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Are You Prepared For Your Day Trips?

8/17/2016

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There is an interesting article titled “HOW TO SURVIVE A WILDERNESS EMERGENCY” at 303 Magazine.com. It has some good points and resonated with me because it paralleled my philosophy that survival in a wilderness emergency situation is determined BEFORE you leave home. As my mentor, Paul Petzoldt, used to say, “If you are stupid enough to get into a survival situation how are you going to be smart enough to get out of it.” He sarcastically suggested that people carry smart pills that would help them make smart decisions after they had made the stupid decisions that got them into trouble.

I love the article’s introduction, which states, “Having the proper knowledge and equipment prior to finding yourself in a wilderness emergency is the key to overcoming it. It’s easy to talk yourself out of buying gear that (if you’re lucky) you may never use, and as tempting as it is to continue to tell yourself ‘that will never happen to me,’ it’s safer and smarter to always assume that it will happen to you. It could happen on a trail that you hike once a week and it could happen at the campsite you visit every year. Understanding that there is a chance you could end up in a life-threatening position is the first step to preparing yourself to survive it.”

I take issue with the implication that wilderness is inherently dangerous. While many bad things can happen in the wilderness, it is when people make bad decisions before they arrive, and then compound them by continuing to make them while trekking through the wild outdoors, that things become dangerous. The article has wonderful advice, such as, “Tell someone” (where you are going), although, depending on your trailhead, I’m not sure it is a good idea to leave a note on the dashboard of your car, perhaps letting thieves know you won’t be around.

I think the article’s emphasis on pre-planning is great. While I love spontaneity, being spontaneous in the wilderness, as the author points out, can be the first decision that gets you into trouble. The advice about researching your journey, building an emergency kit, and being familiar with your gear is excellent.

The article also has great advice on clothing. It rightfully recommends NO COTTON and provides lots of alternatives.

Everyone has their own list of top essentials, as do I, but I question putting “Means of protection” number 1. While I do have a knife on my list of essentials, using it for protection is pretty low on my list. It’s primary emergency uses might include cutting nylon cord and creating some sort of shelter by cutting branches, and of course the most important non-emergency use, cutting your stick of pepperoni. Thinking of my knife as a means of protection is not even a consideration for me; if you need protection, pepper spray (which the author suggests) is a better option.

There is an interesting recommendation to bring a cell phone. A decade ago I would have said you were crazy to carry your cell phone; however, today, as cell coverage is much more extensive, it makes sense to bring a cell phone. The challenge is to have them work for you and not to fail functionally when you need them most. Here are my suggestions for cell phones:
  • Don’t be dependent on them. Have an alternate emergency plan.
  • If you have to keep it on, conserve battery life by using it in “airplane mode.”
  • Consider bringing an extra battery pack just for emergencies.
  • Know the correct emergency agency you should call and their number.
  • Have a plan before you call of what you need to tell them and, ideally, write it down.

The author suggests building an emergency kit weighing no more than ten pounds. My day pack has two ditty bags with just such gear. I rarely leave home without it. It contains a basic first aid kit (I have a more sophisticated one for longer trips), a flashlight, water bottle, snack food, a whistle, fire starter, extra clothing, and rain gear. I have my map and compass readily available as well.

I do not carry an emergency shelter on day trips. Paul Petzoldt, founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School and the Wilderness Education Association, once wrote, “The important rule governing what should be in your pack is that a party be able to survive one night in the outdoors in case of injury, becoming lost, or other emergency!” You don’t have to necessarily be comfortable, but you need to survive.

One last nitpick is the recommendation to stay put. It generally is good advice, but it should not be a hard and  fast rule. There is an unfortunate story about a gentleman named David Boomhower who, in 1991, got lost in the Adirondacks, followed the rule of staying put, despite being less than two hours from the nearest road and being able to hear vehicles from the tentsite he created. He left a diary telling his harrowing tale of starving to death so close to civilization. Staying put was not in his best interest.

The article is well worth a read, but don’t forget that ultimately your brain is going to be the best tool to have and use in an emergency situation.

