Outdoor Trips & Education

Learn how to “outdoor” while connecting with likeminded fellow Bruins.

Learn the essential and practical information needed to go camping or backpacking. Whether you’re a seasoned camper looking to hone your skills with expert guidance or a brand-new adventurer wondering how to get started – you will gain valuable outdoor knowledge and skills in our on-campus workshops.

Attend Outdoor Adventures workshops on campus and then put your new knowledge and skills into action! Students who successfully complete all required workshops will become eligible to apply to for a spot on a free camping or backpacking trip. See drop down menus for more details.

Camping versus backpacking?

Camping

“Camping” is when you drive to a campsite and set up your tent at that location, with the intention of staying in that spot for a few days. During the day you might go on a hike, visit a lake, or explore rock formations. Each night, you will return to your same campsite where the car is and camp there. This is sometimes referred to as “car camping” or “front country camping.” This is the ideal way to experience the outdoors as a beginner, as the activities can be easily made entry-level and you have the convenience of having a vehicle nearby at all times.

Backpacking

is when you carry all your camping equipment in a large backpack and hike with it for several miles down a trail. At the end of the day, you set up camp near your trail. The next day, you pack up your backpack and hike even further. This can be repeated daily for the trip’s duration. This method is ideal for traveling deeper into the wilderness, where one can experience more pristine, remote natural wonders. However, it comes at the hard-earned cost of carrying all your equipment with you the whole way.

Workshops

The following workshops are offered each quarter. View the schedule and register via
the Recreation online store.

Backcountry Weather Forecasting and Safety

A range of weather topics including lightning, preventing heat exhaustion, rain, cold, flashflood, and wildfires will be covered. After this workshop you will be equipped to make educated decisions to prepare for and manage risk in the face of a variety of challenging weather conditions.

Building a Campfire

Come join us to learn and practice how to build a campfire. We will discuss the steps to build a warm fire and review how your choice of wood affects your campfire. We will also discuss conditions to account for when choosing a campfire location. This workshop is great for beginners and experienced recreators who are looking to practice their campfire building skills in a controlled environment.

Camp Kitchen Setup & Backcountry Cooking

Come learn how to best setup a camp kitchen and learn about our favorite backcountry meals! We will cover stove usage, camp kitchen selection, and more! This workshop is great for beginners who have never cooked in the backcountry or experienced recreators who are looking to elevate their outdoor eating experience!

Gear Maintenance and Repair

This workshop will help you learn to fix your beloved gear if rips and tears happen in the backcountry! Sometimes tents, sleeping bags, and clothing snag on sharp outdoors objects. This workshop is great for individuals looking to keep their gear pristine, even on a long trip.

Intro to Backpacking - Planning a Trip

“Backpacking” is when you carry all your camping equipment in a large backpack and hike with it for several miles down a trail. At the end of the day, you set up camp near your trail. The next day, you pack up your backpack and hike even further. This can be repeated daily for the trip’s duration. This method is ideal for traveling deeper into the wilderness, where one can experience more pristine, remote natural wonders. However, it comes at the hard-earned cost of carrying all your equipment with you the whole way.

Are you new to backpacking? Come learn how to plan and execute your own backpacking trip in our Intro to Backpacking workshop. We will discuss how to secure campsites/permits, how to choose a destination/trail, and the essential items needed to get started. This trip is perfect for beginners or experienced recreationists looking to fine tune their skills.

Knots for the Outdoors

Come learn how to tie various knots such as an overhand, figure eight, bowline, and trucker’s hitch. Understanding how to tie knots will make you competent in building structures and securing gear.

Reading a Topography Map

Come learn and practice your navigational skills with our topography map workshop. You will learn how to understand the meaning behind those squiggly lines that appear on maps. Reading a topography map is an essential skill for all recreationists!

Tent and Sleep System Setup

Come practice setting up 2-4-person tents, complete with installing the rainfly and understanding how to effectively use stakes in a multitude of environments. You will learn to assess the ground for the optimal place to set up a tent. You will also learn tips for staying warm in the backcountry.

Water Treatment and Backpacking Hygiene

Come learn about the various methods of water treatment, including filter pumps, chlorine, boiling and a review of the most popular products on the market. After this workshop you will have the knowledge to prepare drinking water in the backcountry. This workshop is essential for all individuals who drink water from lakes, rivers, and creeks.

