistle being blow loudly. I quickly got up and went over to wear everyone was doing the flag (and laughing at me.) Apparently in the time I'd been asleep whilst everyone else had got up, taken down their ponchos, eaten breakfast and taken down a mess tent.
I quickly had by breakfast and packed up what I needed before we went to 'tower park' and splash down water park. We spend about two hours there before going to Tesco where we bought food for 'patrol leaders pleasure' - where we chose what to cook for dinner and be assessed on that evening.
After this, we drove to sandbanks where we made small rafts, set fire to them, and let them out to sea.
After that we came back to the site and cooked our evening 'patrol leader pleasure'meal. Afterwards we had a large camp fire which was so big the scar on the grass can be seen on Google maps... and went to bed.
Sunday
The next morning we took all the tents down as quickly as we could after breakfast and packed up the trailer just as it was beginning to rain. We were then told the results (The Kestrels came first followed closely by my patrol - the Merlin's, and the a lot further third, the eagles). We then got into the cars and drove back to Bath.
the 28th websites post on camp is available here: http://www.bathamptonscouts.org/2011/06/troop_camp_2011/