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Part 6 - Paul Smith's College Professor visits New Zealand to Study Adventure Tourism

8/10/2016

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This is the last of six installments on Peter Roland, Associate Professor of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Paul Smith's College's recent report on his sabbatical trip to study the marketing and management of adventure tourism in New Zealand. With his permission we will be providing a series of the following installments of his report. 
  1. Introduction, What is Adventure Tourism?
  2. Destination Marketing Organizations of New Zealand
  3. Adventure Tourism Activities 1
  4. Adventure Tourism Activities 2
  5. Application of New Zealand Practices to Adventure Tourism  in the Adirondacks
  6. Conclusion

Conclusion
 
     The objectives of this study were twofold:  To better prepare Paul Smith’s College students for participation in the tourism system and provide information that will allow Adirondack destinations to better compete for the adventure traveler.  As a world leader in adventure tourism New Zealand offers good examples of best practices with respect to marketing and management for this segment of the tourism industry. 
 
     The experience of developing a six week itinerary including a number of adventure tourism activities involved a considerable amount of research followed by executing the itinerary upon arrival at the destination.  Put simply, New Zealand makes it easy.  The information available online was extensive and user friendly.  Planning for transportation, accommodations, activities and attractions could be done seamlessly.  The availability of sample itineraries, packages and links to tour operators and other businesses and organizations made planning an efficient process. Upon arrival expectations were met with nearly every aspect of what was planned. 
 
     Tourism is a complex system that includes government agencies, destination marketing organizations, not for profits and businesses that provide information, amenities and activities for visitors.  Tourism is now the largest industry in New Zealand and has achieved this over the last 30 years due to the successful integration of all the elements of the tourism system.   They do this well and much can be learned from a study of their system. 
 
     The research applies directly to the Recreation and Resort Marketing and Management and Destination Dynamics and the Tourism System courses taught at Paul Smith’s College.  The information acquired with respect to the New Zealand tourism system will help students with an understanding of not only adventure tourism but many other aspects of marketing and managing recreation, resorts and tourism destinations. 
 
     The activities that first brought visitors to the Adirondacks in the 19th century are still important to the tourism economy of the region today.   However the nature of these activities has evolved along with how they can be marketed and managed.  Better information and better infrastructure supporting these activities will enhance the visitor experience and when combined with marketing could result in an increase in visitors and businesses supporting these activities.  Increasingly tourism destinations are competing globally as well as within their traditional regions.  In order to remain competitive in the 21st century and take advantage of the economic stimulus that tourism can provide all the participants in the tourism system need to work together to create an exceptional experience for the visitor.  
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Part 5 - Paul Smith's College Professor visits New Zealand to Study Adventure Tourism

8/8/2016

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This is the fifth of six installments on Peter Roland, Associate Professor of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Paul Smith's College's recent report on his sabbatical trip to study the marketing and management of adventure tourism in New Zealand. With his permission we will be providing a series of the following installments of his report. 
  1. Introduction, What is Adventure Tourism?
  2. Destination Marketing Organizations of New Zealand
  3. Adventure Tourism Activities 1
  4. Adventure Tourism Activities 2
  5. Application of New Zealand Practices to Adventure Tourism  in the Adirondacks
  6. Conclusion

Application of New Zealand Practices to Adventure Tourism
in the Adirondacks
 
     New Zealand offers a wide range of adventure tourism activities, many of which are also offered in the Adirondacks.  Hiking, paddling and mountain biking are the activities with the greatest degree of overlap and which can be studied for best practices that could be applied in the Adirondack Region.   While New Zealand is an icon destination with global attraction, the Adirondacks are a regional destination within a day’s drive of 85 million people. 
 
     With respect to hiking the condition of the tracks in New Zealand was exceptional.  This makes them user friendly and the rating of tracks from Easiest to Expert allows the user to select a walk that is best suited to the time available and their abilities.  The accessibility of information about the tracks both online and at the iSites throughout the country was excellent.  Any agency charged with recreational land management must deal with issues relating to preserving the resource while at the same time providing access to the public.  The Department of Conservation appears to be managing this balance well and no conflicts were observed with the exception of the Tongariro Alpine Traverse. 
 
     The infrastructure that supports the hiking is very well developed.  Private operators provide shuttles to and from the trail heads from population centers.  Guided hike options exist in many areas that range from half day to multi-day hikes.  Links to the private operators are easy to find on both the TNZ and DoC websites.  At whatever level the visitor wants to experience hiking, from totally independent to totally supported, the options are there and are easily accessible.  The ability to offer value added features such as transfers, rentals, guides and huts provides the opportunity to create greater revenue for the private operators that support the activity while offering a more customizable experience for the visitor. 
 
