DOC First-Year Trips / FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Hi! I’m sure you have a few questions about the program in general. Hopefully this document will answer some of them. If you have another concern we haven’t covered here, feel free to call us at 603-646-3996 during our normal business hours, from 9-4 EST.

What will the trip be like?

Trips is a great time to meet other incoming Dartmouth students and get a taste of what Dartmouth is all about. Trips will introduce you to the outdoor activities available at Dartmouth and in the surrounding area. But more than that, it will give you an introduction to Dartmouth itself. It is a time that unites the campus and gives everyone a common experience to jump-start the first year here.

Beyond equipment, is there anything else I need to do to prepare?

You should come ready to expect the unexpected, and you should prepare yourself for walking up and talking to a lot of people you have never seen before. Because that’s what coming to college is all about—meeting a lot of people and eventually finding some people and some issues you really care about (you may forget some names along the way, too—that’s ok!). Trips wants do the best it can to help you with that first step towards finding your place and your passion, because 4 years is too short for you to not be the person you want to be right from the start. (Also remember that everyone else is just as nervous as you are about coming to a new place and meeting new people . . . so let go of your fears and get ready to have a lot of fun!).

Do I need everything on the equipment list?

Yes, bring everything on the list. New Hampshire can be cold in September, especially when you are out on the trail. The raincoat and rainpants are also crucial in protecting you in case of wind and other bad weather. But once you have everything, try not to bring too much more—extra weight adds up fast!

What about buying equipment? Will I look like an idiot with my grandma’s old frame pack from 1935?

No! Old-school gear is MUCH more hardcore than something with the E.M.S. tag still on it . . . don’t waste lots of money getting gear that looks sweet, when you haven’t been out in the woods a whole lot. Wait until you’ve done some hiking in the fall before you invest in that $250 pack. You know the saying—they don’t make fast carriages, they make fast horses. Make sure your boots don’t give you any blisters, make sure you have some warm fleece or other non-cotton clothes, grab your raingear, and you’re set! Besides, did you know 1935 was the first year DOC Trips were run?

Again, don’t spend a whole lot of money on expensive equipment when decent stuff will do just fine!

Where can I find cheap non-cotton clothing?

Start hunting through salvation army and other used clothing stores for some old wool shirts, and while you’re at it, pick up some sweet costumes . . . even if you don’t use them on your trip, they will come in really handy when you have the best Halloween costume around and all your friends are wishing they had a panda suit to wear to a party on Saturday night.

What are the most popular trips?

Due to limited space and equipment, the non-hiking trips often have an overwhelming demand that we are unable to accommodate fully. We hope you won’t be in this situation, but if you are, don’t worry—the hiking trips can be some of the most fun, and there will be other opportunities for kayaking or rock climbing during the fall. Many of the best parts of trips are unrelated to the actual trip you are doing—hanging out in camp, cooking and sharing a meal as a trip group, experiencing Dartmouth’s own Ravine Lodge, and bonding with your Trippees. We hope you will understand that we will do the best we can to put you in your first choice trip, but sometimes it just isn’t possible.

When does my trip really start?

Your DOC Trip starts when you register, between 2pm and 4pm on the first day of your section. The first evening you will be in Hanover, playing games, eating dinner, doing a pack check, and spending the night with your trip group. Bright and early on the second day, you’ll head north to get outdoors and start the adventure away from Hanover.

If I’m driving from the Northeast, where can I park during my trip?

Please inquire at the registration table at Robinson Hall when you arrive. You can park in a college lot called “A-Lot”.

If I am on sections E-J, how do I get my key to store my belongings in my dorm room?

You can pick up your dorm-room key on the same day that your section begins at the Office of Residential Life (in the basement of North Massachusetts Hall) between 9 AM and 4 PM (or NOON and 4 PM for sections E and F). This will allow you access to your dorm room so you can store all of your belongings for school. You should plan on being finished moving belongings in by around 3:30. If you have any questions, please call ORL at 603-646-3093.

What if I can’t get a flight early enough to arrive on time the day of my E-J trip? Can I come a day early?

Unfortunately, we do not have any accommodations for students arriving early, and you are not allowed into your dorm room until the day your trip arrives. Try to take the earliest flight possible and hop right on the bus from the airport (see www.dartmouthcoach.com and www.vermonttransit.com for schedules). If you cannot find an early flight, please make arrangements for the night before in a hotel, or with friends or family in the area (Boston, New Hampshire, anywhere in between) and take a bus to Hanover the day of your trip. A list of local hotels is available.

If I have trouble on my way to Dartmouth, who can I call?

Please call the Trips office at 603-646-3996 if you have any trouble getting to Hanover. We will be on the phone from 9-5 during the day and we will be checking voice mail periodically as well. If your plane is late, if you need help, or if you cannot make it to Hanover on your specified date, call and let us know. We want you to come, so we’ll do our best to accommodate any last minute setbacks.

Should I bring my cell phone along on my trip?

You can bring your cell phone with you, but we ask that you turn it off for the duration of your trip. It doesn’t work in most of the Upper Valley Wilderness anyway, so it won’t be very useful on the trail (other than as a paperweight). You can leave it behind in a safe location in Robinson Hall before you leave and get it back when your trip returns.

Where do I go again?

We should be pretty hard to miss once you make it to the Green. If you are worried about getting your bearings, make your way to Robinson Hall (fifty feet south of the Admissions Office, McNutt), and we will show you where to go from there. Or, look at the campus map for where to register for Trips (Robinson Hall), where to pick up your ID card (2nd floor of Thayer Dining Hall), and where to get your key (North Massachusetts Hall). We are looking forward to seeing you in September!

What’s the deal with the schedule?

Trips is divided up into 10 “sections” of around 100 people each, lettered A-J. The first four sections are for students from New York and New England, who will return home after their trip and before orientation begins. Busses are provided from Boston and New York for these sections. Sections E-J are for students flying in who will arrive with everything on the day their trip begins and store everything but their trip equipment in their dorm while they go on their trip, moving in to dorms immediately afterward. There is one break day in the middle for the staff, so sections arrive every day from Sept. 4th through 8th, and from 10th through 14th, so that all the 5 day trips return to campus by the move in day, Sept. 18th.

What about the trip numbering system?

The trips are then numbered by 10’s according to how far they are from campus and (if it’s a hiking trip) the single digits indicate how difficult they are. So trip 02 leaves from campus and is very easy hiking, while trip 59 is some gorgeous “psycho” hiking across Franconia Ridge in the White Mountains, about an hour and a half from campus. Trip 64 is a moderate hiking trip that is two and a half hours away, almost in the Second College Grant. Regardless of your trip number, you will have the most fun aiming for a difficulty level that you really want to do—sometimes the leisurely hikes are more fun because you get more down time in camp (and less time scaling mountains).