FAQ 2.0
Updated 9/13/2022
How do I join Outdoors Club?
Complete the following steps:
A: The Outdoors Club at Pitt seeks to provide an opportunity for Pitt students to engage in wilderness related activities, learn about the wilderness/outdoors and relevant skills, and foster an appreciation for the natural world and outdoor recreation. The Club fosters an ‘outdoorsy’ community here at Pitt and makes the outdoors more accessible.
Q: When & where are meetings?
A: Meetings are typically outside of the William Pitt Union on the Bigelow-side porch/plaza while it is warm. If it is cold/rainy, we will meet in Lawrence 120 or 121 (the first big auditoriums on the right), on Tuesdays at 9pm. We will send pre-meeting emails to let you know if this information has changed. We will also aim to post on the Instagram story as soon as we know of a change.
Q: How would I know if a meeting is cancelled?
A: We will send a pre-meeting email confirming meeting location & time, and info on what we’ll go over at that meeting. We will also post on the Instagram story.
Q: What if I can’t make a meeting?
A: We will send a post-meeting email (either that night or the following morning) with information from the meeting - INCLUDING THE TRIP SIGNUP GOOGLE FORM LINK & INFO.
Q: I missed a bunch of meetings and now it's really late in the semester. Can I still join?
A: Yes. See our meeting times above and show up.
Q: How do I get on trips?
A: You must 1. Be a registered member 2. Come to the meeting to signup.
Q: How do you pick who goes on trips?
A: The trip signups is generally a first-come, first-serve basis- which is why attending the meetings to signup first is important! However, we also take into consideration gear limitations, officer limitations, car groups, camping space, and budget. We seek to make sure that enough capable people- especially for activities like climbing, where there need to be experienced lead climbers/belayers/etc- are on the trip to help the less experienced people, so there is a blend, but we welcome those of all skill levels to sign up for trips.
Q:What else do we do at meetings?
A: Meetings are a great time to see your club friends, ask about trips and general club info, get to know the officers and learn some stuff from campus! We are making an effort to have some informational sessions available at meetings but officer resources are somewhat limited.
If you want to present something at a meeting (like you’re selling some gear, advertising an outdoorsy summer job, etc)- ask an admin officer before the meeting.
Q: What’s the Instagram, website, email, etc?
A: We post trip photos and info on the Instagram: @outdoorsclubpitt. A few of our officers run it, you can DM them with questions but please check here first! We also try to post updates ASAP on the story for things like meeting time changes, etc. The Insta is good for quick communication and checking in with the club. Tag us and we might share it!
The website (https://outdoorsclubpitt.blogspot.com/) is run by club officers. We are working on updating it but sometimes it is a bit slow for new changes because it is a bit tedious to update. All email-list emails are posted to the website as a blog!!! So if you aren’t on the email list you can check here.
The email is outdoorsclub.pitt@gmail.com. Our lovely secretary runs it but some other admin officers occasionally check it too. The secretary should check it near daily so feel free to send some mail- however for questions please check this FAQ first!
Q: What’s up with Discord?
A: The club is moving all communication platforms to Discord. We previously used Groupme but it’s a bit too messy for what we need. Discord is free and allows members to all join the same group, but utilize different ‘channels’ to talk about different stuff- like General info, climbing, backpacking, gear, biking, local hikes, etc.
We will close Club GroupMes after a few weeks of the semester.
Q: How do trips work?
A: 1. You come to a meeting and signup for a trip 2. We go through signups and make a roster 3. We send you an email with needed information and the roster 4. You pack up your gear and communicate with the group/officers leading the trip. You will either drive a group to the campground/trailhead or be picked up and driven by someone else. 5. We go on the trip! Trips are sometimes one day over a weekend or sometimes the entire weekend. This info is on the signup form. For weekend trips, we usually leave between 12-6 on Friday and get back to Oakland between 12-6 on Sunday. You must have all the necessary gear for safety and necessities on the trip. Officers run the trip and plan general times for the itinerary and will communicate with you on this.
Some trips are big- like 30-40 people. Some trips are only around 10 people. Trips vary a lot- this is what all our emails and stuff are gonna tell you about. Read ‘em!
If you need gear, you can borrow it from the club (more below).
Q: How does food work on trips?
A: You are responsible for all of your food on trips. The club might buy some marshmallows- but that’s it! Often cars stop at Sheetz on the way in and out of a trip. Not sure what food to pack? Check out our Food Suggestions doc.
Q: What about water on trips?
