Unfortunately not many people know about it. There's not much literature on the topic and few clubs or schools use it. But in the present environment of increasing commercialization of outdoor activities, there's a real need for it, a real need to return to the roots of outdoor activity and enjoy outdoor activity purely for the fun of it. That's what common adventure trips are all about--and more.
Common Adventure sign-up sheets, in turn, provide a means of getting
people together to participate in an outdoor trip that might not have been
possible if they had tried to do it alone. Any person is welcome
to post a Common Adventure sign-up sheet on the trip board or a club's
Internet site and anyone who has sufficient experience required for the
particular trip is welcome to sign up.
In its purist form, a Common Adventure trip is a couple of friends getting
together and going on a trip. It might be two or three friends going
climbing or hiking together. Or it might be a couple of families
combining to go rafting together. Someone comes up with the idea,
but there's really no designated leader. No one is charging money
or acting as a "guide." It's just a fun trip among friends.
If you like doing things in the outdoors, you probably do these sorts of
trips all the time. It's just that you've have never given them a
name.
What is the definition of a Common Adventure trip?
A Common Adventure trip is two or more individuals working cooperatively
for common goals and sharing trip expenses and responsibilities as equitably
as possible.
What are the key elements of a Common Adventure trip?
Here's how the process takes place starting from the beginning:
Yes. Common Adventure trips are best run in small groups. It becomes much more difficult to guide democratic processes as the group size becomes larger. Six to eight is an ideal size for a group, but it can be larger. Smaller groups are highly effective. Individuals feel more a part of the group and are more likely to receive long-lasting, positive benefits and develop strong friendships from the trip. Moreover, small groups are one of the best ways of minimizing environmental impact.
Occasionally at Idaho State we find ourselves working with large groups. When that is the case, we are very careful to select an area in which the group will not cause environmental impact (we would never take a large group in a wilderness area or pristine area).
With larger groups, we use an adapted form of the Common Adventure
concept. All of the basics of a Common Adventure trip are there:
having a pre-trip meeting, enlisting members of the group in helping pack
and clean-up, and appointing a treasurer. But trying to make decisions
in a large group is cumbersome, and thus a representative form of democracy
is employed. Decisions are made with the help of several members
of the group. It isn't a formal process. The group doesn't elect
representatives, but rather it's an informal meeting with several individuals,
usually the more experienced members of the group reaching a consensus.
I'm interested in this money thing. Do you really mean that clubs or colleges don't get any money out of Common Adventure trips?
That's right. If a club or school gets a fee from the trip, then
it's no longer a Common Adventure trip. Common Adventure trips are
not a way of making money. If you want to make money, offer guided
trips. But remember as soon as you start charging for trips, you
are becoming a commercial outfitter and you need to have the necessary
licenses and permits (if using public lands). The beauty of a Common
Adventure is that if your trips are small and cost sharing is taking place,
then your trip is just like any trip among friends and family and no commercial
licenses or special permits are needed.
Well if you don't get money, how can places like Idaho State University run a Common Adventure trip program?
Idaho State University students have decided that the Outdoor Program
is important to them--like intramurals, health and counseling services,
and intercollegiate athletics--and they are willing to allocate some of
their student fee money to pay for the program. The Outdoor Program's
budget is supplemented with fund raisers and donations from friends, and
we sell maps and books out of the office. In return, we are able
to offer something far more valuable than money: long-lasting friendships,
lifetime skills, a plan for a healthy lifestyle, and life-changing experiences
in the great outdoors. But it's not necessary to have a school sponsor
a common adventure program. Common adventure trips can be run by
clubs, church groups and informal groups of friends without having an office,
staff or any kind of budget. It is the simplest and most cost effective
way of running trips possible.
Isn't there some hidden expenses? What if drive my car or I use my rafts for trip? Can't I be reimbursed somehow for wear and tear on them?
