How do we manage rain, hail, thunder & lightning and seek shelter while in the field?
Weather and assessing the elements will always be part of life for the outdoor adventurer. Here are the ways that we manage the elements with groups at Avid4 Adventure.
Preparedness is key, and our detailed packing lists available via the Help Center will help you ensure that your camper has what they need to be ready for the elements. Items include warm non-cotton layers and rain gear - instructors check with campers at the start of the day to ensure campers are prepared for forecasted weather.
At Avid4 Adventure we bring campers into the assessment process whenever possible and appropriate to determine if it’s appropriate to continue recreating in adverse weather conditions. Here are a few of our standard protocols:
Light to Moderate Rain:
We continue the activity at hand. This regularly applies to hiking, paddling and biking. When rock climbing, our ability to climb depends on the rock’s composition and the degree of difficulty to the climbs. While we will stay out of doors during mild to moderate rain, we modify activities to care for campers first and foremost.
- When rain turns to a downpour, we seek available shelter (whether that’s a large tree, a covered area, an established restroom, or camp/staff vehicles), play games, and adjust curriculum to fit the environment.
Intense Hail & Nearby Lightning:
These situations lead us to seek shelter. Staff are trained to determine proximity of lightning and have a specific threshold at which they should move to shelter. Shelter could be a covered area at a recreation area, an established restroom building, a visitor’s center, a camp vehicle, or instructor vehicles if nothing else is easily accessible. We’ll wait out a storm with games, riddles, and outdoor education lessons until it’s safe to recreate again. If weather is unrelenting (longer than 45 minutes), camp staff communicate with their Camp Directors to support decision making. We may call to ask for parents to pick up their campers or we will facilitate van pick up at recreation areas and get campers back to the base facility when feasible. We will communicate with families about pick up location changes via phone, text, or email to keep you informed about changes to the days’ plans.
As with all adventures, our goal is to teach campers how to safely recreate in a variety of conditions and demonstrate when to make the call to adjust plans. Related Articles
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