Depends, and we will let you know in the pre-signup information email. Some places are campsites with potable water taps, and some places you collect water from ~nature~ and filter it to drink. You have to bring your own water carrying containers (like bottles) and bring a filter if you have one, but the club owns a filter that groups can share- we’ll let you know what to expect for each trip.
Q: When will I hear back if I’ve gotten on a trip?
A:We are aiming to do signups two weeks before the trips, or the week before at latest. The goal from officers is to get a roster out within 3 days of signups closing. However we will try to let you know if it changes per trip. If you hear that the roster has been finalized and you did not get an email - you did not get on the trip. There are very, very, VERY rarely managerial mistakes on our end with this and if there is one, we will reach out to you, please don't email us if you signed up, but didn't get on the trip, that's a lot of emails we have to respond to.
Q: Can I come on a trip ‘separately’ from the club and stay at the same campsite?
A: Unfortunately, no. Of course- we can’t stop you from hiking and camping near us on public lands- but if we’ve reserved a campsite with club funds, it’s not fair nor often possible to squeeze in a bunch of extra people who weren’t planned on. (If you want to come separate, chances are others do too!) We stay at a lot of locally owned campsites who have limited space, and we pay based on the amount of people we’ve planned to bring.
Q: Who should I contact about a trip? Or any specific thing?
A: Please try to contact the officer in charge of a trip! Or contact any officer really and we can direct you to them. For more general questions, contact the VP in charge of the relevant activity, or ask an administrative officer. You can do this at meetings, email the club email, Discord or DM the Club Instagram. We do not take messages through Campuslabs.
Q: How do I join the email list?
A: Follow this link: https://list.pitt.edu/mailman/listinfo/poc
Q: Stop sending me emails! How do I unsubscribe from the email list?
A: Follow this link: https://list.pitt.edu/mailman/listinfo/poc
Q: Who answers the emails?
A: Mostly the super-cool Secretary. Sometimes another officer (usually admin, like Pres or VP) if relevant.
Q: Heck, who runs this club?
A: A team of very cool officers! Officers are fellow Pitt students and all of our work is volunteer. This is not a paid position from Pitt, and basically all of the work to put together and run this club comes from us- which is quite a feat! The officers are generally separated as Administrative officers: President, Vice President of Admin, Vice President(s) of various activities, Business Manager, Secretary- and also Activity Chairs: Hiking Chairs, Gearmaster, Biking Chairs, Climbing Chairs, etc. The Admin positions are more formal while the Chairs fluctuate based on who is available and their interests/skills!
Q: How do I become an officer/get involved with leadership?
A: Ask the officer team- especially Admin chairs at the next meeting!
Q: Do you have gear I can borrow?
A: Yes! The Outdoors Club owns a decent amount of gear. It is stored in the Gear Locker on upper campus. Please contact the Gearmaster, the officers leading your trip, or another officer if needed to get more information. We have a list of all our gear and you just need to coordinate with us to get it. It is free of charge to PODC members! However, if you irresponsibly borrow gear and carelessly damage or lose it, you may be restricted/banned from borrowing gear.
Q: I have never done any of this stuff. Will that keep me from doing any of your activities?
A: Do not let the fact that you have never participated in any of the events the club offers scare you away. As long as you are interested in doing them, you are welcome to join. We accept people of all skill levels. Many of our current members started off never having done any outdoors activities, and now they have excelled in the activities they enjoy and are teaching others what they have learned.
Q: How are dues only 20 dollars? Will there be more charges tacked on at a later date?
A: All of the trips that we run are free of charge, with the exception of our skydiving trip and a select number of other outings. The dues help pay for transportation, and to reimburse gas to the people who drive their own vehicles on trips. The only thing your dues will not cover on our trips is food, so plan accordingly.
Q: I drove my own car on a trip and want to be reimbursed for gas, how does that happen?
A: Drivers for Pitt Outdoors Club trips qualify for reimbursements on gas. You must save your proof of purchase (paper receipts) and submit a screenshot of the directions to the location, including mileage. All reimbursements must be submitted within 30 days of purchase. For these, please follow the directions on this google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VRe0aTTx5TYIe5RaWBKvdjvVsx2iuf0A/edit For any other reimbursements, or questions about reimbursements, please reach out to the Pitt Outdoors Club Business Manager: Emma Horning (emma.horning@pitt.edu)
How do I join Outdoors Club?
Complete the following steps:
- Be a current Student, Staff, or Faculty member of the University of Pittsburgh.
- Sign the waiver.
- Obtain dues, either $10/semester or $20/year.
