1.How do I become a member?
All you have to do to become a member is register on the website and fill out a waiver. To register, just click the "register" link in the upper-right-hand corner of the page. You can also print out the waiver from the link on the main page. If you plan on doing water activities, you will need to go to any lifeguard and complete a swimtest
2.How much do trips cost?
As little as possible. We can usually provide (almost) all necessary gear at no cost, so you just pay for your own share of the gas and whatever food you choose to buy. A local kayaking/caving/hiking daytrip usually costs about $5. An overnight kayaking trip on the Suwannee will cost about $10. A 3-day caving, climbing, or whitewater rafting trip will cost about $35-50.
3.Who can organize trips?
For any activity that doesn't use club gear, including backpacking, biking, scuba, roadtripping, overseas travels, and skiing, anyone can organize a trip - just send it as an announcement on the website by clicking the broadcast button on the left hand side of the screen and filling out the form there. Other kinds of trips require that you have previously been active in the club and have earned the trust of the club's officers and members. For canoeing and kayaking, you need to have been on similar trips with the club. For more risky activities like whitewater rafting, caving, or climbing, you will either need sufficient experience/training or have one or more experienced people going with you. Unlike TRiP and other tour services, our trips have no official "leader" - each trip is simply a group of peers with a common interest in a given activity; however, it is almost always necessary for one or two people to research the logistics of the trip and act as the focal point for communication.
4.Do I need to buy a...?
If you are going camping for the first time, you will need to buy a sleeping bag and headlamp. The club is usually a bit short on tents, but you can almost always find someone on a trip who's willing to share theirs. It never hurts to ask around at the meetings before investing a lot of money in new gear.
5.How do we get there?
Trip participants carpool using their own vehicles - usually whoever has the best mpg-to-seat ratio drives. And as an incentive to volunteer your car, drivers pay nothing for gas!
6.Who do I pay and when?
In most cases, you don't pay a cent until you're on the trip (though for more popular trips, we may request a deposit so you don't reserve a coveted position and then bail at the last second). Typically, you'll swipe your card for a fill-up or, for shorter trips, give cash to the driver. Park fees and other expenses are usually paid directly to the ranger/campground/restaurant/etc. Bring cash!
7.What if I sign up for a trip and later decide I can't go?
Tell the trip organizer as soon as possible! There is nothing worse for an organizer, who has put lots of time and careful planning into a trip, than to have half the participants not show up the morning of. Please be considerate to your fellow club members - hangovers, oversleeping, and rain are not valid reasons to bail at the last second!
8.Where are the meetings?
We meet inside the Yon Hall room directly across from the Florida Pool gate (just down the way from the stadium ticket windows).
9. What's the difference between you guys and TRiP
TRiP is a service - they cook your meals, carry your gear, and organize every tiny detail of your excursion. We are a club - we are happy to help you learn any skill you need to participate in our trips, but we require that you be an active and enthusiastic participant, and be open to the idea of someday organizing a trip yourself. You should get to know your tripmates and contribute, not just take the experience and run. To put it in the form of an SAT-like analogy, skydiving at a dropzone is to TRiP as parachuting into a third-world jungle and orienteering your way back to civilization is to OAR.
10.If all the trips are announced on the listserve, why go to meetings?
Meetings are a great way to meet fellow club members and brainstorm for trips. We usually do something fun like rock climbing, eating at a local restaurant, or photo sharing after the meeting.