General Questions
- Will my friends and family be able to contact me during my trip?
- Will I be able to call home once my ARCC trip has started?
- How much spending money should I bring on my ARCC trip?
- Will we be able to shower and do laundry on our trip?
- Can I bring my ipod or other music or movie players?
- How safe are ARCC trips?
- What do we eat on an ARCC adventure?
- What if I am a vegetarian or have dietary restrictions?
- How many miles a day do we backpack on Leadership Adventures?
- How much driving is involved?
- Where do we sleep?
- What if I have no previous camping or outdoor experience?
- If I have a substantial amount of outdoor experience, is there an ARCC trip that’s right for me?
Will my friends and family be able to contact me during my trip?
We encourage family and friends to write to you during your trip. In late May, you will receive a day-by-day itinerary of your trip, on which will appear dates and locations for people send you letters and packages. You will also be able to place phone calls to friends and family at many points during your trip. Each group also maintains a trip blog that friends and family can check during their adventure via our website.
Will I be able to call home once my ARCC trip has started?
ARCC groups usually have time in between activities for students to place phone calls. We cannot guarantee that students will call on a certain day or time, as groups often have many preparations and errands to run during the time they spend in towns. If you plan on calling home during your trip, we suggest coming with a calling card as they facilitate long distance calling or bringing a cell phone. Pre-paid calling cards are another good option as well.
How much spending money should I bring on my ARCC trip?
Keep in mind that all activities, lodging, and meals are included in your tuition. You will have the chance to buy souvenirs, post cards, and gifts for friends and family on your trip. We suggest bringing $50 per week for all domestic & Canadian trips, which has been more than adequate for the majority of our students in the past. For international trips, we recommended $75 a week.
Will we be able to shower and do laundry on our trip?
On Blue Water Adventures, you will have a chance to shower almost every day. On Leadership and Community Service Adventures, you will be able to shower every couple of days, except during the backpacking sections. While backpacking, you may go five or six days without a shower. However, on every adventure you will have the chance to swim in lakes, rivers, oceans, and streams almost every day.
We also schedule time for laundry stops during your trip. A 22-day trip will generally have two laundry stops, while a 28-day trip will generally have three laundry stops.
Can I bring my ipod or other music or movie players?
One objective of an ARCC adventure is to teach students how to enjoy themselves in the outdoors, without the distractions of daily life. That being said, you may bring an ipod along on the trip to be listened to ONLY on the plane ride or while in the van.
How safe are ARCC trips?
Safety of our students is the primary concern of our staff and the outfitters we use. As a result, ARCC has had an outstanding safety record. No student has ever suffered an injury requiring an overnight hospital stay. To ensure prompt care in the event of an emergency, ARCC has developed a safety and evacuation plan for every area in which we travel. Different parents have different safety concerns so please don’t hesitate to call our office with specific questions.
What do we eat on an ARCC adventure?
We recognize that good food is an important factor in the overall success of an adventure. As a result, we spend a great deal of time on food selection and preparation to ensure a delicious and well-balanced menu. You will be assigned to a rotating cook group and will be responsible for the selection, preparation, and cleanup of your group’s meal, giving you the opportunity to learn and practice your outdoor cooking skills. The food we provide is selected with an emphasis on freshness and variety. Some examples of meals you will prepare are pasta dishes, campfire pizza, salads, chicken fajitas, French toast, omelets, and pancakes. We always buy extra food to ensure that no one is hungry. At the end of an ARCC adventure, we are often complimented on the quality, quantity, and variety of our meals! In some cases, like in Peru and Fiji, we will eat food in villages prepared by the local people in order to sample traditional cuisine. In addition, you may eat in restaurants, European refugios, and in hostels during your adventure.
What if I am a vegetarian or have dietary restrictions?
No problem. We can accommodate special diets or restrictions if we are notified in advance. Please keep in mind, however, that the selection for vegans may be very limited in places such as Ecuador, Peru, Fiji, and Costa Rica.
How many miles a day do we backpack on Leadership Adventures?
On Leadership and Geographic Adventures, groups generally hike between four and ten miles a day, depending on the terrain. We often schedule layover days in the backcountry to better explore areas of particular interest. Each group hikes at it’s own pace, and leaders ensure that fast and slow hikers are accommodated.
How much driving is involved?
ARCC itineraries are carefully selected so that an absolute minimum of time is spent on the road. Our vehicles are used only for transportation between activities, and to and from the airport. We estimate only 5% of our time is spent driving. On some trips, like the Southern Europe Adventure and the Thailand Service Adventure, we take advantage of the countries’ extensive train networks.
Where do we sleep?
On our Leadership Adventures, each night will be spent sleeping outside, alongside a mountain trail, next to a river or on a beach. ARCC provides lightweight four-person tents for all students. Students are assigned to single-sex tents and have the option of setting up the tents each night or sleeping out under the stars. On our Blue Water Adventures, we sleep outside in tents on beaches, in hostels or bungalows, or on sailboats. On our Service Adventures and some of our international Multi Sport destinations, we sleep in a variety of accommodations: a Buddhist monastery in Thailand, mountain refugios in Europe, thatched-roof bures in Fiji, and local family’s homes in Costa Rica in addition to tents, hostels and lodges.
What if I have no previous camping or outdoor experience?
No problem! Most ARCC trips are perfect for students who have little or no experience in the outdoors. For the first few days of your adventure, your leaders will help you with the basics, which may range from setting up a tent, cooking, packing a backpack, or map reading. For certain activities, such as rafting or sailing, we will have additional guides to help with instruction. Throughout the trip, you will build on these basic skills as well as learn about astronomy, botany, weather, geology, and natural history. After three weeks of learning and reinforcing these skills, students return home eager to show their family and friends what they have learned! ARCC students who return summer after summer are able to build on their solid foundations in the outdoors and often emerge as outdoor leaders.
If I have a substantial amount of outdoor experience, is there an ARCC trip that’s right for me?
Definitely! Although we have ARCC alumni on every adventure (from California to Australia!) there are several trips which are geared more towards students who are looking for prolonged backcountry experiences and who are seeking greater leadership opportunities. Two trips, which are perfect for students with outdoor experience, are the Alaska Expedition and Rocky Mountain Leadership. If you would like more information on these trips, or would like to speak to someone who has taken one (or both!) of these trips, please call our office and we’d be happy to discuss options with you.