What UK Cadets Do on Summer Camp

The Ultimate Week Away: What UK Cadets Do on Summer Camp

UK cadets head away every summer for a week of high-energy adventure, team-building, and outdoor training. These camps are the absolute highlight of the cadet calendar, offering young people a unique chance to put their year-round skills into practice, face new challenges, and build lifelong friendships.

Here is a breakdown of what cadets can actually get up to during their action-packed week away.

Tactical Fieldcraft:

A major highlight of summer camp is moving out of the main accommodation to live and train in the wild.

Living in the Field:

Cadets build their own waterproof shelters (bivouacs) and learn to cook using 24-hour ration packs.

Team Exercises:

Squads use blank ammunition and pyrotechnics to practice mock tactical movement through fields and forests.

Night Operations:

Teams put their navigation skills to the test during night-time reconnaissance patrols, learning camouflage and stealth.

Leadership in Action:

Summer camp is the ultimate testing ground for senior cadets, who step up to manage real responsibility.

Commanding Teams: Senior cadets take charge of whole squads, overseeing daily schedules, morale, and safety.

Mentoring Juniors: Older cadets pass down their knowledge, teaching younger recruits everything from kit preparation to navigation.

Peer Leadership: Individuals learn to make quick, critical decisions during high-pressure field exercises and team challenges.

Marksmanship and Range Work:

Camps feature safely contained firing ranges where cadets develop deep focus, discipline, and safe habits.

Live Firing: Under the strict supervision of highly qualified adult instructors, cadets take to the ranges for marksmanship training  and competitive target shooting.

Safety Qualifications: Before firing a single round, every cadet must pass rigorous safety tests, mastering the assembly, cleaning, and safe handling of their equipment.

High-Adrenaline Adventure Training:

Summer camp heavily emphasizes outdoor survival and thrilling physical challenges designed to build personal resilience.

Water Sports: Days can be spent kayaking, canoeing, sailing, powerboating, or coasteering, depending on available water features.

Vertical Challenges: Cadets conquer fears on rock climbing walls, abseiling towers, and high-ropes confidence courses.

Expeditions

Teams head out for multi-day trekking, mountain biking, or navigation exercises.

Camp Life and Lifelong Skills

When they are not out on activities, cadets live together in shared accommodation blocks, building a strong sense of community and teamwork.

Daily Routine: Days start early with room inspections, uniform preparation, and eating together in large central dining halls.

First Aid Qualifications: Cadets tackle realistic, scenario-based casualty training to earn recognized, life-saving certificates.

The Final Parade: The week culminates in a sharp, ceremonial drill parade where parents often visit to watch awards and promotions being handed out.

Interested? Visit Wessex Reserve Forces & Cadets: Strengthening Future Leaders