How to Plan an Outdoor Adventure for Your Friends

Dreaming of star gazing with your friends, taking a dip after a long day in kayaks, taking some buddies on their first backpacking trip, or finally making some sends outside of the rock climbing gym, but trip planning always feels logistically daunting? Let's make it easier!

Meet fellow planners and share your biggest struggles when it comes to trip planning and let us all help brianstorm some solutions. In small groups, run through a hypothetical trip as we review all the steps to planning and organizing a sucessful adventure. We will touch on trip selection, group selection, safety, social aspects, gear, food and water, as well as transportation needs. You will leave with an outline of all the necessary parts to planning a sucessful trip as well as some tips for delegation.

Danielle O'Farrell, a long distance backpacker, guide, Wilderness EMT and the founder of the outdoor skills company With The Wild Things, will guide you through this evening introduction to trip planning.

Student quotes:

“Danielle was the best wilderness person/trainer I've experienced. She was funny; thoughtful, engaging, interesting. Everyone was involved, questions were encouraged and she created a fun and welcoming environment. She NEVER scolded us or talked down to us, I know that might sound weird, but I've experienced a condescending attitude with outdoor people in the past.

Danielle was an excellent leader. Superior group management. She managed and engaged our 2 active teenagers, plus points!!!”

"Hikers are not the best at sitting still, and Danielle did a great job making her presentation engaging while keeping it informative and educational. She did a good job at not covering safety decisions for a specific trip, but instead talking about how to think about it for a wide variety of trips. Having a system in place helps me feel prepared for trips even in conditions I haven't experienced before. Her energy and enthusiasm are unmatched, and her experience shows that she knows what she's talking about."

"Everyone was captivated and entertained with her presentation. She added some humor and audience participation. I learned some useful tips like how to cross a river safely with a group of people “crab walking” and knees upstream."

Host or Publisher With The Wild Things