Apply to go on a free* OA trip for beginner campers or backpackers

Join a group of likeminded Bruins for an introductory camping or backpacking trip! Complete all the required prerequisite workshops and then put your new skills to work. You and up to 14 other students will work together to plan and lead your own trip together, with UCLA Outdoor Adventures helping you with all the preparations and equipment. In the weeks leading up to your trip, you are required to attend essential learning and planning sessions. During these sessions, you will team build with your tripmates, help craft the trip itinerary, prepare equipment, and learn more advanced skills specific to your trip’s location and activities.

*Outdoor Adventures provides the camping equipment, permits, campsites, and pre-trip education. Trip participants will need to contribute to their portion of shared transportation and food.

Submit an Application

Upcoming Trips

Backpack the Sespe Wilderness, March 25-28, 2024 (Spring Break)
Mandatory pre-trip learning and planning sessions:

3/2/25 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM at the Challenge Course, Sunset Canyon Recreation Center
3/5/25 (Wednesday), 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM in the Outdoor Adventures Resource Room
3/12/25 (Wednesday), 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM in the Outdoor Adventures Resource Room
3/19/25 (Wednesday), 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM in the Outdoor Adventures Rental Center

Deadline to apply: February 16, 2024

This 4-day trip will begin at UCLA, at the Outdoor Adventures Equipment Rental Center. You will load up your vehicles and drive roughly 2 hours to the Sespe Wilderness in Los Padres National Forest. On night one your group will camp in the front country near your parked vehicles. In the morning, you will begin 3 days of backpacking amongst streams, dramatic rock formations, and pine trees. You will hike roughly 3-7 miles per day. Together, you and your tripmates will navigate the trail, set up camp, cook meals, purify drinking water from streams, and sleep beneath the stars. On day 4 you will hike out of the backcountry and return to campus to clean up and put away the camping gear. Be sure to mark your calendar for all the mandatory pre-trip sessions, as these are essential skills and preparations for your trip.

Trip application Prerequisites

You must be a current UCLA student and Recreation member at the time of applying and at the time that the trip occurs.
For all camping trips you must have successfully completed the following workshops. Workshops may be completed over the course of multiple quarters.

Backcountry Weather Forecasting and Safety
Building a Campfire
Camp Kitchen Setup & Backcountry Cooking
Intro to Camping – Planning my first camping trip
Tent and Sleep System Setup

For all backpacking trips you must have successfully completed the following workshops. Workshops may be completed over the course of multiple quarters.

Backcountry Weather Forecasting and Safety
Building a Campfire
Camp Kitchen Setup & Backcountry Cooking
Intro to Backpacking - Planning a Trip
Reading a Topography Map
Tent and Sleep System Setup
Water Treatment and Backpacking Hygiene

Trip Requirements

You must be available for and successfully attend all pre-trip learning andcplanning sessions. You may miss a maximum of one session, provided you attend a make-up session. If you are not available for the make-up session, or if you miss more than 1 session, you will lose your spot on the trip.
You must agree to the Outdoor Adventures Trip Code of Conduct.
You must pay for your own food on the trip. You will co-plan the menu with your fellow trip mates and you will together go shopping for the groceries. You must each pay for your own portion of food.
You must either provide your own transportation or contribute gas money to someone else on the trip who will agree to drive you in their vehicle. Outdoor
Adventures will facilitate communications around shared rides.

What is Provided on the Trip?

Facilitated planning and preparation sessions related to the menu, itinerary, and equipment.
Camping equipment: Sleeping bag, ground pad, tent, stove, cook set, cooler, water jugs, bear can, backpack, first aid kit, rain jacket/pants, warm puffy jacket, headlamp, trowel, whistle, base layer clothing, refillable water bottle
Relevant permits and campsite reservations/fees

What do Trip Participants Need to Bring?

Your own hiking shoes, clothing, and toiletries. Read our comprehensive “What to Bring”
list here (coming soon).

Contact

Send questions to rentalcenter@recreation.ucla.edu.
Or, drop by the Outdoor Adventures Rental Center to speak with us in person during open hours.