     The hut to hut options deserve special mention due to the work currently being done by the Adirondack Community-based Trails & Lodging System (ACTLS) to develop this in the Adirondacks.  New Zealand has a tradition of offering backcountry huts for hikers and the DoC operates and maintains over 950 huts in the National Parks and other conservation lands throughout the country.  This would be extremely unlikely to happen in the Adirondacks due to the nature of laws creating the Adirondack Park and Adirondack Forest Preserve.  ACTLS would utilize private operators with inholdings in the Park or in the Hamlets.  Based on discussions with Ultimate Hikes and Active Adventures there is a demand for this product that could be satisfied by a system in the Adirondacks.  This is a higher priced experience that would also support a number of other businesses providing lodging, food, transfers, and other support activities. 
 
     The paddling activities in New Zealand were notable for the number of options available, from simple equipment rentals to guided day long to multi-day trips.  This is currently being done in the Adirondacks by a number of operators.  One very useful feature offered in Abel Tasman National Park was the use of water taxis to provide access to a number of points in the park for both hikers and paddlers.  This allowed the visitor to hike, paddle, or both and allowed use of parts of the park for hikers or paddlers that didn’t want to do a multi-day activity.  This also allowed paddlers or hikers to only go in one direction for as far as they wanted and not have to return to the start on the same route.  Similar water taxi shuttle options existed for hikers on walking tracks that could be accessed from lakes in the more popular destinations.  All these activities were provided by private operators and increased the amount visitors spent in these areas. 
 
     Mountain biking is extensive and well promoted in New Zealand.  A trail grading system similar to that for hiking is helpful for the visitor and information is readily available online through the TNZ and DoC websites as well as the iSites throughout the country.  As with the hiking and paddling there are many businesses supporting this activity through providing rentals, guided tours, and shuttles.  Although mountain biking is promoted through the Lake Placid and Adirondack Region websites there is no listing of that as an activity on the I Love NY website and on the Department of Environmental Conservation website a limited amount of information can be found under the “Recreation – Other Activities – Bicycling” tabs on the website.  Given the growth in mountain biking this could represent an opportunity for the Adirondacks.   
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Part 4 - Paul Smith's College Professor visits New Zealand to Study Adventure Tourism

8/3/2016

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This is the fourth of six installments on Peter Roland, Associate Professor of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Paul Smith's College's recent report on his sabbatical trip to study the marketing and management of adventure tourism in New Zealand. With his permission we will be providing a series of the following installments of his report. 
  1. Introduction, What is Adventure Tourism?
  2. Destination Marketing Organizations of New Zealand
  3. Adventure Tourism Activities 1
  4. Adventure Tourism Activities 2
  5. Application of New Zealand Practices to Adventure Tourism  in the Adirondacks
  6. Conclusion


Hiking
 
     A number of different hikes were taken, ranging from one hour to three days.  New Zealand offers both “walks” and “tramps”, with walks generally being of shorter duration on very well maintained tracks (trails) and tramps being on more difficult less maintained tracks.  All tracks managed by the DoC are given one of six walking track categories ranging from Easiest to Expert.  Most walking tracks are on National Park land or conserved land, but many also include access across private property. 

     The tracks are maintained exceptionally well with hardened surfaces, stairs in steep sections, and bridges or elevated walkways over rivers or wet sections.  Many of the tracks have toilet facilities at trail heads and the most popular tracks have vault toilet facilities along the tracks which need to be maintained.  It was apparent that a tremendous amount of resources are devoted to track maintenance, including extensive use of helicopters for transport of building materials and maintenance of sanitary facilities. 

     Information available online at the DoC site and at local iSites makes it extremely easy to find hikes suitable for any level.  Under “Find places to go walking and tramping” a visitor can sort by Region, Duration (under 1 hour to Multi-night), Place (areas within a region) and Difficulty (Easiest to Expert).  DoC signage for walking tracks was excellent, with uniform signage throughout the country.  One interesting feature is that they do not give distances but rather give estimated duration times, either one way or round trip.  This is based on average walking abilities but is clearly helpful to less experienced walkers since the times would be determined by quality of track and elevation gain in addition to distance.

     DoC also manages over 950 huts of all sizes and levels of service.  Reservations are required for many during the high season and overnight campers are required to have either a campsite or hut permit. Fees range from $21 to $36 USD per person per night, depending on location and amenities. The huts range from quite rustic to fairly modern and offer bunks and toilet facilities as well as propane for cooking.  New Zealand has a tradition of providing shelter in the backcountry that goes back over 100 years that continues today.
 
