FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Great question! We have developed our admissions process to be one that helps answer any and all questions upon enrollment, and to help your child feel excited and prepared for their trip!

After completing the online application, each new participant is asked to have a teacher complete a short reference form, and to set up a time to talk with a director. It's a great chance to talk about specifics of the trip, for us to learn more about your child, and to answer any questions they may have. We also ask that you fill out a health history for your child, so that we can review it with you and make sure everything is set to provide your child with a fun and healthy summer experience!

Once these steps have been completed and we have received a deposit payment from you, we will confirm your child's enrollment on their trip!

The Road Less Traveled attracts participants from all over the United States as well as a handful of international participants every year. Our participants have a variety of interests from sports and reading to volunteering and art. Our participants are well-rounded and adventurous people who are seeking a new and exciting way to experience their summer.

During the summer, our participants live and work in intimate conditions that require a lot of cooperation, empathy, patience, and dedication to the experience at hand. We look for individuals who are willing to help create an atmosphere that will promote a successful group dynamic, and who are genuinely excited to be out in the world, trying new things. We maintain high expectations for our participants and we expect that everyone who joins us is excited for the program and will be a positive contributing member to the group. We have several ways of screening participants before they join us including:

• All parents/guardians must complete a detailed health history and personality profile form on behalf of their participant during the enrollment process.

• All new participants must submit a teacher reference.

• All participants must schedule a pre-trip phone call with a member from the office to talk through trip details, policies, and any questions they may have.

Our enrollment process is designed to help us learn how to best support our participants before they are in our care for the summer and to ensure that our participants are genuinely interested in their trip! The Road Less Traveled is not a wilderness therapy program.

Yes, your child can come with a friend, though the majority of our participants travel on our programs without knowing anyone. If your child does decide to come with a friend, we simply ask that they put as much energy into everyone else on the trip as they will their friend. We know that inclusion works to make the trip successful for everyone in the group, and we expect everyone who joins us to be a positive contributing member of the group.

Our programs are designed with beginners in mind! We find that the majority of our participants have either never traveled like this before or are more used to a traditional residential summer camp background and are looking for that next step in independent, adventure travel. We offer something for everyone! Our trip leaders are great resources on the program and work to teach new skills to our participants.

Regardless of your participant's background, we work to promote the inclusivity of all participants on a trip and discourage any closed-off cliques or small groups. We rotate partners for activities and sleeping arrangements throughout all RLT trips and our trip leaders are trained to navigate group dynamics and make changes as needed.

It is completely normal if your child is a bit nervous before their first trip. Upon enrollment, you will receive several resources to prepare for the program and many opportunities to talk to the RLT Directors about any questions or concerns you may have.

Our group size varies from 6 to 16 participants depending on our program goals, the size of the community where we will be doing our service work, and various permit requirements for our adventure programs. We do require a minimum number of participants to be enrolled in a trip in order for it to run. We find that group size is important to the overall success of the trip, and a group that is too small or too big may not provide our participants with the best experience possible.

There is so much more to safety than we can possibly write on a website or in our catalog. We encourage you to take the time to call us, ask the tough questions, get to know us, and talk about our risk management practices and safety record. Everyone’s physical and emotional safety is our first priority. All leaders are required to have advanced first-aid training in the form of WEMT (Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician), EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), or WFR (Wilderness First Responder) certification. All have CPR training, and many have Red Cross Lifeguard training. Our medical protocols are reviewed annually by our Medical Director.

The Road Less Traveled leaders, alumni, and their parents speak far more expressively about their experience on RLT than we ever could write here. For a reference list of families who have participated on a specific program or for an area-specific reference list, please call our office at (773) 342-5200.

It depends on the trip. Our maximum student to leader ratio is 8:1, with both male and female leaders represented on each program. More commonly, our student to leader ratio is 6:1 and can be as low as 2:1 while working with expert guides.

Our leaders are the best! They are sticklers for safety, hygiene, good cooking and developing great group dynamics. They have experience working with young people and are highly skilled and deeply committed people. Most importantly, they have strong values: honesty, integrity, respect for the environment, and compassion for others. It is our understanding that The Road Less Traveled leaders are among the highest paid in the industry. The average age of our leaders is 26 years old. All of our leaders are Wilderness First Responder certified.

