Safety & Accreditation

Caring for travelers in remote and foreign destinations around the world is serious business.  

With over 25 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. 

We love the energy, humor and spirit of youth; we love what we do, and we respect the world in which we do it. Our work with children is serious business. Our commitment to safety is unrivaled and we always place quality before quantity. This conviction has empowered and inspired us to provide only the best in training, emergency preparedness, and staffing over the years. We encourage, and strongly recommend that you compare us to others and ask the tough questions. On The Road Less Traveled, we are with you from beginning to end.

A Word or Two, or More, about Safety.

Our safety record is exceptional and, since our founding, RLT has never had anyone stay overnight in a hospital from an accident or injury.

Wilderness First Responder 
Certified

Advanced medical training is essential. We set the standard in the industry for safety as the first company serving young people to require that ALL of our leaders, co-leaders and interns have a minimum of 80 hours of advanced first aid training in the form of W-EMT (Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician), WFR (Wilderness First Responder), or EMT(Emergency Medical Technician). This nationally recognized definitive advanced medical training includes standards for urban and extended care situations as well as a lifesaver BLS and adult CPR, risk management, prevention, and decision making skills. 

Markel's Safety 1st Designation

Each year, Markel’s Safety 1st program recognizes policyholders who have shown an exceptional commitment to the safety of their employees and clients. Michael Swain, Senior Loss Control Specialist for Markel Specialty, stated, “Camps and clubs must meet stringent criteria to qualify for the Safety 1st designation. They must have a proven safety record, undergo formal assessments and inspections, and participate in continuing education and certification programs. These facilities deserve to be recognized for keeping safety a top priority." The Road Less Traveled is extremely proud to be among the few awarded this prestigious designation.

Designated Medical Facilities, Safehouses and U.S. Embassies

We have predetermined designated evacuation routes, safe houses 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. Every student's name and passport number, who is traveling out of the country, is registered with the American Embassy in the destination country. In addition, Embassies have our contact information and full itinerary should they need to contact us.

Medical Policies/Procedures/Protocols/Equipment

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 community service programs, participants use safety goggles, masks, and other protective gear, as necessary to ensure safety.

Emergency Communications

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 for daily mission-critical reliable communication services. 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.

ACA Accreditation

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 (MAIC) as well as The Camp Owners & Directors Association (CODA).

In 2016, we received the American Camp Association Gordie Kaplan Award for program excellence. This ACA award honors outstanding student travel programs and recognizes organizations that develop positive and creative responses to the needs of people and ecosystems across the globe

Certified B Corp

As a certified B Corp we create higher quality jobs and improve the quality of life in our own community and in the communities where we travel. Purpose driven, RLT meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency for the benefit of all stakeholders, not just shareholders. Additionally, The Road Less Traveled is honored to have been included in B Lab's Best For The World list, which recognizes the B Corps that have taken the greatest strides to create measurable impact improvement over the last two years. In both 2017 and 2018, RLT was recognized in both the 'Best for Governance'.and the 'Best Overall' categories.

Medical Director

We have our personal Medical Director, 
Dr. Ken Branstetter, who is our physician/pediatrician on call 24/7. Ken has been with RLT since its very beginning when both he and his wife Honnie led for RLT in the 90's. He has provided leadership both in the field, as Associate Director and now serves as our medical director. Dr. Branstetter graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine at Denver in 2004. He works in Neenah, WI where he lives with his wife and two beautiful children and specializes in Pediatrics. Dr. Branstetter is affiliated with Appleton Medical Center and Theda Care Regional Medical Center.

Permits

We travel in the most spectacular, extraordinary regions of the world and are fully permitted to operate in all the areas we travel. Please go here to learn more about our commitment to a http://www.theroadlesstraveled.com/occupy-nature/environmentalism