- Present dues/waiver to an official club Officer. This can be done at any Tuesday night meeting.
- If you'd like to be added to our mailing list, see "How can I join the email list?" below. If you cannot make the meetings, please contact an officer to signup and give them dues at another time. Only Pitt attendees can join the club (not our rule, it’s the University’s!).
A: The Outdoors Club at Pitt seeks to provide an opportunity for Pitt students to engage in wilderness related activities, learn about the wilderness/outdoors and relevant skills, and foster an appreciation for the natural world and outdoor recreation. The Club fosters an ‘outdoorsy’ community here at Pitt and makes the outdoors more accessible.
Q: When & where are meetings?
A: Meetings are typically outside of the William Pitt Union on the Bigelow-side porch/plaza while it is warm. If it is cold/rainy, we will meet in Lawrence 120 or 121 (the first big auditoriums on the right), on Tuesdays at 9pm. We will send pre-meeting emails to let you know if this information has changed. We will also aim to post on the Instagram story as soon as we know of a change.
Q: How would I know if a meeting is cancelled?
A: We will send a pre-meeting email confirming meeting location & time, and info on what we’ll go over at that meeting. We will also post on the Instagram story.
Q: What if I can’t make a meeting?
A: We will send a post-meeting email (either that night or the following morning) with information from the meeting - INCLUDING THE TRIP SIGNUP GOOGLE FORM LINK & INFO.
Q: I missed a bunch of meetings and now it's really late in the semester. Can I still join?
A: Yes. See our meeting times above and show up.
Q: How do I get on trips?
A: You must 1. Be a registered member 2. Come to the meeting to signup.
Q: How do you pick who goes on trips?
A: The trip signups is generally a first-come, first-serve basis- which is why attending the meetings to signup first is important! However, we also take into consideration gear limitations, officer limitations, car groups, camping space, and budget. We seek to make sure that enough capable people- especially for activities like climbing, where there need to be experienced lead climbers/belayers/etc- are on the trip to help the less experienced people, so there is a blend, but we welcome those of all skill levels to sign up for trips.
Q:What else do we do at meetings?
A: Meetings are a great time to see your club friends, ask about trips and general club info, get to know the officers and learn some stuff from campus! We are making an effort to have some informational sessions available at meetings but officer resources are somewhat limited.
If you want to present something at a meeting (like you’re selling some gear, advertising an outdoorsy summer job, etc)- ask an admin officer before the meeting.
Q: What’s the Instagram, website, email, etc?
A: We post trip photos and info on the Instagram: @outdoorsclubpitt. A few of our officers run it, you can DM them with questions but please check here first! We also try to post updates ASAP on the story for things like meeting time changes, etc. The Insta is good for quick communication and checking in with the club. Tag us and we might share it!
The website (https://outdoorsclubpitt.blogspot.com/) is run by club officers. We are working on updating it but sometimes it is a bit slow for new changes because it is a bit tedious to update. All email-list emails are posted to the website as a blog!!! So if you aren’t on the email list you can check here.
The email is outdoorsclub.pitt@gmail.com. Our lovely secretary runs it but some other admin officers occasionally check it too. The secretary should check it near daily so feel free to send some mail- however for questions please check this FAQ first!
Q: What’s up with Discord?
A: The club is moving all communication platforms to Discord. We previously used Groupme but it’s a bit too messy for what we need. Discord is free and allows members to all join the same group, but utilize different ‘channels’ to talk about different stuff- like General info, climbing, backpacking, gear, biking, local hikes, etc.
We will close Club GroupMes after a few weeks of the semester.
Q: How do trips work?
A: 1. You come to a meeting and signup for a trip 2. We go through signups and make a roster 3. We send you an email with needed information and the roster 4. You pack up your gear and communicate with the group/officers leading the trip. You will either drive a group to the campground/trailhead or be picked up and driven by someone else. 5. We go on the trip! Trips are sometimes one day over a weekend or sometimes the entire weekend. This info is on the signup form. For weekend trips, we usually leave between 12-6 on Friday and get back to Oakland between 12-6 on Sunday. You must have all the necessary gear for safety and necessities on the trip. Officers run the trip and plan general times for the itinerary and will communicate with you on this.
Some trips are big- like 30-40 people. Some trips are only around 10 people. Trips vary a lot- this is what all our emails and stuff are gonna tell you about. Read ‘em!
If you need gear, you can borrow it from the club (more below).
Q: How does food work on trips?
