This is the general information for all students who will be participating in Outdoor Action Frosh Trip. More detailed information about your specific trip activities and an equipment list for your specific trip will be emailed to you in early August.
Welcome to Princeton Outdoor Action Frosh Trip!
Welcome to Princeton and one of your first Princeton activities—Outdoor Action Frosh Trip ! We hope you’re excited about coming to Princeton, and we’re thrilled that you'll be joining us and hundreds of your classmates on this year’s OA Frosh Trip. You can look forward to meeting new friends, learning about Princeton, and having an incredibly fun outdoor experience.
Frosh Trip runs from Wednesday, August 30 to Saturday, September2. Check-in for Outdoor Action is at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 29 at Dillon Gym.
Preparing for OA
Activities: Participants are divided into groups of 10-14 incoming students. Each group is led by 2-3 upper-class student leaders trained in outdoor skills, group dynamics, and wilderness first aid. You will be matched to a trip and activity that meets your physical fitness level. We encourage all participants to begin preparing for their trip by being physically active 3-4 times a week. If you indicated a special need or if you have any special needs, we will place you on an appropriate trip. You will receive an email in early August with the type of trip you have been assigned to and the equipment list for that type of trip.
Readings: If you are interested in learning more about camping and the outdoors before your trip, pick up a copy of The Backpacker’s Field Manual, written by Outdoor Action Director Rick Curtis ’79. It’s available at major bookstores and online at Amazon.com. It has all the information you might need about what to expect in the backcountry, what to bring, how to hike comfortably, and more.
What happens Tuesday, August 29th?
OA CHECK-IN: Check-in for the Frosh Trip will be on the main floor of Dillon Gym at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 29th (see the Campus Map). Please be on time! During check-in, you will meet your leaders and the other members of your group, as well as receive any equipment that you need for the trip and you’ll head off to one of your OA Leader’s rooms to pack for your trip. Trip groups will spend Tuesday evening packing and preparing for the trip. Groups depart early Wednesday morning and you should plan to be with your group fully after check-in.
Special Needs
SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS: OA’s basic menu uses a limited amount of meat (chicken and salmon) for some meals. If you are vegetarian or vegan, it is easy to prepare your food before any meat is added and there are plenty of vegan protein sources (nuts, beans, peanut butter, etc.). If you indicated an allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, or gluten, we will ensure that all of your food is allergen-free. If you have special dietary concerns or you dietary needs that have changed from what you included in your registration, please contact the OA office (609-258-6230) no later than Wednesday, August 16, so that we can discuss your particular needs. If we have not heard from you by then, we may not be able to accommodate special dietary requests.
For students who keep Kosher, we can ensure that all of the food on your trip is certified Kosher and will leave the food in its original packaging for your inspection. We will also provide kosher pots and utensils for those who indicated they keep Kosher on their Orientation registration forms. For students who eat Halaal, we will send no meat (other than Kosher salmon) on your trip. If you have additional requests or concerns, please contact the OA office by Wednesday, August 16.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS: During the trip, in the event of an emergency, families should call the Public Safety Office at 609-258-1000 (open 24 hours). Outdoor Action staff members are on call 24 hours a day during the trip. Please call only in case of an emergency.
We hope this letter has provided you with all the information you need to be prepared for Frosh Trip. If you have questions about the program, please feel free to contact us by phone at 609-258-6230 or by email (oatrip@princeton.edu). We look forward to meeting you in late August. Have a wonderful summer!