Your summer on The Road will no doubt lead you to new experiences, new places, and to see sights you could never have imagined. We find the participants who walk away having gained the most, often came with little to no expectations. The measure of anyone's success on a Road Less Traveled trip is their willingness to give the experience 100% and to come with a “can do and will try” attitude. Prepare to be challenged, prepare for hard work, prepare to explore what you’re capable of, and prepare to have a boatload of fun. Prepare to make lifelong friends and bond over experiences that will be difficult to explain to anyone who was not there. Prepare to have the summer of a lifetime!

Some important RLT policies to be aware of are as follows:

Phone and Electronics Policy: Please understand that our expeditions are designed for group participation, and it has been our experience that frequent, long phone calls can be a major distraction. Personal cell phone use, emails, texts, and listening to music on personal devices are not permitted while on an RLT program. However, traveling with and using a cell phone and/or personal electronic device is permitted and encouraged for communication on arrival and departure days ONLY. Participants will provide their cell phones to their leaders after arriving and having the chance to call to check in with their parents, and the phones will be returned on the departure day. Additionally, we strongly discourage the use of smart watches as there is not a place to consistently charge these while on trips.

Behavior Policy: We expect that everyone who joins us will be a positive contributing member to the group. Any unsafe actions, abusive language, theft, or harmful behavior will result in immediate dismissal from the program. Alcohol, tobacco, including vaping, and drugs are strictly prohibited on RLT trips. Additionally, RLT believes that each person, regardless of their race, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religious preference, or color deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, and thoughtfulness. We expect all participants to treat each individual with respect and provide an environment that is free from prejudice, bullying, harassment and discrimination. Inappropriate behavior and discriminatory practices will not be tolerated.

Limited Caffeine Policy: We want to be offering healthy options for our groups and so in this vein we limit the amount of caffeine that comes into play during the program. Coffee and energy drinks are not allowed to be purchased or prepared on RLT trips. Black tea will be available for those participants who want caffeine on their program or who are used to drinking caffeinated beverages at home. For some of our international trips, on occasion, there may be limited opportunities to try teas or coffees local to the area as part of a cultural experience for the group.

Please note: We review these policies with all particpants during their pre-trip phone calls.

Details on when to make your travel arrangements will be included in the trip specific information sent out in the spring. Families are responsible for booking their own flights. Our office will provide details on arrival/departure windows and locations. Many of our trips that operate out of the country have accompanied flights, which enable our leaders and students to travel to and from the destination country (and in-country if applicable) together. Specifics on which trips have RLT leader accompanied flights can be discussed by calling our office at (773) 342-5200.

If a participant is traveling abroad and is under the age of 18, it is required to have a valid passport. If your child does not already have a passport, and they plan on traveling with us this summer, you MUST apply for one as soon as possible due to passport application processing time. The passport absolutely has to be valid for 6 months after the trip end date, otherwise they may be denied entry to the country. Please be sure to check the current passport (if you already have one) to confirm that the expiration date falls within this time frame.

Every U.S. citizen who is traveling internationally with RLT will have his/her name and passport number registered with the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for the duration of their trip. In addition, every local U.S. Embassy will have our company's contact information and full itinerary should they need it during the summer.

Some of our international programs require Tourist Visas in order to participate. It is up to the traveler and the traveler's family to obtain these visas. Specific directions on how to go about applying for your student's visa will be provided after application and acceptance to the program. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you to apply for a Tourist Visa until The Road Less Traveled gives you explicit directions to do so. Tourist Visas are only valid for a temporary amount of time, and if you apply too early the visa will expire prior to departure.

The Road Less Traveled strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance to protect families from the risk of unexpected expenses due to last-minute cancellations or early trip departures. Life is unpredictable and we strongly recommend protecting your investment. In many instances, travel insurance can help recover the cost of tuition and additional unexpected expenses such as medical care, last-minute airfare, lost luggage, etc.

The Road Less Traveled does not offer its own insurance. To protect your participant's trip, you will need to connect with a third-party company directly about acquiring a policy. Many insurance companies have strict timelines of when coverage needs to be purchased, so we recommend inquiring as soon as possible upon your participant's enrollment.

