How to Plan an Expedition
I have been planning expeditions since the mid 1990’s & have found that
being organized is most important element of success. This led to my Expedition
Planning Phases, they are briefly…
The Planning Phase – This is preceded by a time when you dream wildly &
a time when you make practical how you will make your dream a reality. Try not
to worry or be limited about things like money & time, just visualize &
dream, there will be enough time for practicality later but first you have to
know deep in your heart that this is what you want to do. Dream big &
set your goals just out of reach to force you to challenge yourself. Ask
yourself “how will I use this expedition to become a healthier, happier
person”? That’s the point of adventure, at least for me. Travel is more than
rewarding, it’s enlightening & each expedition becomes a big part of who
you are.
The Training Begins – Starts at the Planning Phase & doesn’t stop until
24 hours before you leave. Depends upon the expedition you are preparing
for, if it’s a cave, mountain, canyon, sea, river, desert or glacier you will
travel across, so training for the specific activity & sport differs but
one thing remains the same, general conditioning: Strength as in weight lifting
& body weight exercise, cardiovascular fitness & endurance &
flexibility which encompasses mental toughness like yoga. I often break this
phase down into bricks, like triathletes do. The best way to train for the
specific sport is either by doing the specific activity at an easier level
closer to your home or by simulating the conditions you will face in nature.
Try to train harder than what difficulties you will face on expedition. One
does to a certain degree need to learn to perform well in ‘bad’ weather so
there is no ‘bad’ training day; only opportunities to grow as a person &
become more proficient & skilled.
Training has four components to it, Strength which is weight training but
also TRX or Crossfit, Boxing & lots of core work, Cardiovascular ‘heart
& lung training for endurance & stamina, I find bike touring &
running in races from 5K’s to marathons & triathlons helps keeps me
motivated: Flexibility which is training for both your body & your
mind. I think Kundalini or Hot Yoga is the most challenging but any Yoga or
stretching works. Then the fourth one is skills training, what you need to know
specifically for the expedition.
Every expedition often has a mental component to it, a fear that must be
overcome. Being extreme is a very relative thing so it is different for each of
us, lately I have found that if I am experiencing too much adrenaline it is
simply because I failed to train hard enough & specifically enough.
The Expedition Itinerary Phase – Thanks to the Internet this phase has
become so much easier; I remember hanging out at the Appalachian Club Boston
Library going through old National Graphic magazines & journals from
explorations of long ago. Now everything is on line. It’s about getting
permissions, hotels, plane fares & any porters & services in country
you might need. Maps, GPS, Sat & Cell phone coverage, Wi-Fi capabilities,
transportation to & from the airport to hotels & campgrounds &
more, all must be factored in. This is when things get real & you commit
financially with a deposit & plane fare is always best to get well in
advance.
Be sure to plan not only the struggles but the pleasures as well. I like to
research places to get a massage or local exotic healings, find places like
nude beaches & the best places to go night clubbing, eat gourmet food, dive
with Dolphins & other wildlife; plan your decadence & debauchery,
whatever that means to you. Life is too short!
The Expedition Inventory Phase – This phase is about knowing ahead of time
what you need for the trip & slowly accruing it either through buying or
getting sponsored for the right gear: Having the right gear, lightweight &
versatile can make all the difference in the world between a memorable trip
& a suffer-fest. Never take old equipment with you but never take anything
that you have not broken in & trained with many-many times. Expedition is
no place to try out something new! Less is best & light is right are
general rules.
I have check lists upon lists designed especially for every kind of
expedition you can imagine. Be packed months in advance but view everything
& check it off no later than a week before you leave so it’s fresh in your
mind that what is on the list is actually in your bags. This goes hand in hand
with the Sponsor Accrual Phase because you have to determine what it is you
need to make this expedition a success.
The Sponsor Accrual Phase - It all starts with the Press Release which can
be created once your team has officially committed to the expedition. Once they
have made a deposit to the team. Once the PR is tweaked then I usually use a
shotgun approach & hit up hundreds of potential sponsors for items needed,
this can be labor intensive: The other approach is a more of a marksmanship
approach, one only asks for certain key items needed & focuses all their
attention on a few potential sponsors. If your cause is worthy & your trip
interesting enough, most outdoor retailers will offer at least a professional
discount which is often more than half off. Be sure to return to them lots of
reciprocal donations so they will continue to take care of you throughout the
years.
The Media Phase – This phase is where we promote both our sponsors & our
expedition. At this point I train & I promote, that’s all I do. This is
when I am not requesting anymore sponsorship however this is often when a
potential sponsor hears about you! Don’t be afraid of a little shameless self-promotion,
the squeaky wheel gets the grease & the media can be used for many
important reasons beyond self-promotion, it is a place where one can raise
money for charity & thank our sponsors: The more the better, it also gives
you motivation being so committed on television & in the magazines, it all
starts with a good press release.
Believe it or not this can really help when you are actually on expedition,
knowing that people are interested in you, knowing that good companies have
sponsored you & have an interest in your success, use this to re-create
& re-invent yourself.
Expedition allows me to be greater than myself. To live out a fantasy of
whom I would like to be. It allows me a unique opportunity to express myself as
hero or villain, healer or warrior. It’s my most treasured time of year. I view
going on an expedition as a way of getting lost, for as Henry David Thoreau
said, it is not until we are lost, can we begin to understand ourselves, they
are like a miniature lifetime, compressed or perhaps accelerated to the point
of experiencing every possible human emotion in just a few short weeks”
The Charity Process – Not every expedition raises money for charity but
everyone I lead does, for me it gives a value to the trip that would have
otherwise been missing. We use the media to raise money & awareness. This
is simple enough, just some Facebook & other social media posts asking
friends to go to a website & help out this charity. Having a charitable
component to an expedition makes it worth sponsoring. Actually raising money is
great but also using the media attention you get for your expedition to raise
awareness is also helpful & it makes what you are doing more important to
the world. I can’t imagine asking for sponsorship without giving something back
in this fashion.
The Expedition: Climbing, shooting video & photos & broadcasting
trip reports on Facebook & our websites. Problem solve as a team with
emphasis placed upon each team members specialty or job on expedition. As
Expedition Leader I find my teams strengths & then appoint them as leaders
in that field this is the best way to lead, by getting out of peoples way &
letting them lead themselves, to a large extent. If everyone has done their
training & homework the Expedition Leader can just ride the wave of
positive energy & excitement of the team.
Reciprocal Donation Phase - Give back to those who supported you, more than
what you received from them. They receive hundreds to thousands of requests for
donations a month & they chose you, outdoor outfitters & gear companies
are some of the most generous well-meaning business practices this world has.
Blow their minds with some really good PR for their company & don’t stop
promoting them even though you got what you needed. Few people will heed this
advice but those that do will often have more sponsorship in the future &
have a few marketing reps as your new friends.
The whole process normally takes me a year.
