1. What does the Backpacking and Outdoors Club do?
2. Where do we go?
3. Do I need my own equipment?
4. Do I need any experience?
5. How much does it cost?
6. What do I have to do to become a member?

The BPOC is a club designed to gather people together that enjoy the outdoors. We organize fun, low-cost trips that get students away from campus and the grind of college life. This club also educates people on the importance of low impact camping, and doing our part to help the environment, so that everyone can enjoy it.

All over! Some of the trips are just around in Michigan, usually during the school year when people can't get away. These trips have included (but aren't limited to): Pictured Rocks, Manistee National Forest, Pictured Rocks, Skiing at Caberfae, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and many more. We also do two big trips, one in the fall, and one in the spring. The one in the fall is usually a rafting trip, spanning a weekend in late September/early October. We raft the Gauley in West Virginia, which sports Class V+ rapids. The spring trip occurs the week after school dismisses, and is typically a week long trip.

No! Many of the people who join have never had any real hiking experience. We wouldn't want anyone to go out and spend a lot of money on something they may not enjoy. The club has an array of gear for the use of members. Our equipment ranges from packs to stoves, and even sleeping pads. To see a list of our inventory, click here.

No. Not very many members have had experiences outside the club. Many new people join every year, and almost all the trips have a first-timer or two on them.

This is the best part. Dues for BPOC are only $10 a semester. This allows you to use any club equipment for club trips, or even your own personal trips, throughout the semester. It also helps cover the cost of permits and things, which make the cost of each trip significantly lower. Except for the big trips, your only cost is usually gas money, and food, both for the trail, and the car rides. Usually, everything else is covered, except in specific situations, like ferry passes to an island, or other, more costly endeavors, like white water rafting.

The only stipulation for being a member is a love for the outdoors, and $10. You can attend meetings without being a member, and you can hear the speakers, and participate in the workshops, too. You just have to pay dues before you can borrow equipment, or participate in any of the club trips.