Friends
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"It's dangerous to go alone!"
If you're new to all this, adventures can be exciting/scary.
If you're joining a group of strangers, sometimes "bringing a friend" works in your favor. Sometimes it doesn't.
Guidelines[edit]
- Consider if bringing a friend is a good idea, you want people to get to know you!
- ALWAYS check with the trip leader first. It's not cool to just show up with a extra person without checking first.
- Certainly don't ambush an organizer. Crashing down at the trailhead with 3 unexpected besties isn't how you get invited back.
- Give the organizer all the information up front. Don't ask to go on a trip, and once approved, ask if your friend can come too. This puts the leader in an uncomfortable position. Also Don't ask to ask
- If your friend is epileptic, allergic to bees, and afraid of heights, you should make sure the organizer is totally comfortable with all that, ahead of time.
- Make every attempt to bring friends that are more experienced than you, if you can't manage that, help them yourself as much as possible.
- Set expectations, tell people exactly what your friend's experience level is in no uncertain terms. People might assume they're experienced because their using your ratty old gear.
- This applies equally to husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, vaguely friends, just friends, best friends, hitchhikers, etc.
Pros:
- Comfort and support structure
- Presumably they'll drive you to the hospital. (On this point, if you're uncertain about the group you've chosen, immediately reconsider your group!)
- You may be somewhat more "safe" to befriend in the social-proof sense.
Cons:
- Adding people to the trip slows down the group
- You'll may alienate potential new friends.
- You won't spend as much time with others in the group.
- Friends reflect on you poorly, the converse isn't necessarily true.