Trip Leader & Participant Guidelines

1. Before the Trip

The trip leader posts the planned route, difficulty level, expected duration, and known hazards in advance. Note often trips are designed to explore new areas and there are many unknowns such as trail conditions, weather, and availability of resources.
Each participant is individually responsible for confirming that they, and their vehicle, are suited for the trip.
For all participants a signed The Trip Agreement & Waiver must be on file before departure.
Vehicle preparation (tires, recovery points, fluids, spare, communications equipment) is each participant's own responsibility and is not inspected or verified by organizers.

The trip leader holds a driver meeting at the start of the trip covering the route overview, known obstacles, convoy order, communications channel, check-in intervals, weather, fire restrictions, and applicable land-use rules.
Participants are reminded that participation is voluntary at every stage and that any participant may turn around or leave the group at any time.

The preferred communications channel (e.g., a specific radio channel) is announced before departure. check out our Ham Radio Guide
Participants are expected to confirm they have working communications equipment before departure; no guarantee is made that communications will remain available for the entire route.

General practice is to designate a lead and tail (sweep) vehicle and to maintain visual or radio contact with the vehicle ahead.
Suggested spacing is discussed at the driver meeting, but the decision on following distance and spacing rests with each individual driver.

Spotting is offered as a voluntary courtesy. A spotter provides suggestions only and does not assume control of the vehicle; the driver retains full control and responsibility at all times.
Drivers and spotters are encouraged to agree on hand signals or radio commands before beginning.

No participant, trip leader, or volunteer has a duty to perform a recovery. Any assistance is voluntary and may be declined or discontinued at any time, consistent with the The Trip Agreement & Waiver.
When a recovery is voluntarily undertaken, general practice is to inspect equipment beforehand, stay clear of load paths, use rated recovery points, avoid exceeding rated capacity, and keep bystanders clear.
Anyone assisting with a recovery may stop at any point if they believe it exceeds their equipment or experience.

General practices include using a line dampener, wearing gloves, staying clear of the direct line path, chocking the vehicle, and not exceeding the rated line pull. Check out our Winch Best Practices Guide for more information.

Drivers should not operate a vehicle while impaired by alcohol, cannabis, illegal drugs, or any medication that affects driving ability, consistent with the representations each participant makes in the signed Agreement.

The group should check current fire restrictions, trail or road closures, and weather forecasts before departure and share known conditions at the driver meeting.
Conditions may change during the trip; each participant remains individually responsible for their own decisions in response to changing conditions.

Each participant is individually responsible for complying with the rules of the managing land agency (BLM, National Forest, state, etc.), including designated-route requirements, campsite rules, and any required permits.

If a participant experiences a medical emergency or the group encounters an accident, general practice is to check the safety of the scene, provide any assistance a bystander is comfortable and able to give, and contact emergency services or Search and Rescue when possible.
If a participant is known to be carrying a Voluntary Emergency Information Card, that info should be in the glovebox clearley marked Confidential Medical Info and may be used by anyone who locates it, per its own instructions.
No participant or volunteer is required to have first-aid training, and any aid rendered is voluntary.

Any participant, spotter, or volunteer may refuse to begin, or may stop, providing assistance at any time if they believe the activity is unsafe, beyond their experience, or beyond their equipment. No participant should feel pressured to continue.

These guidelines should be reviewed periodically and updated to reflect actual practice, and kept consistent with the current version of the The Trip Agreement & Waiver.