A word or two or MORE about Safety

With over 20 years of experience, we understand that safety is the most important aspect of travel. We have an exceptional record to prove it. The physical and emotional well-being of our travelers is the most important aspect of our work, and we live it and breathe it 24/7. No one will work more intelligently, more creatively, or more carefully to care for you and your family.

This conviction has empowered and inspired us to provide only the best in training, emergency preparedness, and staffing over the years. Our safety, quality, and experience are unrivaled. We encourage (and strongly recommend) you to compare us to others. Ask the tough questions. When we began over two decades ago there were but a handful of companies traveling as we do -- today, there are hundreds. It’s one thing to discover an interesting website, call and book your summer, but it’s another to know the people to whom you’ve entrusted your child’s health and well-being. On The Road Less Traveled, we are with you from beginning to end.

Caring for travelers in remote and foreign destinations around the world is serious business. We set the standard in the industry for safety as the first company serving young people to require that all of our leaders have Wilderness First Responder Certification. Advanced medical training is essential. ALL community service learning and adventure expedition leaders, co-leaders, and interns are required to have a minimum of 72 hours of advanced first-aid training in the form of WEMT (Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician), WFR (Wilderness First Responder), or EMT.

We have designated evacuation routes and medical facilities in every area in which we operate. We monitor daily all of our destinations as well as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),  the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and World Health Organization (WHO) travel advisories. We have highly experienced, around-the-clock logistical and medical assistance teams on call for all of our families.

Extensive first-aid kits, including antibiotics and epinephrine, are carried on all programs. Contents and protocols are updated according to annually-reviewed standing orders and current wilderness medical protocols. Our equipment is top quality and impeccably maintained. All participants wear life jackets, safety harnesses, and helmets, as appropriate for participation in specific adventure activities. On our service programs, participants use safety goggles, masks, and other protective gear, as necessary to ensure safety.

Since our inception, RLT has been on the cutting edge of technological advances in communications. We were the first to carry Iridium satellite phones on all of our programs and today we continue to carry the latest in emergency communication systems. Cost does not prevent us from providing you with the best in care. According to geographic location, programs are equipped with satellite phones, ground-to-air radios, and/or cellular phones providing access to 24-hour medical help in case of emergency. Technology permitting, leaders can consult the directors, Jim and Donna Stein anytime of the day or night.

The Road Less Traveled is accredited by the American Camp Association. Accredited since our first year of operation, we continue to be committed to measuring the standard of our professionalism through the process of accreditation. Our accreditation indicates that we have voluntarily allowed our practices to be compared with over 300 standards established by professionals in the camp industry and that we have met or exceeded those standards. Courts of law and government regulators recognize the ACA standards, which often go beyond the requirements of state and federal laws, as the standards of the camp industry. Through the accreditation process, outside teams of trained camp professionals observe the camp in session to verify compliance with standards in the areas of health, safety, and program quality, including emergency procedures, program practices and design, health care, personnel policies, vehicle safety, goals, and administration.

In addition to being an ACA-accredited camp we are also members of the Midwest Association of Independent Camps. We travel in the most spectacular, extraordinary regions of the world and are fully permitted to operate in all the areas we travel.