The Road Less Traveled requires travel insurance for all international trips. We do not require travel insurance for domestic programs, however, we will always strongly recommend purchasing coverage to protect your investment. While we are not affiliated with any insurance company, after many years of running programs and past years of partnering with certain insurance providers, we have had a positive experience working with Travel Insured International. You can browse their policies here:

Travel Insured

As always, we recommend that you research insurance options and determine which is the best fit for you. As you browse travel insurance options, you will notice that there are a variety of policies offered, of which we have found “cancel for any reason” plans to be the best fit for our trips. These policies typically must be purchased within two weeks of paying your trip deposit.

If you have additional questions regarding travel insurance or our policies, please feel free to reach out at (773) 342-5200 or admissions@theroadlesstraveled.com.

The Road Less Traveled requires an updated Tetanus booster within the last 9 years. We also encourage all participants to be up to date on all school-required vaccinations. We follow the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations for the overseas locations to which we travel. The decision to receive vaccinations and/or prophylaxis medication is an individual one, which should be made in close consultation with a travel health specialist and/or your personal Physician. Additional country-specific health information on the provinces/states visited on each program will be provided throughout the admissions process and by email.

Depending on what trip your child is enrolled on, they can expect to be met as they de-board the plane, immediately outside security, or occasionally at baggage claim. If they are traveling as a registered Unaccompanied Minor, they will be met at the gate — or just outside of customs for international trips. If traveling on a group or leader accompanied flight, they will travel to and from the destination country with other RLT students and an RLT leader. Detailed information will be sent out in the spring which explains meeting places and communication procedures on arrival days. Leaders will be wearing a Road Less Traveled t-shirt, will have their cell phones and will have all of camper contact information with them. They'll also be in frequent contact with our office should there be any delays on arrival and departure days.

Packing Lists: A trip-specific packing list will be provided in your CampInTouch account. Please be sure to pay close attention to all items on the list, as there is a need for each item listed. Due to the remote nature of our trips, it can often be difficult if not impossible to buy certain items once on the program. Please do not hesitate to contact us in the office if you have any questions about packing, and we are happy to help in any way we can.

How to Pack: Review the packing list and gather all necessary gear early! All gear should be packed into one manageable checked bag and one smaller carry-on backpack. Consider packing by category in labeled stuff sacks or packing cubes, so your participant doesn’t have to constantly pack and repack. RLT groups will do laundry approximately one time throughout the trip. Because our participants have very similar clothing and gear, please make sure to label every item with your participant's name before trip departure.

How to Travel with the Important Stuff: Your child should use their daypack to carry important items including identification, medications, passports (if they are traveling internationally), cameras, etc. onto the plane. It is also a good idea to carry on toiletries, a fleece, a water bottle, and a rain jacket, in case delays or cancellations occur. Do not check items such as medications, identification, or other “must-have” items. Please have a conversation with your child regarding how important it is to guard their personal belongings while traveling. The Road Less Traveled is not responsible for replacing lost cash. Please review the latest security measures regarding carry-on luggage at www.tsa.gov.

Identify Your Baggage Clearly: All luggage/bags must be clearly labeled with the destination point for the outgoing leg of the trip. Use your home address for the return trip. Mark your home address indelibly somewhere on the pack and duffel before you leave home. Reminder: The Road Less Traveled is not responsible for overweight baggage fees or lost luggage.

We strongly suggest that all smart watches, iPods, tablets, e-readers, game devices, valuable or sentimental jewelry, irreplacebable items, overly revealing or potentially offensive clothing, and overweight luggage is not brought on your RLT program. Charging stations will not be available if smart watches or similar devices are brought on the trip. Please remember to pack light and pack only the essentials. Items may receive hard use. Please reach out to the office team to receive an updated packing list for your specific program or if you have any additional questions.

The tuition price of the trip includes just about everything: all meals, in-country transportation (excluding air fare), laundry and shower facilities, gear, admissions, tolls, guide fees, special events and private tours.

