June has finally made it to us! It has been a rather cold and dark winter in the pacific northwest. While this is being written a space heater is warming my office as it is a chilly 47 degrees outside and raining- but alas, there is hope ahead! By the weekend it will be a balmy 85 degrees and sunny! You had better believe the top is coming off the Bronco and summer adventure planning will begin in earnest.
Summer adventure planning takes many forms for outdoorsy personalities. While no one method is the right one, we must consider if we in fact are “doing it right”. I would envision a radar chart that is square, with one side being executive decision, another side being consensus, another being targeted location, and the fourth being laissez-faire. Let’s look at each of these and how they contribute to the well-being of the adventurers:
Executive decision is the most straight forward, though rather un-democratic. Gather your information, mark the locations, set the timetable, define the route and you have the makings of a well-defined trip. You have set the expectation and everyone else is just along for the ride. While this seems ideal as you don’t need to negotiate with your compatriots, there are side effects. When individuals feel as though they have been pigeonholed into place, they feel uncomfortable and often seek out the weak link in your plans to apply pressure. Additionally, the planner may feel frustrated as the “wrangling cats” type of tyranny unfolds in trying to keep a deadline. The other problem is the planner is resting everything on their shoulders- which is likely to cause stress and some upset individuals.
Consensus is best described as a mutually acceptable level of agreement of all parties involved. While the planning and negotiation can be quite lengthy, the benefit is that everyone feels they have a say and are less likely to go astray during your trip. This is particularly amenable for planning the content of the meals. This will often build the excitement for the adventure, but keep expectations in check, in the most positive of ways possible. Those that don’t feel heard can revolt in a big way, especially the youth of the trip.
Targeted location is the defined place, sequence, and time spent in a location. This can often be a difficult balancing act. Especially when your group dynamic can change drastically due to weather conditions, temperature, and resources. If everyone is relatively comfortable and enjoying themselves it can seem that you didn’t allow enough time in a place, and the opposite is true as well. It can also be difficult to pull away when they haven’t seen all they wish to.
Laissez-faire is letting things take their own course, without interfering. Of course, there must be some plan involved, primarily planning to be prepared so that no matter what course you take, you have what you need to keep everyone safe, fed, and relatively comfortable. Depending on the personalities involved, this can range from very stressful, to relaxed, to invigorated for the individuals who experience this methodology.
Each of these planning attributes needs to be balanced with the personalities you have involved. If you have new people involved, make sure you discuss with them their expectations. Being more executive can put them at ease for being involved in something new. The more people and vehicles involved; you may need to take a more Laissez-faire approach. Distributing a list of essentials and a broad overview will allow people to make their own decisions and make the variances that will help them enjoy their trip. As always, bring a first aid kit, communication devices, redundant mapping, and let someone know where you are going and when you will be returning. Get out there and have fun!