The spirit of sharing is a central concept to Common Adventure trips: freely sharing help and advice and, yes, even equipment. But while sharing is important on Common Adventure trips, so is the concept of equitability. In cases where one person's vehicle carries all the group's gear, or one person's raft is used by the group, there's an equitability problem. Vehicles and boats used on trips will receive wear and tear. Those individuals donating their vehicles or equipment are shouldering more than their share. Thus, the group may decide that the fair thing to do is to reduce their share of expenses to compensate for the pick-up truck or raft.
The overall goal is to come up with something which is a fair and equitable sharing of expenses. The decision, however, should be made as a group, and it's best made before the trip takes place at the pre-trip meeting.
Note that you'll want to be very careful if a group makes an outright
payment to someone on the trip to use their personal vehicle or boat.
That's beginning to step into the territory of a guided trip. Public
land agencies might construe any payment to an individual, even for the
use of equipment, as improper and requiring of special permits. Generally,
it's best to reduce someone's share of trip expenses rather than make an
outright payment to them. In some cases, the group may elect to rent
a raft or vehicle from a disinterested third party to avoid the problem
altogether.
Idaho State University has an active Common Adventure program. Don't you subsidize it in some way?
Yes. We feel so strongly about the benefits of a Common Adventure program that it is worth it to us to subsidize it. We provide a location for groups to meet and a resource center with lots of information that can be used for planning trips. We also pay staff to initiate many of the trips. While we encourage and have a number of students and community members putting up sign-up sheets, we've found that we have a more viable and full-rounded trip program when Outdoor Program staff members are fully involved. Common Adventure trips, of course, don't need paid staff, nor do they need a college or institution to oversee them. But clubs and colleges provide a nurturing environment. They help spread the good word and help people understand and learn the basics of how this wonderfully effective concept works. At the same time, subsidizing a Common Adventure program doesn't effect its legal status.
We are careful, however, to retain the essential elements of Common
Adventure trips. Trip expenses are shared equitably. No trip money
ever goes to pay the trip initiator or any other member of the group.
Moreover, no trip money ever goes to the University in the form of a trip
fee. To do so, clearly changes the trip from Common Adventure to
"guided" with all the legal and philosophical ramifications. Staff
members also do not receive pay if it is unacceptable to the agency managing
the land where the activity is to take place. If a staff member wants
to run a trip to such an area, they run the trip on their own time as a
volunteer. Often they do. People who work in the outdoor recreation
field are those that regularly and freely volunteer their time. Rarely
are they in it for the money, but rather they are caring individuals who
truly love working with groups in the outdoors.
You've been talking like Common Adventure trips are the only way to go. Aren't there other ways of doing outdoor trips?
Sure there are. Common Adventure trips are only one possible approach to outdoor trips. For many people, Common Adventure trips are impractical. For instance, people who have no experience and would rather someone else do all the planning and have everything set-up will be much happier going on a commercially guided trip.
Another valid approach to outdoor recreation is to offer formal outdoor education classes. While experiential learning takes place on Common Adventure trips, most people will have better luck learning basic skills in classes and workshops taught by experienced and trained teachers. If you want to try whitewater kayaking, you'll have less trouble on the river if you take some time to learn how to roll first. That's best done in a pool or lake under the supervision of a teacher who can gradually lead you through the basics.
At Idaho State University we use a combination of approaches.
We have a series of formal skills classes that people can take. Then
once they learn their basic skills, lots of Common Adventure trips are
offered in which people can actually use those skills.
What about kids. Can kids do common adventure trips?
Not really. Common Adventure trips are for college age individuals and older. Children need the guidance of adult leaders. Some of the concepts of Common Adventure trips can be used on trips for children: pre-trip meetings, getting input from the kids while on the trip, having the children assume responsibilities. But when it comes to the trip, it's important to have adult supervision to keep things safe.
File: common.htm. Written by: R. Watters. Revised:
12/28/98