We do suggest bringing at least $100 per week for personal items, souvenirs, stamps, postcards, and baggage fees. It's best to bring a mix of cash and a credit or ATM card, as some airlines don't accept cash for baggage fees. If your participant is traveling internationally, cash can be kept in U.S. dollars and exchanged in-country with the group. The amount of pocket-money you send your child with will depend on the location he/she is traveling to - for example, participants traveling to Europe will need to bring more pocket-money than participants traveling to Costa Rica.

While all RLT trips are cell phone-free for participants, the RLT Directors and office staff are available 24-7 while trips are in the field. Regular office hours during the summer months are 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Central Standard Time 7 days a week, however we will have a Director available outside of these hours in the event of an emergency. We encourage you to trust in the old adage – “no news is good news.” If you do not hear from us in the office, please do not assume that anything is wrong - we will be in touch throughout your child’s trip. There are a few times you can expect to hear from the RLT office, the trip leaders, or your child:

Arrived Safely Emails: Once your child has arrived safely on the program and has met with their RLT leader, you will receive an email update from the office team. Once everyone in the group has arrived safely and met with their leaders, you will receive an additional email update with a group photo. Please note that all participants arrive at different times on the arrival day and trip leaders are busy managing arrivals and getting to know the participants, so these group photo emails will arrive at varied times, especially for international trips.

Mid-Trip Phone Call: Approximately halfway through the trip, your child will have the chance to call and chat with their family. This call will be done through a leader’s cell phone, and the RLT office will email you a few days prior to the trip to give you a head’s up about when to expect the call.

Family Email Updates: You will receive two written updates that are emailed to you throughout the trip, that give you an overview of what the group has been doing, and some highlights from each participant.

Photos: Photos will be uploaded to a shared online gallery every few days, so you can get a glimpse into life on “The Road.” Due to the remote nature of our trips, these uploads can vary.

As-Needed Updates from the Office: Office staff will provide additional updates on your participant if any noteworthy situation arises.

Emergency Situations and Leaving Messages: If you need to get a message to your participant, contact the office at (773) 342-5200 and we will relay the message through your participant’s trip leaders. Trip leaders call the office frequently to retrieve messages and relay information to our office staff. If you have an emergency after hours, please call our office at (773) 342-5200. We will be available for emergencies 24 hours a day during the summer months.

If We Need to Contact You: In emergencies, we will attempt to contact you immediately. In the case of minor illness or injury, we will contact you that day during reasonable hours, or at the earliest possible time the following day. During the summer if there is any situation related to your participant, including illness or injury, when we deem it necessary to communicate with a participant’s parent or guardian, our procedure dictates:

• One of our staff will call the directors.

• One of our directors, your child's trip leader, or someone from our office will contact you. If we are unable to reach you, we will then call the emergency contacts indicated in your account.

Each group plans, buys, prepares, eats, and cleans up all meals together. With leader supervision, our students help prepare all meals. Participants will have the opportunity to experience local dishes and cuisines. Special dietary needs and some allergies can be accommodated, but it is important to keep in mind that many meals at The Road Less Traveled are prepared in basic kitchens (or outdoors), and groceries are typically purchased from small stores that may have limited choices. Please call our office to discuss specifics.

We realize that even the most enthusiastic participants may experience anxiety or nerves about their trip, and we’d like to take this opportunity to address some of these issues.

Homesickness and anxiety are natural reactions to a new experience. The cure lies in clear communication with your trip leaders. We understand that it can be hard to admit that you are homesick or unhappy, but know that the only way to solve these kinds of problems on your trip is to talk to someone who can do something about it – your trip leaders. If you let you leaders know about a problem we can plan together and develop a course of action which will help you feel more comfortable on your trip. It is perfectly normal to feel doubt, fear, homesickness, anger, etc. Our goal is to guide you through these feelings to having an exceptional summer!

Accommodations vary depending on the trip. Some trips are entirely camping-based whereas others use private-housing accommodations, hostels, or hotels. Please review the trip-specific page for your desired program for trip-specific details.

Bathrooms and showers can be rustic so please be prepared. In an effort to save time and conserve water resources in the areas we are traveling, participants will have access to showers every 3-4 days even when showers are readily available in private housing accommodations. Bathrooms are a mix between flush toilets and latrines. Again, this will vary depending on the trip you select.