A: You are responsible for all of your food on trips. The club might buy some marshmallows- but that’s it! Often cars stop at Sheetz on the way in and out of a trip. Not sure what food to pack? Check out our Food Suggestions doc.
Q: What about water on trips?
Depends, and we will let you know in the pre-signup information email. Some places are campsites with potable water taps, and some places you collect water from ~nature~ and filter it to drink. You have to bring your own water carrying containers (like bottles) and bring a filter if you have one, but the club owns a filter that groups can share- we’ll let you know what to expect for each trip.
Q: When will I hear back if I’ve gotten on a trip?
A:We are aiming to do signups two weeks before the trips, or the week before at latest. The goal from officers is to get a roster out within 3 days of signups closing. However we will try to let you know if it changes per trip. If you hear that the roster has been finalized and you did not get an email - you did not get on the trip. There are very, very, VERY rarely managerial mistakes on our end with this and if there is one, we will reach out to you, please don't email us if you signed up, but didn't get on the trip, that's a lot of emails we have to respond to.
Q: Can I come on a trip ‘separately’ from the club and stay at the same campsite?
A: Unfortunately, no. Of course- we can’t stop you from hiking and camping near us on public lands- but if we’ve reserved a campsite with club funds, it’s not fair nor often possible to squeeze in a bunch of extra people who weren’t planned on. (If you want to come separate, chances are others do too!) We stay at a lot of locally owned campsites who have limited space, and we pay based on the amount of people we’ve planned to bring.
Q: Who should I contact about a trip? Or any specific thing?
A: Please try to contact the officer in charge of a trip! Or contact any officer really and we can direct you to them. For more general questions, contact the VP in charge of the relevant activity, or ask an administrative officer. You can do this at meetings, email the club email, Discord or DM the Club Instagram. We do not take messages through Campuslabs.
Q: How do I join the email list?
A: Follow this link: https://list.pitt.edu/mailman/listinfo/poc
Q: Stop sending me emails! How do I unsubscribe from the email list?
A: Follow this link: https://list.pitt.edu/mailman/listinfo/poc
Q: Who answers the emails?
A: Mostly the super-cool Secretary. Sometimes another officer (usually admin, like Pres or VP) if relevant.
Q: Heck, who runs this club?
A: A team of very cool officers! Officers are fellow Pitt students and all of our work is volunteer. This is not a paid position from Pitt, and basically all of the work to put together and run this club comes from us- which is quite a feat! The officers are generally separated as Administrative officers: President, Vice President of Admin, Vice President(s) of various activities, Business Manager, Secretary- and also Activity Chairs: Hiking Chairs, Gearmaster, Biking Chairs, Climbing Chairs, etc. The Admin positions are more formal while the Chairs fluctuate based on who is available and their interests/skills!
Q: How do I become an officer/get involved with leadership?
A: Ask the officer team- especially Admin chairs at the next meeting!
Q: Do you have gear I can borrow?
A: Yes! The Outdoors Club owns a decent amount of gear. It is stored in the Gear Locker on upper campus. Please contact the Gearmaster, the officers leading your trip, or another officer if needed to get more information. We have a list of all our gear and you just need to coordinate with us to get it. It is free of charge to PODC members! However, if you irresponsibly borrow gear and carelessly damage or lose it, you may be restricted/banned from borrowing gear.
Q: I have never done any of this stuff. Will that keep me from doing any of your activities?
A: Do not let the fact that you have never participated in any of the events the club offers scare you away. As long as you are interested in doing them, you are welcome to join. We accept people of all skill levels. Many of our current members started off never having done any outdoors activities, and now they have excelled in the activities they enjoy and are teaching others what they have learned.
Q: How are dues only 20 dollars? Will there be more charges tacked on at a later date?
A: All of the trips that we run are free of charge, with the exception of our skydiving trip and a select number of other outings. The dues help pay for transportation, and to reimburse gas to the people who drive their own vehicles on trips. The only thing your dues will not cover on our trips is food, so plan accordingly.
Q: I drove my own car on a trip and want to be reimbursed for gas, how does that happen?
A: Drivers for Pitt Outdoors Club trips qualify for reimbursements on gas. You must save your proof of purchase (paper receipts) and submit a screenshot of the directions to the location, including mileage. All reimbursements must be submitted within 30 days of purchase. For these, please follow the directions on this google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VRe0aTTx5TYIe5RaWBKvdjvVsx2iuf0A/edit For any other reimbursements, or questions about reimbursements, please reach out to the Pitt Outdoors Club Business Manager: Emma Horning (emma.horning@pitt.edu)