This page has been put together
with the help of previous competitors, searchers and the headquarters rescue
team. It is designed to give a few tips and guidelines to those wishing to take
part for the first time and those who have little experience of long distance
walking competitions. Feel free to print this page!
Dragnet Background
The event started somewhere in the dim and distant past of the early 1970's
as a local event for South Cumbria and North Lancashire Senior Scouts, centred
around the venture forth base at what is now Great Tower camp site. Originally
for teams of three, increased to four per team, it presently attracts around
300 Explorer and Network scouts together with up to 100 leaders and back
up staff over the weekend.
The aim of the competition is walk, crawl or run back to the competition venue,
avoiding capture, within specified boundaries over a distance of around 35 miles
depending on terrain. Coaches will depart from the venue at around 10.00pm on
the Friday, to travel out to the drop off point. Teams are dropped off at around
12.00pm and have one hour to disperse before the catchers are set loose, to
seek, find, capture and with minimum torture extract a life card. On each capture
one life will be surrendered from the three held, once all three are lost you
are out of the game. Teams are encouraged to continue walking in, but after
a minimum distance or in case of any emergency or injury, transport is available
back to base.
The winning team will arrive at the run in zone nearest to 11.00am on the Sunday
morning with the maximum number of lives.
This makes the competition not just one of brute force and stamina, but one
of stealth, cunning, teamwork and planning.
Competition Rules
Full set of rules are included with confirmation letter and also on this website,
make sure you ALL study them carefully before the event. Ignorance of the rules
is no excuse and any infringements will be dealt with by the organisers, without
mercy.
The competition is a high profile event. Many members of the public, police,
rail, bus together with scouting members and friends are aware of the event
and are requested to contact the organisers if any problems are incurred or
rules seen to be broken. Please note down any questions on rules etc. to ask
at the briefing session on the Friday night. For questions and enquiries prior
to the event, please contact Judith Bradshaw - 01228 520490 or David Rogerson
- 01539 720600.
+ First Aid Kit
Blisters! ! - you will get them ! So please include a supply of padded plasters,
antiseptic wipes or if you are feeling keen blister kits. Some of the older
and more experienced walkers may not admit it but there is nothing quite as
soothing as ' Body shop - Peppermint foot lotion
Sterilization tablets, - after periods of warm weather water is not only more
difficult to come by but can often be contaminated with algae and bacteria.
You never know what has died or been done upstream ?
Sun cream and sun hat - every year we have problems with sunstroke and sunburn,
which can get very serious when you are a few miles from any road or civilization.
Equipment
List
A copy of the Kit List is set out on the confirmation letter. Dragnet is a lightweight event and we do
not expect you to carry tents, three course meals and full wash kits However
there are specific items of equipment which we have indicated as being compulsory.
This is for your own safety and to comply with scouting insurance rules. There
will be a full equipment check made by the organisers both as you check in together
with spot checks as you leave the bus. Further details will also appear on this
website
NEW - VIEW THE KIT LIST ONLINE NOW! Click here to open the Kit List
Footwear
Walking boots are compulsory for this event. plus you may choose to carry trainers
for any road walking and low level paths. Full wool walking socks or high tech
Thorlo style walking socks are strongly advised. The more often you change them
the better and rinse out any dirty pairs in water to reexpend the fibres
just in case you need to re-wear them later
on. Football socks, M & S sport socks or anything with nylon = Blisters!!
Food
Keep lightweight - Vesta, chocolate, nuts & mintcake - a little
& often
Avoid anything that should normally be kept in a fridge such as burgers, Sausage,
meat etc. after a very short time in a sweaty rucksack these can start to fester
and lead to high / serious cases of food poisoning - ( there is nothing as miserable
as a case of the sh**rs at 2,000 foot up on a lakeland fell )
Maps
& Navigation Skills
What can I say Study the maps we have quoted for this years event (details of the maps needed are given with your confirmation of entry). It doesn't
take a genius to guess an approximate idea of the route. Make best use of the
short time you have at the competition venue, to scout out the area and make
yourself familiar with the terrain.
Map and compass work is an essential part of both this competition and Scouting
as a whole. If in doubt or you are having problems - try the scout troop or
even the cubs!!
Your choice of route
Catchers can be a little lazy - Only the fittest, keenest catchers get far off
the roads onto the fells and that's where the teams who win set their route
What I am trying to say is, if you walk along the roads, especially in the daylight
you are very likely to get caught.
Boundaries
When you are dropped off, on Friday night you will receive a sealed envelope
containing your life cards and a map of the route, which has marked on it boundaries
for the competition. These boundaries are negotiated in conjunction with the
Police, National Trust, H M Forces and various Mountain Safety Advisors. Please
do not try to stray outside, you may be endangering yourself and you will be
disqualified if caught by catchers covering routes outside the boundaries.
Mobile Phones & Technology
Mobile phones can be taken with you, but be aware that you will not always have a signal up in the Cumbrian Fells. It's also a good idea to leave your phones switched off as the battery will drain quicker when searching for a weak signal. Saturday night we will encorage you to text in your location to the organisers (don't worry, we won't relay this information to the catchers!) you will get more information on this when you arrive at base camp on Friday night. As for other technology, Sat Nav GPS etc. these are not as a reliable under these conditions and are not a viable alternative to a map & compass!!
David Rogerson
