Guides written in mid blue on dark blue background

Qualifications

Guide camp permit

Print this badge

Have your very own camping adventure

Does camping with a load of other Guides sound like a lot of fun? Thought so! How about getting some great skills at the same time? Then we’ve got just the permit for you.

What is the Guide camp permit?

Guides have the exciting opportunity to work towards the Guide camp permit. This permit will give you a taster of the skills and knowledge to lead your friends on camping trips. The permit will boost your camping experience and leadership skills.

The Guide camp permit enables you to take between four to eight Guides (including yourself) away for a camping experience for two nights or more.

The permit is made up of seven challenges, which you can complete individually or in sets. Each challenge covers a different area of how to plan and run a camping trip.

What do I have to do?

You can complete the seven challenges in any order you’d like. There is some overlap between challenges, so there’ll be things you need to do alongside each other.

  • Challenge one: Plan           
  • Challenge two: Sort
  • Challenge three: Prepare
  • Challenge four: Health
  • Challenge five: Food
  • Challenge six: Activities
  • Challenge seven: Camp

Remember: Parental consent is required for all participants under 18 years old. Check out our guidance on girl-led residentials for everything you need to run your camp safely.

The Lead Away permit

Some of the above challenges are equivalent to those in the Lead Away permit, so if you want to complete that once you move up to Rangers make sure you keep a record of your Guide camp permit.

There’s more information in the Guide camp permit guidance notes below about how the different qualifications map across to each other.

The Guide programme

There are lots of activities in the Guide programme that can help you prepare for your Guide camp permit. Check out the Explore and Camp skills builders to get you started. You can also do your Bronze Duke of Edinburgh's Award for even more adventure!

Guidance for supporting volunteers

If you’re a leader, mentor, commissioner or adviser supporting a Guide on their Guide camp permit, check out our guidance notes for lots more helpful information.

Get camping

To start on the Guide camp permit - and to find out more about the challenges - download the full resource.

Download the guide camp permit resource