The group made camp before the weather turned.

The strongest kit decision was not expensive. It was preparation. Waterproofs were packed at the top, the map case was already folded to the right section and the group first aid kit had blister dressings where the students could actually find them.

By mid-afternoon the weather closed in. The group slowed, checked the bearing and moved together rather than drifting across the hillside. Nobody loved the rain, but nobody was soaked through before camp either.

For parents and coordinators, that is the point of a good DoE kit list: fewer surprises, calmer decisions and students who can keep moving safely when conditions become ordinary-British rather than brochure-friendly.