Practical Checks to Make Before Booking Guided Outdoor Experiences

Booking guided outdoor experiences is a great way to find your footing in new environments and learn more about the world under the watchful eyes of someone experienced not only in the local area but in the experience itself. And for many people, beginners, especially, the comfort of having a guide can make all the difference between whether or not they actually embark on an adventure of this nature.

From fishing excursions with a guide, to hiking trails with experienced hikers, and kayaking with expert kayakers, for example, there are numerous types of guided outdoor experiences for you to have.

But before you rush out and book one, there are a few checks you should make to ensure the experience is suitable for you and you don't end up wasting money on something you might end up hating.

Check if it is a Private or Shared Trip

It’s normal to want to know who you're sharing this experience with. Some trips, like Oasis Alaska Charters, are for private groups only, and you can only have others at your request from outside your party. While others have a certain number of slots to be filled, so you can't guarantee who you will be with on the day.

This will impact the flow of the day and can introduce more waiting around. For example, if you're going on a wildlife viewing trip, waiting around for a large group to take their turn can slow things down and be a little boring. But a private snorkeling trip, for example, means you can ensure your guide is working with you and your group at your level, so the experience is tailored to what you want and need over that of a larger mixed ability group.

Conform to Minimum Participant Requirements

This impacts you in multiple ways. For a start, if it's a shared group experience and people drop out or spaces aren't filled it's likely it could be cancelled due to low participation numbers and if you’re booking a private experience you might need a certain amount of people to be in your group before you go ahead for example private fishing charters require a minimum of two people for the most part while group hiking excursions could require a minimum of 5 of people to be in the group before it can go ahead. This is true for excursions that need to fill a raft for river rafting trips.

Being aware of this means you can plan accordingly when booking and be aware that if minimum numbers aren't met, the excursion could be cancelled entirely or rescheduled.

The Operators' Local Permits or Operating Licenses

The last thing you want is to turn up only to find that the operator doesn't have the right legal requirements to conduct the activity in that area. And if you're travelling to a new destination or a location that is known for scams and unscrupulous operators, checking licensing is essential to remove disappointment or to ensure safety at all times.

Depending on the location and the activity, there may well be different types of licenses needed. Fishing charters will tend to adhere to regulations governing the waters they operate within that might regulate when they can head out on the water and stick to catch limits. While if you're going hiking in areas such as Machu Picchu, there might be restrictions on your guide and the dates they can work in the region: i.e., hiking the Inca Trail means you need a licensed guide and a special permit, of which only a select number are available.

Know what you need, and if anything, know the local laws and regulations and apply this to your operation to ensure everything is legal and above board.

Check What Happens to Caught Fish or Wildlife Encounters

If your exercise involves animals and wildlife, of any kind, know what happens to them. There will often be rules in place to protect the local ecosystem. Fishing trips could be subject to catch limits or seasonal restrictions, while wildlife tours will have rules about how close you can get on boats or on ground vehicles.

Regulations can and do vary from activity to activity, and it's important you understand what you will be limited to before heading out to avoid disappointment or crossed wires. Let's say you're going whale watching, there will be rules about how close you can actually get to avoid disturbing them, and if fishing, certain catches might need to be released depending on the fish and the season.

Communication Options

All outdoor guided experiences happen in more remote areas; that's to be expected. And there are areas where cell coverage can be spotty, unreliable, or nonexistent, meaning communication with others isn't always possible.

If you're heading to remote coastlines, mountain environments, or wilderness rivers, for example, ask your guide company what provisions they have for communications in the event of changes to the excursion or emergencies if there's no cell service.

They usually carry alternative methods of communication such as radios, satellite phones, or emergency signals to attract attention in the case something unexpected occurs. But for peace of mind, always ask what happens and how the word is sent out for help if things don't go to plan.

If They Operate in all Weather Conditions

It goes without saying that weather conditions can impact all manner of outdoor excursions, and operators cannot operate in unsafe conditions.

Before booking, check how often the company has had to cancel trips or reschedule due to weather conditions when you plan to book. It might be you should book at a different time in the year, or at the very least, you can uncover what happens if things don’t go your way weather-wise on the day.

Sure, it will be disappointing if it doesn't go ahead but ask the operator what they do if things don't go ahead as planned. It might be weather conditions that are too stormy for kayaking, or animals on a wildlife tour have relocated and they need to cancel for route and safety conditions, or even if you're viewing the Northern Lights and you don’t see them, as they're not always guaranteed even from the most visible location. The more you know about what to expect, the easier it is to decide if you want to book or to plan the rest of your trip around it.

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