HARDY Scouts, Cubs and Beavers braved the elements to honour 100 years of adventure in the great outdoors.

With conditions ranging from soggy to soaking wet, the youngsters' spirits remained un-dampened as Scouts from around the county made the most of the chance to test their outdoor survival skills.

Kent Scouts were among 200,000 youngsters country-wide who spent between one and three nights under the stars to mark 100 years of Scouting.

The event, which ran from Friday to Monday was the largest simultaneous camping activity ever undertaken by the Scout Association.

Activities ranged from the traditional, such as making fires and building shelters, to adrenaline sports of para-sending and rock climbing.

Some purists paid tribute to their forerunners, by replicating the basic conditions of the first Scout Camp on Brownsea Island, Dorset, in 1907.

Scout leader Keith "Lofty" Bunyon was at Hall Place in Leigh, Tonbridge, where 500 scouts cubs and beavers enjoyed and action-packed weekend.

He praised the effort and commitment of the campers. "There were about a dozen at Tonbridge that ventured to come out of the main camp for 12 hours," he said.

"We took all their phones off them and they went into a separate part of the field, where they set up a camp very similar to the 1907 camp."

Forced to cook food without utensils, the 1907 campers also made hammocks and bivouacs for shelter.

"They did brilliantly," added Mr Bunyon. "It was wet but it didn't stop us doing anything."