Resources

Young Explorers' Trust

Expedition and Field Leader’s Logbook

The Expedition and Field Leaders Logbook has been designed and developed by the YET and a number of National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and expedition providers have been consulted in the process.

The purpose of the Logbook is to:

  • Provide a framework for leaders wanting to develop their leadership skills and competencies through training and further relevant experience.
  • Record this experience, qualifications and personal references in one document.
  • Act as a personal reference for leaders or organisations wanting to gauge the depth of training and experience of an individual for expedition positions.

Everyone – especially leaders and aspiring leaders – involved in expeditions, outdoor ventures and field work or planning to develop their leadership potential should consider opening and keeping the logbook.

The logbook has been designed in A4 format to be inserted into a ring binder or see-through folder. Download the logbook from this website and extra pages can be printed as required. A personalised folder containing the logbook will be used to keep, in one place, summaries of expeditions, all qualification certificates, and other relevant documents. It will not replace other specialist NGB logbooks but will complement them.

There is specific space within the logbook – in the expedition Summary of Expeditions section – for expedition leaders to add their references on completion of an expedition. By keeping all the information in one bundle an individual wanting to be considered for an expedition leadership position can conveniently present their logbook to the leader or organisation planning the expedition.

Download the Expedition and Field Leaders Logbook

Publications

The Young Explorers’ Trust in association with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) has produced a number of publications to provide practical help to expedition leaders planning a youth expedition.

All these publications below may be downloaded free and may be reproduced without charge so long as the YET (and where appropriate the RGS-IBG) is acknowledged.

Safe and Responsible Expeditions

Guidelines for Youth Expeditions
Rev. Ed. March 2002
Drawing on the experience and hard-won knowledge of accomplished expedition leaders who have collectively led hundreds of adventurous expeditions both in Britain and overseas, these publications, in association with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), are a comprehensive guide to the philosophy and the practical arrangements that should underpin any safe and responsible youth expedition.

Environmental Responsibility
Mark Smith – 2008
Written in association with the British Ecological Society, this publication highlights the issues that should be taken into consideration when planning and organising an expedition to assess the damage an expedition might do to the environment and the steps that should be taken to minimise such damage.

A Parent's Guide to Adventurous Activities
A useful guide to adventurous activities abroad for young people, with particular reference to BS8848 “Specification for the provision of fieldwork, expeditions and adventurous activities, outside the United Kingdom”.

Good Practice Guidelines

The YET Standing Forum on Youth Overseas Expeditions has producing a series of Good Practice Guidelines which can be downloaded below, and reproduced free of charge.

Good Practice in Leader Selection
November 2007

Good Practice in Youth Overseas Expedition Leader Development
October 2007

Altitude – Good Practice Guidelines to Venture Planning and Acclimatisation for Youth Expeditions
June 2014