Friends

"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

• 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.

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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.