Participants stay in rooms and/or tents congruent with their gender identity, as communicated to the Director Team at The Road Less Traveled. If a participant identifies as non-binary, we will discuss their preference when it comes to room and/or tent assignments. When possible, we will also provide the option of a private room and/or tent accommodations, if this is something the participant is most comfortable with. 

Participants are not permitted to enter rooms and/or tents that are not assigned to them unless given permission by an RLT leader.

It is critical that our trip leaders possess all relevant medical history to ensure the safety of your participant. It is your obligation to inform us of any changes in your participant’s physical or psychological condition leading up to their trip departure. Withholding important medical information (regarding both physical health and mental health) can be detrimental to the success of a program. Should a participant arrive with a previously undisclosed physical or psychological condition, The Road Less Traveled reserves the right to immediately terminate that individual’s participation and send them home without a refund.

Storing and Labeling Personal Medication: For the safety of everyone on the program, all medications will be held by the RLT designated health care leader for the duration of the program. For RLT to administer any personal medication, the following procedures must be adhered to:

Prescription Medication:

1. Indicate on the Health History Form all prescription medications that your participant will bring with them.

2. All prescription medication must come in its original bottle, and must indicate the following:

• Dosage

• Frequency of administration

• Time(s) of administration

• Name of medication

• Participant's name

• Physician's name

Non-Prescription Medication: (includes vitamins, dietary supplements, homeopathic medicines

1. Indicate on Health History Form all non-prescription medication that your participant will bring with them.

2. All non-prescription medication must be packaged and labeled with the following information included on (or in) the package:

- Parent/guardian signature for authorization of administration (indicated on the Health History Form)

• Participant's name

• Name of medication

• Dosage

• Frequency of administration (even if "frequency" is "as-needed")

If there is a change to your participant’s medication (prescription or non-prescription) or an additional medication is added to their regimen, you must inform our office in writing as soon as possible. An email to admissions@theroadlesstraveled.com will suffice.

Inhalers: If your participant uses a rescue inhaler, they must bring THREE with them. Your participant will keep one, their leader will keep one, and one will be kept as a backup. For inhalers that are used but are NOT rescue inhalers, please be sure to bring two. If your participant uses a rescue inhaler, a member of our Admissions Team will also reach out to you over email with an asthma action-plan form. Please complete this form and send it back to admissions@theroadlesstraveled.com.

Epipens: If your participant has a history of severe systemic anaphylactic reactions, they must bring TWO EpiPens. Your participant will keep one and their leader will keep one. Please make sure your participant knows how to use an EpiPen before traveling with us this summer. If you have indicated your participant uses an EpiPen for a food-related allergy, a member of our Admissions Team will also reach out to you over email with an allergy action-plan form. Please complete this form and send it back to admissions@theroadlesstraveled.com.

Insulin: If your participant has diabetes and a prescription for insulin, they must bring extra insulin with them on their trip. We recommend packing your participant with enough insulin to last them twice the amount of days as their trip. Our leaders will never administer their insulin, but they will hold onto the extra insulin in the rare case that it is needed. In addition, a member of our Admissions Team will also reach out to you over email with a diabetes action-plan form. Please complete this form and send it back to admissions@theroadlesstraveled.com.

Glasses: If your participant wears prescription glasses or contacts and they are critical to their vision, please make sure they bring along an old pair of glasses for use in case the originals break. Also, send a copy of their eyeglasses or contact lenses prescription (it's better to be prepared).

Updating Your Participant’s Medical Information: If anything has changed in your participant’s health history prior to the trip, it is your responsibility to email us those changes at admissions@theroadlesstraveled.com. This includes:

• Any new medications or dosages

• Behavioral changes

• Emotional information

• Physical conditions

If you indicated on your participant’s health history forms that they have a prescription for an inhaler or an EpiPen, it is absolutely mandatory that they are sent with two EpiPens and/or three Inhalers. If your participant shows up for their trip with only one or two of either of these required items, it could be life-threatening and will delay the entire program for the group. You will be required to be in touch with your physician to get a prescription immediately filled, possibly across state lines or abroad for immediate pick-up while the entire trip waits.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the information we have provided. As always, we are available at the office at (773) 342-5200.