    Nine “Great Walks” are promoted on both the DoC and TNZ websites.  As stated on the DoC website “New Zealand's Great Walks are premier tracks that pass through diverse and spectacular scenery. From native forests, lakes and rivers to rugged mountain peaks, deep gorges and vast valleys...there's a Great Walk for everyone!  Great Walks tracks are well formed and easy to follow. While most people prefer to explore on their own terms, guided trips offer a bit more comfort. Great Walks are accessible from major towns that are well serviced by local operators and accommodation and transport providers.”  (http://www.doc.govt.nz/great-walks). 
     The DoC is primarily responsible for maintenance on the tracks throughout the country, with some assistance from volunteers and advocacy groups.  Tracks on the Great Walks are maintained to specific standards and guided trips are offered by private operators on several of them.  Transport options are available through a number of private operators to drop off and pick up walkers from trail heads or intermediate points on the tracks. 


Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
 
     Cruises are offered in Doubtful and Milford Sounds in Fiordland National Park either as day trips or overnight experiences.  While these better fit the definition of nature tourism as opposed to adventure tourism they are considered a “must see” for visitors to the South Island and are undertaken by many visitors also experiencing adventure tourism activities.  
 
     An overnight cruise was taken with Real Journeys on Doubtful Sound, the second largest fiord located in Fiordland National Park.   The trip includes a boat across Lake Manipouri and a coach over Wilmott Pass before reaching the Fiordland Navigator in Deep Cove.  The boat accommodated 70 passengers and included all the amenities expected of a nature cruise ship.
 
     Real Journeys is a very large tour operator, one of many offering cruises and activities in both Doubtful and Milford Sounds.  These operators are all concessions through the DoC and their activities are regulated. ​

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Part 3 - Paul Smith's College Professor visits New Zealand to Study Adventure Tourism

8/2/2016

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This is the third of six installments on Peter Roland, Associate Professor of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Paul Smith's College's recent report on his sabbatical trip to study the marketing and management of adventure tourism in New Zealand. With his permission we will be providing a series of the following installments of his report. 
  1. Introduction, What is Adventure Tourism?
  2. Destination Marketing Organizations of New Zealand
  3. Adventure Tourism Activities 1
  4. Adventure Tourism Activities 2
  5. Application of New Zealand Practices to Adventure Tourism  in the Adirondacks
  6. Conclusion

Active Adventures - I
 
     Active Adventures is a tour operator based in Queenstown that offers guided multi-day tours offering a range of activities including hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and general sightseeing.  Their packages include meals, accommodations, transport, activities and guides.  Pricing ranges from 8 days for $3,600 to 14 days for $5,700 per person.
 
The company was started in 1996 and offered itineraries only in New Zealand.  They have since expanded to offering trips in the Himalayas, South America and Europe.  They are now hosting approximately 1,200 travelers per year on their New Zealand itineraries.  Since some of their activities take place on public land they need a concession with DoC and are DoC approved.  Active was not used for any part of this visit to New Zealand but some of the activities and lodging included in their tours was used. 
 
A meeting was held in Queenstown with Managing Director Rob Wiseley, Matthew Yates, and Phil Boorman.  Given the high price point of their tours they were asked what they considered to be their greatest value added as opposed to a traveler developing their own itinerary.  From the first point of contact through to the conclusion of a tour their exchanges are human and customized.  This builds trust between the prospective customer and the company and leads to very high levels of satisfaction.  The researcher’s experience with the company reflected this.  Of all the inquiries made in the course of planning Active was the only company that offered to send a brochure, and it arrived within a week.  A follow-up e-mail that was clearly customized was sent by a member of their staff, and the same person continued to follow up to see if there were any questions that could be answered.  Group sizes do not exceed 14 people and they typically have two guides with each group.  The guides are local wherever they are operating and they pride themselves on sharing local knowledge with the participants.
 
     The target market is a 55 year old couple, many times with dual incomes.  Their marketing strategy relies heavily on digital, utilizing search advertising, social media and search engine optimization.  Unlike Ultimate Hikes the majority of their customers come from the United States. Active does use some traditional media, buying advertising in magazines like Outside in the U.S.  They attend some outdoor shows in major markets in the U.S. and also host events for past and prospective customers in a number of cities.
 
Adventure Tourism Activities


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