So my daughter wants to take a trip...
She's a college Junior. She finishes her semester early in May and has a little time off before her summer internship begins.

She and her friends are in the planning stage:

It could be an awesome experience. I have no problem with her wanting to undertake an expedition. I certainly did road trips when I was in college....
She will be with two other girls, one of whom did something similar last year with her brother. She will see a part of the country that is both very beautiful, and very dangerous.

Here's what I've told her so far:

My main concern is safety.
1. Driving. People die on road trips. Skillful, and Attentive driving is imperative. Don't drive tired or distracted.
2. Protection, especially at night. You don't have your CCW. I wish you did. Stay together. Don't any of you wander off away from the other two. Don't camp too remote, try to stay within earshot of other campers.

My secondary concern is that your feet hold up.
If you are hiking every day will you get blisters? What shoes and boots will you wear? Bring at least two, maybe three pairs of socks for every day. Your feet will get wet. Change your socks. At night, try to dry your boots with either blown air (maybe air dryer in a bathroom?) or opening them up near a camp fire (not too close, they will be damaged).

Any other advice?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: chellim1,

You should be concerned sure.

You have a few options. You can follow her in a support vehicle of some kind, just stay back 50 yards or so so she doesn't always notice you. Or, just let her go and have fun and get her some good Vasque hiking boots as a gift.

I think it'll be ok.

Hiking... Proper equipment! Good boots (already broken in) and stress for each of them to have a small (even fanny pack size) kit with essential items (space blanket, food bar, life straw, fire starting tools) as the weather and terrain can become unpredictable depending on where they go.

Safety... Pepper Spray as a minimum. Depending on what parks they go to, bear spray might be better. Staying is groups will be best policy.

Communication... Keep a prepaid phone card in the event that a phone gets damaged, or there is no signal. I've been to a few parks without cell service but the stations all have phones and a prepaid card can do wonders in that situation.
And a good way to keep tabs on the trip without seeming obtrusive? Ask for a daily pic so you can enjoy some of the sights that they are seeing. A good way to get a daily text (if there's service) without looking like you are being over-protective.

The important thing is to dress down.

That would be a great trip and take lots of pictures.

quote:

Communication... Keep a prepaid phone card in the event that a phone gets damaged, or there is no signal. I've been to a few parks without cell service but the stations all have phones and a prepaid card can do wonders in that situation.
And a good way to keep tabs on the trip without seeming obtrusive? Ask for a daily pic so you can enjoy some of the sights that they are seeing. A good way to get a daily text (if there's service) without looking like you are being over-protective.

That's something I hadn't thought of. Thanks.

If you want a bodyguard with high moral standards and great shooting skillz, I'll send one of the Jr DFs.

You can be concerned, and offer advice.

But she is, what, 21 or 22 years old? She is an adult. It is the time when you don't really get a say in this sort of thing.

She's talking about a trip to national parks. Not a trip to Syria. She'll be fine.

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You can follow her in a support vehicle of some kind, just stay back 50 yards or so so she doesn't always notice you. Or, just let her go and have fun and get her some good Vasque hiking boots as a gift.

I'm not familiar with Vasque hiking boots... I'll have to check into them.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
If you want a bodyguard with high moral standards and great shooting skillz, I'll send one of the Jr DFs.

Of course I would trust any of the Jr DFs!

quote:

She's talking about a trip to national parks. Not a trip to Syria. She'll be fine.

Yes.... yes. I know.

Get her a SPOT messenger.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d...HbVx0zDpL&ref=plSrch

That your daughter is interested in taking such an awesome trip is proof you've succeeded as a father. I hope my kids want to use their free time to hike Zion and Grand Canyon instead of party in NYC when they're graduating college. Nothing to add to your questions, just wanted to say well done on raising someone who values valuable things.

That sounds like an awesome trip.

I thought you were gonna say she wanted to tour the Middle East or the Korean boarder or Memphis you know dangerous places.

She will be fine. Just give her the basics, maybe some "get out of jail" money so to speak and tell her to have fun.

Then follow her incognito every step of the way. . I have a little daughter what can I say.

Seriously she will be fine. The most danger will be to your mental well being.

quote:

Originally posted by dewhorse:
Get her a SPOT messenger.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d...HbVx0zDpL&ref=plSrch

I was going to suggest a conventional PLB like the ACR ResQlink. Sure, it's a little more expensive, but you don't need to subscribe to anything like you do with SPOT, and since we're talking about a device for "come rescue me ASAP" situations, it will still get the cavalry moving in a hurry.

I carry one whenever we're out in the wilderness.

-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
If you want a bodyguard with high moral standards and great shooting skillz, I'll send one of the Jr DFs.

Of course I would trust any of the Jr DFs!

...just keep that scoundrel Sr. DF away and all will go well. He's not worth the blubber he's made of.

Your concern is founded because you're a good Dad.

She'll be fine, especially with 2 other friends. Common sense goes a looooong way. Make sure she knows some situational awareness and get her a panic button (spot, etc) and make sure she sends daily pics, or at least as often as she has service, so you can live vicariously through her.

Adults? In the US? National Parks? This is about as no problem a trip as she's likely to take. Be thankful she doesn't want to backpack Central America or something like that.

quote:

Originally posted by arabiancowboy:
That your daughter is interested in taking such an awesome trip is proof you've succeeded as a father. I hope my kids want to use their free time to hike Zion and Grand Canyon instead of party in NYC when they're graduating college. Nothing to add to your questions, just wanted to say well done on raising someone who values valuable things.

Thank you, sir. No special snowflakes in this family. She spent last summer wearing steel toed boots and a hard hat working on oil pipelines in Texas. Of course she started out in Red Wing work boots and ended up in cowboy boots...

Let go and count your blessings. Mine went on two big trips in college, one to the Dominican Republic jungles and another to a very rural area in Guatemala. Both lasted a month. Last trip was two weeks in Ireland, much less scary.

My first question would be; how experienced is the group with being outdoors, hiking, exploring, etc for 6-10 hours a day?

She's hiked in the Appalachians, the Blue Ridge, but she's never been West to the Rockies.